Four Gardens in God’s Plan

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Short Summary
The discourse explores four significant gardens in God’s plan—the Garden of Eden, Ezekiel’s visionary garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the New Jerusalem—highlighting their symbolic roles in creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. It contrasts Adam’s disobedience in Eden with Jesus’s obedience in Gethsemane, emphasizing God’s ongoing promise to restore perfect relationship with humanity through spiritual growth and salvation. Ultimately, it encourages believers to embrace hope, faith, and obedience as part of God’s redemptive plan culminating in eternal life.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary: Four Gardens in God’s Plan Discourse

Introduction and Inspiration
– The discourse is inspired by an article from 1995 on the “Beauties of the Truth” website.
– It explores the theme of four significant gardens in the Bible, highlighting God’s overarching plan of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.
– Apostle Paul’s encouragement to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6) to “stir up the gift of God” is applied as motivation for spiritual growth and appreciation of biblical truths.

Biblical Context: Gardens from Genesis to Revelation
– The Bible begins and ends with a garden, signaling intentional symbolism.
– Gardens represent life, relationship, provision, growth, and divine-human encounters.
– Gardening also symbolizes nurturing growth, paralleling spiritual growth where God “gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
– Despite human achievements, only God can truly bring growth and fruitfulness.

Overview of the Four Gardens
1. Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-9)
– The place of man’s creation and original perfect relationship with God.
– The Hebrew word “gidden” means delight or pleasure, showing God’s joy in creation.
– Adam was created just below angels, crowned with dominion over animals (Psalm 8).
– God met Adam and Eve in the “cool of the day,” indicating intimate fellowship.
– Sin entered here through disobedience; Adam and Eve hid from God (Genesis 3:9).
– God’s questioning (“Where are you?”) is a loving invitation to self-reflection and repentance, seen repeatedly in Scripture (e.g., Cain in Genesis 4:9; Hagar in Genesis 16:8).
– The first promise of redemption emerged here: “the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head” (Genesis 3:15).

2. The Garden in Ezekiel’s Vision (Ezekiel 36:35; 43:7; 47:1-12)
– Represents the promised restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel and mankind.
– Although “garden” is not explicitly used, garden elements (river, trees, temple) symbolize healing and divine blessing.
– The flowing river from under the temple (Ezekiel 47) grows deeper, symbolizing increasing immersion in God’s truth and Spirit.
– Trees on each side provide healing for the nations.
– Palm trees in Solomon’s temple and Ezekiel’s vision connect back to Eden.
– God promises a “new heart” and “new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26), affirming His ongoing restorative plan.
– This vision assures God has not abandoned Eden or His relationship with mankind.

3. Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44; reprint 2773)
– The site of Jesus’ intense agony, prayer, and obedience before His crucifixion.
– Named “oil press,” fitting as Jesus was “pressed” under the weight of the world’s sin.
– Contrasts sharply with Eden:
– Eden: Adam sinned and fell; Gethsemane: Jesus obeyed and stood firm.
– Eden: Interaction with the enemy; Gethsemane: Jesus prayed to His Father.
– Eden: Blame and hiding; Gethsemane: Acceptance and boldness.
– Eden: Daytime conflict; Gethsemane: Nighttime anguish.
– Jesus, the “second Adam,” satisfied God’s justice by obedience unto death (Romans 5:17,19).
– Pilate’s presentation of Jesus and Barabbas is symbolic: Barabbas means “Son of the Father,” representing Adam, while Jesus died in his place.
– Gethsemane is both a place of sorrow and divine encouragement; after angelic support, Jesus gained strength to complete the sacrifice.

4. Garden of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22)
– The eternal paradise where Eden’s perfection is fully restored.
– Features a river flowing from God’s throne, trees of life on both sides (Revelation 22:1).
– No longer guarded by an angel with a sword; now angels worship around the throne.
– Describes no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4).
– God dwells fully with His people; they are His and He is their God (Revelation 21:3; Ezekiel 43:7).
– The “old order” has passed away; the promise of full restoration and eternal life is realized.
– This surpasses the original Edenic state, including full knowledge of good and evil, and universal understanding of God’s goodness.

