Lessons in the Ladder Days

Candace Long: I'm Candace Long with Lessons in the Latter Days, offering biblical commentary to make sense of the critical times we're living in. Today's topic is foundational to understanding the latter days and it's found in connecting to the true origins of our faith. One of my goals throughout this series is to prepare believers for the kingdom because the truth is, we're not ready.

I have walked with the Lord and studied his ways for over 50 years. But in 2006, the Lord led me very specifically to begin studying Judaism in order to be properly connected to our Jewish roots. For Christians, our roots do not begin with Jesus. We need to go back to the beginning, to Adam. Today's topic is called Connecting to our Ancestral Roots.

The lessons we're going to explore in this program will help you see where we've come from, why we are going through what we are now, and how God used our forefathers to point the way to the kingdom. Who were our patriarchs? We're going to specifically look at the first 10 patriarchs leading up to Noah. Their names are Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah.

That's our foundational timeline leading up to the flood when all of mankind was wiped off the face of the earth because of their wickedness. We've talked before about God's ways of speaking, about using tavniyot, which is a Hebrew word meaning pictures or an exact replica in order to teach deeper layers of meaning. I'm going to give you an example of that today.

From the beginning of human history, we see two races of people developing. Godly ancestors who were given the mandate of protecting their biological seed or progeny because that was to be the lineage that God intended for Messiah to come through. Simultaneously, we see the generations that Cain produced after he killed his brother Abel. His ancestral lineage was the seed of the serpent.

In his book, Nephilim Agenda, Christian minister and writer Randy DeMain explains the hidden meaning behind the actual names of our patriarchs because they showed what was going on during the time of Cain. In biblical times, parents would name their children according to what they believed to be the child's life purpose. What are the meanings of our 10 ancestors' names? I'm going to list each one of them, give you the meaning, and then explain something profound.

Adam means man. Seth means appointed. Enosh means mortal man. Kenan means sorrow. Mahalalel means the blessed God. Jared means came down. Enoch means teaching. Methuselah means his death shall bring it. Lamech means despairing. And Noah means comfort. Are you ready to be amazed? This is the meaning of the names of our first 10 patriarchs: It is appointed for mortal man to experience sorrow, but the blessed God came down teaching us that his death shall bring the despairing comfort.

This is incredible to me. I wish I could take credit for finding the hidden meaning in this tavnit. I believe Randy DeMain heard it from writer Paul Keith Davis, and I've also read it in writer Chuck Missler's work, so I'm not sure how to give proper credit. But this incredible message about the entire plan of salvation and Messiah's death bringing eternal comfort to mankind is hidden for all the world to find in the beginning of Genesis. This is God's way. When we study his word as if searching for hidden treasure, we will find the knowledge of God.

We learn very little about these men reading Genesis 5. We merely learn their names, their fathers, their sons, and how long each one of them lived. Back in 2009, when the Lord had me research the beginnings of our spiritual ancestry, I began looking for their backstories in the early works of antiquity in order to expand my own understanding and prepare me to write my book, Letters to Aleeah: A Personal Journey of Generational Healing, which you can read more about on my website at candacelong.com.

Among the books I studied during my research were ones that were highly regarded by our Jewish fathers: The Ancient Book of Jasher, The Lost Book of Enoch, The Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, The Secrets of Enoch, and The First and Second Books of Adam and Eve, which are sections in the Lost Books of Eden. I want to share some selected passages with you, which represent months of pouring through these books.

My desire is that these patriarchs will come alive for you as they did for me. I want you to see the incredible sacrifice that each one made in order to honor, preserve, and pass on the ways of the Lord because that is our mandate today in these evil times. In Genesis 3, with the eating of the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the descendants of Adam and Eve went in two different directions.

Number one, the descendants of Seth, who chose to follow the Lord and walk in his ways. Number two, those who harbored iniquity and followed Cain in the rebellion against the Lord. There were hundreds of other children born to these patriarchs, most of whom lived over 900 years, and yet God singled out these 10 and entrusted them with a patriarchal mandate, which was this: Guard the purity of your seed, love the Lord your God with all your heart, seek to follow his ways, and pass that down to the next generation. The very salvation and redemption of the entire world was at stake, and is again today.

I'm going to read from my book, Letters to Aleeah, and intersperse my words with quotes from the ancient sources that I researched so that this story of our beginnings will flow more naturally in an audio format. As a disclaimer, I'm going to change the "thees" and the "thous" just so it will flow better. As I read, I want you to take note of similarities that you may see in our patriarchal history with what God chose to feature in his temple, which is in heaven and which will be on earth again in the kingdom.

Here's a little about Seth. When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, early records show that they made their home near Eden in a cave, which became known as the Cave of Treasures. It was there that they raised their children, and Adam spent his days praying and ministering before God, teaching his ways to his children.

