How many times have we looked at the list of names and generations in Genesis or I Chronicles and wondered, "Why did God, in His infinite wisdom, want us to know who followed who?" How many of us have even read the first seventeen verses of Matthew chapter one? Doesn't it seem odd that most of us totally ignore more then one half of the first chapter of God's new covenant with us? Those seventeen verses contain more then a history lesson. Vs. 17 begins a mystery - the solution to which gives new meaning to I Cor:2:9 & 20 wherein we are told "... no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit."
Let's look at Matt.1:17. "Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and four teen from the exile to the Christ." In other words, there are to be 42 generations from Abraham to Christ. Some might say, "So what, that's nothing more than the same kind of chronology found in Genesis and I Chron." Not so! If these verses are to be compared to any part of Genesis, they should be compared to the first chapter account of creation, and not the 10th and 11th chapter genealogies, for what we see revealed here is the beginning of "the Christ."
Before we proceed any further in this discussion, first let's look momentarily at the words "Jesus" and "Christ". The word "Jesus" means "Savior" and the word "Christ" means Anointed." There can be no doubt that Jesus was and is our anointed Savior. There can also be no doubt that none will come who is greater than He. At the same time we need to be aware of the fact that the word 'Christ' is not necessariarily referring to Jesus every time it is used in the NT. Turn to Phil.4:13 KJV and read carefully what it says: "I can do all things through Christ which strenghteneth me." (emphasis added) If the word 'Christ' used in this verse is referring to Jesus, we would see the pronoun "who" used, not the word "which." However, if it is the "anointing" (Christ) which gives us strength, then it would be correct to use the word "which." While there is no doubt that the anointing comes from Jesus, it is the anointing which strengthens us. Therefore, the use of the word "which" to denote the strengthening agent is correct.
As was noted earlier, Matt 1:17 appears to be the end of a chronology, when in fact it is the beginning of marvelous mystery. Look back at Matt.1:1-16 and count for yourself the generations referred to in vs.17. There are indeed 14 generations from Abraham to David, and 14 from David to the exile; however, there are only 13 from the exile to Jesus. No matter how you count them, there are only 13 from the exile to Jesus. As such, Jesus by Himself is only the 41st generation since Abraham. We know that all Scripture is God breathed, and that every word is flawless(II Tim.3:16 & Ps.12:6). What's more, we also know that every copy of every manuscript of Matt. chapter one reads the same way. Therefore, there is no possibility of a transcription or interpretation error.
Since we also know that the angels, in announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds in Lk.2:11 specifically referred to the baby Jesus as "... the Christ", we either have a mistake, or Matt.1:17 is referring to more than Jesus alone when it says "the Christ." Do not misunderstand me. I know that Jesus is Lord, He is God incarnate, it is through Him and Him alone that we have eternal life; but Jesus by Himself, is the 13th generation from the exile (the 41st generation since Abraham). As such, the physical man Jesus by Himself, is not the 42nd generation "Christ" referred to in Matt.1:17. Again, let me reemphasize the fact that no one individual or group will arise which is greater than Jesus. He has been exalted to the highest place, and His name is above every name in heaven and earth (Phil.2:9). Yet, there is still a 42nd generation called "the Christ", or the "anointed generation" which is to come, and that is the generation we are going to look at.
Matt.1:17 is not the only place in Scripture where this "Christ" is referred to. Turn to Rev.11:15 wherein we read "... the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and OF HIS CHRIST, and He will reign for ever and ever." (emphasis added) Without a doubt, Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev.17:14 & 19:16). As such, the "Lord" referred to in 11:15 is Jesus but that verse says, "...of our Lord and of his Christ." Therefore, Jesus must have, or produce a "Christ."
We know that Jesus did not marry or have physical children, but never the less, He has "Sons." Isaiah 9:6 clearly refers to Jesus as "...wonderful counselor, mighty God, EVERLASTING FATHER, prince of peace..." (emphasis added). What's more, Isa.53:10 promises that "He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days." (KJV). The New International Version says, "... He shall see His offspring..." Should there be any doubt left as to the issue of Jesus having seed, look at Rev.21:6 & 7. "I am the Alpha and the Omega ... he who overcomes will inherit all this, I will be his God and he will be My SON..." (emphasis added). (Note - Rev.1:7 & 8 clearly shows us that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega)
Who then are these offspring? They are the 42nd generation! Ps.22:30-31 says, "A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born." (KJV emphasis added)
Jesus is the Word (John 1:1), and we have been born of Him -of incorruptible seed (I Pe.1:23). We are to be the 42nd generation. Peter refers to this group as a "chosen generation" (KJV), a royal priesthood belonging to God (I Pe.2:9). This generation is not above Jesus; however, this "Christ", this anointed generation is clearly more than the "poor, unworthy, wretched, defeated old sinner" so many of us have been taught we are. You see, we WERE all those things, but now we are born of incorruptible seed. We are to take our place as part of that "Christ" of which Jesus is the Head (Eph.1:2).
