In the previous segments, we looked at five prophecies that are quoted by or quoted by Peter or alluded to by him that we see in Peter's speeches in Acts 2 and 3, and we also see in 1 Peter. And I want to turn now to two more prophecies about the resurrection that are referenced in the New Testament.
And first, as I was reading through the book of Acts and looking at everything Peter said, and looking at all the prophecies and details, in Acts chapter 1, we have an account of the apostles replacing Judas starting in Acts 1, starting in verse 16. This is, of course, Judas had committed suicide and they need to replace him to bring the number back up to 12.
Peter says, " Men and brethren, this scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered with us and obtained a part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle with all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem.
So the field is called in their own language Akeldama, which is Field of Blood. For it is written in the Book of Psalms, let his dwelling place be desolate and let no one live in it and let another take his office. So Peter explains that the one who was numbered with them and was part of their ministry needs to be replaced. And he quotes from two Psalms of David. He quotes from Psalm 69, which has several things related to the crucifixion. " Let his dwelling place be desolate and let no one live in it.
" And then the other psalm that Peter quotes from is Psalm 109 in verse 8, " Let another take his office. " And the word that's used for office there is the same word used for bishop or overseer. And I've seen it translated some translations bishopric, the Office of a Bishop. And in Psalm 109, if you're reading a Bible based on Septuagint designated Psalm 108, goes into great detail about the treachery of Judas and the curses that would come on him as a result.
So even the story of Judas betraying Jesus is mentioned at least three places in the Old Testament. It describes the treachery of Judas, that David is speaking in the first person as being falsely accused. And of course, he's representing Jesus who is in his body. And he says, " He is subject to false accusations, however he continues to pray. He's a man of love, yet his enemies hate him without reason. And he speaks of one sinner who would have the devil standing in his right hand.
That sinner's days would end quickly. He dies a young man. Another would receive his office. And this one persecuted the poor and needy. Recall how Judas was stealing from the treasury for the poor, and his lineage would be cursed. And Peter, when he says he was numbered with us in connection with Judas, he was saying he's really one of the inner circle. He's one of the twelve apostles.
But I noticed in addition to these two Psalms that reference Judas ' betrayal of Jesus, there is one more Psalm that Jesus speaks about. In John 13, " When Jesus is washing the feet of the disciples and the night of the Last Supper, " he gets in a discussion with Peter about being clean. And he says, " All of them spiritually are clean except for one of them. " And he says that one of his chosen ones would betray him. In John 13:18, he says, " I do not speak concerning all of you.
I know whom I have chosen, but that the scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. " That's John 13:18. So Jesus is quoting a prophecy about Judas here. " He who eats bread with me has lifted his heel against me. " And the scripture that Jesus is referring to is from Psalm 41. So I want to take a look at Psalm 41, which I believe is a Psalm that talks about the resurrection of Jesus also. This is the one that he quotes himself.
And it says, " He used the expression to lift your heel up against someone as a figure of speech. He lifts his heel up against me. Maybe he deceived the person. " Or maybe we might say the person went behind my back or they're a back stabber. They stabbed me in the back with a knife. A figure of speech to mean someone who's deceptive. So I want to read from that psalm.
Since Jesus himself points to it as referring to the struggle as referring to the struggle between himself and Judas when he was going to be betrayed. So I'm going to read from Psalm 41 verses 7 to 13 and the Septuagint is Psalm 40 verses 8 to 14. So think about this and think about Jesus quoting from this psalm at the time that Judas is about to betray him, " All my enemies whisper together against me. Against me, they devise evil for me. They testify a lawless word against me.
Since he is asleep, will he rise up again? For even the man of my peace and whom I hoped who ate my bread dealt deceptively with me. But you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up and I will repay them. By this, I know you were pleased with me because my enemy did not rejoice over me. And because of my innocence, you supported me and established me before you forever. Blessed is the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen, amen.
