Shepherd's Chapel's Kenite doctrine, as presented in their free introductory CD The Mark of the Beast and studies such as Seed of the Serpent (#30461), Genesis, Chapters 1-6 (#30146), and Kenites (#30436), asserts that Eve had a sexual encounter with Satan, resulting in the birth of Cain, whose biological father is claimed to be Satan. According to this teaching, Cain's descendants are the Kenites mentioned in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Shepherd's Chapel identifies the scribes and Pharisees as literal descendants of Cain, claiming they secretly control the world through four "hidden dynasties" (political, religious, economic, and educational systems). They further assert that only churches teaching the Kenite doctrine possess the "Key of David" and can avoid deception in the end times.
This article examines the biblical texts used to support this doctrine, demonstrating that it lacks scriptural foundation and relies on a flawed, allegorical interpretation of Genesis 3.
Biblical Analysis of Genesis 3
The Kenite doctrine hinges on interpreting Genesis 3 as a sexual encounter between Eve and Satan. However, a straightforward reading of the text does not support this conclusion. Consider Genesis 3:3-6 (ESV):
But God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Shepherd's Chapel alleges that "eating the fruit" is an allegory for sexual relations, with the serpent (Satan) seducing Eve, and possibly Adam, given the text states he also ate. This interpretation faces several problems:
Context of Genesis 2: In Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV), God instructs Adam:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’
If "eating" symbolizes sex, this would imply God permitted Adam to engage in sexual relations with anything in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is absurd. The text clearly refers to literal eating, as God grants permission to consume fruit from any tree except the forbidden one.
Identification of the Serpent: The serpent, not the tree, is identified as Satan (Revelation 12:9). Even if the narrative were allegorical, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not Satan, undermining the claim of a sexual encounter.
Consequences of Disobedience: In Genesis 3:17 (ESV), God curses Adam:
And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, “You shall not eat of it,” cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.’
The curse relates to agriculture and labor, consistent with eating literal fruit, not sexual sin. The punishment aligns with the act of eating forbidden fruit, not a sexual act.
The Tree of Life: Genesis 3:22-23 (ESV) states:
Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—’ therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.
Shepherd's Chapel, in study #417 Elect, claims the tree of life is Jesus and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is Satan. If "eating" means sex, this would imply that eternal life requires sexual relations with the tree of life (Jesus), a notion Shepherd's Chapel denies but which follows logically from their interpretation. This highlights the inconsistency of their allegorical reading.
The narrative in Genesis 2-3 describes literal disobedience—eating forbidden fruit—resulting in the fall of humanity, not a sexual encounter.
Genesis 3:15 and the Protoevangelium
Shepherd's Chapel cites Genesis 3:15 (ESV) to support the Kenite doctrine:
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
They argue this refers to literal offspring of Satan through Cain. However, the text indicates the serpent’s seed is distinct from Eve’s, not derived from her. The "seed" of the serpent represents those who oppose God, while Eve’s seed culminates in Christ, as seen in the Protoevangelium—the first gospel announcement. This is clarified in 1 John 3:8-10 (ESV):
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Here, the "children of the devil" are those who persist in sin, not physical descendants of Satan. Genesis 3:15 distinguishes between spiritual allegiances, not biological lineages.
Cain’s Parentage
Shepherd's Chapel claims Cain is Satan’s son, but Genesis 4:1 (ESV) clearly states:
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.’
The phrase "Adam knew Eve" denotes sexual relations, and the immediate mention of conception and Cain’s birth confirms Adam as the father. Shepherd's Chapel argues Cain and Abel were twins, citing Genesis 4:2 (ESV):
And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
They interpret "again" (Hebrew yacaph) as indicating continuous labor, suggesting simultaneous births. However, yacaph means "to add" or "do again," indicating separate events, as seen in Genesis 30:24 and 38:5. Cain and Abel were not necessarily twins, and Genesis 4:1 confirms Adam as Cain’s father.