We are the body (I Cor.12:27), and the Head cannot say to the body, "I don't need you." (I Cor.12:21) We are not above the head, but we are not under the feet either. Jesus said in John 10:34, "I have said you are gods." That was a reference to Ps.82:6 wherein we see the Hebrew word for "gods" is Elohiem, and those Elohiems are sons of the "Most High God" (El Elyon).
In Heb.3:11 we see that Jesus calls us "brethren", and we know that Jesus is the first born of many brothers (Ro.8:29). In Lk.1:32 we see that Jesus, as man, is called the "Son of the Most High God." Indeed, we are more then the helpless refuge of the earth that the world would have us believe we are. As Jesus' brothers, we are also considered Sons of the Most High God. That is not to say that our righteousness is of any value (Isa.64:6), but we are who we are because of Him who dwells within us.
Turn to John 15:5 for a moment. In this verse we are clearly shown that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. To see how precious this "branch" is in the eyes of the Lord, merely turn to Jer.23:5. Therein we read that "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a Righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth... and this is HIS name whereby He shall be called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."(emphasis added). Note that the branch is referred to in the masculine gender and is called the 'Lord our righteousness'. Now turn to Jer.33:15-16 (KJV, NAS or NEB) where we read "... this is the name by which SHE shall be called, the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."(emphasis added). I believe that by referring to the Branch in both the masculine and feminine gender, the Holy Spirit is referring to the dual composition of the 42nd generation , ie. the Head - Jesus, and the Body - the overcoming Church.
As we have just seen, the Lord Himself views this Righteous Branch - this anointed 42nd generation - composed of both the Head and the body as "the Lord our Righteousness." While not diminishing the importance which the Lord Himself gives to the Branch, we must never make the mistake of thinking that we are more then we are. The Most High God (Hebrew word El Elyon) is the supreme revealed nature of God, and we will never, nor should we even desire to be equal to, let alone above that position (Isa.14:14-15). But we are the Body of Christ, Sons of God (Ro.8:14), and joint heirs with Jesus (Ro.8:17). That group, that body, will never be independent of the head (Rev.21:7), but that generation will execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Think of it this way. As a physical man Jesus was obedient unto the Father (Phil.2:8). As such, He did or said nothing other then that which the Father directed Him (John 12:49-50); yet, He and the Father were one (John 17:11). Do not misunderstand, I am not attempting to divide the Deity. Jesus, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one God, but Jesus, as physical man was still a man, and it is to the man part of His being that I am directing your attention. As Jesus the man was to the Father, we as men are to be to Jesus. Remember, Jesus prayed in John 17:11,21, & 22 that it was His desire for us to be one as He and the Father were one. I John 4:15 says that if anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and HE IN GOD. Verse 17 says "... in this world we are like Him."
Jesus was sent into the world (John 17:17) to destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8) and, by one sacrifice (Heb.10:14) to redeem us from the law of sin and death (Gal.4:4-5). He had a purpose, and that purpose was fulfilled (Isa.55:11). We know that Jesus returned to the Father (Mk.16:19) and that He MUST remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything as He promised long ago ... (Acts 3:21). Jesus has fulfilled His earthly task. I know that He is with us and that He dwells within us, but I am referring to the purpose for which He was sent to earth.
Now He serves as High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, an intercessor for us (Heb.7:24). His earthly mission has been completed. In John 17:18 Jesus said unto the Father, "As You sent me into the world I have sent them into the world." Jesus was sent as "Jesus Christ", which means "Savior Anointed" or "Anointed Savior." We are sent as the "Body of Christ", or "Sons of God" or "Anointed Sons." Jesus was sent with the power of God's name (John 17:11). Jesus said that we have been sent as He was sent. We have been sent for a purpose, or do you think we have been given the power of His name for no reason? His purpose was to provide salvation for all men, and redeem them from the curse of the law which was sin and death. But there is something which we also are to accomplish.
