It will shown here that Bible genealogies are complete and unabridged, at least with respect to God's Redemptive Plan, by showing how certain genealogies running through the Bible uniquely identify Jesus Christ as the Messiah in the fulfillment of that Redemptive Plan!

Three genealogies taken from the Bible are shown in the following chart; the first two are taken from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew respectively, while the third is a composite one derived from the Old Testament books of Genesis, Kings, and Chronicles. These three genealogies collectively, cover the entire historical period described in the Bible from Adam to Jesus Christ. Furthermore, a review of Bible genealogies will verify that a name appears in at least one of the lists for everyone of the generations identified in the Bible over that entire time span. Therefore these three lists taken together should enable us to make a complete count of the generations given in the Bible from Adam to Jesus Christ.

However, an inspection of the three lists will uncover some potentially troubling differences.

1. The name Cainan, between Arphaxad and Shelah, appears in Luke but nowhere else in the entire Bible.
   

2. The names in Luke following David are completely different than the ones following David in the other two lists, except for Shealtiel and Zerubbabel.
   

3. Even though Matthew lists the kings of Judah, the Old Testament list following David contains seven names, i.e. Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash, Amaziah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, not found in  Matthew.

We are faced with the job of trying to reconcile these differences, so let’s take them one at a time.

1. Although the Luke name of Cainan appears nowhere else in our present-day Bible, it does appear in the Greek "Septuagint" version of the Old Testament that was translated in 100-200 BC. That there was such a person is reinforced by the fact that the Septuagint also gives Cainan’s age at the time of the birth of his son, Shelah, so we must accept his name as a legitimate entry into the genealogy, thus certifying to the care with which Luke assembled his genealogy.
   

2. We can deal substantially with the differences between the Luke names following David and the other genealogies by recognizing that Luke gives Mary’s male genealogy, thereby showing how she fulfilled the "proto evangelism" (Genesis 3.15),  whereas the others give Joseph’s male ancestors, so the names are understandably different. 
   
   Moreover, there is no valid reason to doubt the authenticity of Luke's genealogy. The remainder of Luke's Gospel has been repeatedly heralded by Bible historians for its remarkable accuracy, being the most credible historic record of that first century period and culture available from any source. Luke's knowledge of genealogical records is evident by his statement that the Romans required Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, because they were also aware of Joseph's heritage (Luke 2.4). Luke's obvious knowledge of Joseph's genealogy, yet his use of a different set of names suggests that his research drew from other genealogical records available for Mary's family tree. Genealogies were very important to the Jews, and were maintained for members of the entire nation in the Temple, so Luke could have drawn from that extensive date base. His rather curious entry, giving Neri as Shealtiel's father rather than Jeconiah, can probably best be explained  by the view that Shealtiel was an adopted son as a result of the death of his real father. In fact, we shall discover in a moment that Jeconiah could not have been the biological father of the Shealtiel in Luke for a very specific reason.

3. A more serious issue seems to arise by the omissions of Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash, Amaziah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah from the Matthew genealogy. These are the names of seven kings of the southern kingdom of Judah during the period of the divided kingdom. Of course, it is proper that they not be included in the Luke genealogy because Mary’s ancestors were not of the kingly line. However, It is not immediately clear at this point in the discussion just why they are omitted in the Matthew genealogy, though a good rationale for those omissions will become evident as we proceed. At this point it can only be observed that Matthew's resulting genealogy strangely groups into three segments, each of "fourteen generations". 

The genealogies set down in the above chart surely contain the generations of God’s Redemptive Plan because the first two of them both conclude with Jesus Christ. The one in Luke appears to fulfill that Genesis prophecy pertaining to the "seed of the woman" (Genesis 3.15), while the one in Matthew seems to point to that Covenant given first to king David, then later other prophets, concerning an "everlasting kingdom" (II Samuel 7.16).

If the above comments relative to these anomalies seem plausible, the next step toward better understanding the meaning of these genealogies may be taken. Notice that the Old Testament list seems to possess a curious feature; the list seems to undulate with a cycle, "cresting" at the end of every ten names. Consider the significance of these "Generations Of Ten" as they relate to God’s Redemptive Plan.

From the creation of mankind ---









--- to the flood and end of the antediluvian civilization.

From the beginning of a new civilization of mankind ---









--- to the end of world government independent of God

From the start of a new Covenant and Chosen People ---









--- to Israel's inheritance of their Land (Matthew 1.5).

From the introduction of the Gentiles into God's Redemptive Plan for Israel ---

--- to the advent of Judah's downfall and God's Covenant with National Israel.

The following clarification is needed to justify this last comment in connection with Joram.

It is recalled from the earlier review of the Old Testament that a civil war occurred following Solomon’s reign causing the nation to split into northern and southern parts. The individuals listed above after Solomon are all kings of that southern kingdom of Judah, that being the kingdom that would eventually bring forth the promised Messiah.