So we know that this applies to Jesus because Jesus quotes it and applies it to the conflict between Himself and Judas. So what do we learn from this? It says, " All my enemies whisper against me and they devise evil against me. " And then there's the enigmatic expression that says, " Since he is asleep, will he rise up again? The man of my peace in whom I hoped who ate my bread shall deal deceptively with me. And literally, it has lifted up his heel against me in the Brenton's translation of Septuagint.
" But you raise me up and I will repay them. " So let's think about the elements of this prophecy. David is speaking in the first person, but then David was speaking in the first person in Psalm 16 about, " You will not leave my soul in Hades. " So once again, this can refer to the Christ since it didn't apply to David, since these things didn't happen in David's own life. So his enemies are gathered together or conspiring against him. This is Psalm 2, basically.
" And his enemies say he is asleep, will he rise again? " So what do you think that might be referring to? Well, sleep is used throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament as a metaphor for death. So when the word sleep is used in the Scriptures, you have to think, is it talking about literal sleep or is the expression being used figuratively to refer to death? And 2 Samuel 7, this is the prophecy that was given to David.
Literally, what it says is, " And it will happen if your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise your descendants from you who will come from your own body and I will establish His kingdoms. " Obviously, in that passage, the word sleep, we know from context is referring to death. After death, David is sleeping with his fathers. He's not getting into bed with his ancestors. Obviously, he's talking about the sleep of death there.
Daniel 12:2, " Many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to disgrace and everlasting shame. " Sleeping in the dust of the earth. It's not talking about making a pile of dust and then diving under and taking a nap. It's talking about being buried under the earth. Famous account in John chapter 11, " When Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from the dead. " He says, " Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up. " And of course, the apostles take him literally.
He's speaking figuratively. They say, " Lord, if he sleeps, he'll get well, let's leave him alone, let him sleep. " But Jesus is speaking of his death, but they thought he was taking rest in sleep in John 11 verses 11 to 13. And Matthew 27, verses 51 to 52, verse, you probably don't think about that very much, but it talks about what happened after Jesus died. Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, the rocks were split.
The graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. So obviously from context, the tombs are opened up and those who've fallen asleep is talking about people who've died. And in Acts 7, where Stephen is stoned, he speaks his final words and it says he fell asleep. It's a poetic, figurative way of saying that he died. He gave up his spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4:15, Paul says, " We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
" So again, sleep is referring to death. So basically, many times throughout the scripture, sleep is used as a metaphor for death. So when we see the word sleep, we have to think, is this talking natural sleep, physical sleep, or is it speaking about death? So we go back to the example of Psalm 41 when it says, " He is asleep, will anyone raise him up? " So what do you think that's talking about there in the language of prophecy?
So keep in mind that sometimes whether it means natural sleep or it's referring to death is not always apparent to the reader at first glance. The apostles didn't get it. So the word sleep can be used to create a riddle where a word has two meanings. And you have to figure out which one is intended literal or figurative. And the apostles clearly didn't get it in the story of Lazarus when he had died and were using that language about sleep. So back to 40, 41. So the enemies of David are saying, " He is asleep.
Will he rise again? " So do you think they're saying the enemies are saying, " He's taking a nap. I wonder if he's going to get up. " Is that what they're talking about? I don't think so. That doesn't make any sense. I can't imagine why someone's enemies would be wondering, saying, " He's snoozing now. I wonder if he's going to get up from his nap. " So this is a prophecy about the resurrection. The resurrection of one who would be betrayed by a close friend he shared his bread with.
And the enemies want to know, is he going to raise from the dead? And particularly one deceitful enemy who lifts up his heel against him. And the deceiver is described as a man of my peace. And so that's the description of Judas, the one who Jesus gave the bread to. When they want to know who it was, Jesus in John chapter 13 verses 24 to 26 says, " One of the disciples leaning on Jesus ' breast said, ' Lord, who is it? " Jesus answered, I mean, who's the one who's going to deceive you?
