From the Garden of Eden to Maturity

Serge Da Rosa
Aug 12
4 min read

Updated: Sep 6

Genesis 3:23 - Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

Imagine the garden as one special room in God’s vast house. In the beginning, humanity was in that room, but like children who didn’t yet understand how to honor and care for it, we ended up turning it upside down. So God, like a loving parent, didn’t kick us out of the house altogether, He simply guided us out of that particular room until we were ready.

In other words, that “driving out” of the garden was never about separation from God’s presence. It was more like being moved from one room to another within the same loving home. God continued to provide, protect, and pursue us, never abandoning us at all. We just needed time to grow into the maturity that would allow us to step back into that room with the honor and understanding it deserved.

Now, as we grow into our identity in Christ, we realize that we’ve never been truly cut off. Instead, we’ve grown up. We’ve learned to walk back into that place—no longer as children who might wreck the treasures in the room, but as mature sons and daughters who can appreciate, learn from, and fully enjoy the richness of God’s presence.

From Garden of Eden to Glory

Adam's removal from the garden wasn’t about punishment—it was about protection. Humanity, having chosen independence from divine life, stepped into a place of immaturity. That immaturity was governed by law, not because law was the goal, but because law was a temporary guardian—a placeholder until maturity came (Galatians 3:23–25). The garden, symbolizing unfiltered access to divine presence, was a space humanity wasn’t yet equipped to inhabit responsibly in that state. To remain would have been to perpetuate a distortion, attempting to live forever while disconnected from the Life Himself.

In this light, the cherubim with the flaming sword weren’t God's rejection of man, but His guardianship of that sacred space until mankind could be restored. The garden was never destroyed, only closed off until the true path of access was revealed again through Christ.

Jesus, as the embodiment of mature humanity, re-opened the way. He didn’t just show us the Father; He showed us ourselves—humanity fully matured in union. As the second Adam, He didn't return to Eden alone; He brought us with Him into the fulfillment of what the garden always pointed to: unbroken communion, face-to-face fellowship, and the fullness of life.

This is why Hebrews 9:8-9 speaks so prophetically about the shift:

"By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age)."

The old covenant, like the veil in the temple, was a necessary boundary for an immature humanity. But the veil was never the final word. As Hebrews explains, the entire system had to be removed—not merely improved—so that full access could be manifested to the Most Holy Place, the bridal chamber. The law-based structure was fading, and a new and living way was being revealed.

Conclusion

The veil has been torn. What was once guarded by cherubim and flame is now freely opened in Christ. The “garden room” humanity once left has not been lost, it has been transfigured into something even greater: the bridal chambers, the holy of holies, the place of unbroken intimacy. What Eden foreshadowed in part, the new covenant fulfills in fullness.

This is why Scripture calls us the Bride of Christ. Union is no longer a hope deferred, it is our present reality. We are no longer standing outside looking in, wondering if we are worthy enough to enter. Through Jesus, we have been seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), welcomed into the innermost room, not as servants peeking through a curtain, but as a bride, face-to-face with the Bridegroom who has made us one with Himself.

In this chamber there is no striving, no fear of being cast out again. The flaming sword has been satisfied in the cross, the guardians have stepped aside, and the door is wide open. Here, we don’t just taste of God’s presence, we live in it. Here, we don’t just glimpse His glory, we share in it. Here, in the bridal chambers, we discover the fullness of the story: the garden was never closed forever, but preserved until the day maturity would bring us home.

This is the vision John saw in Revelation: the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2). It is the marriage of heaven and earth, God and humanity, the Bridegroom and His Bride. The dwelling place of God is with man, and the river of life flows once again, just as it did in Eden, only now it is not guarded, but given freely to all who thirst (Revelation 22:1–2, 17).

What began in a garden ends in a wedding. What was veiled in shadows has been unveiled in Christ. And now, in Him, we are not guests at the feast, we are the Bride / the Wife of Christ. We are home in the bridal chambers, seated in perfect union with the One who has loved us from the beginning.

About the Author

Serge Da Rosa is co-founder of Urban Eden Community, a ministry dedicated to helping people discover their God-given identity and walk in the freedom of the new creation. Alongside his wife, Kristy, Serge facilitates weekly gatherings in Tulsa, Oklahoma that center around authentic connection, growth, and kingdom expression outside the walls of traditional religious systems.

Serge’s passion is to see people awakened to their union with God. Through weekly community gatherings, work in addiction recovery, community events, writing, teaching, and the Kings And Priests Podcast, he speaks into themes of identity, grace, purpose, kingdom and governance with clarity, depth, and hope.

Whether through a conversation, a gathering, or a written word, Serge’s message remains the same: You are in perfect union with God, empowered with God's Kingdom.

To learn more, connect with Serge, or support the mission, visit www.UrbanEdenCmty.com

Email us: urbanedencmty@gmail.com