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September 06, 2010

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Why Bother About Genealogies?

GR647 - Matthew 1:1-17

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(The following text is taken from a sermon preached by Gil Rugh October 23, 1983.)

1. Christ Is Presented As King
2. The King's Names Are Significant
3. Davidic Covenant Promises Were Narrow
4. Promises to Israel Are Unconditional
5. Broader Abrahamic Covenant Is Foundational
6. Kingdom First Offered to Israel
7. Kings Come From Tribe of Judah
8. Four Women Key Figures in Genealogy
9. Kingly Line Reaches Dead End
10. Virgin Birth Erases Jeconiah's Curse
11. Messiah As Revealed to Isaiah, John

Matthew, the first book in the New Testament, forms a fitting bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew is more like the Old Testament than any of the other three Gospels. It is saturated with quotes from and allusions to the Old Testament. It is the most Jewish of the four Gospels, and for this reason the early church held it to be the most important of the four. Knowledge of this book was viewed as most necessary in understanding the transition from what was promised in the Old Testament to what we find in the New Testament.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the four Gospels of the New Testament. The Gospel of John is the most unique of the four. Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels. Synoptic comes from two Greek words meaning to see together or to see with. Matthew, Mark and Luke see the events in the life of Christ very similarly. They look at things in much the same way, and quite a bit of their material is overlapping. Thus they are called the Synoptic Gospels. John's Gospel is the most different of the four. He has the least material in his Gospel that overlaps with the other three.

Sometimes the question is raised about why God would give us four Gospels. Each of the Gospels has its own emphasis. You may have studied a harmony of the Gospels -- an attempt to take all four and blend them into one account. A harmony of the Gospels has its place for study, but I believe God has a special purpose in giving us four distinct and separate accounts. One reason for having four, as W.A. Criswell has noted, is that God builds four times to the climax in the life of Christ which is the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. In each of these four accounts, the writer approached Jesus Christ in a different way with a different emphasis.

Christ is presented in the Gospel of Mark as God's servant. The prophet's words in Isaiah 42:1 -- 'Behold, My Servant...' -- tie to Mark's emphasis of Christ as a servant.

Luke presents Jesus Christ as a man. The phrase Son of Man is repeated numerous times in this Gospel. The Old Testament says in Zechariah 6:12, 'Behold, a man...' This statement emphasizes the humanity of the Messiah. The expression Son of Man comes from Daniel 7:13 where Daniel sees one like the Son of Man coming in glory to receive the kingdom from God the Father. That phrases also is used several times in the Gospel of Matthew and relates closely to Matthew's emphasis, which we will see in a moment.

The Gospel of John presents Jesus Christ as God; His deity is emphasized in this book. This is is also the emphasis of Isaiah 40:9: '...Here is your God!' Top

1. Christ Is Presented As King

Matthew, whose writings we are now considering in detail, presents Jesus Christ as the king, the long-promised Messiah of Israel. Throughout the centuries of the Old Testament, God had promised Israel a king -- a Messiah -- who would rule over the nation and over the earth. The burden of Matthew's Gospel is to present Jesus Christ as that long-prophesied Messiah and King of Israel. Zechariah 9:9 states: '...Behold, your king...' His position as king is developed in Matthew's Gospel.

In order to understand the fact that Jesus Christ is king, you must also understand something of the kingdom. There are different stages of this kingdom as a result of His rejection by Israel. Matthew not only will be burdened to present Jesus Christ as the long-prophesied king of Israel, but also to explain something of His kingdom. The kingdom as prophesied in the Old Testament over which Christ will rule and reign in glory was offered to the nation Israel when Jesus Christ was on earth 2,000 years ago. A form of that kingdom is in existence today, though its form is somewhat different as a result of the rejection of Jesus Christ by Israel. That is developed in the parables in Matthew 13. Matthew also develops the future aspects of the kingdom wherein we will see the realization of the prophesies of the Old Testament when Jesus Christ rules and reigns on earth as the king of the world.

A verse which ties together Matthew's emphasis is Matthew 21:5, in which he quotes from Zechariah 9:9: 'Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'' The thrust of Matthew's writing is found in this statement, 'Behold your King is coming to you...' Jesus Christ is the king to whom he is referring.

In this first study of Matthew's Gospel, we want to consider the first 17 verses which give the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Except for the few who are interested in getting back to their roots to find out more about their genealogy, people today are not especially interested in genealogical study. But for the Jews, such information is crucial.

