Foundational Theme in Genesis – Study 34

The generation of the first fleshly Adam is a shadow of the true generation whom God is using to bring forth in the last Adam, Jesus Christ (Mat 19:30). The flesh and all outward things also serve as an adversary or opposition to our spiritual development and refinement – until all fleshly things will finally pass away (Col 2:16-17, Heb 8:5, Heb 10:1, Mat 4:16, Gal 5:17, Isa 48:10, Zec 13:9). These spiritual principles are given to us right in the beginning in the book of Genesis. The first earthy Adam is therefore an essential part of the revelation of Jesus (1Co 15:45-47).

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, killed his brother Abel, and after the death of Abel, God gave them another son:

Gen 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
Gen 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

The name ‘Seth’ means ‘appointed’ by God to be ‘instead of Abel’ who represented the seed of the woman who was killed by the seed of the serpent – represented by Cain (Gen 4:8).

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

In the generation of Seth, it is noted that men began “to call upon the name of the Lord” which links with God’s called out and elected ones (Greek: ekklesia) in this age or dispensation where Christ is building His church (Mat 16:18, 1Pe 2:4-9, Eph 3:2). The ekklesia are the ones who spiritually recognize the ‘name’ of Jesus as being His true doctrine, and they have the inward desire to associate with that ‘name’ and with others who have the same ‘one mind’ (Joh 17:6, 1Jn 5:13, Rev 22:4, Rom 15:6). These can rightly be called “the sons of God” knowing also that the word ‘son’ is gender-neutral in this respect (Gen 6:2-4, Eph 1:5, Php 2:15). The theme of the sons of God is foundational to our understanding of God’s ekklesia. In this first part of this foundational theme of the sons of God, we will focus on the ten generations from Adam to Noah and see, God willing, how our own development and growth in spiritual sonship are reflected in those generations. These generations also give the positive spiritual application of the number ten.

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

We know that God is dragging those to whom He is giving the revelation of Jesus in this age to focus on the spiritual, while they also ‘walk honestly’ in truth and wisdom “toward them that are without” (Joh 6:44, 3Jn 1:4, 1Th 4:12, Col 4:5). The sons of God recognise that all things of the old outside world are necessary and temporary evils which serve a “very good” purpose in God’s plan (Gen 1:31, 1Co 3:21-22, 2Co 4:15).

Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Therefore, Seth also gives us the type of the resurrected elect losing their first earthy lives (symbolized by Abel’s death). Seth’s generation is typifying the new resurrected life in ‘earnest’ (or ‘down payment’) having still only the “holy spirit of promise”, waiting for “the adoption” and redemption from these present bodies (Rom 8:15-24, Gal 4:5, Eph 1:5, Eph 1:13-14). They are those whom God appointed to suffer at the wicked hands of those whom He raised up for that purpose (Act 2:23-24, Rom 6:4). This new spiritual generation of Christ has the physical image or the likeness of the first Adam outwardly (in a body of sin), but is actually a representation of the physical body of Jesus Christ still living in flesh now (1Jn 4:2, 2Co 5:14-21, Eph 5:30, Act 9:1-4).

Gen 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Gen 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
Gen 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
Gen 5:4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

Physical genealogies are also not what the spiritual ekklesia are concerned with. Neither are the genealogies written in Scripture for the purpose of just calculating dates and times and years – although there is a physical application to that. Physical genealogies have deeper spiritual meaning for those with spiritual eyes to see their inward application (Heb 7:3, Tit 3:9):

1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

The genealogy of Seth typifies how God’s elect is appointed by God to progressively come to the knowledge and understanding of their own mortality and that they are called and chosen to take possession of the spiritual life to the ‘praise of the glory of His [chastening] grace, wherein he has made [them] accepted in the beloved’ (2Co 5:1-2, Gal 2:20, Eph 1:6). That is in short what the generations through Seth foreshadowed as we also look deeper into the names of Seth’s generations and their meanings in Hebrew:

1Ch 1:1 Adam [meaning ‘earthy man’], Sheth [‘appointed’], Enos or Enosh [‘mortal’, ‘the frailty of earthy man’],
1Ch 12 Kenan or Cainan [‘fixed’; ‘nest’; ‘possessor’], Mahalaleel [‘the praise of God’], Jered or Jared [‘descent’ or ‘to descend’],
1Ch 1:3 Henoch or Enoch [‘dedicated’, ‘disciplined’, ‘narrow’ or ‘consecrated’], Methuselah [‘man of dart’ (an arrow)], Lamech [‘powerful’; ‘striker down’],’
1Ch 1:4 Noah [‘rest’]…

Each name represents spiritual growth points in our own lives which also overlap each other. What is also interesting in this genealogy of Seth is that with the birth of the next generation, the life of the father is split into two which indicates, among others, how we witness Christ’s testimony in us as He produces more spiritual offspring, which is the fruit of the spirit in our own lives here and now (Rev 1:1-3, Gal 5:22-23).

Another aspect that features prominently in this genealogy of Seth is the concept of death that is being highlighted and repeated eight times in this fifth chapter of Genesis through the phrase “and he died” (Gen 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31). This is to emphasize that God’s elect are always being made aware of the truth that the process of laying down of the earthy life is so important in gaining the growth of the ‘new man’ and His life in us (Eph 4:24, Php 3:10-14).

Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

A careful study of the positive spiritual meaning behind the numbers connected to the names of Seth’s generation also adds to their spiritual significance relating to our lives. The birth of Enos typifies, among other types, our witnessing of our physical frailty. Our beloved first man is doomed, and we are forced to let him go because we realise that the new spirit man comes only through the ‘little by little’ destruction of our old man (Exo 23:30). ‘The eighth [or new man]’ is [truly] of the seven; which is the eventual complete destruction of the foundations of the old man (Rev 17:11, 2Th 2:3-8). That is what the name ‘Enos’ also means – mortality of the flesh:

Gen 5:6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
Gen 5:7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

The birth of Enos’s son, Cainan, typifies that our own understanding and acceptance of God’s judgment on His ekklesia first is being settled in our mind (1Pe 4:17, 1Jn 4:17). In this time the faith and boldness of our new man grows stronger through the process of chastening grace (Tit 2:11-12).

Gen 5:9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan [‘fixed’; ‘nest’; ‘possessor’]:
Gen 5:10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

The birth of Mahalaleel typifies, among others, our praising of God as we learn to rejoice within the manifold trials and tribulations we must endure. We learn that true worship is to give God the glory and honour IN all things (1Pe 4:12-17, Pro 27:21, Psa 145-150; 2Co 2:9, Php 4:12;,Tit 2:10, 1Pe 4:11).

Gen 5:12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel [praise of God – Hallelujah/Alleluia]
Gen 5:13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

Jared symbolizes our increasing knowledge and understanding of the new mind and wisdom of God descending from heaven, and our own understanding of things is revealed to be totally untrustworthy (Mat 3:16, Jas 3:15, Pro 3:5, Pro 16:25):

Gen 5:15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared [means ‘descent’]:
Gen 5:16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

This heavenly wisdom of the kingdom of God witnesses against the flesh as God’s judgments destroy the hold of the flesh on us progressively. This is the truth which the birth of Enoch typifies in us as we are being seated with Christ in the heavens being disciplined in the ‘narrow’ way in all our ‘conversation’ (Eph 2:6, Mat 7:14, Php 3:20).

Gen 5:18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch [dedicated, disciplined, narrow or consecrated]:
Gen 5:19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

Enoch has been given special mention in the Scriptures and further details of his life are also worth looking into (Jdg 1:14):

Gen 5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
Gen 5:22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
Gen 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

There are those who claim that this is saying that Enoch did not die, although it is clear in the book of Hebrews that all the Old Testament people of faith died – which included Enoch:

Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated [Greek: metetethē = transfered to another place on earth] that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated [Greek: metetethē] him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

The fact that Enoch was ‘translated’ or removed from the place where his life was threatened and that he was not killed at that specific time, is not saying that Enoch did not eventually die. Being transferred from one place to another is familiar to the Scriptures and it also happened on other occasions; for example Elijah in the Old Testament and Philip in the New Testament:

2Ki 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

The English word ‘heaven’ here is confusing as if it means he was taken to what some believe to be the spiritual realm, which is not true. Elijah was taken ‘up’ into the sky, which is also called heaven – the physical space where the birds fly. The spirit of God took Elijah ‘up’ and placed him in another location on earth of which the prophet sons, who saw this event, also testified:

2Ki 2:15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
2Ki 2:16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

Elijah, who was in a different location after he ‘went up’, later sent a letter to the new king of Israel, Jehoram, the disobedient son of the (generally) good king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, during whose reign Elijah ministered. Elijah was ‘translated’to another location because it was the time God appointed for the prophetic ministry of Elisha to take over from Elijah:

2Ch 21:11 Moreover he [Jehoram] made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.
2Ch 21:12 And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah.

Philip, the evangelist in the New Testament, was also ‘caught away’ and relocated somewhere else:

Act 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Act 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Act 8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

Jesus also said nobody has ascended up to the spiritual heaven (meaning to have His spiritual mind) before His coming to dwell in flesh (Joh 1:14; 1Jn 4:2), so this generation of Enoch typifies those who are even now ‘translated’ to be seated in heaven having the mind of Christ (Eph 2:6).

Joh 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Methuselah, the son of Enoch, is the person who lived the longest on earth. No one in flesh reached a thousand years because it is only the elect who will be the first to be given total power over the flesh at the first resurrection:

Gen 5:25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:
Gen 5:26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

The name of Methuselah’s son, Lamech, also helps our understanding to see that God will completely destroy the old man. The lineage of Seth typifies also the truth that no illegitimate birth shall enter God’s assembly or be a son of God before the full process of judgment is complete (Deu 23:2, 1Co 15:50, Rev 15:8). With the birth of Noah, we are given the biggest comfort because God will bring new spirit-life forth through this destruction:

Gen 5:28 And Lamech [powerful; striker down] lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:
Gen 5:29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
Gen 5:30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:
Gen 5:31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

Noah’s name means ‘rest’ because he typifies the spiritual comfort one experiences when it is revealed that we are God’s workmanship in Jesus Christ – from start to finish – as we get freedom from our own tilling and toiling – our bondage to the earth (Gen 3:23, Gen 4:12, Mat 6:28, Luk 5:5, Mat 11:28-30).

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

—

[Questions and comments for the writer can be directed to:  glgroenewald@gmail.com]

[Detailed studies and emails relating to these foundational themes in Scripture are available on the www.iswasandwillbe.com website, including these topics and links:]
Spiritual Significance of the Numbers in the Scriptures (Part one listed here)
Are Enoch and Elijah in Heaven?