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Bible Question: I was wondering if Jechonias was the son of Jehoakim in Jeremiah
22 where it says that God cursed the seed of Jehoakim. If so,
how can Jesus, being the descendant of Jechonias, fulfill the
role of the Messiah?
Bible Answer: In the New Testament, Jeconiah's significance is the fact that
he is an ancestor of Jesus. This is revealed to us in Matthew
1:12. The King James Version uses the name "Jechonias." However,
the NASB, NIV and NKJV use the name "Jeconiah."
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And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel;
and Salathiel begat Zorobabel . . . (KJV) Matthew 1:12
And after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born Shealtiel;
and to Shealtiel, Zerubbabel . . . (NASB) Matthew 1:12 |
In the Old Testament (Jeremiah 24:1) we discover that Jeconiah's
father was Jehoiakim, a king of Judah. The book of Esther tells
us that Jeconiah eventually succeeded his father as king of Judah.
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. . .who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives
who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar
the king of Babylon had exiled. (NASB) Esther 2:6 |
Sometimes Jeconiah was abbreviated as "Coniah." It appears to
have been his throne name. Our question comes from the "curse"
found in Jeremiah 22:30.
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"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 . . .
Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable
vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out and cast
into a land that they had not known? "O land, land, land, Hear
the word of the LORD! 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.'" Jeremiah 22:24, 28-30 |
The passage simply says that none of his descendants will sit
on the throne of David. This passage does not mean that Jeconiah
had no sons. If it did, it would be in contradiction to 1 Chronicles
3:17 which says that Jeconiah had seven sons (Shealtiel, Malchiram,
Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.). The last
part of verse 30 is the "curse." It simply says that none of Jeconiah's
sons would sit on his throne as king. That is what happened.
Conclusion: Now Jesus was not conceived by Joseph, who was a descendant
of Jeconiah. Had Joseph been his actual father, Jesus would not
have been able to sit on the throne of David. Jesus' only human
parent was Mary. Consequently, He inherited the royal blood line
through Mary and the legal right through his father, Joseph. By
not being a direct descendant, He avoided the "curse." Praise
God . . . some day we will see Jesus reign as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords on the throne of David. Praise Jesus! |
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