Matthew begins by identifying in Matthew 1:1 the subject matter under consideration: 'The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.' That genealogy presented in the first 17 verses is foundational to everything else in the book. We may read it and fail to realize any significance of many of the names given. But for a Jew to be accepted as a king, it was necessary for him to be able to trace his family line in order to show that he was in the line of kingship. The same was true for priests who had to be able to demonstrate from their family tree that they were in the priestly line. Those who could not demonstrate this were ruled ineligible to serve in the priesthood. Some who wanted to be priests very well may have been in the priestly line. But if they did not have the genealogical records to prove their ancestry, they were not acceptable for the position.

Don't forget that Matthew is writing to Jews to prove to them that Jesus Christ is the king. His goal is to provide answers to these Jews for the questions they have regarding Christ's Messiahship. Therefore, these Jews must understand the significance of His family tree first of all; that tree represents the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Top

2. The King's Names Are Significant

The two names -- Jesus Christ -- are significant. We use them together as His name. As used here, it means Jesus who is the Christ.

Jesus is His human name, a name meaning Jehovah is salvation. The angel who announced to Joseph that Mary was going to bear a son said in verse 21: '...and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' He is given the name Jesus by God because He is to be Jehovah, the Savior; He is to be God in the flesh for the purpose of providing salvation for humanity. It is important that we grasp something of the significance of this name with which we are so familiar. The very name Jesus draws attention to the fact that this is God's Son, the Savior of the world.

In one of the sermons the Apostle Peter delivered after the ascension of Christ, he emphasized the significance of the name of Jesus. Acts 4:12: 'And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.' Not only is Jesus the Savior, He is the only Savior. He is the only way God has provided for salvation. As Matthew develops his Gospel, it will climax in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He is the lamb God offered to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind so that all who believe in Him might have salvation. That name Jesus is His early, human name. Its Hebrew equivalent in the Old Testament is Joshua, meaning Jehovah is salvation.

Christ is a title, like our titles president or prime minister. We use the title with the name when we speak of President Reagan or President Carter. We even use the title with the man's name after he no longer is in office. Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah, meaning one who is anointed. When a king of Israel came to office, he was anointed with oil. The Messiah, the Anointed One, was the One anointed by the Spirit of God. When you speak of Christ, you are talking about the Anointed One. He is Jesus, the One anointed or appointed by the Spirit of God to be the king of Israel. So the title Matthew uses from the very beginning draws attention to the fact that he is talking about the One who is the Messiah, the king of Israel.

The genealogy of Jesus Christ is summarized in verse 1 by the phrases, '...the son of David, the son of Abraham.' You may notice that these two are not given in the order you would expect. Abraham, the one born first, is mentioned last. Matthew starts by saying that Jesus Christ is the son of David. Apparently he does this because his emphasis is on royalty, and the kingly line comes from David. The emphasis of the Messianic passages in the Old Testament is on this greater son of David who will fulfill all the promises given to David about his ruling eternally. Top

3. Davidic Covenant Promises Were Narrow

The promises given to David in the Davidic Covenant were narrow promises. They were for the Jews, the nation of Israel. Those promises center on royalty and ruling. But the promises to Abraham are broad and more inclusive.

2 Samuel 7 tells us of David's desire to build a temple in which the Lord could dwell. But God told David that he would not have that privilege. The privilege to build the temple would be given to his son. Woven into this passage are certain promises that have to do with Solomon. Other promises obviously go beyond Solomon to the greater son of David, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Not all of the promises given to David in this passage and in other passages will be fulfilled by David because he will die.

In 2 Samuel 7:12-13, the Lord instructed Nathan, the prophet, to tell David: 'When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.' This is clearly telling David that Solomon will construct the temple and that David's throne line is an eternal one. That does not mean there will always be someone on his throne; there are gaps. For example, there is no one on the throne of David now in Jerusalem, but the kingly throne in Jerusalem is reserved for David's Son. It is important to remember that.

Verse 14 obviously refers to Solomon: 'I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men.' There was no iniquity in Jesus Christ; He was the perfect Lamb of God. Verse 15 also speaks of Solomon: 'But My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.' God kept His Spirit upon Solomon even though near the end of his life he rebelled against God. In verse 16 God makes a significant promise to David: 'Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.'