Additional Garden References
– Garden Tomb: Site of Jesus’ resurrection, symbolizing hope and new life.
– Solomon’s Gardens (Song of Solomon 5:1; Ecclesiastes 2:5-6): Symbolize human accomplishments and vanity.
– Sodom and Gomorrah described as “like a garden,” influencing Lot’s choice.
– Isaiah 51:3: God will comfort Zion and make her wilderness like Eden.
– Hanging Gardens of Babylon referenced indirectly (Daniel 4:30).

Biblical Lessons and Theological Themes
– God’s consistent love and desire to dwell with mankind despite human failure.
– The contrast between Adam and Jesus highlights failure versus triumph.
– The principle that sin leads to hiding, but God calls to reveal and restore (Luke 8:17).
– The plan of salvation is a continuum from creation, through permission of evil, to redemption and restitution.
– The hope of restoration encourages believers to abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
– The promise of resurrection and eternal life is a “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).
– Faithful obedience like Jesus’ leads to inheritance of God’s promises.
– The vision of restitution was seen by the prophets as distant yet certain (Hebrews 11:13).
– The ultimate goal: God dwelling with His people in perfect harmony and peace.

Encouragement and Application
– Believers are invited to be part of God’s plan of reconciliation and to serve faithfully.
– The hope and joy derived from God’s promises motivate holy living and trust.
– The discourse closes with 1 Peter 4:11, emphasizing that all should glorify God through Jesus Christ.

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Key Bible Verses Referenced:

– 2 Timothy 1:6 — “Stir up the gift of God which is in you.”
– 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 — “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”
– Genesis 2:8-9 — Garden of Eden description.
– Genesis 3:9 — God calls Adam: “Where are you?”
– Ezekiel 36:35, 36:26; 43:7; 47:1-12 — Vision of restoration and river flowing from the temple.
– Luke 22:44 — Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane.
– Romans 5:17,19 — Adam and Christ contrast in death and life.
– John 18:9 — “Christ lost none that God gave him.”
– Revelation 21:3,4,27; 22:1 — New Jerusalem and river of life.
– Hebrews 11:13 — Prophets saw promises from afar.
– Romans 15:13 — “God of hope fill you with all joy and peace.”
– Romans 8:18,31 — Present suffering compared to future glory; God is for us.
– 1 Peter 1:3 — “Begat us again unto a living hope.”
– 1 Peter 4:11 — “God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

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This discourse richly weaves biblical symbolism and theology through the motif of four gardens, illustrating God’s loving plan from creation through redemption to eternal restoration. It invites believers to draw hope, inspiration, and commitment from these divine truths.

Transcript

I would like to look today with you at four Gardens in God’s Plan. I was inspired by this subject while reading and going through the website of the Beauties of the Truth. There was an article in 1995 and we’ll reference that a little bit later. Very short article, but very inspirational along this subject contrasting the two gardens and really made me think and appreciate this a little bit more, and brethren, you are all good students of the Bible and I’m sure that some thoughts presented you are familiar, some might not be new to you, but as Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy, they are four I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you.

Apostle Paul, by the way, second Timothy is the last epistle that Apostle Paul wrote. As you read it, you’ll find it that is very personal. It’s full of emotions from Apostle Paul to his dear fellow in Christ team, and he encourages him to stir up the gift of God which is in you, and this is an encouragement for all of us.

As it was mentioned yesterday. We might hear something new, we might not. But the purpose of the convention is to encourage each other to learn to fellowship, and we hope that this presentation will be an encouragement as well. So let’s look in our topic.

We know that from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible begins and ends with a garden, and we know that this is not a coincidence. So why gardens? I know that some of you have gardens. I lived in Moldova and I’m done with gardening.

