The Ongoing Revolt

The Second Psalm is a key messianic passage applied to Jesus in the New Testament. When were its predictions fulfilled? Is the Messiah reigning presently on David’s Throne, or are we still waiting for his coronation at a future date? What about the “revolt” of nations and kings against God’s “Anointed One”?

We do not have to search far for answers. For example, in his gospel account and the Book of Acts, Luke applied these predictions to the arrest, trial, and execution of Jesus.

[Photo by Yoal Desurmont on Unsplash]

When the Temple authorities attempted to suppress the fledgling church in Jerusalem, the congregation prayed for “boldness” to proclaim the Gospel. In his prayer, Peter reiterated that the same authorities venting their rage against the assembly also plotted to kill Jesus, and he applied words from the Second Psalm to this latest conflict.

• (Acts 4:23-28) – “O Sovereign! You are he that made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all things that are therein, Who, by our father, through means of the Holy Spirit, even by the mouth of David your servant, said, Unto what end did THE nations revolt, and peoples busy themselves with empty things? The kings of the earth stationed themselves, and the rulers were gathered together with one intent against the Lord and against his Christ. For they were gathered, of a truth, in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with them of the nations and peoples of Israel; to do whatsoever your hand and your counsel marked out beforehand to come to pass.”

Peter followed the Greek text of the Septuagint version of the Second Psalm where the verb translated as “gathered together” is sunagō, the same term used in Acts to describe the Temple authorities hauling the Apostles before their “gathering” for interrogation:

• “It came to pass upon the morrow, that there were gathered together of them the rulers and the elders and the scribes in Jerusalem” - (Acts 4:5-7).

The same leaders of the Temple who conspired to destroy Jesus “came together” to stop the newly formed congregation. In doing so, they continued their “revolt against the Lord and his anointed one.”

Peter assigned responsibility for Christ’s death to Herod, Pontius Pilate, the nations, and the people of Israel. They all “gathered together” against the “holy child” when they rejected Yahweh’s Messiah and became complicit in his death.

The same language is applied to the conspiracy by the priestly authorities to destroy Jesus in the synoptic gospels. For example, “all the High Priests and Elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death” - (Matthew 27:1-2).

In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached to a crowd about “Jesus, the Nazarene” whom they slew. God raised from the dead and exalted him to rule from His Throne, having made him “both Lord and Christ,” the very one whom “you crucified” - (Acts 2:23-39).

Similarly, in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia, Paul declared, “They who were dwelling in Jerusalem and their rulers,” even though they found Jesus guilty of no crime, delivered him to Pontius Pilate for execution. However:

• “God raised him from among the dead,” and thereby fulfilled the “promise made to our fathers by raising Jesus: as also in the second psalm it is written — My son you are, I, this day, have begotten you.”

HIS ENTHRONEMENT

The enthronement of the Son is linked to the declaration by Yahweh: “I, this day, have begotten you” in the Second Psalm - (Acts 13:23-36, Psalm 2:7-9, 110:1).

• (Psalm 2:6-9) – “Yet I have installed my king on Zion my holy mountain. Let me tell of a decree, Yahweh said to me, My son You arE. I, THIS day, have begotten YOU. Ask of me and let me give nations as your inheritance and as your possession the ends of the Earth. You will shepherd them with a scepter of iron, as a potter’s vessel, you will dash them in pieces.”

The same promise is featured in the Letter to the Hebrews. Its opening paragraph describes how God spoke with fullness in His “Son,” who, “having achieved the purification of sins, sat down on the right hand” of God.  His exaltation is connected to his resurrection, and the Psalm is cited to substantiate the claim:

• (Hebrews 1:3-5) – “…by so much becoming superior to the angels, by as much as, going beyond them, he inherited a more distinguished name. For to which of the angels said he ever, My Son arE You. I, this day, have begotten YOUR?” – (also, Hebrews 5:5-8).

Finally, the Book of Revelation declares that Jesus is the “Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the Dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” His present exalted position is linked to his past Death and Resurrection. He is the “Firstborn of the Dead” and the one who “loosed us out of our sins by his blood.”

The clause alludes to the Second Psalm when “The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers took counsel together against Yahweh and his Messiah” - (Revelation 1:4-6).

God promised to give his Son the “nations for your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron.” The Book of Revelation applies this promise to Jesus in his present position. Already, God’s “Anointed One” reigns over the Earth and its “Kings” from the Throne - (see, also, Revelation 2:26-27, 12:5).

Thus, the New Testament applies the predictions of the Second Psalm to the conspiracy by the Temple leaders to destroy Jesus, and later persecutions against the Church. The same forces that plotted to kill Jesus are continuing their revolt against him and his reign by attacking his saints. His messianic reign and the rebellion against him are present realities.

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