Christian Churches of God
No.
119z
Summary:
Genealogy of the Messiah
(Edition 1.1 19950604-19980711) Audio
The significance of the genealogy of the Messiah is explained from Adam. The correct and true meaning shows that Messiah was indeed sent to save sinners.
Christian Churches of God
Email: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright ã
1995, 1998 Wade Cox
Summary by Piet
Michielsen, ed. Wade Cox)
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Genealogy of
the Messiah
The genealogy of the Messiah is an important tool in understanding who Messiah was. More importantly the genealogies convey an important understanding of the fulfilment of prophecy and also of biblical Law. The genealogy of Messiah in the New Testament is of two lineages, in Matthew 1:1-7 and Luke 3:23-38, both entirely different. Genesis 17:7 showed that the Covenant and hence Messiah had to come through Abraham’s seed. Genesis 21:12 narrows the lineage to Isaac by whom Abraham’s seed shall be called.
John 7:42 refers to a number of prophecies in a single text. The Scriptures that are covered by this text are found at Psalm 110:1-7 where he is David’s Lord and Priest of Melchisedek. This text thus refers to the priest Messiah. Psalm 132:6,11 shows that it is one of David and Ephratah that God will sit upon the throne, thus the King Messiah (Isa. 11:1). Messiah had to be the seed of the root of Jesse, the father of David. Messiah is of David’s line from Jeremiah 23:5-8.
Thus the seed is of Adam through Abraham, through Isaac, through Judah, through David and from Bethlehem. There are two aspects of the Messianic Advent, which show that Messiah is of two Advents for two purposes. The first purpose was as the Priest Messiah to establish the order of Melchisedek – to create a priesthood without genealogy, so that it might be opened to the Gentiles as the gift of God. The elect have been ransomed by Christ as an order of kings and priests (Rev. 1:6; 5:9-10).
The Aaronic priesthood therefore had to come to an end. The new order was after the order of Melchisedek (Ps. 110:4). Christ was the High Priest of that order. The elect are the priests, being without genealogy (Heb. 7:1-21). These priests are also kings given a kingdom (Heb. 12:28). The Messianic lineage included not only a Davidic lineage but also an Aaronic lineage.
Thus the elect become elohim, as Christ was elohim, as the pre-incarnate Angel of Yahovah (Jehovah) in the Old Testament, and as he is elohim from his resurrection from the dead as a Son of God in power (Rom.1:4; Heb.1:8-9). This is a powerful concept. It also shows the magnitude of the calling of God and the Plan of God.
The genealogy in Matthew has a number of distinct aspects, which confer a series of biblical lessons and show conclusively why that lineage had to be of Joseph. Y’shua or Joshua could not be Messiah from the account in Matthew alone. The account in Luke is needed to demonstrate why, in spite of the lineage of Joseph, he could be king and how God was to reconcile the injunction He had instituted in the line of David and the kingship through the prophet Jeremiah. Matthew commences his lineage by linking three key figures. Yeshua or Joshua called Jesus is the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. He then commences the lineage from Abraham proceeding to the line of Judah.
Another major point of Matthew’s genealogy is that he is selective in naming only the direct lineage. Solomon is also mentioned because the kingship rested in him. He built the Temple. However, he also lapsed into idolatry and his line is listed then to Jeconiah who was one of the last kings before the Babylonian captivity. The lineage of Joseph is then traced from Jeconiah to Joseph. Thus Joseph is a descendent of David but through Jeconiah. This has great significance (Jer. 22:24-30).
Coniah is formed by removing Je from Jeconiah or Let Jehovah establish. The removal of the divine name is meant to show the departure of God from Jeconiah. The signet on His or God’s hand can be seen from Haggai 2:23. Zerubbabel was listed in Matthew as the son of Shealtiel. However, we know from 1Chronicles 3:18-19 that he was the son of Pediah. Yet Matthew and also Ezra 3:2 and 5:2 say he was the son of Shealtiel (1Chr. 3:17-19). How is this contradiction resolved? The text actually reflects an aspect of the Law as stated in Deuteronomy 25:5-6.
This duty is mandatory. Zerubbabel thus succeeded to the lineage of Shealtiel through the legal obligations placed upon Pediah who then died. Shenazzar thus became regent or guardian to Zerubbabel for the return to Israel as noted in Ezra 1:8-11 and 5:14-16 where he is termed Sheshbazzar.