Additionally, Shepherd's Chapel notes Cain’s absence from Adam’s genealogy in Genesis 5, suggesting he is not Adam’s son. However, Genesis 5 focuses on the lineage leading to Noah, omitting both Cain and Abel. Genealogies in the Old Testament often exclude individuals irrelevant to the narrative (e.g., Genesis 5:4 mentions Adam’s other children). Cain’s separate genealogy reflects his exclusion from Noah’s line, not a different parentage.
Who Are the Kenites?
The Kenites appear in ten Old Testament verses (Genesis 15:19, Numbers 24:21, Judges 1:16, 4:11, 4:17, 5:24, 1 Samuel 15:6, 27:10, 30:29, 1 Chronicles 2:55) but never in the New Testament. Shepherd's Chapel identifies them as Cain’s descendants, but the Bible links them to Moses’ father-in-law, a Midianite (Judges 1:16, 4:11; Exodus 3:1). The name "Kenite" likely derives from Kenan, a descendant of Seth, not Cain. Furthermore, Cain’s descendants would have perished in the flood (2 Peter 2:5), as only Noah’s family survived.
New Testament Texts
Shepherd's Chapel cites several New Testament passages to support their doctrine, but these do not hold up under scrutiny:
Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43): Shepherd's Chapel claims the "tares" (weeds) are Kenites. Jesus’ explanation identifies the good seed as "sons of the kingdom" (believers), the tares as "sons of the evil one" (unbelievers), and the field as the world. The tares represent those who cause sin and break God’s law, not a specific lineage.
John 8:44: Shepherd's Chapel interprets Jesus’ statement, “You are of your father the devil,” as indicating the Jews were Satan’s physical descendants. However, John 8:37 and 8:56 confirm these Jews are Abraham’s physical offspring, while their spiritual allegiance aligns with the devil due to their rejection of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 11:3: They claim the Greek word exapataĊ ("deceived") means sexual seduction. However, exapataĊ appears in Romans 7:11, 16:18, 1 Corinthians 3:18, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3, always meaning deception, not sexual seduction. Substituting "sexually seduced" in these contexts yields nonsensical results.
Revelation 2:9 and 3:9: These verses mention those who “say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” Shepherd's Chapel interprets this as evidence of Kenites posing as Jews. However, the context of Smyrna and Philadelphia, with their Jewish and Roman persecution of Christians, suggests these “Jews” are physical Jews who spiritually align with Satan by opposing Christ, not a distinct race. The “Key of David” refers to Jesus’ authority (Isaiah 22:22), not a secret doctrine.
Addendum: Daniel 4 and Ezekiel 31
Shepherd's Chapel cites Daniel 4 and Ezekiel 31 to link Satan to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Daniel 4:20-22 (ESV), Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a tree is explicitly interpreted as representing himself:
The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived—it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
In Ezekiel 31:1-3, 18 (ESV), the cedar in Lebanon symbolizes Pharaoh and Assyria, using poetic imagery:
In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: “Whom are you like in your greatness? Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds.”’ ... ‘Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth; you shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.’
These passages use Hebrew poetic imagery common in prophetic books to describe human rulers and nations, not Satan. Even if a dual meaning were considered (though contextually unsupported), these texts do not prove a sexual encounter between Eve and Satan.
Implications and Dangers
While Shepherd's Chapel denies promoting racism, the Kenite doctrine fosters an “us versus them” mentality by alleging that certain Jews are Satan’s literal descendants controlling global systems. This teaching lacks biblical support and risks inciting division and prejudice. The Bible consistently distinguishes between believers and unbelievers based on faith, not physical lineage (1 John 3:10).
Conclusion
The Kenite doctrine misinterprets Genesis 3, ignores the clear statement of Cain’s parentage in Genesis 4:1, and misapplies New Testament texts. Genesis 3:15 and related passages contrast spiritual allegiances, not physical descendants of Satan. Christians should reject this doctrine as unbiblical and heed the call to discern truth through Scripture.
Soli Deo Gloria!