Solomon excessively taxed the people in order to achieve Israel's great worldly glory, then his son Rehoboam, apparently insulated from his subjects, rejected the counsel of the elders to lighten the yoke of taxation. Thus, Rehoboam’s poor decision in his dealings with the Tribes to the north produced the original division between the kingdoms of Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Abijah his son generally followed in his father’s footsteps and did not get good marks in the eyes of the Lord, however the Lord patiently "set a lamp in Jerusalem", giving him a son who would serve God (I Kings 15.4). Therefore both Asa and Jehoshaphat turned out to be among the best kings who followed David.

Unfortunately, Joram brought about a dramatic shift for the worse. This son of Jehoshaphat came to the throne just a few years after the events in Israel involving king Ahab and queen Jezebel, when the first of the prophets Elijah and Elisha began to pronounce judgements against that northern kingdom. Ahab and Jezebel were so wicked that even their names have become anathema to God-fearing people. Therefore, it is nothing short of incredible that Joram, the king of Judah, actually married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel! Such a union could bode nothing well for Judah and sure enough, we are told that Joram soon began to walk in the ways of the kings of Israel. Nonetheless, the Lord’s amazing long-suffering with those people continued (II Kings 8.16-19), but something sinister lay behind the curtain of the next scene in God’s Redemptive Plan.

A discussion of the names highlighted below who followed Joram will take on special significance in understanding just how God’s Redemptive Plan developed through this period.

From the advent of Judah's downfall and the first of Judah's kings to be cut out of the Messianic line ---


--- To God's pronouncement of coming judgement against Judah ---






--- to the arrival of Judah's judgement, termination of God’s Old Covenant with the nation, and start of the Babylonian Exile ---



--- to the end of the Babylonian Exile

The Bible historian, Edwin R. Thiele, sees the period just outlined by the above highlighted names as one of the most confused in Hebrew history. This chaotic time is briefly summarized.

Ahaziah, the son of Joram and Athaliah, continued in the evil ways of his mother Athaliah until finally, God took occasion to put him to death thereby prematurely ending his reign. This took place at the hands of a man by the name of Jehu who led a coup against the government of Israel, killing all of the heirs to that throne. While that coup was in process, God put it in the mind of king Ahaziah to visit Israel where he was also killed. Then Jehu continued his bloodletting spree by murdering the remaining brothers of Ahaziah, thereby also creating a state of political crisis in Judah.

At that point, Athaliah usurped the throne of the southern kingdom of Judah, attempting to murder all of the remaining heirs to that throne, and setting herself up as the "queen". She immediately instituted the same idolatrous practices in the south that her mother Jezebel had inaugurated earlier in the northern kingdom. Of course, this step threatened to abrogate God's authority by reason of a prophecy given centuries earlier through Jacob, that Judah's symbol of Messianic kingship would not depart until the coming of Messiah. It appeared that this promise was in danger of becoming null and void. However, unknown to queen Athaliah, Joash who was one of her grandsons and a potential heir to the throne, was saved from the nursery while his brothers were being murdered. Therefore when she herself was killed just seven years later, Joash was anointed the next king of Judah, thus preserving Judah's kingdom and giving the Lord the last word in the matter.

Unfortunately, though Joash preserved Judah's kingly line, he and his successor, Amaziah, both left much to be desired. Joash became a cruel tyrant, and at one point sanctioned the stoning of Judah's high priest who fearlessly rebuked the sin among the people. His son Amaziah possessed somewhat higher moral attributes, but also turned away from following the Lord, ruling Judah in a worldly way. 

Thus during the reign of Uzziah, following Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash, and Amaziah, God declared His intention to judge Judah in the most severe terms (Isaiah 1-5). This warning was punctuated in the final year of Uzziah's reign when the prophet Isaiah was caught up into Heaven in the presence of King Messiah, and told of that future decree of desolation against the nation during the times of the Gentiles (Isaiah 6). Consequently, those seven kings of Judah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah (II Kings 22.18-20), were all living on borrowed time until they would complete Judah's allotted time before the "other shoe" of God's final judgement would fall.

That time of judgement arrived with those final four kings of Judah, i.e. Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, when God's anger was vented on Judah. These final four kings were subjected to external rule from Egypt and Babylon, being successively carried into captivity, thereby ending Judah's existence as a sovereign nation. This may be seen by reviewing the Biblical records of Jehoahaz (II Chronicles 36.1-4), Jehoiakim (II Chronicles 36.5-8), Jeconiah (II Chronicles 36.9-10), and Zedekiah (II Kings 25.7). These last four wicked kings of Judah thus became the victims of God’s judgement upon Judah.

