Part 10: Luke's list: Nathan: part B
Aug 24, 2016 11:40:28 GMT
Post by Colossians on Aug 24, 2016 11:40:28 GMT
This material is for the teaching of the Body of Christ, however the author reserves copyright over it.
Forward
In part 9 of this series we declared the referent of “Nathan” in Luke’s list to be Nathan the prophet.
However we proffered no specific proof for this.
In this part (10) and 11 following, we do just that.
___________________________
LUKE’S LIST: NATHAN: PART B
In the 12th chapter of the book of the prophet Zechariah, God speaks in figures with regard to the results and grace of the Cross and according power of the church in the face of persecution.
The chapter concludes by describing the seriousness of attitude the true Body of Christ would maintain toward the sacrifice of Jesus Christ:
“And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart” Zech 12:12-14.
And so we are reminded of the words of Paul concerning the sacraments:
“whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body” 1 Cor 11:23-30.
: we are not here to entertain ourselves, but to glorify and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
___
To the matter at hand …
We will note that in the quote we have provided that Zechariah singles out the names of 4 houses:
David
Nathan
Levi
Shimei.
Our vital starting point then is to understand that this Nathan here in Zechariah is most definitely Nathan the prophet, for if he were prince Nathan then his house would subsume the house of David rather than be listed separately as it is here.
But why these particular 4 houses? Why not the more-usual Issachar, Judah, Rueben, Ephraim, and the like?
___
Well as it turns out, although (with the exception of David) none of the names is included in Matthew’s list, all 4 are in fact included in Luke’s list.
And not only so, but in the same order.
Here is Luke’s list from David down, with the 4 names from Zechariah highlighted:
David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menan
Melea
Eliakim
Jonan
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
Matthat
Joram
Eliezer
Jose
Er
Elmodam
Cosam
Addi
Melchi
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanna
Judah
Joseph
Semei
Mattathias
Maath
Naggai
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathias
Joseph
Janna
Melchi
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
The point is that given that in the book of Zechariah Nathan is without doubt the prophet and not the prince, he is necessarily also the prophet here in Luke, for the 4 names are together as a unit.
“But”, you say, “this is certainly interesting, and quite plausible, but by no means compelling, for such names are quite common in scripture as a whole, and besides, although the first 2 names appear together, the other 2 are well apart!”
Oh but they are not apart at all.
Look again:
David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menan
Melea
Eliakim
Jonan
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
Matthat
Joram
Eliezer
Jose
Er
Elmodam
Cosam
Addi
Melchi
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanna
Judah
Joseph
Semei
Mattathias
Maath
Naggai
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathias
Joseph
Janna
Melchi
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
Yes that’s right, and taking David and Nathan together as a unit for reasons we have explained in part 9, each time one of either David-Nathan, Levi or Shimei appears, a ‘son’ called Matthew1 [= “gift of God”] follows.
1 For simplicity’s sake we use (the NT’s) “Matthew” in place of its equivalent OT variants.
And so although the names are physically apart in the list, they are in fact conceptually ‘glued’ together by that which speaks to the Holy Spirit,2 as indeed anything in Christ should be.
2 See Acts 8:20, 2 Ti 1:6.
Confirming
Look yet again:
David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menan
Melea
Eliakim
Jonan
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
Matthat
Joram
Eliezer
Jose
Er
Elmodam
Cosam
Addi
Melchi
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanna
Judah
Joseph
Semei
Mattathias
Maath
Naggai
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathias
Joseph
Janna
Melchi
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
: just to make sure we understand we are on the right track, one of the 4 names is repeated, and again Matthew follows. This then is the ‘check-digit’.
So whenever any one of the 4 names from Zechariah chapter 12 appears in Luke’s list, it is followed by the name Matthew.
The message within Luke’s list
Group 1 is the Godhead:
David (head) = the Father
Nathan = “given” = the Son
Matthew = “gift of God” = the Holy Spirit
Group 2 is the priesthood via the agency of the Holy Spirit:
Levi = “attached”
Matthew = “gift of God” = the Holy Spirit
(Cf. Heb 7:25, Rom 8:26.)
Group 3 is the fame/glory of the Christian story, most particularly that of the Bride/Body of Christ, via the agency of the Holy Spirit:
Shimei = “famous”
Matthew = “gift of God” = the Holy Spirit
So we begin with the Godhead, where we note that Nathan [= “given”], who speaks to the sacrifice of God’s Son, is an integral element, for God is love.
We then move to the priesthood of Christ predicated on the basis of such sacrifice.
Finally we move to the fame/glory of the whole matter (regardless of whether in this realm or the spiritual).
Summary
In selecting the names David, Nathan, Levi and Shimei, the prophet Zechariah shows forth the scheme of things as concerns the Godhead and the gospel, only because the Spirit was not yet given at the time of Zechariah, Matthew (Mattatha/Matthat/Mattathias) [= “gift of God”] was not included in such paradigm.
Because the Spirit had been given by the time that Luke wrote his gospel, his list which includes Matthew (Mattatha/Matthat/Mattathias) [= “gift of God”] could be revealed.
Because Nathan in Zechariah is necessarily Nathan the prophet, then because we have shown by way of the structure of Luke’s list that the Nathan Luke refers to is the same Nathan that Zechariah refers to, Nathan in Luke’s list is necessarily also Nathan the prophet.
Because Nathan in Luke’s list is Nathan the prophet, all the names following Nathan in Luke’s list are necessarily also prophets.
In the next part (11) we doubly confirm that Nathan in Luke’s list is Nathan the prophet, and by a very unexpected way.
