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Royal Priests of Eden
The Royal Priest
6:04
Did you know that Israel's tabernacle was designed as a symbolic garden of Eden? And did you know that Adam and Eve were proto-priests who lived and worked in the sacred space? Explore God's plan for humanity to serve as royal priests over all creation.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

  1. Describe or doodle a simple layout of the tabernacle. Now do the same for the basic design of Eden. What design features do these sacred spaces have in common?
  2. Discuss what humans are invited to do in the garden of Eden and the tabernacle (e.g. Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:15; Numbers 4:16; Ezekiel 40:45-46; 2 Chronicles 23:18; 2 Chronicles 23:4-6). What do these tasks have in common?
  3. Why do humans rebel against God’s wisdom, and what are the consequences of this decision (e.g. Genesis 3, Proverbs 1:20-33, Jeremiah 2:7-9)?
  4. What does God promise to do so that humans can regain access to the sacred space and fulfill their roles as royal priests (e.g. Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 53:4-6, Ezekiel 36:33-35)?
  5. Take time to discuss other themes, questions, or key takeaways from what you learned together.
What is a priest?

A priest cares for the sacred space of the temple, represents the people to God, and announces God’s blessing over the people. The high priest is the only one who can enter the innermost part of the tabernacle, the holy of holies. This is where God’s presence dwells and the priest mediates that presence to the people.

The biblical authors use Eden imagery to describe the temple, making it clear that God’s ideal calling for humans is to be royal priests over creation—God’s cosmic temple. Even though humans forfeited their priestly vocation through rebellion in Genesis 3, Jesus fulfills God’s plan and restores humanity to their role as royal priests. The biblical story contains a priestly drama that leads to Jesus, and that’s what this video series is all about.

A gateway between Heaven and Earth

Priests embody God’s wisdom and fully experience God’s presence in the temple. They act as gateways between Heaven and Earth. And when humans live into their vocation as royal priests, all of creation becomes a sacred space where Heaven and Earth intersect.

If humans are God’s royal priests, where is our temple?

Priests care for the sacred space of the temple. And humans are the royal priests who are to care for the sacred space of God’s creation. We are called to work and worship so that our communities can flourish. We represent God’s presence so his Heaven-on-Earth blessings flow into the world.

In this series, we’ll explore God’s plan for humans to serve as royal priests over creation, and we’ll learn how Jesus fulfilled that plan after humans forfeited their vocation.

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Dive Deeper and Explore More

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Read the Blog
Were Adam and Eve Priests in Eden?
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Podcast Series
The Royal Priest
10 Episodes
In this podcast series, Tim and Jon trace the theme of royal priests through the Bible, beginning in
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