Consider this point, MAN has been given authority on the earth (see Gen.1:26, Ps.8:6 & 8, and Ps.115:16). It is on the earth that we, the Body of Christ, the 42nd generation, the "Christ" spoken of in Matt.1:17, are to act It is through the body that the Head will bring about the restoration of all things spoken of in Acts 3:21. Eph.1:22 says that God has already placed all things under Jesus' feet and has appointed Him to be Head over everything for the Church. That is past tense and has been accomplished.
Likewise, Heb.2:8 says that everything has been made subject to Him, and everything has been put under Him. Yet, Heb.10:3 tells us that, "He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool" Notice what that said, "HE WAITS FOR HIS ENEMIES TO BE MADE HIS FOOTSTOOL." It doesn't say HE is going to MAKE His enemies His footstool; rather, He is waiting until that happens. This was written after He had already offered Himself as the one sacrifice spoken of earlier. What's more, Heb.10:13 was written some 30 years after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Church, endowing it with power from on High. Yet, it clearly says that Jesus is still waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool.
Is Heb.2:8, which said everything has already been made subject to Him in conflict with Heb.10:13 which says He is waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool? Not at all. This is where the "Christ", the 42nd generation, the seed of Jesus, comes in. Look at the last part of Heb.2:8, "... in putting everything under Him God left nothing that is not subject to Him. YET AT PRESENT WE DO NOT SEE EVERYTHING SUBJECT TO HIM." (emphasis added) Remember, we have a God who calls things that are not in the physical realm as though they are (Ro.4:17). Jesus, in both the physical and spiritual realm, has in fact had all things placed under Him. He has overcome in both the spiritual and physical realms, and we, because of Him, have already over come in the spiritual one. That price has been paid by the blood of Jesus, and there is nothing more for us to do in that realm.
However, each one of us who would be in that 42nd generation, must also overcome in the physical realm as well. Jesus tells us in Ja. 4:7 to "... resist the devil and he will flee from you." That means we are in a struggle otherwise there would be nothing to resist against. Eph.6:12 shows us the purpose for the armor of God, and that purpose is to struggle against the rulers of this dark world. In Rev.21:7 we saw that those who inherit the New Jerusalem, ie. those who live in it all the time, are the overcomers. In Rev.3:21 Jesus said to John "To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on My throne ..." That sounds great, and it is, but then Jesus gives us the definition of an overcomer. "...(J)ust as I overcame and sat down with My father on His throne."
Have we overcome as Jesus did? In the physical realm we do not yet see everything subject to the Body of Christ. Many Christians are sitting back and waiting for the time when this subjection of the physical realm will "Instantly" appear. Perhaps some of us have been taught that if we do anything, that is "good works" on our part, and salvation is by grace and not works.
Such a view ignores James 1:22 which tells us that we are to be doers of the Word and not just listeners. Some believe that Jesus is going to bring this perfection into being when He returns However, that is contrary to Heb.10:13 which says that He is waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. It is also contrary to Rev.19:7 which says that His bride has made herself ready.
Remember, the Head cannot say to the body, "I don't need you." The Head, Jesus Christ, has already told us that He will not, and therefore cannot act without His body. When Jesus returns, it is to receive a Church that is spotless and without wrinkle (Eph.5:27). Among other places, Rev.4:11 and 5:12 tell us that Jesus will indeed RECEIVE Glory, Honor, Power, Wealth, Strength, and Praise. While it is true that He is all these things, He receives them when He returns. He doesn't bring them to a defeated, broken down, and starving body. That is not how He overcame, and that is not how He was sent into the world. The Head is inseparable from the body. The Body of Christ includes the Head which gives it direction, and from which all power flows (Eph.3:20 & Phil.2:13). But the Body also includes the parts that walk, kneel, stand, and raise up the standard of the Word of God. The 42nd generation - the Christ of Matt.1:17 - will be composed of overcomers who have overcome in both the spiritual and physical realms.
There is an enemy left to be destroyed. That enemy is death itself, and Jesus said HE IS WAITING FOR ALL HIS ENEMIES TO BE MADE HIS FOOTSTOOL. The unveiling of this 42nd generation will have the effect of liberating all creation from its bondage to decay (Ro. 8:21). We are told in Heb.2:10 that Jesus is bringing many sons to glory.
