The two lineages are the same for the 14 generations from Abraham to David. Then, the Matthew lineage takes us through the kings of Judah, while the Luke lineage goes through another line. But there were never to be kings in the first place. Israel rejected God as ruler over them when they rejected God’s mouthpiece, Samuel, meaning heard of God, demanding a king like the other nations, so God gave them Saul, the first king of Israel. God would later rend the kingdom from Saul and give it to David.  It is after David that the lineages diverge.  The Matthew lineage goes from David to Solomon, and the Luke lineage from David to Nathan, both sons by Bathsheba.  The reign of David is the type-and-shadow of the Messianic reign. The reign of Solomon is the reign of religious Christianity that followed the Messianic reign. Solomon had many strange women, representing the many strange (flesh or carnal minded) doctrines of religious Christianity. The majority of the kings of Judah do evil, with a good king periodically entering in to try to turn things around, but to no avail.

“Judah’s last prophet, told Zedekiah, Judah’s last king, that the people of Judah were to submit to the king of Babylon and serve him seventy years, after which time they would return to the holy city Jerusalem… But Zedekiah would not heed Jeremiah’s advice. He refused to submit to the king of Babylon, which would have saved his life, the life of his people, and Jerusalem. Zedekiah’s eyes were put out, and he was carried into Babylon where he died in prison.  In refusing to admit to our confusion we are left blinded to the truth, bound by our prison of lies, iniquity, or sin, the wages of which is death; death with regard to the full potential of our soul.  We are going into Babylon, whether we go willingly or forced by the circumstances of our reality.”   —THE BIBLE DECODED

It is after they are carried into Babylon that the two lineages come back together for two generations. The first son born after entering Babylon is Salathiel, meaning I have asked God.  This is where we return to a direct communication with God, which takes place when we humble ourselves by admitting we are confused. His son is Zorobabel, meaning, descended of (i.e. from) Babylon.  Then the lineages diverge again until they both return to Joseph.  What has led Jews into Babylon, and what has led Christians into Babylon, are different, so the path or generations back to Joseph will differ.  Both lineages go through Judah; through Pharez, meaning, breach, and therein lies the problem.

“For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s.” 1 Chronicles 5:1.  Judah prevailed above Israel as seen in her first king, Rehoboam, which means “a people has enlarged,”  But the birthright was Joseph’s. Both camps, Jews and Christians (the Judah of today) have forfeited their spiritual birthright by skipping over the spiritual works, which has caused this breach or gap. To receive the birthright, they will both have to return to Joseph, as both lineages do.  Judas (Judah in Hebrew) bought a field with the reward of iniquity.  What is counted as iniquity for the Jews is revealed through the prophet Isaiah (1:13,14).  What is counted as iniquity for the Christians is the doctrine of Paul, the Saul of the New Testament. The 12 generations from Salathiel to Christ represents the spiritual judgment that brings us to the spiritual christ, through which we become true worshippers— worshipping God in spirit and in truth.  “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”  John 4:23

The generations should have gone through Jacob’s son, Joseph, not through Judah, which is why both generations go back to Joseph, the father of Jesus through the power of adoption.  All that came in-between; from Judah, the son of Jacob, to Jesus, the son of Joseph, shows us our disobedience, and God’s mercy, who gave us David, a man after God’s own heart, who came to turn the heart of the people back to God.  But we are a stubborn and stiff-necked people, which was said of the children of Israel, chosen to represent us the people.

Written by Sandra L. Butler © 2003