But I know some of you keep enjoying it, so I praise you for that. But growing up and all those that have gardens, you know that it makes you feel more connected to the nature. There is a different feeling when you see things grow and you get a sense that there is life in there. I mean not life like nephew or soul or something, but there is something growing, and that is, that is very interesting that we see that there is a garden that the Bible starts with and ends with.

And watching things grow almost gives a sense of life and renewal. It almost pulls you away from the digital world and make you think maybe from a different dimension, and Apostle Paul makes this connection for us in First Corinthians 3, 6, 7. I planted a Paul was watered, but God gave the growth. Of course we know that Apostle Paul was talking about spiritual growth here.

And what that means is that we can do as much as we can. We can share the truth and we have to do our part. But it is our Heavenly Father that can draw somebody closer to him and he can make the word of God grow. But in Our context. We realize that it’s our Heavenly Father that makes things grow in a literal way as well.

And we know that men nowadays we reached a development in society where things develop so much and men achieved so much in this economy but and electronic boost and everything. But man cannot do something that can bring fruit, that can develop, that can get closer to what our Heavenly Father does. So gardens in the Bible represent life, relationship, provision, growth, and places where God meets with men, where great decisions are made and where his redemptive plans unfold, and we’ll see that in our subject. So as we mentioned, our subject is like a rainbow that has one end in the book of Genesis and the other in the book of Revelation.

So we’ll look at four gardens today, and this is as brother Rick yesterday was talking. I was thinking that this will be almost like an expansion to Brother Rick’s topic. The first one will look at the Garden of Eden. That’s where man was created and fell from that relationship that he had with a creator.

Then we look at the garden in Ezekiel’s vision where restitution is promised, something that was lost in the first garden. Then we’ll look at the garden of Gethsemane where our Lord Jesus obeyed and made that promise that was given earlier, made that promise possible, and then we’ll end with the garden of the New Jerusalem where we see the paradise regained eternal life, and not only that, but that relationship that was lost is being restored, and just to mention, we know that there are other gardens mentioned in the Bible and it was mentioned earlier.

Today we have the garden tomb where Jesus was resurrected, and now that I’m thinking we could have read it as a fifth garden because it’s very important, because we see that life or hope also starts in another garden. Jesus is being resurrected in another garden. That’s very beautiful, and we know that you are was a garden because when the Mary looked back, he thought she thought that was a gardener because she was in a garden.

Then we have the garden of the gardens From Sangha, Solomon 5, 1. There is more there we have Solomon’s garden in Ecclesiastes 2, 5 and 6. That’s where Solomon speaks about everything that he accomplished. He planted gardens and he have done many things and he realizes and he says that at the end of the day everything is vanity, and that’s where we see that as well.

We have a reference that Sodom and Gomorrah were like a garden, and that’s why Lot saw how beautiful it was and he decided to go down that way he chose that path. Then we have in Isaiah 51:3, the Lord will comfort Zion. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and I was thinking how beautiful it is that this concept of Eden, our Heavenly Father want me, want to make sure that it’s not being lost, that it is kept, and almost as a reminder that what he was, he will be restored.

And we’ll see that a little bit more as we look. Then we know that one of the seven wonders of the ancient world was the hanging gardens of Babylon, and we don’t have a direct Bible verse about it. Probably some brethren know one, but I thought that Daniel 4:30 referenced it slightly. The king began speaking and was saying, it is not Babylon the Great, which I myself held, built as a royal Reddit residence by the might of my power.

And we know that that was something that he was, he made then. So let’s look at our four gardens, and we’ll see a beautiful connection in between them, and not only that, but we’ll see the progression of God’s plan from creation to fall, kingdom’s promises, redemption and restitution. We read about the Garden of eden in Genesis 2:8 and 9. We won’t read it.

We have it on the screen. But here in this beautiful garden, God created man. In Hebrew, the word gidden means delight or pleasure, and we know that it was God’s pleasure, it was his delight to create the garden, and not only that, but to create this environment where this.

