What Old Testament prophecies connect to the resurrection message in Acts 4:2? The Resurrection Theme in Acts 4:2 • Peter and John were “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2). • Their claim rested solidly on prophecies God had already placed in Scripture, prophecies that pointed both to Messiah’s own rising and to the coming resurrection of all who belong to Him. Psalm 16:10-11 — The Holy One Will Not See Decay “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. You cause me to know the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” • David speaks as a prophet (Acts 2:29-31). • Only a bodily resurrection keeps the “Holy One” from corruption. • Peter had already quoted this psalm at Pentecost; the same truth undergirds the preaching in Acts 4. Psalm 2:7 and Psalm 110:1 — A Living, Exalted Son of David “I will proclaim the decree: The LORD said to Me, ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’” (Psalm 2:7) “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” (Psalm 110:1) • Resurrection is assumed: the enthronement of Messiah requires Him to be alive. • Acts 13:33 later ties Psalm 2:7 directly to the resurrection; the same logic informs Acts 4. Isaiah 53:10-12 — The Servant Lives Again to See His Seed “…He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand… After He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied.” • The Servant is slain, yet “prolongs His days.” • Peter alludes to this chapter in 1 Peter 2:24-25; its resurrection note supported his preaching in Jerusalem. Hosea 6:2 — Raised on the Third Day “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.” • A corporate promise to Israel that foreshadows Messiah’s third-day rising (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:4). • Fits the apostles’ testimony that Jesus’ resurrection guarantees ours. Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2 — The Resurrection of the Righteous and the Wicked “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and shout for joy!” (Isaiah 26:19) “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2) • Establish the general resurrection “of the dead,” the exact phrase echoed in Acts 4:2. • Jesus is proclaimed as the first to rise, securing this future event (Acts 26:23). Job 19:25-27 — Personal Hope Anchored in a Redeemer “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.” • Job’s confidence anticipates a bodily encounter with God, fulfilled first in Christ and then in all who trust Him. Ezekiel 37 — Life to Dry Bones “I will open your graves and bring you up from them, O My people… I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live.” (vv. 12-14) • Vivid picture of national and bodily resurrection. • Points forward to the Spirit-empowered life the apostles were already experiencing (Acts 4:31). Drawing the Threads Together • Peter and John could preach the resurrection without hesitation because the Scriptures they knew best—Law, Prophets, and Writings—had already promised it. • Jesus’ empty tomb is the fulfillment and firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20), proving every Old Testament line true. • The same prophetic foundation that strengthened the apostles now strengthens every believer’s hope: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). |
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