Genesis2_11-12

Genesis 2:11–12

The name of the first river is Pison; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are also there.

And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it was divided and became four heads. This corresponds to the final Scripture, Revelation 22:1, which describes a pure river of the water of life. In this verse, it indicates God’s plan to disperse His life through the river to all people on the earth. Therefore, there are four rivers.

But the Pison is very special, because it emphasizes that there were gold, bdellium, and onyx stone. This also corresponds to Revelation 21:18–21, where the holy city is built of gold, pearls, and precious stones.

From the Bible, gold represents the nature of God, which is stable and unchangeable. Bdellium (pearls) is produced by an injured clam, which is a metaphor for redemption. The onyx stone symbolizes transformed people who have become precious stones as building materials.

Humans like to search for the first river, Pison, but still cannot find it. Perhaps the gold and other precious stones are the attraction. People love mammon more than God. According to Genesis 3:24, God closed the way to the tree of life with cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way. That is why people cannot find the river, and the river has disappeared for a long time. Perhaps the river course is hidden inside the desert.

By the way, according to Revelation, the fourth river, Euphrates, will be dried up at the end of the present world (Revelation 16:12).