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The Eschatology of Pre-Fall Man

The Eschatology of Pre-Fall Man: Did Adam Expect the Lord’s Return?

Most prophetic study begins with the Fall of Man and the promise of a Redeemer. Yet, this approach entirely overlooks a crucial and seldom-explored theological question: What was Adam’s original, intended destiny? Was the concept of an end—an ultimate goal or final destination—an existing reality for humanity before sin entered the world?

This article proposes that a form of Eschatology (the study of final things) was inherent in God’s plan for Adam, and that the Lord’s ultimate “return” to dwell fully with man was the destination even of an unfallen creation.

I. The Mandate for Progress: Original Dominion

Adam was not placed in the Garden merely to maintain the status quo; he was given a mandate for expansion and ultimate dominion. This commission implies a future, greater state of being, which is the very definition of an eschatological goal.

The Original Commission (Genesis 1:28, KJV)

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…”

  • Subdue It (kavash): This Hebrew term suggests active conquest and bringing something wild under control. The earth was a project, not a final product. Adam’s role was to expand the perfect, heavenly culture of the Garden outward.
  • The Original End-Goal: If Adam had fulfilled his mandate without sin, the entire planet would have been transformed into a perfect, universal “Garden-Temple.” The goal was a perfected, universalized communion with God—a state that still awaits the church in the New Heaven and New Earth.

The initial creation was therefore eschatological by design; it was built to move toward a future state of perfected dominion under the direct rule of God.

II. The Temple Pattern: Expecting Divine Inhabitation

The Garden of Eden, as described in Genesis, perfectly mirrors the structure and function of the later Mosaic Tabernacle and Temple, providing a unique insight into Adam’s role as the original priest.

Adam as High Priest

Biblical scholars note that the Garden’s design (east entrance, precious stones, placement of the divine presence) establishes it as the prototype of a Temple. Adam was placed in the Garden not only to “dress it,” but also to “keep it” (Genesis 2:15, KJV).

  • Dress It (abad): To work or serve—the word often used for priestly service.
  • Keep It (shamar): To guard or preserve—the term used for guarding the Law or the sacred space of the Temple.

Adam’s ultimate intended destiny was to usher in a time when God would fully and universally inhabit the perfected creation. This anticipated arrival of God’s presence—the completion of the divine indwelling—was, in essence, the unfallen version of The Lord’s Return.

III. The New Creation as the Original Destination

This perspective fundamentally redefines the New Heaven and New Earth found in Revelation. It suggests that our ultimate destiny is not a recovery from a disastrous detour, but the final, glorious completion of the original Edenic plan.

The final words of the Revelation confirm the intended, ultimate end-state:

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Revelation 21:22, KJV)

The Lord’s final, full, and universal presence in the new creation is the realization of the dominion mandate Adam failed to achieve.

  • The Bridge: The Lord’s Return bridges the original, unfallen destiny of mankind (universal dominion under God’s physical presence) with the fallen reality. Christ, the Second Adam, accomplishes the original eschatological purpose that the first Adam lost.