He is the one to whom I shall give a piece of bread. When he dipped it and having dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And then Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, you know the man of peace. Deceiver is described as a man of peace, the one who deceived him with a kiss of peace. And also in Psalm 41, he says he's asleep. Will he be raised up? And he asks by God. He asks that God will raise him up so that he can repay his enemies.
Well, Jesus vanquished his enemies, Satan and death by triumphing over them in the cross and the resurrection. I think of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 15 to 25 to 26, that Jesus will reign until he put all his enemies under his feet and the last one to be destroyed is death. And he was, as it says in 41, the Lord raised him up and delivered him because of his innocence, because he had no sin that God could raise him up from the dead. He was tempted as Hebrew says Hebrews 4:15.
He was tempted all points as we are without sin. 1 Peter 1 says, " He was the Lamb without blemish and without spot. He was completely innocent and he would be established by the Lord forever. Finally, as it says in Psalm 41, that Christ is seated at the right hand of God, reigning over the kingdom that will never end. I want to take a look now at a seventh prophecy, and this is one that I stumbled on fairly recently, and I was reading through Acts in Acts chapter 15, and let's turn there.
In Acts chapter 15, of course, this is the Jerusalem Council and dispute in the church in Acts 15, the apostles are wrestling with the question, Gentiles are coming to the faith, what do we do with them? Do we have to circumcise them? Do they have to follow the law of Moses? Do they have to become Jews first? What do we do with Gentiles who are coming to the faith? And this happens after the conversion of Cornelius ' household. Paul's ministry is beginning and he's impacting Gentiles.
So Peter and Paul and Barnabas speak first at this conference of the apostles in Jerusalem. And they're relating how they have seen Gentiles coming to the faith. And Peter, in his case, is talking about how God sent an angelic vision to him. And he saw the Holy Spirit poured out on the Gentiles. So they're giving evidence for the fact that it appears that God wants the gospel to go to the Gentiles without them having to become Jews first. The last one to speak is James. And he closes down the discussion here.
And he closes it down not by citing a personal revelation or some experience that he had. He closes down the discussion by quoting a prophecy and explaining the significance of it. And I want you to think through this prophecy, what it really is saying here, because I've missed this for years. Let's start reading Acts 15:12, " Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.
And after they become silent, James answered saying, " Men and brethren, listen to me. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this, the words of the prophets agree just as it is written. " And here he quotes from Amos chapter 9. " After this I will return and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. And I will rebuild its ruins and I will set it up so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord.
Even all the Gentiles who were called by my name says the Lord who does all these things. Known to God from eternity are all his works. Therefore, I judge that we should not trouble those among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled and from blood. Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.
So James, and this is not James, the apostles, James brother of Lord, leader of the church in Jerusalem, speaking last and closes the case in favor of accepting the Gentile converts into the faith and saying that they don't have to follow all the law of Moses and they don't have to follow the requirement for circumcision. They just have to follow these four specific requirements. And he's quoting from Amos chapter 9. Here his quote follows the Septuagint Masoretic texts are similar.
His quote and the point that he's making really follow the Septuagint more closely. And here in the Septuagint, it says here verse 17, " So the rest of mankind may seek the Lord. " Now, the significance of what James is saying from the Amos 9 quote. He says, " The tabernacle of David has fallen down and is in ruins and the Lord will raise it up and then after this, all the rest of mankind, the Gentiles will seek the Lord and be called by His name. " So the Tabernacle of David.
Now like sleep can have multiple meanings. Sleep can mean you know physical sleep or it can mean death. Same thing with Tabernacle. The word tabernacle is used. The word tabernacle just means tent, basically. That's all it means. So tabernacle is a tent. And the special tent of meeting that was erected in the wilderness under the time of Moses. God gave instructions at Mount Sinai. That's referred to as we refer to that as the tabernacle, but that's basically a word means tent.
But also the word tabernacle is used throughout scriptures as a metaphor for a person's body. Let me give you a few examples. And second, Peter, Peter says, " I think it's right as long as I'm in this tent to stir you up by reminding you. Knowing shortly I must put off my tent just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. " So he's using the word tent is referring to his body. I'm going to put aside my tent.
