Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2751 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God’s Word. John’s lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today’s lesson is titled From Eden to New Jerusalem: The Pattern of Ascent, Fall, and Redemption.

 

Throughout Scripture, a pattern emerges—one that contrasts the fall of those who grasp at divinity with the exaltation of those who receive it by grace through believing loyalty. From Eden to Hermon, Babel, and ultimately to the New Jerusalem, the Bible traces the path of human ambition, divine descent, and final restoration.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, placed in sacred space, and destined to reign with Him. Yet they were not content to reflect His glory. Tempted by the serpent, they reached for equality with God on their own terms:

“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis three verse 5

By attempting to grasp what had not been offered, they fell. Cast out of the garden, barred from the Tree of Life, and sentenced to die, their descent began not just physically but spiritually. They traded divine fellowship for exile and mortality.

The next great rebellion came not from humans alone, but from the spiritual realm. According to 1 Enoch 6, the sons of God descended upon Mount Hermon and made a pact to defy God by taking human wives and producing the Nephilim. Their actions unleashed chaos and violence across the earth.

This attempt to force a merger of heaven and earth on their own terms brought catastrophic consequences. God judged the Watchers, bound them in the Abyss, and destroyed their offspring in the Flood. Yet their spirits—demons—remained to corrupt mankind.

The descent from Hermon marked not exaltation but divine exile, and it echoes the same pattern: those who attempt to seize divine authority fall into judgment.

The next great act of rebellion came at Babel. Humanity, unified in language and purpose, sought to reach the heavens:

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves…” Genesis Eleven verse 4

Though the text says they were “one people,” this unity was likely driven by demonic influence—a renewed attempt to reopen the spiritual gateway severed at the Flood. Some modern theological reconstructions suggest the builders, influenced by demonic forces, may have sought to create a gateway that would allow the imprisoned Watchers to rise again and make war on Heaven itself.

But the plan was doomed.

God had already sentenced the Watchers to the Abyss, and no human or spiritual force could overturn that judgment. 1 Enoch 10; 2 Peter two verse 4; Jude 6. God scattered the nations, confused their language, and divorced them. Deuteronomy thirty-two, verses eight and nine. The effort to rise led, once again, to descent.

Where man fell by grasping, Yahweh triumphed by surrendering in the person of Jesus Christ. Though fully a member of the Trinity, He did not cling to His divine status:

“Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped… he humbled himself… even to death on a cross.” Philippians two verses eight and nine.

 

This was not a loss of deity but an act of humility and mission. Having completed His work, Christ took up again the glory that was always His by nature. John seventeen verse five. His descent into the lower parts of the earth. Ephesians four verse nine broke the power of death. His resurrection and ascension reclaimed the nations disinherited at Babel and offered resurrection life to all who believe.

The story ends not with man climbing back to God, but with God bringing Heaven down to man:

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God… Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” Revelation twenty one verses two and three.

 

What was lost in Eden is restored. The nations, once scattered and deceived, are healed by the river that flows from God’s throne (Revelation twenty two verse two. Those who once tried to make themselves gods now live as glorified children of God, reigning with Him forever.

The pattern is clear. Those who seek to ascend by their own power fall. But those who trust in the One who descended are lifted up. The path to divinity is not through pride, ritual, or rebellion, but through believing loyalty to the One who gave Himself for us.

“To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John one verse twelve.

 

In the end, the question is not whether we will rise, but how. Will we grasp for the throne, or will we bow to the King who descended so we might be raised with Him?

The promise of the garden is reestablished. The mountain is redeemed. The tower lies in ruins. The cross stands eternal. And the city of God descends—not to be stormed by man, but to welcome those who call Him Father.

In the biblical story, every attempt by created beings to rise above their station results in humiliation, exile, or death. Eden, Hermon, and Babel all showcase this tragic arc. But in the person of Jesus Christ, Yahweh Himself reverses the pattern: descending in humility, defeating the grave, and raising up all who place their loyal trust in Him.

It is not through seizing glory that humanity is restored, but through surrendering to the One who gave it up so that we might share in it forever.

 Join us next time on Theology Thursday, where our lesson will explore: 10 Times Jesus Declared His Divinity in the Gospels.

 If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek,       Creating a Legacy.’    

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly,   I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:     

Liv Abundantly.    

Love Unconditionally.    

Listen Intentionally.    

Lend to others Generously.    

Lead with Integrity.    

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day.    

I am Guthrie Chamberlain   reminding you to      ’ Keep Moving Forward,’       ‘Enjoy your Journey,’        and ‘Create a Great Day, Everyday!      Join me next time for more daily wisdom!