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The Two Genealogies Of
"The Lord Jesus"
It is written in (1 Corinthians 15:45
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.). To understand this passage of scripture, one need to understand the different Hebrew words rendered man, and the two genealogies of our Lord Jesus Christ.Note, first, in which two of the four Gospel`s they are found, for this is also significant.
(1). In Matthew God says to us, "Behold thy King," (Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.).(2). In Mark He says, "Behold My Servant," (Isaiah 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.).(3). In Luke He says, "Behold the Man," (Zechariah 6:12
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:).(4). In John He says, "Behold your God," (Isaiah 40:9
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!).Now a servant need not to produce his genealogy: neither can God have one. It is a King who must have one, and a Man who should have one. Therefore it is that we have two genealogies, and not more than two. And that is why we have one in Matthew giving the Royal genealogy of Jesus the King: and one in Luke giving the Human genealogy of Jesus as Man. Hence also it is that Matthew`s is a “descending” genealogy, while Luke`s is an “ascending” one. For Kings must trace their descent, all power in the world being derived from God, who says, "By Me kings reign": and man must trace his ascent to some particular ancestor. Matthew`s therefore, begins with Abraham, and comes down to Joseph, the son of Heli: while Luke`s starts from Joseph, and goes up to Adam and God.
As far as David both the lists agree. But here an important divergence takes place. In Matthew, after David, we have his son Solomon: while in Luke we have another son, Solomon`s elder brother, Nathan. From this point, therefore, we have two lines. One (Matthew) gives the “royal” and “legal” line through Solomon: the other (Luke) gives the “natural” and “lineal” line through Nathan. The former was the result of the will of God in choosing Solomon, a younger son: while the latter was the result of the will of man, and in the order of human birth. Both lines meet in Joseph, the son of Jacob by birth, and the son of Heli by marriage with Mary, Heli`s only daughter. Thus the two lines are united and exhausted in Jesus Christ: for by His death they “both became extinct,” and thus He was the King of Israel by right: became, and was declared to be, the Son of God by resurrection from the dead, (Romans 1:4
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Acts 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.). And (Hebrew 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? Hebrew 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.).Now the wonderful fact is that we have in the genealogy of (Luke the 3rd chapter) exactly (77) names, with “GOD” at the one end, and “JESUS” at the other. This is indeed stamping it with the number of spiritual perfection.
On the other hand, although the genealogy in Matthew is artificially constructed (according to a recognized custom amongst the Jews, instances of which we have in the Old Testament), it is so arranged that it contains (42) generations, or Six sevens (6x7).
These (42) generations contain: Forty-one names that are named in Matthew the 1st chapter (41). Four which are omitted (4). If we add the twenty-one names before Abraham (21) (Luke the 3rd Chapter). We have in the royal line through Solomon (66) names.
In (Ruth 1:11-13,
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.). Ruth by marriage with Naomi`s son was called her daughter: (Nehemiah 7:63 And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.). Hekkoz by marriage with Bazzillai`s daughter was "called after their name": (Numbers the 36th chapter) where the daughters of Zelophehad, by Divine counsel, "were married to their father`s brother sons, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father, (Numbers 36:11-12 For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father’s brothers’ sons: And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.). This is exactly what took place with Mary, who, according to the Jerusalem Talmud (Chag. 77,4), is called the daughter of Heli, and by her marriage with Joseph, who was the son of Jacob, caused Joseph to be called, according to the custom, the son, or rather son-in-law, of Heli.There are only (41) names: Jechonias being given at the end of the second list, and repeated at the beginning of the third. There are three divisions (the stamp of Divine perfection), with (14) names in the “first,” (14) names in the “second,” but with (13) names in the “third.” For the significance of this, the number (13), marking Jesus as the Savior who was made sin for His people.
These three divisions are in themselves remarkable. The “first” ends with the happy condition of the people under David: the “second” with ruins: the “third” with the Savior.
The “first” begins with Abraham, the recipient of the unconditional covenant of the land, (Genesis the 15th chapter), and ends with David, the recipient of the unconditional covenant of the Throne, (2 Samuel the 7th chapter). The “second” begins with Solomon, and ends with the Captivity: i.e., with the building of the Temple at one end, and the destruction of it at the other. The “third” begins with the Captivity, the promise of the Messiah through (Daniel the 9th chapter), and ends with His birth in the person of Jesus.
The four names omitted are the three immediate successors of Jehoram,
(1). Ahaziah, or Jehoahaz, (2 Kings 8:29
And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.).
(2). Joash, (2 Kings 11:2
But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.).(3). Amaziah or Ahimaaz, (2 Kings 14:8-20
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents. And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead. And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.).(4). Jehoiakim, (2 Kings 23:36
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 2 Kings 24:6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 2 Chronicles 36:5-8 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.). It was he who cut to pieces and burnt the roll which contained the words of God, (Jeremiah 36:23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.). The Talmud says that the reason why his name is not mention generally in the genealogies is because it was said concerning him, (2 Chronicles 36:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.). Rabbi Jochanan says it means that "he caused an image to be engraved on his body." He was "childless" as to the throne: for though he had seven sons, (1 Chronicles 3:17-18 And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son, Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.). It was his grandson Zerubbabel who became ruler over Israel, (2 Kings 25:29-30 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.).
So that while Jesus is the (77th) name in the line which comes through Nathan, it is the (66th) name in the line which comes through Solomon. When we remember that (six) is the human number, and the Divine, can we doubt that we are thus pointed to the fact that “Jesus” was both “Son of God” and “Son of Man”?
His two names have the same significant stamp and seal: for (
Ieôsous)(Jehoshua), “Jesus“, the birth name of His “humiliation” as “Man” is composed of six letters: while ( Xpioros) Christos,Messiah), Christ, His Divine title as the Anointed of God, is composed of seven letters.On carefully comparing the two genealogies again, we find that certain names are common to both lines. Here we have a marvelous interlacing and combination of the number “six” and “seven,” which serve to stamp both genealogies with the Spirit`s seal, and to set forth the human and Divine natures of Jesus our Lord, as perfect Man and perfect God.
Joseph was the husband of Mary, "of whom was born Jesus which is called Christ," (Matthew 1:16
And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ). . That is to say, Joseph, who was the real son of Jacob, for it says "Jacob begat Joseph," (Matthew 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ). . Could become the legal son of Heli only by his marriage with Heli`s daughter Mary. Hence it does not say, in (Luke 3:23) that Heli begat Joseph, but that he was "the son of Heli." (Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli). The words, "the son," it will be observed, are in “italics,” and being thus a wider expression, denotes that he was legally the son-in-law of Heli, by marriage with Mary, Heli`s daughter.While Jesus, therefore, was the real son of Mary, He could be reckoned as the legal son of Joseph, and was descended from Nathan through Heli, as well as from Solomon through Jacob.
The number six is further associated with Christ as the Son of Man, in that His birth was announced in the sixth month, (Luke 1:26
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth), The sixth hour is specially marked at His crucifixion, (Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. Mark 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Luke 23:44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour).__________________________________________________________________________________________