Is it this 42nd generation, this group of manifested sons who overcome in both the spiritual and physical realms, that bring about the manifestation of this submission which is referred to in Heb.2:8? Is this the group referred to in Obadiah 21 which says, "Deliverers (that's plural & KJV says `Saviors') will come from Mount Zion?" Is it this "Christ" which is composed of both the Head and the Body and which has overcome in all realms which is referred in I Cor.15:24-26, and which turns the kingdom over to the Father? I believe that it is.
It is a group which, not by its own power or righteousness, but because of the power and righteousness which dwells within it by the might and grace of God, will have proposed to walk as Jesus walked (I John 1:6). The members of that generation will do as directed in Phil.2:15. They will "...become spotless and pure children of God without fault in a corrupt and depraved generation." They will be "perfect ... as (their)...heavenly Father is perfect." (Matt.5:48) They will have made every effort to be found spotless blameless, and at peace with Him (II Pe.3:14).
I John 3:9 says that "no one ... born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he is born of God." That is not to say that they were not sinful before they were "born again." Nor am I saying that immediately after they turned their lives over to the Lord were they made perfect in all realms. What I am saying is that the members of that generation will have made the commitment necessary, and will have totally and completely believed God's Word, and then acted upon it.
God does not tell us to do something and then not give us the tools or ability to achieve it. Eph.4:13 tells us that the fivefold ministry has as its purpose the building up of the body of Christ until it becomes "perfect" The Greek word used for 'perfect' in that verse is teleios, and that is the same word used in Matt.5:48 wherein Jesus directed us to be "perfect" even as our Father in heaven was perfect. I Thes.4:3 says that it is God's will for us to be holy. We have already received everything from Him that we need in order to walk in this level of perfection. The problem is, taken as whole, the Body of Christ has not committed itself enough to Him, studied His Word enough, nor acted upon that which He has revealed to us. Like the Israelites in the wilderness who, when directed to go into the promised land felt that the task was beyond them, many present day members of the Body of Christ have assumed the they cannot walk as Jesus has so clearly directed them to do.
Consider this for a moment. We give glory, honor, and adulation to an athlete who "goes all the way," who commits everything to winning the Olympic Gold, or the Super Bowl. On the other hand, many times someone who attempts to walk totally in the light of God's Word is considered a `fanatic'. By some he is even considered to be a complete heretic who is trying to put himself on the same level as God. Remember this, to be the "Christ" of Matt.1:17 is not to put yourself on the level of the Most High. However, to not walk in the light of God's Word could well prevent you from overcoming in the physical realm even though you have overcome in the spiritual realm. To quote Paul, "If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal.1:10) To serve totally is our goal. To do so points us in the right direction towards becoming an overcomer.
Look at Rev.21 to see what relationship it is that awaits the overcomer: the Bride of Christ. (see vs. 9). Many believers feel that the bride of Christ is the whole Church, although there is not a single Scripture which says that. This concept has been derived from the relationship that husbands are to have to their wives as described in Eph.5:25-28. However, those verses do not say that the Church is the Bride of Christ. What they do say is that husbands are to love their wives with the same type of love that Jesus showed for the Church; namely, agape love.
There is one verse which specifically tells us who the bride is, and that is Rev.21:9. "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem coming down out of heaven..." That is the bride. This is not to say that Jesus' bride is the city itself. Rather, His bride is composed of the inhabitants of that city. Who inhabits the city?
Look at Rev.21:7 to find the answer. "He who overcomes will inherit all this." We also see in Rev.22:3 that His servants (dulois) are part of that group. Paul expressed his commitment in Ro. 1:1 by calling himself a 'bondslave' of Christ. The Greek word usually translated `servant' in that verse is dulous. This word is translated as 'slave' in I Cor.7:22-23. Paul reaffirms his commitment as a bondslave of Christ in Phil.1:1, as does Jude in Jude 2. A bondslave is to be distinguished from a mere household servant or paid worker.
The Greek word for a servant or paid worker would be oiketes as found in I Pe.2:18, Lk.16:13, Ro.14:4 and Philemon 16 Another word for servant, or menial worker, found only in Heb.3:5 is therapon. A servant (however menial) is still the master of some of his/her time and future. A slave owns nothing and can claim neither his time nor his future as his own. Ex.21:1-6 and Deut 15:12-18 give us an insight into the idea of what it ,means to be a bondslave. Notice from those verses that a bondslave can become one voluntarily because of his love for the master. This is what Paul, Timothy, Jude, and John did. The point is, not every believer inhabits the New Jerusalem. We have seen that the inhabitants of the city are the bride, but how do we know that there are "believers" who do not live in the city itself?