God has promised David an eternal throne, an eternal king and an eternal kingdom. When God promises these things, we can be sure these promises will be fulfilled literally on earth. Obviously, Solomon died. The kingdom of Israel later ceased to exist for all intents and purposes. Until this present century, the Jews were not even in the land of Palestine as a nation. But those facts do not negate the promises of God. We can see the present regathering of Jews in Israel and events which are transpiring now that will lead to the great seven-year Tribulation which will be a preparatory time for the return of Jesus Christ. to earth to set up His kingdom. That event will fulfill all of these prophecies. Christ will be an eternal king. He will have an eternal throne and He will have an eternal kingdom over which He rules. Those promises are clear in Scripture.

Take time to read all the promises of Psalm 89. In our study we will only highlight a few significant verses from this chapter. God promises in verse 3 and 4, 'I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations.' The Jews of Matthew's day were all familiar with these promises to David, which are the covenant in which God obligated Himself to Israel. They knew the Messiah would be a descendant of the line of David. In order to have a valid claim to be Israel's Messiah, Jesus Christ had to be able to demonstrate that He was from the line of David. Top

4. Promises to Israel Are Unconditional.

Notice God's promises in verses 29 through 37: 'So I will establish his descendants forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his sons forsake My law and do not walk in My judgments, if they violate My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. His descendants shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the sky is faithful.'

There are some who believe that because of Israel's unfaithfulness, God has cut off His promises to Israel. They say that now there is a spiritual kingdom and that there will be no earthly kingdom. But don't miss the promises of verses 31-33: 'If they violate My statutes, and do not keep my commandments, then I will visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.' God clearly states in verse 34: 'My covenant I will not violate.' No matter what Israel does, it cannot invalidate the covenant God has made with David that his descendants will rule forever -- that there will be a perpetual king over a perpetual kingdom on a perpetual throne. These are important promises that are yet to be fulfilled. So Israel's Messiah is still coming as king. That is what the Jews were looking for in Matthew's day -- a Messiah who would come and fulfill all of these promises. That is why they could not understand the way Jesus came in the first coming. But this was all part of God's plan to provide redemption and salvation for sinful human beings.

As we come back to Matthew 1:1 and see Jesus Christ as 'the son of David,' we are reminded that the promises to David are narrow. They are oriented basically to the nation Israel, the Jewish people, and have to do with David's descendants ruling and reigning over the nation. That is why Matthew puts David first in verse 1. Top

5. Broader Abrahamic Covenant Is Foundational

After stating that Jesus Christ is the son of David, Matthew also states in verse 1 '...the son of Abraham.' All of God's promises to the nation Israel are founded in Abraham. But the promises to Abraham were more inclusive than the promises to David. God's promises to Abraham had a personal emphasis, a national emphasis and a universal emphasis. Genesis 12 gives us the Abrahamic Covenant. This covenant is the foundational covenant God has with His people, Israel. That is why the events which are transpiring in the Middle East today are so significant to us as believers because God has made specific promises to the nation Israel, and He cannot go back on His word. The nation Israel is destined to be the people of God with the Messiah ruling over it as the ruler of the earth.

Note carefully the promises to Abraham which God made in Genesis 12:1-3: 'Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'' Notice the universal aspect in the covenant God made with Abraham: '...And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' The Abrahamic Covenant has a broad inclusiveness, a universal application, that included not only Jews but also Gentiles. In Abraham, we Gentiles have been blessed. We have the privilege of salvation in the Messiah who Himself is a descendant of Abraham. Through Christ, God provided this salvation for all humanity, not just for Jews, in order that we might be privileged to believe in Him and experience His redemption. Top

6. Kingdom First Offered to Israel

The pattern which Matthew will follow as he develops his Gospel is very interesting. First, the kingdom is offered Israel exclusively. Then after it is rejected by Israel, it is offered to the nations. Let's look at a few verses which clarify that pattern.

Early in His ministry, Jesus selected the twelve apostles. Then Matthew 10:5-7 states, 'These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: 'Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand''' You will notice that this offer is exclusive -- limited only to Israel. The offer was not made to the Gentiles; it was not even made to the Samaritans who were half Jews. The offer was made only to the Jewish nation.

After the nation of Israel rejected the Messiah, the Gospel of Matthew closes in chapter 28 with what we know as the Great Commission, where the disciples are expected to take the gospel into all the world: Verses 18-19: '...All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...' Notice how different this command is from the command in Matthew 10. In that passage they were instructed to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and announce to them that the kingdom is at hand. But now they are to go to all the nations and disciple them, to make them followers of Christ. Thus Matthew follows the development which is set down in 1:1: first, the narrow and exclusive aspect which centers on the Jews; then the universal aspect which makes the gospel available to all men regardless of nationality.

