God planted the Garden of Eden after He created Adam, providing a place where the man could witness His work and recognize Him as the Creator and Great God of the universe. The spectacle of creating the Garden, with trees growing at an accelerated pace and a beautiful paradise coming into existence, would have been overwhelming evidence for Adam of God's power. Living in this paradise, Adam and Eve experienced only good things, blessings, and wonderful sights, sounds, smells, and tastes as God had shown and promised them. The Garden was located in the eastern portion of Eden, a larger region whose exact size remains unknown. A river originated somewhere in Eden, entered the Garden, and divided into four river-heads, though the catastrophic nature of the Flood obscures the precise pre-Flood geography of this area. Eden is described as the Garden of the Lord and the Garden of God, signifying it as His possession and earthly residence. God allowed Adam and Eve to live there as tenants, offering it as their abode while under His care. Before sin entered, God confined Adam and Eve to knowledge of good, right, and true things that would bring them into His Kingdom. However, once they sinned by eating from the forbidden tree in the Garden, their minds were opened to a broader spectrum of knowledge, including evil. They lost their innocence, became aware of their nakedness, and began to experience guilt, shame, and fear—emotions previously unknown to them. They started to focus on their own desires and needs, separating themselves from God, even hiding from Him when they heard His voice in the cool of the day. This separation and exposure to experiential knowledge of life cut off from God became the inheritance of all their descendants. God's ultimate desire was to live with mankind in Eden, an aim delayed by sin but to be fulfilled in the future.

The Garden of Eden holds a central place in the foundational narrative of God's purpose and plan, as it is described as His dwelling place on earth. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, a name meaning delight, indicating a place that greatly pleased Him. This garden, located in the eastern part of the broader area of Eden, was where He placed the first man and woman, walking with them and providing a setting of beauty and abundance. Eden, often referred to as the garden of the Lord, signifies ownership and a special connection to Him, marking it as His personal residence on earth during that time. Within the Garden of Eden, significant elements were positioned, including the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, both situated in the midst of the garden. A single river originated in Eden, flowing out to water the garden before exiting eastward and dividing into four heads, named Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates. This eastward flow aligns with consistent directional patterns, emphasizing movement away from or toward God's presence. The garden itself was enclosed, with only one entrance on the east side, guarded by cherubim with a flaming sword after the expulsion of Adam and Eve to prevent access to the Tree of Life. The location of Eden is tied to the area later known as Jerusalem, supported by various clues such as the presence of the Gihon spring, which still existed in Jerusalem during the time of David and Hezekiah. This spring, associated with significant events and providing abundant water, reinforces the connection between Eden and this central location. The narrative consistently points to Jerusalem as the focal point of God's plan, contrasting with areas eastward like Mesopotamia, where opposition to Him flourished. After their expulsion, Adam and Eve, and later Cain, moved eastward from Eden, following the river, symbolizing a departure from God's presence. Eden's significance extends beyond its physical location, representing the starting point of God's program with humanity. Despite the Flood altering the landscape and erasing the original garden, historical records and migrations of people, such as the Canaanites, indicate attempts to return to this sacred area, now identified with the land of inheritance. The continuity of God's purpose is evident as His focus remains on this specific region, from the beginning in Eden to the future return of His Son to the same vicinity, underscoring that Eden, as His temple on earth, was always central to His unfolding plan.