Amen.
Forward
In part 9 of this series we declared the referent of “Nathan” in Luke’s list to be Nathan the prophet.
However we proffered no specific proof for this.
In this part (10) and 11 following, we do just that.
___________________________
LUKE’S LIST: NATHAN: PART B
In the 12th chapter of the book of the prophet Zechariah, God speaks in figures with regard to the results and grace of the Cross and according power of the church in the face of persecution.
The chapter concludes by describing the seriousness of attitude the true Body of Christ would maintain toward the sacrifice of Jesus Christ:
“And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart” Zech 12:12-14.
And so we are reminded of the words of Paul concerning the sacraments:
“whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body” 1 Cor 11:23-30.
: we are not here to entertain ourselves, but to glorify and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
___
To the matter at hand …
We will note that in the quote we have provided that Zechariah singles out the names of 4 houses:
David
Nathan
Levi
Shimei.
Our vital starting point then is to understand that this Nathan here in Zechariah is most definitely Nathan the prophet, for if he were prince Nathan then his house would subsume the house of David rather than be listed separately as it is here.
But why these particular 4 houses? Why not the more-usual Issachar, Judah, Rueben, Ephraim, and the like?
___
Well as it turns out, although (with the exception of David) none of the names is included in Matthew’s list, all 4 are in fact included in Luke’s list.
And not only so, but in the same order.
Here is Luke’s list from David down, with the 4 names from Zechariah highlighted:
David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menan
Melea
Eliakim
Jonan
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
Matthat
Joram
Eliezer
Jose
Er
Elmodam
Cosam
Addi
Melchi
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanna
Judah
Joseph
Semei
Mattathias
Maath
Naggai
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathias
Joseph
Janna
Melchi
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
The point is that given that in the book of Zechariah Nathan is without doubt the prophet and not the prince, he is necessarily also the prophet here in Luke, for the 4 names are together as a unit.
“But”, you say, “this is certainly interesting, and quite plausible, but by no means compelling, for such names are quite common in scripture as a whole, and besides, although the first 2 names appear together, the other 2 are well apart!”
Oh but they are not apart at all.
Look again:
David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menan
Melea
Eliakim
Jonan
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
Matthat
Joram
Eliezer
Jose
Er
Elmodam
Cosam
Addi
Melchi
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanna
Judah
Joseph
Semei
Mattathias
Maath
Naggai
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathias
Joseph
Janna
Melchi
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
Yes that’s right, and taking David and Nathan together as a unit for reasons we have explained in part 9, each time one of either David-Nathan, Levi or Shimei appears, a ‘son’ called Matthew1 [= “gift of God”] follows.
1 For simplicity’s sake we use (the NT’s) “Matthew” in place of its equivalent OT variants.
And so although the names are physically apart in the list, they are in fact conceptually ‘glued’ together by that which speaks to the Holy Spirit,2 as indeed anything in Christ should be.
2 See Acts 8:20, 2 Ti 1:6.
Confirming
Look yet again:
David
Nathan
Mattatha
Menan
Melea
Eliakim
Jonan
Joseph
Judah
Simeon
Levi
Matthat
Joram
Eliezer
Jose
Er
Elmodam
Cosam
Addi
Melchi
Neri
Shealtiel
Zerubbabel
Rhesa
Joanna
Judah
Joseph
Semei
Mattathias
Maath
Naggai
Esli
Nahum
Amos
Mattathias
Joseph
Janna
Melchi
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
: just to make sure we understand we are on the right track, one of the 4 names is repeated, and again Matthew follows. This then is the ‘check-digit’.
So whenever any one of the 4 names from Zechariah chapter 12 appears in Luke’s list, it is followed by the name Matthew.
The message within Luke’s list
Group 1 is the Godhead:
David (head) = the Father
Nathan = “given” = the Son
Matthew = “gift of God” = the Holy Spirit
Group 2 is the priesthood via the agency of the Holy Spirit:
Levi = “attached”
Matthew = “gift of God” = the Holy Spirit
(Cf. Heb 7:25, Rom 8:26.)
Group 3 is the fame/glory of the Christian story, most particularly that of the Bride/Body of Christ, via the agency of the Holy Spirit:
Shimei = “famous”
Matthew = “gift of God” = the Holy Spirit
So we begin with the Godhead, where we note that Nathan [= “given”], who speaks to the sacrifice of God’s Son, is an integral element, for God is love.
We then move to the priesthood of Christ predicated on the basis of such sacrifice.
Finally we move to the fame/glory of the whole matter (regardless of whether in this realm or the spiritual).
Summary
In selecting the names David, Nathan, Levi and Shimei, the prophet Zechariah shows forth the scheme of things as concerns the Godhead and the gospel, only because the Spirit was not yet given at the time of Zechariah, Matthew (Mattatha/Matthat/Mattathias) [= “gift of God”] was not included in such paradigm.
Because the Spirit had been given by the time that Luke wrote his gospel, his list which includes Matthew (Mattatha/Matthat/Mattathias) [= “gift of God”] could be revealed.
Because Nathan in Zechariah is necessarily Nathan the prophet, then because we have shown by way of the structure of Luke’s list that the Nathan Luke refers to is the same Nathan that Zechariah refers to, Nathan in Luke’s list is necessarily also Nathan the prophet.
Because Nathan in Luke’s list is Nathan the prophet, all the names following Nathan in Luke’s list are necessarily also prophets.
In the next part (11) we doubly confirm that Nathan in Luke’s list is Nathan the prophet, and by a very unexpected way.
Amen.