Where his perfect creation would have an intimate relationship with him. I don’t think we can fully understand what that perfection really meant or the way was, and that’s why probably sometimes when we get to visit certain places, we almost get a glimpse of, and it makes us think how much more beautiful it could be, that earthly paradise. But then every time I see that, my thought is that it’s not only about the physical place, it’s about that relationship that he was there, and of course, physical places make us probably get a little bit closer view, but it’s that relationship, and we are very blessed that through the Holy Spirit we can get a glimpse of what it means to have a relationship with the Creator, the whole world of mankind and the rest of the people will get to see them one day.

We know that Adam was created just a little bit lower than the angels, and David says that he was crowned, given dominion, and animals would listen to him. God would come and meet with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, and he would spend time with them. So they, Adam and Eve could get to know him better, and we know that in John 17, the prayer of our Lord Jesus is that we would know him better and better.

And I feel like there is no limit how we can know him, because the principle of love that is embedded in our Creator, it grows and we that’s probably in the Garden of Eden. He just wanted Adam and Eve to know as much as they could about him. Now, sadly, it was in this beautiful garden that sin entered into the world, and their lack of experience led them to disobedience. They didn’t know what it meant not to have a relationship with him.

They didn’t know what sin was, so we could understand probably what it was for them, and as soon as they realized that they sinned, the first reaction was to hide from God, and we read that in Genesis 3, 9, that the Lord called unto Adam and said, where are you? Now of course we all can see here the point. The Creator who knows everything, who sees everything, is asking Adam, where are you?

And we have this principle where our Heavenly Father God have done this multiple times. It was in the case of Cain and Abel. He asked Cain, where is your brother? We have it in with Hagar, the same thing. He asked Hagar, where have you come?

Where are you going? We have this with Balaam, where he has Balaam. Who are those people that are with you? Of course God knew. He just want to show Balaam that I told you once not to pursue that and not to go down the way.

Who are these people? Why did they come back? Why didn’t you tell them once and for all should not come back. We have that in Ezekiel 37:3, God does the same thing in a prophecy with Ezekiel asking Ezekiel, can these bones leave? Almost like taking Ezekiel’s attention to that.

So in the examples above, God’s love, similar to a parent, wanted them to make the necessary connection, and in the case of Adam, God wanted Adam to think and reason for himself, to reflect on what he did and on the consequences to follow, and once sin entered their perfect bodies, they felt shame from every perspective, and their natural response and the natural response of the flesh is too high to cover things up, and I think here we have a lesson that if we look down in the history, this is what the response of mankind and even anyone that comes in contact with sin, the first response is to hide things.

We know in Luke 8, 17 there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought up into open or to light, and I think it’s A lesson for. For us as well to realize that this instinct to hide or to cover things up, it’s from the flesh. As I was looking into this, I was thinking what guilt could Adam could have lived with all his life? And there was a long life thinking back that his actions what that brought upon him.

And not only him, but upon his family, his children, and as a parent and many of you that are parents were given if not when you do something and those consequences affect others, you know how it takes time to accept or maybe to several things. In his case, it was only him and Eve that knew what perfection it was, and even if probably they would tell to their children, it didn’t mean a whole lot to them. They probably as years went by, they became more of a history that probably they couldn’t relate with anymore.

So even if he Adam got a vague promise that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head, he never lived to see that hope realized.

So we, we all know that it will take about. It will take 7,000 years to have that relationship fully restored with the Creator, and about in the middle of this span of time, we have at the time of the permission of evil, we have another garden, the garden of Ezekiel’s vision, and this was given as a promise. It was given as an anchor from our Heavenly Father for his people to assure them.

And thus the while the plan of permission of evil and redemption feel like it’s taking a long time, it will surely be fulfilled. It was an assurance and confirmation of that promise that the seed of the woman one day will bruise the serpent’s head, and God reassures us that his intention and his desire is still the same, that he would like to dwell among his earthly creation, and we read that in Ezekiel 43:7 in the great vision that we have, that he wants to tell them, I will dwell with them. How beautiful that is.