This summary shows that the thread of God’s Redemptive Plan was temporarily threatened for the first time following Joram, God's coming judgement declared at the time of Uzziah, then its actual arrival at the time of Jehoahaz. These three junctions make this interval an extremely important one in Judah's Old Testament genealogy, for it shows that God continued to deal with that nation in spite of their apostasy through the entire period, even though a countdown toward their coming judgement was underway.

Since Judah's kingly line was irrevocably terminated with the Babylonian Exile, we must now move through the Inter-Testament and on into the New Testament periods to complete the genealogical review of God’s Redemptive Plan. The appropriate genealogical records in Matthew and Luke are shown below.                                              

There is little more that can be said of the names in the above lists before Joseph and Mary because they do not appear elsewhere in the Bible. However, the complete Matthew genealogy shown earlier indicates that Joseph was in the line of king Jeconiah, and that God pronounced a curse on Jeconiah, precluding any of his biological progeny from ever sitting on the throne of David (Jeremiah 22.30). Consequently, the Matthew genealogy could only serve as the "legal" line for the kings of Judah, never the Messianic line. Conversely, the complete Luke genealogy indicates that Mary was in the line of Neri. Therefore, if he was truly the biological father of Shealtiel, Jesus could have fulfilled the kingly line through this genealogy, since He would also have been a descendant of King David, but not through the cursed line of Judah's kings. Thus the genealogical record confirms the Biblical story, that Jesus was the biological offspring of Mary, but not of Joseph.

Now look at the three genealogies, repeated again in the following chart, but this time with three modifications. 

1. The "Generations of Ten" are shown in the colored blocks, running down through the Old Testament and then into Matthew when that genealogy begins with Abraham. 
   
   

2. The kings of Judah following Joram have been color-coded in the Old Testament genealogy from the previous explanation of that period, showing that the Matthew genealogy simply excluded  those kings specifically cut out of the Messianic line, and three of the final ones taken into exile at the arrival of God's judgement on that nation. Jeconiah was apparently included in the Matthew genealogy simply to record the fact of the Babylonian Exile at this point, and to confirm the remainder of the Biblical story that Joseph could not have been the biological father of Jesus the Messiah, for that line was cursed.
   
   

3. Following the completion of the Old Testament genealogy, and the fifth "Generation of Ten" with Zerubbabel, the remaining sixth and seventh "Generations of Ten" are then counted independently, using the different names given in the Luke and Matthew genealogies. 

When this is done, the following observations become apparent.

1. The Matthew genealogy so constructed in the Bible causes Jesus to become the beginning of a new seventh "Generation of Ten", and by implication the beginning of a new important phase in God's Redemptive Plan for Israel. The Gospel of Matthew is the book written for Israel; it is the book designed to test them for their willingness to accept their Messiah in fulfillment of those Old Testament prophecies. Those first "six" Generations Of Ten completed the number of the economies for fallen mankind in their attempts to satisfy the requirements of a perfect God. However, the Law could be fulfilled only by the coming of the perfect Messiah to begin a complete and perfect "seventh" economy. Therefore this genealogy alone clearly identifies Jesus Christ as the Messiah and the One to bring a perfect economy between God and the children of Abraham, for those who would receive it.
   
   

2. However, when Jeconiah in the Matthew genealogy was cursed from ever having any of his descendants sit on the throne, his descendants shown in the Matthew genealogy following Zerubbabel could not continue to reflect the Messianic line, thereby requiring that the Messianic line must shift to the biological descendants of Neri rather than Jeconiah, as shown in the remainder of the Luke genealogy.
   
   

3. Therefore, when a generational count is made from Adam, down through the Old Testament path, then proceeding down through the Luke genealogy following Zerubbabel, Jesus is found to be the final 70^th name in a completed "seventh" Generation of Ten from Adam. The significance of the number "70" is apparent from the following examples.

• Moses appointed "70" elders in the wilderness to judge the people (Numbers 11.16).
  
  

• Jesus appointed "70" disciples in Luke to proclaim the good news of salvation to the people, heal the sick, and see victory over Satan through Jesus’ name (Luke 10.1-20).
  
  

• The Sanhedrin, high court of Israel, was composed of "70" men.
  
  

• Israel was judged in Babylon for "70" years (Jeremiah 29.10).
  
  

• God laid out a "70 Week" program to accomplish His total Redemptive Plan for "Daniel's people", ancient Israel, and complete His judgement against them (Daniel 9.24).

Consequently, the number "70" is associated not only with salvation and victory over Satan, but also the completion of a time of judgement. Certainly Jesus Christ the Savior came to accomplish all of these things and only He could uniquely fulfill the Biblical nomenclature assigned to this particular number with respect to the business of salvation and judgement. Of course, His coming holds a special meaning for those Gentiles to whom the Gospel of Luke is addressed, for the coming of Jesus Christ also brought an end to their time of waiting for redemption as fellow "sons of Abraham" (Galatians 3.6-9).

COMING GLORY

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