Rev.21:8 shows us that the cowardly, the unbelievers etc. will find their place in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. That eliminates non-believers from the scene altogether. Now look at verse 24. It says that the nations of the earth will bring their splendor into the city. Only believers can enter, but there are those who live there (see also Zech. 14). There are believers who live outside and come in all the time; however, they are not the bride. Just as Eve was of Adam, but not Adam, so also is the Bride of the Church, but not the Church as a whole.
Do all believers receive the same `rewards' in heaven? No, there are different levels of heaven (II Cor.12:2), and different crowns etc. Perhaps the tears that are wiped from the eyes of those in heaven are tears that are shed when, upon arrival, they see what could have been theirs had they truly walked as Jesus did, and truly made every effort (Rev.7:17 & 21:4). I John 5:4 tells us that everyone born of God has overcome the world. They are now in the class of people called overcomers. That is their position, and each one could be an overcomer in total, but they won't because they won't make the commitment Jesus did and overcome as He did in Rev.3:21. Another analogy could be made in the area of faith. Ro.12:3 tells us that to each is given a measure of faith, but do all believers water it, feed it, and cause it to grow from the Word? Needless to say, the answer is "no."
Is this overcoming easy? No! Let's look at what Jesus said on the subject. In John 15:20 He cautioned His disciples, "No servant is greater than His master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also." Paul reaffirmed this in no uncertain terms when he advised Timothy in II Tim.3:12 that "...everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." In fact, we see that Jesus, as the author of our salvation was made perfect through suffering (Heb.2:10).
This is not to say that Jesus was sinful at birth and gradually got better and better. We know that He was without sin (II Cor.5:21); however, he had to maintain this perfection throughout His life. When He was tempted, He suffered and had to overcome temptation just as we do. Do not allow satan to trick you into thinking that you are in this all alone. Jesus had the angels to minister to Him, and so do we (Lk.22:43 & Heb.1:14). Jesus was protected by the power of the Most High, and so are we (John 17:11&18). We also have the peace of God available to us (Phil4:7). The point is, the man part of Jesus walked in the perfection which will be evidenced by those who are in the 42nd generation.
If you commit to walk in that way, do not let satan deceive you if you stumble. Remember, "... if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we will have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from every sin... if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and will purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:7 & 9) We will never be part of the 42nd generation Christ until we begin to walk at that level. It is not impossible, for He has already given us all the tools, armor, and power we need. The body of Christ in Eph.4:16 is described as growing. That does not refer to numbers alone. It refers to a level of maturity which we grow into. However, you do not grow into that maturity until you begin to walk.
satan will come against you the moment you begin to make that commitment, but Jesus will not return until His enemies have been made His footstool (Acts 3:21 & Heb.2:8). The authority to do so in the physical earthly realm must be exercised by men who:
know who they are in Christ Jesus,
know what their level of authority is, and
have the desire to serve Him with every fiber of their being.
Nehemiah chapter 3 lists 42 separate work parties which God used to complete the construction of the wall around Jerusalem when the captives returned. The wall was not completed until that 42nd group of workers finished their task. Commit to be part of that work party today! Nu.33:1-49 lists 41 places where the Israelites camped while on their wilderness journey. The 42nd place they camped was at Gilgal in the promised land after they crossed the Jordan on dry ground. Ask the Father to help you cross the Jordan on dry ground so that the river of living water-which is to be flowing from you - can join that of the other members of the 42nd generation and change the nature of the Dead Sea from death to life (John7:39; Joshua 3:4&12-17 and Ez.47:1-8)
Joshua 1:2-3 and Deut.11:23-24 both promise us that every place we put our feet on is ours. However, we must first begin to walk in order to take territory. If the last enemy is to be a footstool, then it must be under our feet (Heb.10:13). Not only does God promise protection for our feet, (Ps.91:12), but he gives us a light to light the way (Ps.119:105). Jesus' feet were anointed with 300 denarii of perfume (John 12:3) and the aroma filled the entire house. Three hundred is the Scriptural number for total divine deliverance (Gen.6:15, Ex.3:6, & Judges 7:16), and the deliverance which Jesus will accomplish through His foot company of 42nd generation overcomers will indeed fill the whole earth. Begin that walk today.