So in the case of Ezekiel, we don’t have the word garden explicitly used, but we have the elements of the garden, and I think that’s what we would like to look at. Earlier in Ezekiel, we do have a reference back to the Garden of Eden, Ezekiel 36, 35. This land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden. Even if the nation of Israel was taken away from their homeland, this was the promise for them.

And then when we look in chapter 47 in verse one, we have, in starting with chapter 47, we have that river that flows down from the temple. So we have in 41 47, one, behold, the water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, and then again we remember the tabernacle was. The entrance was from the east toward the west, the east representing the earthly phase of the kingdom, showing that the blessings will come from under the temple to the rest of the world of mankind. We have verse verses 2 through 5, where the river is explained a little bit more.

And we remember that it started very low, and the more it would go, it was deeper and deeper until he was over the head, and I think it’s a very beautiful symbol showing how mankind and us as well as we get into a closer relationship with God, we have to be immersed. We have to be washed by the water of the truth to the point when we have to be fully immersed into his will, and then in verse seven, we have a picture of the garden with many trees. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees of each side of the river.

And then this reminds us of the river in Eden, and also we remember the one in Revelation 22 where we’ll talk a little bit more, and this garden and this river, it might be physical, it might be not. But the main point is that it is a metaphor of Israel, spiritual and literal renewal, but not only for them, but for the whole world of mankind and the future kingdom where healing will reach all nations. There we have also in the temple, we have a lot of palm trees, probably pointing back to the Garden of Eden.

Also in Solomon’s Temple, we have palm trees as well. It’s just very beautiful to see this connection references. Back in Ezekiel 36, 26, we have that I will give you a new heart and I’ll put a new spirit within you, so we can see a thread of that promise through all of this, and Ezekiel vision assures us that God has not abandoned Eden, the Garden of Eden, and his relationship with man. He’s working to restore through the temple, which is the Christ, through the river, which is the truth and the Holy Spirit, and the trees, which is for the healing of mankind, representing the means through which the world of mankind will be restored.

Then, moving forward, we know that for God to fulfill his promises of restitution, of the seed of the woman bruising the serpent’s head, one more garden was needed. Now this garden, compared to the previous two gardens, had a different setting. This is the place where the Son of God, the second Adam, our Redeemer, being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as is with the drops of blood falling down to the ground. We know that Jesus could have Called legions of angels, he could have fled, but instead he stayed and obeyed.

Gethsemane signifies the place of oil press. Probably because the olives were crushed there. The pressed oil was used for the light and food. I think it is fitting for here under these olive trees, the Son of God was pressed with the weight of the world’s sin that penetrated perfect creation in the Garden of Eden, and one of the.

We have a quote from reprint 2773 along that line. So I would like to look at the differences between the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane, and that’s where I got some references from that article of the beauties of the truth, and let’s pay attention to. As we go through these points, pay attention to Jesus’s obedience.

The second Adam, who satisfied the justice of God. So here we have two gardens. Garden of Eden and Garden of Gethsemane. In these gardens we have the only two perfect people that ever lived on this earth. We have Adam and Jesus.

We remember that even Pilate recognized and said, behold the man. He realized in him something more than just a regular man, and not only that, but I think we do have a beautiful picture. When Pilate presenting Jesus and Barabbas for the people to choose one for them to die, we know that Jesus was the Son of God. The name Barabbas in Aramaic means Son of the Father.

And the name is composed of Bar meaning Son, and Abba, which means Father. So he that means Son of the Father. So he could represent Adam, who was the only earthly perfect son of God besides Jesus, and here we have Barabbas is released and Jesus dies instead of him. So again, what a beautiful picture we have that Adam and the entire race will be released through Jesus sacrifice.

The next we have. If we look at both gardens, we have Eden, which was delightful and perfect. In Gethsemane we go always dark and foreboding. In Eden, Adam and Eve spoke with an enemy. In Gethsemane, Jesus sought his Father in prayer.

In Eden, Adam sinned. In Gethsemane our Savior suffered and obeyed. In Eden, Adam fell. In Gethsemane our Lord stood forth. The conflict of Eden took place during the day.

