Jehoshua is on the throne of David in New Jerusalem and He is the King of a New Israel
Psalm 2:7 (ASV)
7I will tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee. This is one of the most well known passages of scripture and the meaning and implications of this passage are often misunderstood by much of Christendom. Some teach that this passage refers to the eternal generation of Jehoshua. This would be a trinitarian understanding of this passage. Not all trinitarians hold to the eternal generation of the Son, however those that do believe Psalm 2:7 alludes to that doctrine. Others teach that Psalm 2:7 is a reference to Jehoshua being begotten from the Father's substance at some point in eternity past. This is taught by those of the semi-arian camp namely Pioneer Seventh day Adventism. Another school of thought on this verse is that it is speaking of a time in eternity where Jehoshua was created out of nothing by God the Father. This would be an Arian understanding of the Messiah. Some biblical Unitarian's (BU's deny preexistence) ascribe Psalm 2:7 to the virign birth. Many however, both of Unitarian and trinitarian (non eternal generationalists) persuasion believe Pslam 2:7 to be about the resurrection and ascension to glory of the Son of God. So what does the bible say about this verse in regards to when this took place? As always we need to let scripture interpret scripture: Acts 13:30-37 (ASV) 30But God raised him from the dead:31and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people.32And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers,33that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.34And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.35Because he saith also in another psalm, Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption.36For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:37but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Psalm 2:7 is qouted by Paul as being directly connected to the baptism of Jehoshua as that is squarely the context of the above passage. The virign birth is nowhere mentioned in this passage nor is any type of eternal begetting of the Son of God. Paul is stating that the baptism and ascension of Jehoshua is a fufillment of Psalm 2:7 which was the promise made to the Father's that Paul references. Verse 34 of Acts 13 then moves to the subject of the resurrection. There is no need to put the virign birth as the object of discussion in verse 33 as that would be out of place in context of the passage. Verses 35-37 continue to make mention of the resurrection of Messiah. There is no place for sneaking in an eternal begetting of Jehoshua into this passage, the same goes for the virgin birth. Sneaking either of those things into Acts 13:30-37 is robbing from the context of the aforementioned verses. The resurrection in is clear view all through the above verses. We will come back to verse 34 in regards to "the sure mercies of David". Romans 1:1-4 (ASV) 1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,2which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures,3concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,4who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord. In verse 4 of Romans 1 Paul connects the declaration of Jehoshua's Sonship with the resurrection. Paul is alluding to Psalm 2:7 here in verse 4. Jehoshua's resurrection was not when He became God's Son but it was when His pedigree as God's Son was declared with power. This was done by the agency of Jehovah God's Holy Spirit though the the event of the resurrection. Jehoshua had made His claim of Sonship long before the resurrection, this He did at 12 years old and also during the life of His earthly ministry. However, without being resurrected Jehoshua's claim of Sonship would have been empty. It was the resurrection event which validated His claim of Sonship hence Paul uses the word "declared". This word "declared" has a direct link to the word "begotten" as used in Psalm 2:7. The word "begotten" as used in Hebrew comes from the word "yalad" (Strongs 3205). The meaning of "yalad" has the traditional understanding of it's Greek counterpart "gennao" both are translated as "begotten" in the old and new testaments respectively. However "yalad" also has as it's meaning "to declare pedigrees", also another meaning is "to show lineage". Remember that Pslam 2:7 was likely written by David about himself directly and by extension any of the Davidic kings having it's full fufillment in Jehoshua. So when the psalmist writes: "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" The psalmist is not making a reference to literal birth saying that Jehovah's is literally giving birth to a son. The context of Psalm 2 shows that this is an exaltation passage very similar to Hebrews 1 which qoutes Psalm 2. Jehovah is exalting His anointed son to Kingship and setting him on His (Jehovah's) holy hill of Mt. Zion. So this passage has nothing to do with literal birth but rather Jehovah declaring His anointed son's pedigree (yalad strongs 3205- begotten) as king and son in other words begetting His son to kingship and affirming their Father-son covenant relationship. Jehovah here in Psalm 2:7 is declaring the pedigree of his anointed (chosen one), basically affirming his sonship and kingship. It's not that the anointed one is becoming Jehovah's son when the declaration is spoken but rather it is an affirmation from God that indeed this anointed one is His son and His chosen proxy king. Romans 1:4 parallels Psalm 2:7 "who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul 3 times in scripture connects Psalm 2:7 with the resurrection and not with the virgin birth or any type of eternal begetting. Paul's words above in Romans 1:4, which parallels Psalm 2:7, where he states "who was declared to be the Son of God with power" proves that Psalm 2:7 has nothing to do with Jehoshua (or any of the Davidic kings) becoming the Son of God when the declaration is spoken but rather that His (as well as the other Davidic kings) already existing Sonship is being affirmed by Jehovah God. Jehoshua had obviously claimed Sonship much earlier than His resurrection so Pslam 2:7 which Paul connects to Romans 1:4, which is specific to His resurrection and ascension, cannot possibly be referring to a beginning of Sonship. So Pslam 2:7 cannot in any way be used for the virign birth or any type of eternal begetting. The power of the resurrection and ascension of the Messiah was Jehovah God's declaration that Jehoshua's claim of Sonship was valid. Jehovah declared an already existing truth which is that Jehoshua was the Son of God. All Jehoshua's claims were vindicated by the resurrection. Matthew 1:18-21 and Luke 1:29-35 give us the origin of Jehoshua's Sonship which is the virign birth. In Psalm 2:7, Jehovah God is declaring the pedigree of Jehoshua's uniquely begotten Sonship i.e. the virign birth. Jehovah declared this with