Atos 13:32-37

Paul supported the fulfillment of this promise by quoting three Old Testament Messianic passages: Psalms 2:7 (Acts 13:33), Isaiah 55:3 (Acts 13:34), and Psalms 16:10 (Acts 13:35; cf. Acts 2:27). These Old Testament texts all found fulfillment in the raising up of Jesus. However, Paul used "raised up" in two different senses in this speech. In Acts 13:33; Acts 13:37 he spoke of God raising up Jesus as the promised Messiah. Psalms 2:7 refers to God similarly raising up David as Israel’s king. Second, Paul spoke in Acts 13:30; Acts 13:34 of God raising up Jesus from the dead.

"The ’virgin tomb’ (John 19:41) was like a ’womb’ that gave birth to Jesus Christ in resurrection glory." [Note: Wiersbe, 1:458.]

Jesus was always the Son of God ontologically [with regard to His being], but God declared Him to be His Son when He raised Him from the dead and made Him the Davidic ruler (Psalms 2:7). Similarly God had declared David His son when He made David ruler over Israel (cf. 2 Samuel 7:10-14).

Progressive dispensationalists believe that Paul meant that Jesus is now ruling over David’s kingdom. [Note: See Blaising, Progressive Dispensationalism, p. 177; and Saucy, The Case . . ., p. 68. ] Though there are connections with Jesus’ enthronement as the Davidic King in these Old Testament passages, it seems clear from Paul’s emphasis on God raising up Jesus in Acts 13:30-37 that he was using these passages to show that Jesus’ resurrection proved that He is the Davidic King, not that He has begun to reign as the Davidic King. Here Paul said nothing explicitly about Jesus’ reigning as Israel’s King, but he said much about Jesus’ being Israel’s King.

"Paul did not say Jesus is now ruling over the kingdom of David, but only that the Son of David is now in a position to rule forever when He returns." [Note: Rogers, "The Davidic . . . Acts-Revelation," p. 75.]

Since Jesus rose from the dead, God can give people the blessings that He promised would come through David (Acts 13:34; Isaiah 55:3; cf. Acts 2:25-32). The blessings mentioned in this Old Testament passage are those of the New Covenant. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead and did not undergo decay proves that He is the Holy One of whom David spoke in Psalms 16:10 (Acts 13:35).

Paul’s argument was that God had raised up David and had promised a Savior from his posterity. God had fulfilled that promise by raising up Jesus as the Messiah, whom He identified as His Son by raising Him from the dead. [Note: Cf. Neil, p. 159.]