The conflict in Gethsemane took place at night. In Eden we have Adam who blamed his wife. In the Garden of Gethsemane we have Jesus who bore the guilt of all. We have Adam who fell before Satan. Here we have soldiers who fell before Christ.

In Eden the race was lost. In Gethsemane we have that cry. We know that Christ Lost none, none that God gave him. John 18:9, and not only that, but he restored all that was lost.

In Eden, Adam took of the fruit from Eve In Gethsemane, Our Lord received the cup from his Father’s hand. In Eden, Adam hid himself In Gethsemane, Christ boldly showed himself. In Eden, God sought Adam in Gethsemane, Jesus sought God from Eden, Adam was driven from Gethsemane, Christ was led In Eden, the sword was drawn to cast men out. In Gethsemane the sword was put away. It’s almost indicating that now the way will be open soon.

And brother Tom had a very beautiful lesson yesterday about the angels, and they are all in the plan of God. We know that Adam caused death. Jesus brought life. Romans 5, 17, 19.

So some of these thoughts are from this very beautiful article. You can read there more if you like. So we see that this contrast are so wonderfully shown in Scripture and are a picture of the first Adam and last Adam purposely. Purposely to show us failure and triumph. We were dead in Adam and now we are alive in Christ.

When we think of Gethsemane, we associate and we think of a sad place, a place, as we mentioned, that it was not as bright, of course, and probably full of fear, and it just makes us have a different vision of it. But on the other hand, it wasn’t only that. This is the place where Jesus received encouragement from our Heavenly Father. From a dark, dark place of sorrow.

It became a light place of hope for Jesus, and after the angel encouraged him, he was the most content person that followed, and that was after that, and let’s think of that, that this was the place when Jesus was encouraged, that he had fulfilled and he have done will of God, and as we look at this, we see what a victory that our Redeemer obeyed the Heavenly Father.

And the next day he finished the sacrifice at Calvary and made Ezekiel’s vision of the garden possible where the river will flow from under the temple. For as in Adam will die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Not too long after this event, God reassured us and all who read his word that his promises will come true, and now it’s not only a promise, but now that promise will become a reality. Because the principle of justice now he was satisfied and he gave Apostle John a vision with similar characteristics of the Garden of Eden.

While we here again, we don’t have the word garden specifically used, we have the elements of the garden, and we read in Sec. 22nd chapter of Revelation, verse 1, about a river that is coming from the throne of God. How beautiful is to see that God’s plan of salvation of mankind concludes with the same setting where life was lost at the tree, and now all nation will come to this tree to receive life.

And the angel who stood to guard the entrance of Eden to keep men from returning to it from the tree of life is no longer needed. Now angels surround the throne singing and praising our Heavenly Father for his glorious plan of redemption. This long period of permission of evil, it was not an easy time for the world of mankind. But in the same time it was not an easy time for our heavenly Heavenly Father either. As a parent, we know that we feel very uncomfortable and we feel bad when our children suffer.

And that’s what Jesus said. If you are bad and you know to give good gifts, how much more the Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those that ask. So the same lesson, how much more it hurt our Heavenly Father to see his people going through these experiences. But we read that the goal and what our Heavenly Father looks forward to, and we have Revelation 21:3, that he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God, and we see the same language in Ezekiel 43:7, that what was promised now it will surely be fulfilled.

And that is all. Because for the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Adam was. Adam lost life. He did not lose heaven, for he never had it.

He lost earthly life and Eden. Home and human perfection reprint 4941 and that’s what he will be restored.

We won’t look at this, but we see this beautiful thread between Genesis and Revelation, and this is not only a restitution of what was lost, but it is more than that. Now everyone will be will be here. Everyone who will be here will have a full knowledge of the truth, a full knowledge of what evil is, and this is more than what was lost when Adam sinned.

We remember that God said, behold, a man is become as one of us to know good and evil. It was only Adam and Eve that got to know first what is good, then to know evil for the rest of mankind, including us. We know first what’s evil and then we know and we get a glimpse of God’s goodness, and all people will learn good after they go through this, through this experience of permission of evil.

