The Book of Joel and The Laodicean Seventh-day Adventist Church - Number Twenty-Two

We were half way through the four references of ancient Israel, as the generation of “vipers” in the previous article. In Matthew, both John and Jesus label the Pharisees and Sadducees as the generation of vipers. John represents the beginning of a testing process that is identified when he taught that Jesus, who would follow him—would thoroughly purge His floor. Jesus added to the testing process of John, by including the judgment process, as He referenced the queen of Sheba and Nineveh. Judgment takes place in the fourth generation, and one class in the judgment manifests as serpents, for their father is the devil. Jesus added the issue of the fourth generation seeking a sign, when the sign was in plain sight.

In Matthew twenty-three the “woes” upon the Pharisees and Sadducees are set forth, and the process of testing and judgment is again associated with the final generation. Chapter twenty-two prepares the setting of the woes of chapter twenty-three.

When the door closed to any further interaction, Jesus then sets forth eight woes in the following chapter. In verse thirteen the woe is for shutting the doors to the kingdom of heaven. It is from Heaven’s doors that the latter rain is poured out. The eight woes are about those who profess to open the door which no man can open and close the door which no man can close. In vision, Sister White was shown those who did not follow Christ into the Most Holy Place sending their prayers to the empty holy place where Satan, pretending to be Christ, led them to believe everything was OK. They had re-opened the holy place, and closed the Most Holy Place.

Verse fourteen is a woe for devouring widows houses and long prayers. Verse fifteen’s woe is for making their converts twice as mush the children of hell as they were. Verses sixteen through twenty-two the wicked are swearing by the temple.

In verse twenty-three and twenty-four the woe is for neglecting justice, mercy and faithfulness. Verses twenty-five and twenty-six is about the pretention of cleaning the outside of the cup, but not the inside.

Then verses twenty-seven and twenty-eight identifies the wicked as whitewashed tombs, connecting with Shebna of Isaiah chapter twenty-two where Shebna was exalting in the wonderful tomb he was making, but would never be in, for God was to cast him out of His mouth into a far field. The far field is represented by the tomb of the lying prophet of Bethel that led the disobedient prophet to be buried in the same tomb. Then the eighth woe says:

The serpents, who are the generation of vipers, are being judged in the passage. In the passage the judgment is not based upon the witnesses of the queen of Sheba and Ninevah, but by the blood of Abel to Zacharias. The fourth generation, who are vipers are judged by two witnesses from the external history of ancient Israel and two witnesses from the internal history of ancient Israel. Luke chapter three is the final of the four references to the vipers of the fourth and final generation and it is simply a parallel to Matthew chapter three. Four references that identify that during the final judgment of the house of God, during the fourth generation, one class will manifest their characters, as a sons and daughters of Satan, and the other class, as the sons and daughters of God. The testing process that begins the separation begins when the messenger who prepares the way for the Messenger of the Covenant lifts up his voice in the wilderness.

In the sacred weave of Scripture, names are not mere labels but whispered prophecies—second songs sung beneath history’s surface, revealing the heart of redemption. When the meanings of the descendants from Adam to Noah are organized into a statement, it produces a message that corresponds to the history represented by the genealogy. Adam means “man,” and Seth means “appointed.” Enosh means “mortal” (subject to death), and Kenan means “sorrow.” Through “the praise/blessing of God” (Mahalalel), Heaven would “come down” (Jared). Heaven came down as the “dedicated or anointed one” (Enoch), who proclaimed the judgment message through his son Methuselah (“when he dies, it shall be sent”). His death would be the climax of a “powerful” outpouring of the Holy Spirit, represented by Lamech (breath) joining Methuselah as the Midnight Cry joined the second angel. Methuselah was the second angel and Lamech the Midnight Cry that climaxed at the flood of Noah.

Distilled further, the names declare: “Man was appointed mortal, subject to sorrow and death, in consequence of the first Adam; but through the blessing of God, Christ dedicated Himself to come down, proclaiming judgment through His death on the cross, which followed by the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”

These ten names encapsulate the gospel message while tracing earth’s history from creation to the latter rain, culminating in the Second Coming. This symbolism, hidden in the names finds its counterpart in Revelation. Genesis presents the alpha genealogy, and Revelation 7’s 144,000 presents the omega fulfillment in the sealed remnant.

Judah means “praise,” Reuben means “behold, a son,” Gad means “good fortune/troop,” Asher means “happy/blessed,” and Naphtali means “wrestling.” Manasseh means “causing to forget,” Simeon means “hearing,” Levi means “joined/attached,” Issachar means “reward,” Zebulun means “honor/dwelling,” Joseph means “increase,” and Benjamin means “son of the right hand.”

Those who follow the Lion of the tribe of Judah are the sons of God, blessed with good fortune as they pass through a testing process of wrestling with God as Jacob did. Through this struggle, their sins are forgotten in the sanctification process produced by hearing God’s Word, which in turns attaches them to Christ in a covenant relationship. Their reward is to dwell honorably with Christ on His throne, seated in heavenly places as God uses them to increase His kingdom—calling the great multitude out of Babylon as sons of His right hand.