When Adam died at 930 years of age, it is recorded that Seth wrapped his body and embalmed him with plenty of sweet spices from sacred trees and laid his body on the eastern side of the inside of the cave, the side of the incense, and placed in front of him a lampstand that was to be kept burning. The word of God came to Seth, the eldest among them, saying to him, "Seth, as I was with your father, so also shall I be with you until the fulfillment of the promise that I made him, saying I will send my word and save you and your seed. But as to your father Adam, keep the commandment that he gave you and sever your seed from that of Cain, your brother."

Cain and his seed, his descendants, dwelt in the valley below the mountain of God where the Cave of Treasures was, and Seth became head of what was described as the most happy and just tribe of people who ever lived. Here's what was written about Seth.

Guest (Male): Seth the elder, tall and good, with a fine soul and of a strong mind, stood at the head of his people and tended them in innocence, penitence, and meekness, and did not allow one of them to go down to Cain's children. But because of their own purity, they were named children of God, and they were with God instead of the hosts of angels who fell. For they continued in praises to God and in singing psalms to him in the Cave of Treasures.

They did not like earthly work, but gave themselves to heavenly things, for they had no other thought than praises, doxologies, and psalms unto God. Therefore, they did at all times hear the voices of angels praising and glorifying God. They sowed not, neither did they reap. They ate of the fruit and of trees well-flavored that grew on the mountain where they dwelt. Seth often fasted every 40 days, as did also his eldest children.

They were happy, innocent, without sudden fear. There was no jealousy, no evil action, no hatred among them. There was no animal passion. From no mouth among them went forth either foul words or curse. They constrained their children and their women every day in the cave to fast and pray and to worship the Most High God.

Candace Long: As Seth aged and he was near death, he gathered his children and grandchildren around him and prayed over them and blessed them, and he pleaded with them by the blood of Abel the just and said, "I beg of you, my children, not to let one of you go down from this holy and pure mountain." Here's a little about Enosh. Seth's oldest son took his father's place as spiritual head of the family of the children of God.

Enoch was 20 years old at the time. The plot thickens in the explosion of evil on the earth. By the time Enosh was 820, Cain had a large progeny, for they married frequently, being given to animal lusts until the land below the mountain was filled with them. The ancient Book of Jasher records that it was during Enosh's days that the sons of men began to multiply and to afflict their souls and hearts by transgressing and rebelling against God. They served other gods and made images of brass and iron, wood and stone, and they bowed down and served them.

Here's a little about Kenan. As each patriarch died, they were likewise embalmed and entombed in the family shrine. Thus, his successor would minister before the Lord on behalf of the children of God before the presence of his ancestors. Here's what Jasher records about him.

Guest (Male): Kenan was a very wise man and had understanding in all wisdom. And with his wisdom, he ruled over spirits and demons. And Kenan knew by his wisdom that God would destroy the sons of men for having sinned upon earth and that the Lord would in the latter days bring upon them the waters of the flood. In those days, Kenan wrote upon tablets of stone what was to take place in time to come, and he put them in his treasures.

Candace Long: Here's a little about Mahalalel. During his leadership, the sons of men became ever more corrupt. As he neared his death, here's what he prophesied to his son Jared.

Guest (Male): Hereafter, there shall come a great destruction upon this earth on account of the children of Cain. God will be angry with the world and will destroy them with waters. But I also know that your children will not harken to you and that they will go down from this mountain and mingle with the children of Cain, and they shall perish with them. Oh, my son, teach them and watch over them that no guilt attach to you on their account. Fulfill your ministry before them until you enter your rest yourself.

Candace Long: Before I tell you about Jared, I want you to pay particular attention to what happened during his leadership period because Jared was our sixth ancestor, which is a picture or a tavnit of day six. Remember the timeline that I discussed in the program titled "How Close Are We to the Kingdom?" This is a powerful tavnit and one which teaches us how to prepare for the kingdom, which is depicted and rehearsed year after year, week after week, day seven, the day that is all Sabbath, better known as the Day of the Lord.

Here's a little about Jared. True to his father's prophetic word, most of Jared's children abandoned the mountain of God and joined the sons of Cain in the valley. It was during his generation, in fact, that the Watchers—those were the angels that were given the assignment by God to watch over the sons of men—the Watchers left their heavenly estate and comingled their seed with the daughters of men or earthly women.

Many demonic manifestations took place during Jared's watch. There were apparitions, deception, and seduction. Here's what was written about him.

Guest (Male): As Jared was standing like a lion before the bodies of his fathers, praying and warning his people, Satan envied him and wrought or turned himself into a beautiful apparition because Jared would not let his children do anything without his counsel.

