A common theological concept is that God has/is/will restore everything back to its default setting as found in Eden before the fall. Yet when we consider Jesus as the Man of the 8th Day (see post on Eighth Day), the one who ushered in the New Beginning (New Covenant), we are reminded that the 6 days of creation as described in Genesis chapter 1 were completed and finished. Jesus began a New Creation, he did not come to restore the old creation (you do not put new wine in old wineskins).
Jurgen Moltmann puts it this way, “The grace of God which overcomes sin, and the consequences of sin, does not lead back to the creation of the beginning, but completes and perfects what that creation was made and designed for. It is true that God judged the first creation to be ‘very good’, but the new creation for glory is more.” (The Coming of God).
When Jesus rose from the grave on Resurrection Sunday, he did not take the form of a ‘restored’ human, but was the ‘new creation’ human. The power of the resurrection was not in restoring humanity and creation, but in bringing into being the new creation and new humanity (“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17).
We will no longer be camping out in a garden/wilderness, we now inhabit the glorious city, though there are aspects we are yet to manifest (Hebrews 11:10,16 & 12:22 and Rev 3:12 & chap 21).
