BY TED N. C. WILSON

When you hear the word “sanctuary,” what mental picture comes to mind? Do you see the tent tabernacle built by Moses, the beautiful Temple constructed by Solomon, or perhaps the church sanctuary in which you worship each week with fellow believers? The book of Genesis introduces us to a unique sanctuary, the most beautiful that ever existed on Planet Earth—the Garden of Eden.

Have you ever asked yourself, What is the purpose of a sanctuary? Here are some suggestions: A sanctuary is (1) a place where humans communicate with God, (2) a place where religious instruction is given, and (3) a place where God’s grace is experienced. A sanctuary is also (4) a place of refuge. Eden was all of these.

The Garden of Eden
As the earth came into existence under the creative hand of God, it was beautiful to behold. It was the model of perfection. Genesis tells us: “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (1:31, NKJV).1 This perfect world was, also, an expression of love. Love was written on every tree and shrub, on every leaf and flower. The various forms of life were a picture of beauty—the animals, the birds, the fish, and other forms of life in the waters. Man, the crowning act of Creation, was made perfect and upright. He bore the image of His Creator. His character was noble, without bias toward evil, and in harmony with the will of God.

When the creative act was complete, God looked upon what He had made and was satisfied. Everything was perfect only as a perfect God could make it. Ellen White describes this moment: “God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 47).

Amid the beauties of the new creation, God gave Adam and Eve another expression of His love. He gave them a home—the Garden of Eden. It was here that God communed with our parents, angels gave instructions, and they began to understand God’s grace. The truth of Creation and a correct understanding of God’s grace and redemption are inseparable. As the renowned church historian Philip Schaff said more than a century and a half ago: “Without a correct doctrine of creation there can be no true doctrine of redemption.”² As is clear in the record of Genesis, Eden was not only the home of Adam and Eve, it was also their sanctuary.

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* Article referenced from Adventist Review