And the idea was under the old tabernacle arrangement that there was a portable fabric structure, the tabernacle, which was replaced in the time of Solomon with a permanent structure of building. And that is foreshadowing how our tabernacle or tent, our physical bodies, will be replaced by the resurrected body. So we're here for a short time and it's going to be replaced by something that's permanent and lasting a permanent structure. I consider also what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 verses 1 to 4.
He uses a similar imagery here. He says, " For we know that if our earthly house, this tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation, which is from heaven. If indeed having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Again, that's 2 Corinthians 5 verses one to four. So the tabernacle is used as a metaphor tent of referring to our bodies. So he says here that the tabernacle of David has fallen down and was in ruins. So what is that referring to? Now, why would someone refer to the tabernacle of David? David didn't build the tabernacle. He didn't even build the he didn't build the tabernacle. He didn't build the temple either. The temple was built by Solomon and Moses gave the tabernacle.
So what is he referring to the tabernacle of David? Well, if Tabernacle there, the tent of David is the body of David. And David there refers to the seed of David, the Christ as we've seen in other prophecies. This is talking about the tabernacle, the body of the Tabernacle of David. It's the body of Christ has fallen down and is in ruins referring to the death of Jesus and the burial of Jesus. But God will raise it up and restore it. And then after it is raised up, the Gentiles would seek the Lord.
So this is the point that Peter the point that James is making here. He says, " Okay, Christ has died and been raised up as it's explained in beautiful language in the prophecy, the tabernacle of David which has fallen down has been restored, therefore the Gentiles will seek the Lord. " So that's the point that he's making is this was fulfillment of prophecy that the first part of it we've seen and now we should expect the second part is the Gentiles coming to the Lord directly.
So although the point he's not the main point that James is making is not about that this is about the resurrection. It's clear to me that that's how he understood it. And after thinking about that, I stumbled onto a quote from Irenaeus, an early Christian writer who made essentially the same point. In speaking about prophecies related to the resurrection, he mentions this prophecy from Amos rather prominently, the one that James, the brother of Jesus quotes. And this is from proof of the apostolic preaching.
This is two quotes there. The first one, " And he showed forth the resurrection, becoming himself the firstborn from among the dead, and raised in himself, prostrate man, being lifted up to the heights of heaven, at the right hand of the glory of the Father as God had promised through the prophet, saying, " I will raise up the tabernacle of David that's fallen. " That's from Amos 9. That is, the body sprung from David.
And this was in truth accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ in the triumph of our redemption that He raised us in truth, setting us free to the Father. That's from Proof of Apostolic Preaching chapter 38. And then another quote from chapter 62, he talks about this prophecy again. " Therefore again the prophet says, " this is after he's quoting several prophecies about Christ and the resurrection. He says, " Therefore again, the prophet says, " In that day, I'll raise up the tabernacle of David that has fallen.
Clearly is he declaring the body of Christ, born as we said before, of David, as raised after death from the dead. For that body is called a tabernacle. For these passages, both he who according to the flesh was of the seed of David, the anointed, meaning of Christ, would be the Son of God, and then after His death, He would rise again. And then He would be in figure man, but in power God, that He would be a judge of the whole world, and a sole worker of justice and redeemer, all that's been declared by Scripture.
That's from chapter 62 of proof of apostolic preaching. So wonderful hidden prophecy here that James is pointing out and Irenaeus is confirming it all completely makes sense that the prophecy that after Christ died and was raised up again, figuratively spoken of as the tabernacle that had fallen down and was raised in ruins and was raised up again, that the Gentiles would seek the Lord. This is the gospel going out to the Gentiles.
And that was what settled the matter in terms of the acceptance of the Gentiles into the faith. So we've covered seven wonderful prophecies so far that are referenced in the New Testament that speak about the resurrection. In the next lesson, I want to talk about, in the next segment, I want to talk about other prophecies about the resurrection that were seen by the early Christian writers that may not be mentioned specifically in the New Testament.