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Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy times seven (70x7). Is there a time limit to forgiveness or is forgiveness a never-ending act? And what does it have to do with end-time prophecy? The answer will surprise you.
As we review the dialogue as recorded in Matthew 18:21-22, Peter confidently
assumed that 7 times was the standard measure at hand. Have you ever wondered where he got that idea from in the first place? Aside from Scripture’s use of the number 7 virtually at every turn, this very same number also associates with recompense. It is about as ancient of a concept as God’s 7-day work-week is, where God incorporated the sum of His creation work once He rested on the Sabbath as a measure of time itself.
The first time we see God use the Sabbatical standard in the form of recompense is with Cain. “And the LORD said unto him (Cain), 'Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him SEVENFOLD (7x). And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.'" (Gen. 4:15).
Common knowledge accepts that fact that Cain intentionally killed his younger brother Abel. The aftermath of that horrific event provides the setting for Cain's sevenfold allowance. Even though Cain was driven out of his family’s homeland, he receives Divine mercy curiously marked with an expiration date. This begs the question: Why didn’t Cain get the “eye for an eye” sentence? I will answer that in a separate “bonus post” shortly. First, we must understand what is going on with this expiration sign of the firstborn line.
Firstborn Family Matters
You may or may not know this, but it is by Divine design that the firstborn position is a critical LEGAL arm within the “Adam” family tree. Today we just accept this as primogeniture. But as far as Scripture is concerned, the primogeniture construct is a mirror image of God’s eternal family. Like Christ, the firstborn male of the family in the ancient world was not only expected to be the executor of the family’s estate, but the right of governance (kingly rule) and the right of mediatorial privileges (priestly) duties were part of his double-portion blessing.
In terms of ancestral inheritance, the story of Ruth and Naomi portray in drama how important a firstborn male is to the family. Especially, those that leave the homeland and become estranged to their kinsmen like Cain. For years Naomi, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, also lived outside the homeland among a people known for their hatred toward their Jewish roots. Unfortunate circumstances left both women widows and childless. As such, their ancestral claim fell into jeopardy. if it wasn’t for Boaz stepping in as their Kinsman Redeemer, who paid the price to redeem their property rights (Leviticus 25:23- 28, 47-55; 27:9–25), both women would have had no other legal recourse.
Why is the redemption of Ruth and Naomi so important? We are to understand that where Cain failed in his firstborn office, Christ succeeded in the same legal position within the same family line. Christ “knew no sin yet became sin,” to fulfill the law and pay the death penalty placed upon all members of the Adamic line with His own blood. Therefore, He, alone, becomes the ultimate legal arm for all families of the earth, both Jew and Gentile.
So Why Did Jesus Correct Peter's 7x Measure of Forgiveness?
The clue, once again, is this word “SEVENFOLD.” This brings us to another curious event that occurred in the 7th generation of Cain's firstborn line. Genesis 4:19-24 introduces us to Mr. Lamech. He clearly fell into a situation that spun out of control, which was unfortunately outside of his intent. Regardless, the apparent outcome—innocent life lost at his own hand. For fear of being accused and viewed in the same manner as his great, great, great-grandfather Cain, he sought to extend the normal allowance for such matters as his to the tune of 70 times more!
Lamech's plea aims to validate his testimony because the adverse results of his actions were purely “involuntary” and unintentional. He simply did not commit premeditated murder like Cain. Therefore, his allowance should reflect this rationale as a fundamental principle.
Centuries later, we can only conclude a ruling to Lamech’s case was rendered in his favor by the simple fact that Jesus overturned the standard measure of time with the new extended standard of time of 70x7 as recorded in Matthew 18:21-22. But wait, doesn’t that formula look familiar? Why yes, 70x7 is a very famous prophecy that concerns the nation of Israel's timeline. Stay tuned for Part 2 as the firstborn plot thickens.
Today’s article was inspired by a book I wrote, entitled: “His-Story Through His-Bloodline: The Genesis Pre-Flood Prophecy of the Ages.” If you liked what you read here, you will love the book because it is filled with all kinds of family connections that involve Christ’s mission to seek and to save that which was lost. The book is available in paperback or e-book formats. I recommend paperback because of all the charts. Follow the link here: https://rosedogbookstore.com/his-story-through-his-bloodline-the-genesis-pre-flood-prophecy-of-the-ages/
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