And if we are faithful to have a part in the first resurrection, we’ll have the blessed opportunity to help all who are thirsty and to come and drink of the Water of life, and now God will dwell with his people, and we have the assurance that nothing shall hurt or destroy in his holy mountain. Where Yidden was vulnerable to temptation, the New Jerusalem is impervious to corruption. Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what it is shameful or deceitful. Revelation 21:4 is dear to all of us.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things have passed away. So, brethren, what lessons do we take from here? We have seen how the main Bible theme and fundamental teachings and doctrines are carried over in these gardens, and how beautiful Brother Russell covered all these topics in his writings, especially in volume one, Going through creation, Permission of evil, then the Promise, then ransom and Restitution, and Kingdom of God, and we see that all these important topics are so beautiful covered in these four gardens that we talked about.

We what a beautiful comparison we have between Adam and Jesus. To both was given authority over earthly creation. Adam gave that authority to Satan. Jesus came back and took that authority from him. Both were tempted.

Jesus was obedient unto death. Now we don’t look with a critical attitude to blame Adam, but what we see is Jesus obedience and what a privilege we have to follow in his footsteps and prove our obedience to our Heavenly Father. Our vision of restitution, brethren, is real and is real like Peter said when he wrote in second Peter 1:16 for we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses to His Majesty. Of course he goes back to the Transfiguration mountain and he tells them that we have seen this with our own eyes. We’re not telling you something that maybe we heard from someone.

Maybe we were told, but we have seen it with our eyes, and brethren, the same for us. 1st Peter 1:3 Blessed to be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy, begat us again unto a living hope. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we are able to see this with our eyes of faith. We were given this lively hope.

It is lively because it does lead. Now this hope leads to eternal life. Life. It reminds us of Job, who at the end of his experience, he said, I have heard of thee but and my ears have heard of thee, but now my eyes have seen you. He didn’t physically see, but he have seen.

Our Heavenly Father and brethren, we as well. Our vision of restitution is real for us as well. We see that we read that the ancient word is they saw these things from a distance. How many beautiful promises we have about restitution, and they promise things.

They promised things that were far from them, and they saw them. We read that in Hebrews 11:13 where when we look at us, we see that some things that they prophesied were far from them, but now they are actually behind us, and some prophecies already fulfilled that they promised, and that encourages us that if all these things should be dissolved, what manner of persons are you to be in all your holy conversation and godliness? We know that can we see through all of this that our God is a God of hope? Even in the midst of proclaiming the sentence upon Adam, he gave Adam a hope.

While Adam sinned, he gave him a hope, and that is the God that we serve. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. If that’s the God of hope, Apostle Paul encourages that you should abound in hope as well. What that means for us it means to realize that while mankind is still under the veil that cover all nations, we have that veil removed.

We can look at the future with a different perspective. Romans 8:18 Apostle Paul said, I consider that our present suffering are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Apostle Paul was able to see, to have this vision so really in his life that he could say that I count everything as loss for this rich promise that we have love, and this, for Apostle Paul, was so real that he was able to leave everything behind, and to say this one thing I do, forgetting what’s behind and looking ahead.

We read in Romans 15:13 that hope brings joy, and hope brings joy also. First Corinthians 2:9 this is the joys. We are able to see them through the eyes of faith. Things which eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the human heart. All that God has prepared for those who love him.

We see that hope bring trust. Come unto me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Romans 8:31 if God be for us, who can be against us? Our hope, trust and joy is not based on circumstances, but on his unchanging character and promises. We love and serve.

We worship such a wonderful and loving Creator, one who so beautifully orchestrated all these things in his plan. What a privilege is to be invited to be part of his plan, giving us the ministry of reconciliation. Brethren, may this inspire us that we can use every effort, every time, every talent that we have to serve him, to be faithful unto death so we can inherit the promise that he was given unto us, and we’ll conclude with 1st Peter 4:11, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and power forever and ever.

Amen.

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