We were meant to export the goodness of Eden to the four corners of the world until every square inch of Creation is saturated with God’s glory. That’s the end-goal of humanity, our ultimate reason for being alive: glorifying God in all places, at all times, with every adventure, activity, and augmentation.
Genesis 2 spends a lot of time describing four rivers that flow out from Eden (verses 5-14). Rivers signify life, transportation, irrigation, and communication in the Bible. Four represents the number of the earth (four rivers, four seasons, four winds, four times of day, four phases of the moon, etc.). Taken together, the author of Genesis intends us to understand that the culture of Eden is meant to be exported to the four corners of the world.
Since it was our task in Eden to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1.28), ultimately covering the earth with the glory of God (Habakkuk 2.14), Edenic export is at the heart of our mission with God.
Reading through the Bible gives us a massive overview of God’s long-term plans for divine-human cooperation. The end of Revelation reveals that the ultimate goal of God with humanity is a heavenly garden-city. God gave us a garden, but requires from us a city. The city is our gift to God, proof that we have done as intended.