Verses 2 through 16 give a series of names in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. These verses contain three sets of fourteen names each. Then verse 17 tells us how these names are broken down into three groups: 'So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.' The first division, verses 2-6, goes from the time of Abraham to the kingdom under David. The second division, verses 6-11, goes from David to the Babylonian exile --when the Jews were deported under the Babylonians. The third division, verses 12-16, goes from the Babylonian exile to the time of Christ. In order to get three sets of fourteen names, you must count David twice as Matthew does in verse 17.

If you go back and read the historical record of the kings in Israel, you will notice that some names are eliminated from the genealogy. Evidently Matthew has purposefully balanced this genealogy to three sets of fourteen names, perhaps to help us with the memory of the genealogy. Some would see the number fourteen as being significant. Seven was the number of perfection in the Old Testament. Since fourteen is two sevens, the fourteen may denote that Jesus Christ is the completion and perfection of the Old Testament plan.

In our present study we want to look at just a few of the names in this genealogy who are significant. We know no more about some of these individuals than simply the fact that their names are listed here. But of others, we know much more from the Scriptures. Top

7. Kings Come From Tribe of Judah

Verse 2 begins with Abraham, the father of the nation: 'Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.' It is significant that Judah is singled out from the twelve sons of Jacob: -- '...Judah and his brothers.' All of the brothers are lumped together in one statement, yet Judah is selected for special attention. We can understand why he received this special attention if we look at Genesis 49. Verse 8 tells us that Judah is going to be in the position of leadership: 'Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down to you.'

Jacob continued the blessing of his son Judah in verses 9 and 10: 'Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.' To Judah and his descendants is given the right to rule and reign among the people of Israel. That is why Matthew gives special attention to Judah in the genealogy. He is pointing out that since Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah, he is in the line from which Israel's king must come. Top

8. Four Women Key Figures in Genealogy

It is interesting to note that four women are presented in this genealogy. That may not seem so strange to us since women were obviously involved with the birth of each of these men. But this is a significant statement to the Jews because only men were counted in Jewish genealogy. These four women were not counted in the three groups of fourteen names, but it is significant that they are named. We are not told why Matthew chose to name these four -- Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Although Bathsheba is not mentioned by name in some translations, she is referred to in Matthew 1:6 as '...the wife of Uriah.' Interestingly enough, Rahab and Ruth are not even Jews; they are foreigners. So it is doubly strange that they should be listed here in the Messianic genealogy. Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba are outstanding because of the sin which blotted their lives.

Tamar is mentioned in verse 3: 'Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar...' We can summarize simply the rather ugly story of Tamar, who was the daughter-in-law of Judah. Thinking her to be a prostitute and not knowing she was his daughter-in-law, Judah had relations with her. When he found out that she was pregnant, he ordered her executed, not knowing that she was the wife of his deceased son. When she revealed her identity to him and proved that she was pregnant by him, he changed the order for her execution. Yet here she is in the genealogy of Christ.

We are familiar with Rahab the harlot from the story about her in the book of Joshua. Bathsheba's sin with David is also very well known, yet she is identified in the genealogical table as the mother of King Solomon. As mentioned earlier, she is not called by name but is identified in relationship to David's sin.

It seems to me that there are at least two reasons why these women are listed in this genealogy. First, it demonstrates that those who are so marred by sin are still able to experience God's grace. The salvation God provides is able to cleanse sinners from all sin and allows them to be used in significant ways, even to the point of finding them listed in the genealogy of the Messiah. Secondly, the presence of foreigners, non-Israelites, shows the ministry of the Messiah reaching Gentiles as well as Jews. God has included these Gentiles in the messianic line as a testimony to that. This would be a reminder to the Jews to whom Matthew is writing that the grace of God reaches to all kinds of sinners and to all nationalities of peoples. Top

9. Kingly Line Reaches Dead End

Another very interesting person in the genealogy of Jesus Christ is listed in verse 11: 'Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.' Jeconiah, whom you may recognize by his nickname Coniah, is another person of significance in the line of the Messiah. Jeremiah mentions him in chapter 22: 24-25: ''As I live,' declares the Lord, 'even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; and I shall give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.''