The six sons of Leah were Rueben, Judah, Simeon, Levi, Issachar and Zebulun. Her maid Zilpah, whose names means “a fragrant dropping,” had two sons—Gad and Asher. The two sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel’s maid Bilhah means “shy or timid” and her sons were Dan and Naphtali. Prophetically the genealogy here provides several lines to consider. Unlike the alpha and ten generations in Genesis chapter five, the omega has twelve descendants, with its own specific prophetic variables. In the one hundred and forty-four thousand, Dan is not mentioned and Manasseh replaced his brother Ephraim.

Genesis’ alpha genealogy aligns with Revelation’s omega genealogy, for Genesis identifies Christ’s divine work in salvation, and Revelation identifies those who in the omega fulfillment of that alpha prophecy, perfectly fulfill the very promise and prophecy set forth in the alpha prophecy.

The application of these two lines is often done by the theologians, but never with the perspective of line upon line methodology. The two genealogies in Genesis and Revelation provide two witnesses that God speaks at a secondary level. One language is the written testimony as it is recorded, and a secondary line within that testimony is set forth at a symbolic level. The theologians typically go no further than the surface observations about the message conveyed through the meanings of names in Genesis and Revelation. They treat what they see as a novelty that speaks more about their own human wisdom, as evidenced to by their sanctimonious ability to see the metaphor within the meanings of the names. They never see the message set forth in the twelve sons of Ishmael. They don’t see correctly the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke. They don’t see the genealogies of the last seven kings of Judah, and the last seven kings of Israel, the first seven kings of Judah or the first seven kings of Israel.

When I am saying they don’t see, I mean if you ask Google if there are teachings about these genealogies, the answer is “yes,” to Genesis’s Adam to Noah, and “yes” to the one hundred and forty-four thousand. But do they apply the ten descendants of Abram in Genesis eleven in this fashion? No. Do they apply the genealogy of Cain and the genealogy of Seth? Yes, but so far from the actual meaning, that it is as if they are on another subject. They no doubt address the genealogies of Christ in Matthew and Luke, but once again, they miss the mark by a mile. Why does that matter, you ask? Because I intend to give an overview of these prophetic lines of genealogies, and I want to be clear from the outset that I am trying to identify the significance of the fourth generation as a symbol of biblical prophecy. The overview of these genealogies will help in that regard, but it would be negligence on anyone’s part, if they thought the simple summary of these things which shall follow, is all there is to understand about these lines of genealogies.

After the genealogy of Adam to Noah, we find two lines of genealogies in chapters four and five of Genesis. Those two lines are represented by the descendants of Cain and the descendants of Seth. Unlike the genealogy of Adam to Noah which represented ten descendants, the line of Seth and Cain both identify eight descendants. For this reason, they are to be treated as two periods of four. Seth and Cain are covenant symbols, and Cain represents those who in Isaiah twenty-eight and twenty-nine, make a covenant of death, that is to be disannulled at the overflowing scourge. They are those who build their houses upon sand. Those who build upon the Rock, make a covenant of life as represented in first Peter, chapter two as those who have tasted that the Lord is good, and are the “chosen generation.” The “many” build upon the sand, but “few” are chosen.

Cain’s genealogy is a rebellious chord in the symphony of names, for the names represent human glory that is vain, leading to aimless wandering, after being smitten by heaven. Disregarding the warning Cain’s line professes a false divinity, cloaked in vengeful human power, represented by the arts of humanity, that forges an iron culture; beautiful, but violent, and barren of hope. That last statement is an overview of the message in the eight generations of Cain that is derived from the names.

Seth’s line answers Cain’s line with grace. In the human frailty that has been appointed to mankind, those who call on God will have their sorrow turned to praise as heaven descends. Faithfully walking the path that rises to glory, during a probationary period, until the cry of “hope,” brings rest, through waters of deliverance. That last statement is an overview of the message in the eight generations of Seth that is derived from the names.

The reason for dividing the eight generations into two sets of four generations is established in the first step of the covenant, when the prophecy of bondage in Egypt is identified as 400 years and also that the 400 years, would end in the fourth generation. When Paul’s testimony is incorporated into the alpha covenant prophecy, it produces two periods of 215 years that were made up of four generations in each period. The eight generations, in the 430 years represents two periods of 215 years. The first period is represented by the good Pharaoh who knew Joseph. 215 years later, there was a new Pharaoh, that knew not Joseph. Then the next set of four generations began.

Eight generations divided equally into two periods, distinctly marked as its own period of four generations, upholds applying the eight generations of Cain and of Seth in the same fashion. When that application is made, you have Seth’s eight generations aligned with Cain’s eight generations. Cain represents the many who receive the mark of the beast, and Seth represents the few who receive the seal of God. Cain is the sign of humanity, and Seth is the sign of humanity combined with Divinity in the context of the covenant of Noah, whereas; the line of Joseph and Moses is in the context of the covenant of Abram.

