Genesis 5 gives us the genealogy of the first generation from Adam to Noah. The entire chapter is all about names and the years they lived. Have you ever asked yourself why an entire chapter is dedicated only to the first generation from Adam to Noah? Ever wondered what that means?
Meaning of names in first generation from Adam
In today’s modern society the name of a personal does not hold a meaning of who the person is or give information about the person. A person’s name is merely an identification label, like a number, which could be changed several times without loss. Many people today just call themselves names without knowing their meanings but just to identify themselves with a name which sounds good to their ears and mouth or not familiar.
Bible names and in the Jewish tradition, a person’s name gives a lot of information about that person and who h/she is. All names in the bible carry a great meaning and portray who the person is (more in the article: The name of the true God). A good example is the name Emmanuel which means God with us or Jesus meaning savior.
The names of Genesis chapter 5 all carry a meaning. Apart from presenting the genealogy from Adam to the savior (Jesus) and man time on earth, they also present a prophecy of the gospel.
First generation names
This is the order of the names (Gen: 5);
Adam was the father of Seth, Seth the father of Enosh, Enosh the father of Kenan, Kenan the father of Ma-hal’-alel, Ma-hal’-alel the father of Jared, Jared the father of Enoch, Enoch the father of Methuselah, Methuselah the father of Lamech and Lamech was the father of Noah.
Meaning of the Adam generation names
Adam means man,
Seth means appointed,
Enosh means Subject to death,
Kenan means sorrowful,
Ma-hal’-alel means from the presence of God,
Jared means one comes down,
Enoch means dedicated,
Methuselah means dying he shall send (The year Methuselah died, God send the flood).
Lamech means to the poor and lowly,
Noah means rest and comfort.
The Gospel prophecy
All these individuals were living prophecies. When you put the meaning of the names together in their order you get;
Man appointed subject to death, sorrowful, from the presence of God one comes down dedicated and dying He shall sent to the poor and lowly rest and comfort.
This is the entire story of the Gospel as prophesied in Genesis chapter 5 by the first generation.
Church prophecy
The genealogy ends with a sad story for almost all men. It ends with, ‘and he died’. But there is an exception: Enoch. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Gen 5:21-24).
Enoch did not die. He was caught up (raptured) into the heaven. Enoch represents a prophecy. We have all sinned like the above guys in the first generation and the wages of sin is death. But like Enoch, there is a generation of people who will not die physically. Paul in I Cor 15: 51 says ‘Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed’.
This talks about the rapture of the church. Enoch is a living prophecy of the rapture of the church. Enoch was not found because God too him, therefore, the church will not be found since God will take it (rapture). See where the church lies in the Daniel 70 weeks.
God bless you.