action which was Him raising His Son from the dead. Jehovah also declared the pedigree of Jehoshua's rightful Kingship at the ascension and exaltation of Jehoshua which followed the resurrection. The Davidic kings in the time of the old testament were adopted by Jehovah God as son's due to covenant relationship made with David (2 Samuel 7). So Psalm 2:7 applies to the resurrection of Jehoshua which declared His pedigree as God's Son and it also applies to the ascension of Jehoshua which delcared His pedigree as the King of Israel. How do we know that Pslam 2:7 also applies to a declaration of Kingship since only Sonship is mentioned? Let's look at the verse at the previous verse in Psalm 2: Psalm 2:6-7 (ASV) 6Yet I have set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion.7I will tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee. In connection with the begetting (declaring the pedigree) of Jehovah's anointed as His Son is the setting of the Son as King upon Zion (verse 6). The two go hand in hand, the Son being begotten by Jehovah God is equivalent to the Son be set as King upon Zion. This begetting then obviously has nothing to do with literal birth but as said before, a declaration of the pedigree of Jehovah God's Messiah. It's a coronation begetting of His Son into Kingship. The word "set" used in verse 6 in reference to "I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion" comes from the Hebrew word "nacak" (Strongs 5258) and means "to pour out, especially a libation, or to cast (metal); by analogy, to anoint a king: - cover, melt, offer (cause to) pour (out), set (up)." Obviously the appropriate understanding of "nacak (set)" as used in verse 6 is in regards to "anointing a king" as described in the meaning of the word. That is the context of the whole chapter, Jehovah establishing an Israelite King. Nacak can be understood to mean "to install into office", here denoting the installation of the new Davidic King. This word "nacak" is used elsewhere only in Proverbs 8:23 Proverbs 8:22-23 (ASV) 22Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.23I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was. The word "possessed" as used above in verse 22 is best rendered as "begotten" and used in the sense of "installation" similar to Psalm 2:6-7. In verse 23 of Proverbs 8 the word "set" (nacak) is used meaning that wisdom is established or set up. This is parallel to the announcement that the Son is begotten in Psalm 2:6-7. Here in proverbs 8:22-23, wisdom is "begotten" meaning installed and established i.e. set up. 1 Corinthians 1:24 24 but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Jehoshua is called the wisdom of God and as the very embodiment of Jehovah's wisdom He was set up (established) and begotten into office as King (Hebrews 1:5-9; Psalm 2:6-7). Proverbs 8:22-23 is a Messianic passage that prefigures the coming Son of God. In the Proverbs passage, Jehovah begets wisdom meaning He installs it, sets it up and establishes it into office for the purpose of creation. In Psalm 2:6-7 and Hebrews 1:5-9, Jehovah is begetting the manifestation of His wisdom, which is Jehoshua, into the office of King. Jehovah's begetting of wisdom in Proverbs 8 and His begetting of Jehoshua in Psalm 2 have nothing to do with literal birth but rather is a declaration of pedigrees installing His wisdom into office. In the case of Proverbs 8, wisdom is being installed (begotten) into the office of being the agent of creation. In this case wisdom is being spoken of poetically. In the case of Psalm 2 and Hebrews 1, Jehoshua as God's manifested wisdom is being installed (begotten) into the office of King. Wisdom in both cases is being "set up" i.e established by Jehovah God. One is being established as the agent of the Genesis creation and the other is being established as King and the agent of the new creation. Psalm 2:7 is also qouted in Hebrews 5 in reference to Jehoshua being established as the Melchizedek High Priest, again showing that Psalm 2:7 has nothing to do with literal birth but rather the pedigree of the Son of God's Priesthood being declared and thereby the establishment and installation of it. Hebrews 5:5-6 (ASV) 5 So Christ also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee:6as he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews is making a direct connection with Jehoshua being begotten and being installed into the office of High Priest. This declaration establishes Jehoshua as the heir of the throne of David. As such, He receives the office of High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek". Psalm 110:4 (ASV) 4Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. Jehovah's oath establishes the Messiah as King-Priest. Jehoshua's unique combination and function. He did not glorify Himself to this position but rather God ordained Him to the Melchizedek priesthood. The two offices of king and priest were never united in Israel's history; They were kept separate. This Psalm only refers to Jehoshua Messiah as this qouted in Hebrews 7 and applied to the only begotten Son of God. Hebrews 7:1 (ASV) Hebrews Chapter 7 1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of the Most High God. He was a king priest. Melchizedek forshadowed Jehoshua, who is King of Salem now called Jerusalem which is the new covenant Church. Jehoshua is also High Priest of Jehovah God. Hebrews 7:14-16 (ASV) 14For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests.15And what we say is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest,16who hath been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life: The author of Hebrews says that Jehoshua is after the likeness of Melchizedek meaning that He is both a King and a Priest and that His priesthood is of an eternal commandment (endless life through resurrection) and not of a carnal (temporal) commandment like the Levitical priests who's service ceases at death. Hebrews 7:3 (ASV) 3without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually. Jehoshua's priesthood is without genealogy meaning it is not of the Aaronic and Levi family line which was only a temporal priesthood. Jehoshua's priesthood is eternal and continues forever as a result of His resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven in the most holy place. Back now to Psalm 110:4, we see that Melchizedek is a fitting type for the Son of God, having a double role of king and priest (see Genesis 14:18). In ZECHARIAH 6 we see a prophecy of the future union of the offices of King and Priest: 9And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,10Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, whither they are come from Babylon;11yea, take of them silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;12and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah;13even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
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