Genesis 5 Has A Message For Us! Flood Series Part 6 of 8

Genesis 5:1-3

"1This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.
2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth."

In parts 1-5 we discussed what the world was like at the time of the flood, Who was with them "IN" the Ark (Jesus) during the flood, the changes to the Jewish calendar, some interesting things about doves and about the covenant of the rainbow!  Now, we'll look at the prophetic elements of this story, discover what it tells us about Jesus, the Church and about the 21st century. 

The opening passage is the beginning of chapter five of the book of Genesis.  It's one "begat" after another.  (Used to make me yawn.)  Did you ever wonder why God put this chapter and others like it  in the Bible?  I did, until I learned something about the meanings of names in Hebrew.  Then this chapter opened up like a flower!

Let's go through the begets as listed and find out what The Holy Spirit has to say:

Adam begot Seth.

Seth begot Enosh.

Enosh begot Cainan.

Cainan begot Mahalalel.

Mahalalel begot Jared.
Jared begot Enoch.
Enoch begot Methuselah.
Methuselah begot Lamech.
Lamech had a son and he called his name Noah.
(Are you asleep yet?ZZZZzzzzzzz)

Sounds benign enough, doesn't it?  I used to skim...ok; let me be honest...SKIP.....over these kinds of chapters and, as I said, wonder why God put it in the Bible, besides the obvious historical significance. Turns out, this is just one more example showing us that there is no such thing as a superfluous detail in the Bible.  Nope.  None.  The Holy Spirit has a reason for every single letter, every word and every phrase.  Even the order in which they are placed has meaning.  There are nuggets of truth hidden everywhere for us to dig up and meanings hidden in the names of people, places and things as well as numbers, known to the rabbis as "gematria."

The more you come to understand these things, the Bible begins to take on new and deeper meaning.  It's not just some fluff or filler to make the book thicker.

Incredibly, there are many end-time prophecies in the book of Genesis.  It's true!  It may quite possibly be the most prophetic book of them all.  In the last days the entire book of Genesis will play out again. It has already begun to happen. 

      

The Hollywood version of Noah's flood in early 2014, though not Biblically accurate by ANY stretch of the imagination, most definitely is NOT an accurate portrayal of our AWESOME GOD.  But, it at least indicates a curiosity about spiritual things, however skewed.  Perhaps it will inspire some to actually open the Book and read the real story. 

I do resent the way our awesome Daddy was portrayed.  He is not some vengeful, absentee landlord dispensing judgment from a distance. He is the Most wonderful and loving Father Who gave up His beloved Son to save us!

What the producers of this movie and, honestly, many Christians don't understand is why the human race had become so riddled with evil it was beyond repair.  We discussed what really happened in an earlier portion of this study.  Follow this link if you missed that part:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/noahs-ark-flood-series-part-1.html

Now let's look at the opening passage again, align each name with it's meaning translated from the Hebrew and see what the Holy Spirit has hidden for us.

Adam.............man
Seth...............appointed
Enosh.............mortal
Cainan............sorrow
Mahalalel........blessed God
Jared...............down
Enoch..............mouth
Methuselah......HIS DEATH WILL BRING
Lamech...........powerful
Noah...............rest

"Man is appointed mortal sorrow. But the blessed God will come down teaching (with his mouth).  His death will bring powerful rest."

It's a message of encouragement to us!

The 21st Century.

What does this passage have to do with the end times?  I'm sure you noticed the curious meaning of Methuselah's name.  Why do you think Enoch was so motivated to serve God with his whole heart?  Because God had spoken to him and shared with him what He was planning to do.  That's why he gave his son that name.

It's very clear from the meaning of Enoch's name that when this boy died, God was going to bring down worldwide judgment on mankind.  All of their neighbors who knew Enoch's son understood what his name meant.  I'll bet with every sneeze or hiccup his neighbors wondered, "Is this it? Is this the day God is going to send judgment?"

With every birthday, can't you just imagine all the angels, (particularly the warrior ones), asking God, "This year, God?"....and next year...."is it this year?" (Water pails in hand perhaps?).
But our God LOVES mercy, NOT judgment.  He is SLOW to anger.  This boy is the embodiment of that trait.  That's why Methuselah was the oldest living man.  God drew that boy's years out on and on and on and on until he was 969 years old; older than even Adam, who lived to be 930.  He did not want to give that order.

But at last, He had to say, "Enough!"....and the day Noah and his family were shut into the ark, some indeterminate time period after Enoch "walked into heaven," the day Methuselah died, at His command, the fountains of the deep burst open.  The windows of the heavens were opened and the greatest destruction of all time fell upon the earth.  Everything in which was the breath of life and everyone, except for the eight people in the safety of the ark, DIED.

Enoch, who never tasted death but was translated instantly by God and taken into heaven, is a picture of the RAPTURE GENERATION.  That's us, Church!  Before the worst of times hits planet earth, we who belong to Jesus will be taken out of this world in the greatest disappearance of all time!  It will cause no little confusion, without a doubt.

That's right:  When the worst tribulation hits the earth threatening to destroy all life except that God cuts short those days, BELIEVERS WILL NOT BE HERE.

Most important of all, as throughout the entire Bible, God is pointing to His Beloved Son in this account of the real-live, world-wide deluge.  

Who was it that took our place?  

JESUS.
Who endured all God's fiery indignation and wrath in our stead? 

JESUS.
Who's death brought powerful rest? JESUS!

So from now on, when you see a rainbow after a storm, don't think only of no more "physical" flood.  Those waters were waters of judgment.  That bow in the clouds also means NO MORE JUDGMENT.....NO MORE CONDEMNATION!  {see Isaiah 54.}

Then there's the word in Hebrew for bow: "qeshet." Bow, like "bow and arrow," only God's "bow," used to shoot arrows of judgment at man.  But now.....NO MORE ARROWS OF JUDGMENT!!!   HALLELUIA!!!

Nope...There are NO insignificant details; not one superfluous word, description, number or story in THE WHOLE BIBLE!...and now you know why the Holy Spirit put this (formerly boring) chapter in the Book.  You see, even if we don't always understand....and we don't.....God really does have a reason for everything.

That, Church, is why Genesis 5 is in the Bible!