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Genesis 5 Mysteries of Genesis

Genesis 5 Mysteries of Genesis
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Chapter III: The Fall of Man - (c)

Adam's Descendants Spiritually Interpreted

Gen. 5. This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: and the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begat Enosh: and Seth lived after he begat Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. And Enosh lived ninety years, and begat Kenan: and Enosh lived after he begat Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years: and he died. And Kenen lived seventy years, and begat Mahalalel: and Kenan lived after he begat Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

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And Mahalalel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: and Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety and five years: and he died.

And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and begat Enoch: and Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. 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 and sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: and Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The name Adam means "red," "ruddy," "firm." Adam is the first man of the human race according to the Bible. Metaphysically Adam represents the first movement in the evolution of the man idea in its contact

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with life and substance. Adam also represents generic man; that is, the whole human race epitomized in the typical individual-man idea.

What was the original state of Adam? How did he "fall" from this estate?

Adam in his original state was a spiritually illumined creation. Spirit breathed into him continually the necessary inspiration and knowledge to give him superior understanding. But he began "eating" or appropriating thoughts of two powers: God and not-God, good and evil. The result, so the allegory runs, was that he fell away from spiritual life and all that it involves.

How does man form an Adamic consciousness? Give the method used to lift up the Adam man.

Man is Spirit, absolute and unconditioned; but man forms an Adamic consciousness into which he breathes the breath of life; this, in its perfect expression, is the Son of man, the expression of the divine idea. This Adam is all of what we term soul, intellect, and body. We are continually at work with this Adam; we can breathe into his nostrils the breath of life, insiring him with the idea of life in all its unlimited fullness. We can lift up this Adam by infusing into him this sublime idea, and in no other way.

The name Seth means "substituted," "settled," "compensated." Seth represents the root idea of surrounding sympathetic forces.

The name Enosh means "transient man," "mortal man." Enosh represents the outer or body consciousness in its limited, material, corruptible concept of the organism.

The name Kenan means "self-centered one," "possession invading space." Kenan denotes the seemingly established materiality of consciousness and organism. But the higher, more spiritual thought represented by Seth is at work, and the man, though seemingly established in materiality, is reaching out of the lesser self

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("possession invading space") and upward toward something that has more power to uplift, enlighten, heal, renew, and restore than anything to be found in the material. Thus Kenan brings forth Mahalalel.

The name Mahalalel means "mighty rising," "glory of brightness," "praise of God." Metaphysically Mahalalel denotes that in man which praises and blesses and glorifies God, the good.

The name Jared means "descending," "low country." Metaphysically Jared denotes the descent of Spirit through praise and acknowledgment of God (Mahalalel, father of Jared), into the seemingly earthly or physical in man ("low ground") in order to lift man wholly into spiritual consciousness (Enoch, son of Jared).

The name Enoch means "founder," "instructor," "repentance." Enoch walked with God and did not die. He was translated into the spiritual consciousness. Enoch represents entrance into and instruction in the new life in Christ.

The name Methuselah means "man of the sword," "sting of death." Methuselah has the record of having lived in the earthly body longer than any other man. Metaphysically Methuselah denotes a quick, piercing thought or word ("sword," "dart") of life, power, and oneness with God, which while it causes a renewal of youth to a degree and serves to lengthen one's life in the body, does not become abiding enough in the consciousness at the Methuselah stage of man's unfoldment to put away the appearance of death entirely.

The name Lamech means "strong young man," "health," "power." Metaphysically Lamech represents the strength of youth, the vital something in us that

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overcomes thoughts and tendencies leading to dissolution. The vital life principle constantly inspires us from within to keep on living. This thought of youth was in Lamech, the father of Noah, and it found expression in Noah. The strength and youth symbolized by the Lamech descended from Adam through Cain is carnal and physical. The Lamech descended from Adam through Seth, which God sent to replace Abel, represents a higher, a more spiritual understanding.

Lamech signifies the principle of life, which not only tends to keep one alive in the body but also brings about the building of a new body and re-entrance into manifest existence for each one who lets go of his consciousness of life in the body for a time.

The name Noah means "rest," "calm," "peace." Noah was the son of Lamech, the "strong young man." It is in the strength of our youth that we idealize the material and attach our spiritual enthusiasm to the things of sense. But the law of reaction sets in: Noah (rest) finds "favor in the eyes of Jehovah." If in the strength of your youth you have indulged in the things of sense, the law of spiritual equilibrium (the Lord, Jehovah) is now working itself out in a "rest" and you may have bodily ills. Thus your race of wicked thoughts is drowned and your earth cleansed. Noah can also denote the obedience through which seed for a new state of consciousness is saved. Again Noah represents the consciousness at rest in God (Gen. 6:9). In Gen. 6:10 the sons of Noah represent typical states of mind. Shem ("renowned") represents the spiritual; Ham ("warm") represents the physical mind, and Japheth ("extended") represents the intellect or reason.