HT – Peter and the Apostle Paul’s Teachings about the Prophecy of King David – 하나님의 교회 예수증인회 Church of God Jesus Witnesses

Peter and the Apostle Paul’s Teachings about the Prophecy of King David

Peter’s teachings

The apostles of the early church never taught the prophecies of the throne of David in connection with 40 years of physical David’s reign. The apostles, on the other hand, strongly declared that Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecy of the throne of David by resurrecting and becoming eternal king.

<Act2:29-32> “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

When Peter was moved by the Pentecostal Spirit, he preached the prophecy that Christ would sit on the throne of David was fulfilled through Jesus’ resurrection. King David reigned forty years and died and entered the tomb, but Jesus, the spiritual David, was resurrected and reigned forever.

Peter said that if Jesus died and did not rise again, he could not be called a savior because he had nothing to do with the prophecy of David’s throne. Peter cried out that Jesus became the protagonist of King David’s prophecy and the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament because Jesus ascended and sat at the right hand of God.

Do not miss a single letter of Peter’s long sermon (Acts 2: 14–40), but carefully listen to it several times. You will find that Peter is preaching about David’s prophecy (Isa. 9: 6–7, Luke 1:32) in Acts 2:30.

Isaiah said that the throne of David that Jesus would receive was eternal. Therefore, we should not apply the Davidic reign (40 years) directly to Jesus. Such a claim is contrary to the teaching of the apostles.

<Isa9:6-7> For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

<Psa89:3-4> You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ” Selah

Thus Isaiah or the Psalms foretold that Jesus would sit on David’s throne and preserve it forever. Luke also describes David’s throne in the same sense.

<Luk1:32-33> He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

What a direct and clear teaching this is! Peter emphasized in a confident tone that the Old Testament prophecy of David’s throne prophesied that Jesus would rise and rule the kingdom of God as an eternal king.

<Act5:30-31> The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead–whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

Apostle Paul’s Teachings

<Act13:32-37> “We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ” ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: ” ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ So it is stated elsewhere: ” ‘You will not let your Holy One see decay.’ “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

This verse shows the apostle Paul testifying of Jesus in Antioch.

The apostle Paul testified of the distinction between physical David and the prophetic David Jesus. The difference is whether he died and was in the grave with his ancestors or whether he was resurrected from the grave.

In this verse, as the apostle Paul described as “the holy and sure blessings promised to David” (Acts 13:34), he intended to mention about the prophecy of Isaiah 55:3, that is, “I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David”.

The apostle Paul interpreted the prophecy of the throne of David, and directly explained that the prophecy meant that God would raise up Jesus(Acts 13:34) from death.

King David’s prophecy fulfilled by the resurrection of Jesus Christ

As we have seen, Peter taught that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 9: 6–7, the throne of King David. And the Apostle Paul also taught that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 55: 3 (the sure grace granted to David). And it is important that the apostles marked Jesus’ resurrection as a spiritual David.

It is only a hypothesis by the imagination that WMSCOG interprets the throne of David as a 40-year reign suspended by the death of physical David. And that hypothesis is so contrary to the teaching of the apostles.

I would recommend it to my readers. Read over and over again Peter’s sermons (Acts 2: 14–42) and the apostle Paul’s teachings (Acts 13: 16–41). Both apostles cried out that the throne of David’s prophecy was fulfilled through Jesus, with the key evidence that Jesus was raised from death.

David’s 40-year reign represents the opposite of Jesus

The apostles emphasized that Jesus’ resurrection was an evidence of the fulfillment of prophecy, the throne of David. On the other hand, they explained that the historic death of David into the tomb was a symbol of opposition to Jesus.

<Act2:29-31> “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.

<Act13:36-37> “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

Faithful love promised to David is a new covenant, and through the covenant God swears to David: “I will establish David’s throne forever and ever.” It was a promise to Jesus, the prophetic David. The fleshly David finished his kingship as a king for 40 years, but the throne of David that Jesus received must be eternal.