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Matthew 1
Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah Perez Hezron Ram Amminadab Nahson Salmon Boaz Obed Jesse David Solomon Rehoboam Abijah Asa Jehoshaphat Joram Uziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Manasseh Amon Josiah Jeconiah Shealtiel Zerubbabel Abiud Eliakim Azor Zadok Achim Eliud Eleazar Matthan Jacob Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus who is called Christ |
Where in our modern world, every Tom, Dick or Harry is just a blank label, names in the Bible are much more than that. They have to be, because there's something deeply fishy about the Biblical usage of names, also because they all work up to a dual and much debated genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1 and Luke 3)
The language of the names.
To start with, most names in the Bible are obviously derived from normal, everyday words, making them sound like Indian names (Stands With A Fist; Wind In His Hair - like that). The big difference, however, is that the Hebrew language is far more dynamic than ours. If you haven't already, you should take a brief detour and read our article on this topic.The reason of the names
Very often a name reveals something about or resonates with the function of the person in the narrative. The name of the first king of Israel, King Saul, for instance, means Asked For. Isaac means Laughter. And Jesus (which is the Greek form of the name Joshua) literally means Saviour! Very often a name is given to someone by the parents, who also supply the reason for that name. The sons of Jacob, who became the tribes of Israel, were all named by means of a little speech: Reuben, meaning See-Son, was named because his mother Leah figured that God had seen her afflictions (her husband Jacob didn't love her very much). His brother Simeon (Hear-Boy) was named because his mother figured that God had heard that she was unloved. Son number three was called Levi (Join-Boy) because mom figured that Jacob would finally get attached to her. Son number four was named Judah (Praise-Boy). After that Leah stopped figuring, and also stopped giving birth. Deluge-survivor Noah (means Rest) was named because his father Lamech II stated that his son would give everyone rest. Isaiah named his son Come And Get It, because he was the living prophesy that Assyria would come and loot Israel. Hosea named his daughter No Mercy and his second son Not My People; both claims made by God. And Jesus renamed Simon (Hear-Boy) to Peter (Rock) because he was the rock upon which Jesus would found his church. And that brings us to a highly distinguished sub-principle in the name-arena:The Name-Change principle
Because a Biblical name is so profound in its meaning, a change of name is pretty much the same thing as a change of heart, literally. A name-change is the Biblical equivalent of sirens blaring and lights flashing: something very important is going on:In Genesis 17, Abram becomes Abraham and Sarai becomes Sarah, when the circumcision rite is initiated and Isaac is conceived. Isaac, whose name means Laughter, is the son of the promise; he was the first step in God's promise of a Messiah which would eventually be fulfilled in Jesus.The Messiah was promised right after the Fall, but it took a long time of growth before He could finally be received. In the Bible, names change when an event has a direct bearing on the 'evolution' of the world that was made ready for the emergence of Jesus Christ. And that makes the very first occurrence of the name-change principle even more profound, because that happens in Genesis 2: 4, where the Name of the Creator changes from Elohim to Yahweh Elohim. For a brief look at the meaning of the Names of God click here. And if you would like to know how deeply profound this specific occurrence of the name-change principle is, have a look at our article on the Chaotic Set Theory.
In Genesis 32, Jacob becomes Israel and changes from a man with twelve sons (and a daughter) to a nation consisting of twelve tribes. This nation would eventually become the kingdom of which Jesus Christ is the final heir.
In Numbers 13, Hosea becomes Joshua when he becomes part of the famous contingent that was sent out by Moses on a reconnaissance mission into Canaan. Joshua is the namesake of Jesus, and their essential actions appear to be self-similar.
In Revelation 2:17, the principle is used in general rather than in a specific case, when the people that make up the Body of Christ are rendered a very special gift: "To him who overcomes, I will [...] give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone..."
The strange genealogies of Christ
There's really nothing wrong with either of the two genealogies of Christ (Matthew 1 & Luke 3), except for the bizarre detail that they are not the same! This means either that one of the two gospel writers were flat wrong (corroding the Bible to such a degree that it should be discarded as Truth), or there is merit in the difference. The Abarim Editorial Team obviously favors the latter. How to solve this paradox?In their despair and lack of creativity, some exegetes have issued the revelation that Luke's genealogy is that of Mary but that is unacceptable quackery.