Jeremiah continues to write about Jeconiah in verse 30: 'Thus says the Lord, 'Write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.'' That is a remarkable statement by God! It makes you wonder what is going on because it dead-ends the line of David The kingly line of David must come from Jeconiah, yet this prophecy says there will be no descendants of Jeconiah who can prosper on the throne of David. It seems that something is seriously wrong. Is there a conflict in the promises of God? God promised David eternal blessing, including an eternal kingdom, but now the line which must come from David through Jeconiah seems to be broken. God says, '...Write this man down childless...' Jeconiah does have children, but the point being brought out here is that none of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David. Top

10. Virgin Birth Erases Jeconiah's Curse

This significant development seems to cut off the kingly line of David. And it does, except for one important factor -- the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. He is not a physical descendant of Jeconiah. The Gospel of Luke presents the genealogy of Mary. Jesus is a descendant of David through Mary, but not through the ruling line. So Jesus Christ is a physical descendant of David through Mary. He is also the legal descendant of David through Joseph, the legal line for the king. But He does not come under the curse of Jeconiah because He is not the physical son of Jeconiah. This is true because He is not the physical son of Joseph. How remarkable!

These opposing concepts in Scripture cannot be understood until you grasp the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. If He is not the virgin-born Son of God, He is not qualified to rule on the throne of David because He would be a physical descendant of Jeconiah. God promised that no son of Jeconiah would prosper on the throne. Yet Matthew makes clear that Jesus is in the line of Jeconiah. The details that God has worked out in the development of His plan are amazing.

Another significant point regarding the virgin birth of Christ is made in Matthew 1:16. A grammatical change occurs in that verse which makes it different from all the other statements regarding the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew wrote in verse 16, 'Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.' Throughout all of this genealogical table which begins in verse 2, the grammatical construction is the same. 'Abraham was the father of Isaac...,' verse 2; 'Jesse was the father of David the king,' verse 6; 'Jacob was the father of Joseph...,' verse 16. But when we come to the birth of Jesus, the form is changed: 'Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born...' The verb in the latter statement is in the passive voice and does not connect with Joseph. In addition to the voice of the verb changing from the active to the passive in this phrase, the by whom is also significant. Pronouns in the Greek language are either masculine, feminine or neuter gender. Whom is feminine in this phrase, so it cannot refer back to Joseph. In order to refer to Joseph, the pronoun would have to be masculine. The fact that it is feminine means it must refer back to Mary in order to agree in gender with its antecedent. So the construction of this phrase breaks the line of the genealogy.

Matthew does not state that Jesus was born of Joseph. Rather, he spoke of Joseph as the husband of Mary, '...by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.' This is another clear indication of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the legal son of Joseph; thus He is in the legal line of the throne, humanly speaking. But He is the physical son of Mary, who is also in the line of David through a different son of David, a point which Luke's Gospel makes clear. So even in the genealogy of Christ, we have a clear indication of the virgin birth which Matthew will develop further in verses 18 through 25.

Matthew's burden in presenting this genealogical table is to demonstrate clearly that Jesus is the Christ; He is the king of Israel. The starting point as Matthew sees it is that Christ is from the right line. He is a descendant of David through the kingly line of Solomon and thus is eligible to rule and to reign on David's throne. Connected with His being king also is the fact that He is Jesus, the Savior. Matthew will develop this aspect of Jesus Christ as well. He came that He might save His people from their sins. He came to rule and to reign. He came to be their Savior and ultimately to be their king.

Let's conclude this study with a brief look at two passages which speak clearly of the Messiah and his future kingdom. Top

11. Messiah As Revealed to Isaiah, John

Isaiah spoke frequently of the Messiah of Israel. Early in his prophecies he referred to the future glory of the Messiah and His kingdom. Isaiah 2:2-4: 'Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.' For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.' These verses have not yet been fulfilled. We are still looking forward to their literal fulfillment when Jesus Christ will set up His kingdom at Jerusalem and will rule the world in perfect justice. Some strongly dispute the literalness of this prophecy and see it as being fulfilled only in a figurative sense. However, since the prophecies regarding Christ's first coming were all fulfilled literally, we see no reason to conclude that the prophecies regarding the millennial kingdom will not also be fulfilled literally.

The New Testament also anticipates the future reign of Jesus Christ in a literal sense. The Apostle John wrote in Revelation 20:6: 'Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.' There is no reason for us not to take literally the statement that Christ will reign '...for a thousand years.' God is very capable of expressing Himself clearly. When He does so, why should we think He means something else other than what the words literally say?

As we study Matthew, we will see with greater clarity that Jesus Christ meets all the requirements set forth in the Old Testament which would qualify Him to be Israel's Messiah and the savior of the world. We will also see that the kingdom He promised on this earth is one to which we as believers can look forward. It will be a time in which we will share His rule over the earth. The thousand years are the first stage in the eternal kingdom. This passage makes it clear that Christ will rule over the earth, but it also says that we will reign with Him.

Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, � Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. All quotations used by permission.

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