The Fifth Rib

By Prophet Jacob R. Blandford

 

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." (Genesis 2:18-24 KJV)

 

Adam was the son of God. (Luke 3:38) We know from this passage that Eve was created from Adam’s rib.  Adam and Eve were husband and wife.

 

This is a typological picture of a New Testament truth.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the Second or Last Adam. (1 Cor. 15:45, 47)  Jesus Christ’s bride is the Christian church (see Romans 7:4; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. Chapter 5).  The church was also created by Christ’s rib when He was pierced in His side.  Christ’s blood provided the atonement necessary for us sinners to be saved and redeemed.

 

Now an odd thing happens in the book of 2 Samuel.  The phrase “the fifth rib” shows up exactly 4 times. (2 Sam. 2:23, 3:27, 4:6, 20:10).  I wonder why four times?  Maybe because there are 4 Gospels; and Jesus Christ’s rib is pierced in the 4th Gospel (Saint John) (see John 19:34).  And why the “FIFTH” rib?  Because the church is born in the FIFTH book of the New Testament!  Acts Chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost!

 

Moreover, in Genesis, Adam said “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh”.  That’s the same thing Apostle Paul said about us Christians in Ephesians 5:30! (see also 2 Samuel 5:1, 19:13) And notice the last phrase in Genesis chapter 2; it says Adam and Eve “were not ashamed”.  Again Paul said, “Whosoever believeth on him shall NOT BE ASHAMED." (Romans 9:33, 10:11)