First of all, both Luke and Matthew trace Jesus' genealogy through Joseph. It does not say Mary. It says Joseph. When it says Joseph, it means Joseph. Not Mary.
Furthermore in the disputed gospel Luke, the angel Gabriel calls Elizabeth Mary's kinswoman (Luke 1:36), and Elizabeth was a Levite (Luke 1:5). This means that Mary was a Levite, Jesus was genetically spoken a Levite, and, because both authors trace the lines of descend through the house of David (and thus Judah), their genealogies are certainly not about a physical line of descend. Then, for crying out loud, what are the Biblical names about?
Both barrels blazing
All things considered we are about to make a daring assumption. Because the Bible is essentially either about Christ, or, better yet, essentially equal to Christ in nature and intent, and also because Biblical names change when the evolution of the Messianic cradle is the topic, it may very well be that every name in Bible has as function telling the story of how mankind was made ready to receive the Son of God.The Christ-hood of Christ is not a physical condition but a mental one. One becomes a Christian not by physical descent but by an essential mental alteration. And when one becomes a believer (that is not a follower of some code or religion but someone who is personally acquainted with God) one automatically becomes a son of Abraham; again not by physical descent but by an altered mental constitution. The grand conclusion we would like to submit is that the Biblical names are a layout of man's mind, both the individual as the collective mind. The names in the Bible tell the story of how mankind as a species transcended the animal realm and grew on to be receptive for Christ. And they also tell the story of every human individual that starts out as a single-cellular creature called zygote (with a 'mind' to match) and grows on to finally receive Christ personally.
What we are saying is that just like every human body is built as a variation of the same human genome, so every human mind (4D) is a variation of the same mental blue-print. And since all of us started out as a single-cellular organism, we all started out being indistinguishable from the general form of single-cellular creatures. Then all of us started growing and became indistinguishable from fish-like creatures. Then we became one with reptiles and later mammals. Only much later, when our minds kicked in, the animal-man symmetry broke and we became distinguishable from animals.
Note: The Bible certainly insists on a man-animal symmetry. Take a brief detour to check it out. If you need the word symmetry explained click here.
Some have used these indisputable symmetries to justify abortion (you're only killing a worm). We strongly object to this. When the universe was nothing but an anonymous and formless dot, God knew what could come of it. The verb for 'hover' (...hovered over the waters) is the same verb with which a mother hen guards her eggs, and argues a deep intimacy.
The actual physical human body of Jesus was constituted on Levitic genes. The word levi means to join, and may denote the unique human ability to put one and one together. Since Levi spawned the priestly cast, we may conclude that where the cradle of Christ comes through Praise (Judah) the appearance of Christ in a human mind comes with an understanding. In other words: science may serve Truth even more than it assumed itself! But keep in mind that the human physique of Jesus is not to be worshiped. It's only a vehicle.
- be sovereign and not accept any authority in matters pertaining to one's own relationship with God, and
- be ready and willing to be an unconditional servant and work for God and creation. - Mat 23:8-12
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:14-19
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Luke 3Jesus Joseph Eli Matthat Levi Melchi Jannai Joseph Mattathias Amos Nahum Hesli Naggai Maath Mattathias Semein Josech Joda Joanan Rhesa Zerubbabel Shealtiel Neri Melchi Adi Cosam Elmadam Er Joshua Eliezer Jorim Matthat Levi Simeon Judah Joseph Jonam Eliakim Melea Menna Mattatha Nathan David Jesse Obed Boaz Salmon Nahson Amminadab Admin Ram Hezron Perez Judah Jacob Isaac Abraham Terah Nahor Serug Reu Peleg Heber Shelah Cainan Arphaxad Shem Noah Lamech Methuselah Enoch Jared Mahalaleel Cainan Enosh Seth Adam God |
Click here for the complete genealogy of Christ; a 500kb unprotected Excel file.