Then in chapter eleven, the genealogy of the chosen people is represented by ten names from Shem to Abram. Chapter eleven is the story of the tower of Babel, but also the genealogy of the chosen people, as represented by Abraham. Chapter eleven introduces a chosen people who were to enter into a threefold covenant with God. The third and final step was the sacrifice of Isaac in chapter twenty-two. Chapter “eleven” is the alpha beginning and chapter “twenty-two” is the omega ending. The faith required to hear God’s voice in the meaning of names, is no different than the faith required to hear His voice in the numbering of His Word. An application of a genealogy that is not taken up by the theologians, is the genealogy of Ishmael, the symbol of Islam.

When the definitions of these twelve names are set forth into a statement, it reads as, “Prophetically the descendants of Ishmael are a fruitful dark-skinned people that are renowned as warriors, but are grieved historically and prophetically on August 11, 1840 and thereafter on September 11, 2001. They are called the children of the east in biblical history. They originated from Arabia where the fragrant spices employed in the Hebrew sanctuary services are grown. The word “assassins” is derived from Islamic history and represents death that is brought about in silence. In the time of the Crusades Islam enclosed, encircled and besieged Catholic Europe, but their subsequent restraint marked the arrival of the refreshing of 1840 through 1844, and also from 9/11 through to the Sunday law crisis. The definitions of the twelve names of Ishmael’s sons are all represented in the previous statement by the bold-faced type.

The twelve names of the line of Ishmael represent thirteen, if you include Ishmael on the list. Thirteen is the symbolic number of “rebellion,” which is what Hagar did, that brought about Abraham allowing Hagar and Ishmael to be cast out. Paul uses that incident to describe the casting out of ancient Israel as God’s covenant people, at the same time that He was establishing a covenant with His Christian bride.

Ishmael is a symbol of Islam, and Hagar, Ishmael’s mother is the symbol of the church of the covenant of death. Isaac is a symbol of Christianity, and Sarah is the symbol of the church of the covenant of life. For this reason, Ishmael had twelve sons, for twelve is a symbol of God’s covenant people, and Islam is a counterfeit of God’s covenant people.

There are two genealogies for Christ in the gospels. One in Matthew and another in Luke.

Matthew’s genealogy identifies three equal periods of fourteen which make up one period of forty-two. Christ is the omega of covenant history in relation to Moses as the alpha of covenant history. Moses prophesies that Christ would be “like unto himself.” Moses had three periods of forty years in his one-hundred-and-twenty-year life. Each forty-year period of Moses’ life, when placed line upon line, concludes at Kadesh, a symbol of 1863 and the Sunday law. Christ’s three periods end at David, the captivity in Babylon and Christ confirming the covenant with His blood at the cross. David represents the lifting up of the church triumphant at the Sunday law, and the second line identifies the foolish virgins being carried to Babylon, at the Sunday law. The third period ends at the cross, which once again, typifies the Sunday law where Christ confirms Abraham’s covenant with the one hundred and forty-four thousand and Noah’s covenant with the great multitude.

What can be understood when these two lines are laid over the top of one another is amazing. Moses’ one hundred and twenty years connects with Noah’s 120 years, and Christ’s forty-two generations connects with the antichrist reigning for forty-two symbolic months at the Sunday law.

Along with the genealogy of Matthew, which emphasizes the covenant of Abraham, the genealogy of Christ, as set forth by Luke goes all the way to creation, thus emphasizing the covenant of life that Adam broke in Eden. Luke’s genealogy begins with Jesus, and goes backward through His genealogy all the way to Adam, who is identified as the son of God. The line ends with the perfect second Adam, and it begins with the perfect first Adam. From the first Adam unto the second Adam is set forth as 77 generations.

The genealogies of Scripture represent lines of truth. We have just identified several that far exceed the necessary witnesses needed to establish a truth. The genealogical lines contain the voice of historical fulfillments and future predictions, and they contain the voice of Palmoni, the Wonderful Numberer of secrets, as the numerical enigmas which were placed within the lines provide a second voice. Those two voices are heard with another third voice, the voice of the Wonderful Linguist, who created and controls all things, including the names of people, places and things.

When John turned to see the voice behind him, it was as the voice of many waters, and when Daniel had the same vision, His voice was the voice of a multitude. The surface message of the Scriptures, as well as the names found with the message, and also the numbering within the message are three voices in one passage. When you take a line with the three voices and lay it over the top of a parallel line, three voices become many voices.

Some of the most significant genealogies are found in the kings of Israel. The first seven kings of Israel, the northern kingdom, end with Ahab, Jezebel and Elijah, thus representing the Sunday law. The line of the last seven kings of the northern tribes, begins at the Sunday law and ends at the close of human probation, when Michael stands up in Daniel 12. The first seven kings of Judah illustrate the history from the Sunday law until Michael stands up, and the last seven kings identify the history that leads to the Sunday law. Two genealogical lines, both possessing an alpha history and an omega history. The alpha history is the period of 9/11 unto the Sunday law, and the omega period is the Sunday law until the close of probation. The first seven kings of Israel, align with the last seven kings of Judah; and the last seven kings of Israel, align with the first seven kings of Judah.

We will continue in the next article.