1. A discussion with my brother Lyndon Moss sparked this post about Jesus’ family tree or generations

My brother Lyndon Moss challenged me on Sunday December 18th to see if I could explain the meaning of the generations of Jesus Christ as documented in Matthew 1: 1 – 17. Our discussion centered around the duration of a generation in the text. I had tried to interpret this text before and could not fathom it.

I am writing this post at Jesus’ request. The last revelation in the post is that Jesus rules EVEN NOW on His Throne in Jerusalem. Who will dare to take it away from Him? He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I prayed for help and my eyes were opened to the answer, which I sent via email to him on Wednesday December 21st 2014:

Hello Lyndon

How are you? I got the revelation this morning – can’t believe it was so easy.

A Generation in this context referred to family heads and not to the life span. There are  14 family heads/chiefs etc in each category listed in the text of Matthew 1.

a. Abraham to David = 1250 years

  • Abraham born – 1948
  • David born – 3198

b. David to carrying away into Babylon = 500 years

  • David born – 3198
  • First carrying away = 3698 

c. From the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations = 590 years

  •  Carrying away – First carrying away = 3698
  • Christ = 4288

2. Apostle Matthew’s record of Jesus’ ancestry – Matthew 1

I will now outline Jesus’ family tree as recorded by Apostle Matthew which he called the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Abraham to David = 14 generations

  1. Abraham begat Isaac
  2. Isaac begat Jacob
  3. Jacob begat Judas and his brethren
  4. Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar
  5. Phares begat Esrom
  6. Esrom begat Aram
  7. Aram begat Aminadab
  8. Aminadab begat Naasson
  9. Naasson begat Salmon
  10. Salmon begat Booz of Rachab
  11. Booz begat Obed of Ruth
  12. Obed begat Jesse
  13. Jesse begat David the king
  14. David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias

David to the carrying away into Babylon = 14 generations

  1. David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias
  2. Solomon begat Roboam
  3. Roboam begat Abia
  4. Abia begat Asa
  5. Asa begat Josaphat
  6. Josaphat begat Joram
  7. Joram begat Ozias
  8. Ozias begat Joatham
  9. Joatham begat Achaz
  10. Achaz begat Ezekias
  11. Ezekias begat Manasses
  12. Manasses begat Amon
  13. Amon begat Josias
  14. Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon

From the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

And after they were brought to Babylon:

  1. Jechonias begat Salathiel
  2. Salathiel begat Zorobabel
  3. Zorobabel begat Abiud
  4. Abiud begat Eliakim
  5. Eliakim begat Azor
  6. Azor begat Sadoc
  7. Sadoc begat Achim
  8. Achim begat Eliud
  9. Eliud begat Eleazar
  10. Eleazar begat Matthan
  11. Matthan begat Jacob
  12. Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary
  13. Joseph was the husband of Mary who gave birth to  Jesus, who is called Christ.
  14. Christ (NB: begat us).
  15. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations – Matthew 1: 17.

Other tidbits related to Jesus’ family tree

Jesus’ surrogate father Joseph was in line to be King of Israel

God had promised King  David that his descendants will always sit on the throne:

Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me – 2 Chronicles 6: 16.

Since the men in Jesus’  family line up  to the time of the second captivity were Kings, we can deduce that Joseph and his surrogate son Christ were in line to be King. This could explain why the Jews really believed that Jesus  had come to reinstate the Kingdom to Israel and even tried to forcibly make Him King –  Isaiah 9: 6 & 7. 

It is the Eternal  Will and Plan  of God that a Jew, a descendant of David rule in Jerusalem.  This promise was given to King David and reinforced in the scriptures:

Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel –  2 Chronicles 7: 18.

The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne – Psalm 132: 11.
For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the  throne of the house of Israel – Jeremiah 33: 17.
God had promised Jesus that He would sit on the Throne of His  Father David and He rules EVEN NOW in Jerusalem as King of Kings and Lord of Lords
I have read, loved and believed the prophecies of Isaiah regarding the Child who would be born to be King. However, Jesus gave me a revelation when I read these  words in Luke 1: 32:
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David
As I read these words a while ago (31st December 2014 at about 10. 00 EST), Jesus told me with some annoyance that Jerusalem is His and He rules there. I began to rejoice as the meaning of the scriptures came home to me. Here is a text that shows that He rules in truth and will smite the heathen and put them in their places.
Matthew ended the family tree at Christ. He was the last in that generation of Kings and took up Eternal rule over the house of David.   Halelujah. The Lord assures me too, that this is the time for the restoration of authority and greatness to the Kingdom of Israel
And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness
We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so
Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken –  Isaiah 16: 5 – 7.
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this – Isaiah 9: 4 – 7.
Jesus told me (31.12.14 @ 10.21 am EST), that He is teed of on behalf of is people the Jews – Israel and this will be His response:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God –
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS – Revelation 19: 11 – 16.
READINGS