The Garden-City: Tracing the Biblical Theme of the City Through Scripture

Abstract

"In Genesis, the Garden of Eden is God’s perfect creation. After the mess that mankind made of history by its sin, the reader expects an eventual return to a garden. The surprise is that, in Revelation, God’s new creation is not a new garden, but a city. What does considering “city” as a biblical theme reveal? This paper answers this question by understanding how biblical texts overlap with one another, grasping the concept of what a city was for the OT people, and most importantly, analyzing the biblical stories with the purpose of tracing the biblical theme of the city through Scripture. After the perfect Garden of Eden, Cain’s city, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Babylon make the reader skeptical of the city. However, the cities of refuge and Jerusalem provide hope. The prophets delight in Jerusalem and anticipate a future city. Jesus’ followers are a city on a hill. Paul rejoices in his citizenship in the city above. Ultimately, God’s decision to end Scripture with the image of a city reveals his plan of redemption. God doesn’t erase the city. God redeems it. God meshes man’s city with God’s Garden into the fully cultivated Garden of Eden, the Garden-City."