Candace Long: In other words, Jared started out strong, but he was unfamiliar with demonic seduction of this magnitude. In fact, at one point he was seduced to such an extent that he went down into the valley of Cain under the lie that these apparitions had been sent by Jared's forefathers.

When Jared saw the behavior of the children of Cain, his very soul wrenched itself from them. Neither would he taste of their food or of their drink. He wept and then spread his hands and prayed with a fervent heart and with much weeping and entreated God to deliver him from their hands. No sooner did Jared begin to pray than Satan fled with his companions, for they could not abide in a place of prayer. Jared wept and he prayed, "Lord, send your angel to draw me out of the midst of them for I do not have the power myself to escape from among them."

In his mercy, God sent his angel to lead Jared back up the mountain. But when he returned to the cave, he found the bodies of his ancestors thrown about and the lamp put out. Jared was heartbroken that he had failed in his guardianship of the children of God. Although the Lord forgave Jared and he was able to rekindle the lamp that shed light on the body of Adam, his children and grandchildren nevertheless began to go down from the holy mountain to mix with the children of Cain. Jared pleaded with tears and warned them what would happen if they did.

Guest (Male): Jared said, "Oh, my innocent and holy children, know that when once you go down from this holy mountain, God will not allow you to return again to it. The moment you leave it, you will be robbed of life and of mercy, and you shall no longer be called children of God but children of the devil." But they would not harken to his words. When they looked at the daughters of Cain, at their beautiful figures and at their hands and feet dyed with color and tattooed in ornaments on their faces, the fire of sin was kindled in them.

Satan also made the sons of Seth appear beautiful in the eyes of the daughters of Cain, so that the women lusted after the sons of Seth like ravenous beasts. But after the sons of Seth had thus fallen into this defilement, they returned by the way they had come and tried to ascend the holy mountain, but they could not because the stones of that mountain were of fire flashing before them.

Candace Long: Jared died in sorrow, but before he died he called his son Enoch, grandson Methuselah, his son Lamech, and great-great-grandson Noah to his bedside. That's five generations he called to his bedside and he foretold of the days to come. This concerns the time we are living in now, day six, the time period that comes right before the Day of the Lord.

Please keep in mind that these patriarchs were living with Jared on top of the mountain of God, and so the words that Jared speaks have very important application for us today.

Guest (Male): Oh, my sons, God will take you to a strange land and you shall never again return to behold with your eyes this garden and this holy mountain. Therefore, set your hearts on your own selves and keep the commandment of God which is with you. Unto him of you who shall be left shall the word of God come, and when he goes out of this land, he shall take with him the body of our father Adam and shall lay it in the middle of the earth, the place in which salvation shall come.

Then Noah said unto him, "Who is he of us that will be left?" And Jared answered, "You are he, Noah, and your son Shem who shall come out of your loins, he it is who shall lay the body of our Adam in the middle of the earth." Then Jared turned to his son Enoch and said, "You, my son, abide in this cave and minister diligently all the days of your life and feed your people in righteousness and innocence."

Candace Long: As Jared died, tears streamed down his face by reason of his great sorrow for all the children of Seth who had fallen in his days. The Lord is showing us that we are in the generation of Jared because he was the sixth patriarch from Adam. It was during Jared's time that evil permeated the earth, and the majority of the children of God left the holy mountain and joined the children of Cain in their wickedness. And all of them, except Noah and his family, died during the flood.

What happens though in day seven on our Hebrew timeline? If Jared, the sixth ancestor, is a picture of day six, then who is day seven? Enoch. And what happened to Enoch? He went up, which is exactly what happens to us the very moment that we reach day seven. We will be taken up for seven years at the resurrection, or what Christians refer to as the rapture, while God pours out his wrath on the earth during the birth pangs.

God has given us a magnificent picture or tavnit of the days ahead in the lives of our forefathers. This is our spiritual foundation and it spans almost 6,000 years. What happened to the children of God during Jared's leadership bears startling resemblance to our own time. Remember Jared's warning that he gave to his generation and what happened to them? Because I believe this is the warning that we must give today to our children, and it is this: If you go down the mountain and join the children of Cain, there is no escape. You will not be able to return.

I have seen in dreams that there is soon coming a time, if we're not here already, where the spirit of delusion will be so strong that those who fall to deception and defiling spirits will not be able to escape. These are the times that we are living in.

If you want to refer this program to others, you'll find it under my podcasts on my website at candacelong.com. I also want to refer you to the book from which this episode was taken. It's called Letters to Aleeah: A Personal Journey of Generational Healing, and you'll find it under my resources on my website at candacelong.com. Thanks so much for sharing your time with me. I hope you join me again next time for Lessons in the Latter Days.