The figure Akim is a man known solely for his place in the royal lineage of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the opening chapter of the New Testament. He is one of the many links in the chain of God’s covenant promise to bring the Messiah through the line of David.
The Identity of Akim
- Location in Scripture: Akim is mentioned only once in the King James Version of the Bible, in the Genealogy of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew.
- Lineage: Akim is listed as an ancestor of Joseph, the husband of Mary, placing him in the royal line of King David.
- The King James Version (KJV) Scripture:“And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;” — Matthew 1:14 (KJV)
- Name Note: While the KJV uses the spelling Achim, other modern translations and the Greek original use Akim or Achim (Greek: Achím). The name is a shortened form of a Hebrew name like Jehoiakim or Jachin, meaning “The LORD establishes” or “The LORD raises up.”
Genealogical Significance
Akim’s brief mention is highly significant for Christian doctrine, as the purpose of Matthew’s genealogy is to prove the legal and royal right of Jesus to the throne of David.
- Post-Exilic Period: Akim lived in the period after the Babylonian captivity. The generations listed here, from Zerubbabel to Joseph, represent the long, silent era where the Jewish people awaited the restoration of the kingdom and the coming of the promised King.
- Connecting the Covenants: Every name in the list, though obscure, proves God’s faithfulness to the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. Akim’s life, though undocumented, was a necessary step in the meticulous, unbroken preservation of the kingly line leading directly to the birth of Christ.
Prophetic Hotspot: The Established Line
The prophetic importance of Akim is rooted in the very meaning of his name, which points to God’s unwavering commitment: “The LORD establishes.”
- This mirrors the promise given to David:”And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” — 2 Samuel 7:16 (KJV)
- Akim’s place in the genealogy, following the great Old Testament figures, is a quiet testament to the enduring nature of this prophecy. Even during a period of obscurity and foreign rule, God was secretly working through individuals like Akim to establish the legal line that would ultimately bring forth the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The Return Question: The Unseen Foundation
Question for Discussion: Akim is a largely unknown figure whose sole recorded purpose was to be a necessary, generational link in the royal bloodline, fulfilling God’s overarching plan for The Lord’s Return (His first coming). In the Church today, what value do we place on believers whose work is not seen on the “front lines” but whose consistent, quiet, and faithful efforts form the essential unseen foundation—the “Akim generation”—upon which the great work of God is established, and how do their lives encourage our long-term expectation of Christ’s final, glorious return?