What is the meaning of Acts 13:34?

In fact, God raised Him from the dead

• The statement anchors Paul’s sermon in Antioch (Acts 13:16-41) on the historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus.

• Scripture treats the resurrection as an undeniable fact, not symbolism (Acts 2:24, 32; 1 Corinthians 15:4).

• God’s direct action shows that Jesus’ death was not a tragedy outside His will but the fulfillment of His redemptive plan (Isaiah 53:10-11; Romans 4:25).

• Because the Father raised the Son, believers gain:

– Absolute assurance that Jesus is the promised Messiah (Acts 17:31).

– Confidence that the same power will raise us (Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 1:3).

---

never to see decay

• Paul echoes Psalm 16:10, “You will not let Your Holy One see decay,” applying it to Jesus (Acts 2:27).

• David’s own tomb proved he eventually “saw decay” (Acts 2:29), so the verse must point to One greater than David.

• Jesus’ body lay in the grave only “three days” (Matthew 12:40), far too short to experience decomposition, fulfilling the prophecy literally.

• The resurrection breaks the power of death permanently (Revelation 1:18), guaranteeing the believer’s future incorruptibility (1 Corinthians 15:52-54).

---

As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

• Paul cites Isaiah 55:3, linking the resurrection to the everlasting covenant God made with David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:28-37).

• “Holy and sure” underscores that the promises are:

– Holy—set apart by God’s character.

– Sure—unbreakable, now ratified by the empty tomb (2 Corinthians 1:20).

• Those blessings include:

– An eternal throne for David’s heir—fulfilled in the risen Jesus who reigns forever (Luke 1:32-33; Revelation 22:16).

– Salvation extended to the nations (Isaiah 55:5; Acts 13:47).

• Because Jesus lives eternally, every covenant promise remains alive for all who trust Him (Hebrews 13:20-21).

---

summary

Acts 13:34 ties Jesus’ resurrection to two Old Testament promises: Psalm 16:10’s pledge that God’s Holy One would not decay and Isaiah 55:3’s assurance of Davidic blessings. By raising Jesus, the Father confirmed Him as the imperishable Messiah and guaranteed the everlasting covenant. The verse invites believers to rest in the finished, bodily resurrection of Christ, knowing that God’s promises are holy, sure, and eternally secure.