Far from being a cautionary footnote, Eden represents something deeply spiritual and profoundly desirable: a state of consciousness where pleasure is holy, beauty is abundant, and the soul is at one with its source. Let’s explore how the theme of pleasure, rooted in Eden, continues to echo throughout the Bible — and how it invites us into a renewed understanding of divine joy.
Eden: The Garden of Delight
Genesis 2:8 tells us:
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
This isn’t just a garden in the geographical sense. The name Eden itself translates to delight or pleasure. The Garden of Eden is, in essence, the Garden of Delight — a symbolic representation of inner harmony and spiritual intimacy.
This meaning becomes even more vivid in Genesis 2:9:
“And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food…”
The Hebrew word translated here as pleasant (chamad) also means desirable or delightful. Eden, therefore, is constructed for enjoyment — its sights, tastes, and experiences are all meant to be delightful. This is not accidental; it’s a foundational truth. The Bible’s first image of the ideal human experience is one centred around pleasure.
Eden’s Echoes Throughout Scripture
Psalm 36:8 – The River of Pleasures
“They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.”
The word for pleasures here is again eden. This Psalm presents a divine banquet — a house of abundance and a river of delight. It points to a state of spiritual fulfilment, where the soul drinks deeply from the well of sacred joy.
Isaiah 51:3 – Restoration as a Return to Eden
“The Lord… will make her wilderness like Eden… joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.”
In this prophetic vision, the restoration of Zion is likened to the restoration of Eden. This is a vision of redemption not through austerity, but through delight. Eden becomes a symbol of what happens when the human soul is healed — joy, gladness, and thanksgiving naturally return.
Ezekiel 28:13 – The Garden of God
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering…”
This verse, speaking of a fallen being once clothed in glory, reminds us of Eden’s splendour: precious stones, beauty, and divine presence. It's a vision of spiritual richness — a former state of exalted pleasure lost through pride or separation from Source.
Song of Songs – The Sensual Eden Reimagined
The Song of Solomon never directly mentions Eden, but its imagery is a vivid return to paradise:
“A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse… Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits…” (4:12–13)
This poetic book overflows with fragrance, intimacy, taste, and beauty. It reclaims sensual delight as sacred, honouring pleasure not as sin, but as a divine expression of love and union. The entire book can be read as a spiritual Eden, where the beloved walks once more with the divine in the cool of the day.
Revelation 2:7 – The Tree of Life Restored
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
Here, the paradise (Greek: paradeisos) is the new Eden — not lost forever, but promised once again. The Tree of Life, which stood at the centre of the original Eden, is now offered as a reward to those who spiritually awaken.
"And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:43
This verse reaffirms the Bible’s overarching narrative: Eden is not gone; it is the beginning and the end. The divine delights of Eden are not forbidden — they are the inheritance of the awakened.
The Edenic Promise in the Words of Jesus: Ask and You Shall Receive
Jesus' teachings continue the thread of Edenic pleasure — not in indulgence, but in fulfilment. He affirms that desire is sacred, and that asking with faith leads to receiving. This principle appears in all four Gospels, underscoring the continuity of the Eden narrative into the New Testament. The four heads of the river flowing from Eden (Genesis 2:10), appear in the symbol of the four faces Gospels.
Each Gospel records a version of the divine invitation to receive with joy:
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Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
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Mark 11:24
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
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Luke 11:9
“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
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John 16:24
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
That last phrase — “that your joy may be full” — is striking. It echoes Eden’s essence: a fullness of joy, harmony, and delight. Jesus doesn’t just speak of receiving for necessity’s sake, but for joy’s sake. It’s a return to the river of pleasures, the trees that are pleasant to the sight and good for food, the garden of wholeness.
Neville Goddard and the Eden Within
Neville Goddard emphasised that the Bible is not secular history but psychological truth. In his framework, Eden is a state of consciousness — the awareness of oneness with God, where imagination flows freely and delight is natural.
He would say that the Garden is within, and its pleasure is found when we return to a state where our imagination creates without interference from fear, doubt, or shame. Eden is the innocence of being, before the split into “good” and “evil” — a state where pleasure is not judged, but received as divine.
Final Thoughts
The Bible does not shy away from pleasure. In fact, it begins with it.
Eden is a garden of delights — not a cautionary tale about sin, but an archetype of what it looks like to live in divine alignment. From Psalms to Isaiah, Song of Songs to Revelation — and reaffirmed by Jesus in every Gospel — the story keeps circling back to that holy delight.
This is the spiritual message hidden in plain sight:
Pleasure is not the enemy of the sacred — it is often its expression.
And when you ask in faith, not out of fear but out of joyful trust, you’re not requesting something foreign to God’s will.
You are participating in the Edenic rhythm:
Ask. Receive. Rejoice.
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