From the prophecy given through Jeremiah the lineage was further limited. God decreed that none of Jeconiah’s offspring could succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah. The descent, however, to Zerubbabel of the line, showed that God would choose of this line for specific tasks as a signet ring; in other words, as a seal of God. Thus Messiah could not be the natural son of Joseph and sit upon the throne without specific divine approval or Scripture would have been broken. Christ would have been disqualified from sitting on the throne if he were the natural son and, as Joseph himself could not be the heir apparent he could not inherit the title by adoption.
God set about repairing the breach and restoring the lineage in another way. Matthew is aware of this problem. That is why he commences the Gospel with this lineage thus demonstrating the problem and then giving the account of the virgin birth, which he obviously saw as overcoming the problem. Following on from the genealogy, Matthew 1:18-25 shows that it could only be by the virgin birth by Mariam or Miriam (Mary) that Christ could ascend the throne. This has significance for the Jewish people in that only through Messiah could they ascend to the spiritual kingdom and spiritual priesthood.
Both priesthood and kingship had been established and judged wanting by Messiah. Messiah was thus the Messiah of Aaron and Israel; he was both Priest-Messiah and King-Messiah. The one Messiah of two Advents was expected by Israel, as we know from the Dead Sea Scrolls. The problems raised from the Matthew genealogy are answered by him from 1:18, and more comprehensive answers to the texts are provided by Luke. Thus both should be read in conjunction.
Luke sets out to trace Christ back to Adam, thus identifying the process of the seed of the woman from Adam. This text identifies the Davidic lineage with Nathan, which is vital to fulfil the prophecy in Zechariah. More importantly, it is then apart from the Jeconiah lineage, which had been removed, among other things, to make way for the rule of the High Priesthood. Thus Yehoshua or Joshua was a descendent of David from his mother. Therefore, the virgin birth apart is developed first and then the genealogy is mentioned here in Luke. He thus establishes the first requirement for kingship, which is Davidic lineage apart from Jeconiah 1.
He establishes the second requirement to be of the line of Nathan and of the family also of Levi through Shimei from the outset by his outline of the family relationship of Miriam to Elisabeth wife of Zecharias, the High Priest of the Division of Abijah (or Abia). Elisabeth (spelt Elizabeth in the LXX) was named for Aaron’s wife Elisheba (Ex. 6:23) She was of the daughters of Aaron and hence she was a Levite (Lk. 1:5). She was the mother of John the Baptist by divine direction. Thus John was appointed. Miriam (or Mary) was of the family of Elisabeth (Lk. 1:36). Thus Miriam must have possessed Levitical bloodlines as well as being of the House of David.
There were others of the House of David not of the line of Jeconiah. Thus the issue must be one of divine appointment, which then constitutes the third requirement for the kingship. Luke proceeds to establish the requirement for divine appointment at Luke 1:30-33.
So, the Lord God gave him the throne of his father David. He fulfilled the requirement by divine appointment.
The requirement is that God with us can only be achieved if the El sent was formerly an elohim, and indeed the elohim of Israel anointed as elohim by his elohim as noted from Psalm 45:6-7. He received his humanity entirely from his mother. Thus the traditions of Jewish nationality and tribal identity were transcended by this being so that he could assume the priesthood after the order of Melchisedek and hence become head of an order of kings and priests selected regardless of lineage, but allocated to all tribes as we see from Revelation 7:3-8.
He is the son of David and the son of Abraham from Matthew 1:1. Luke 3:38 terms him the son of Adam and the Son of God. He thus achieves the fourfold aspects reflected also in the gospels. As son of David he is King through Judah. As son of Abraham he is King of Israel as heir to the promises conferred on and through Joseph. He is also the head of the other nations of Abraham. As the son of Adam he is a man and hence qualified to lead humanity to salvation through death. As the Son of God he assumes the elohim status that he laid down at the incarnation, through his resurrection from the dead as Son of God in power (Rom. 1:4). He qualified to become the Morning Star and he will share that rule with his household (Rev. 2:27-28; 22:16; cf Zech. 12:8) as they share the divine nature of God as he does (2Pet. 1:4).
Messiah was obedient unto death and so also must we be obedient. He will give us the rulership of the Morning Star as a Son of God, as an elohim, as the Angel of Yahovah at our head (Zech. 12:8).