New Page 1

The United Testimony of the Old Testament

Passage To Study: Acts 3:17-26

17“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’24Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 25You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

(Verse 17) - And now, brethren - Though they had been guilty of a crime so enormous, yet Peter shows the tenderness of his heart in addressing them still as his brethren. He regarded them as of the same nation with himself; as having the same hopes, and as being entitled to the same privileges. The expression also shows that he was not disposed to exalt himself as being by nature more holy than they. This verse is a remarkable instance of tenderness in appealing to sinners. It would have been easy to have reproached them for their enormous crimes; but that was not the way to reach the heart. He had indeed stated and proved their wickedness. The object now was to bring them to repentance for it; and this was to be done by tenderness, kindness, and love. People are melted to contrition, not by reproaches, but by love.

I wot - I know; am well apprised of it. I know you will affirm it, and I admit that it was so. Still the enormous deed has been done. It cannot be recalled, and it can not be innocent. It remains, therefore, that you should repent of it, and seek for pardon. This is an important point for us to understand. We seem to think that the admission of thing erases its debt and its penalty can thus be forgone. Not so! The crucifixion of Christ is a tremendous case in point. Peter understood that these had taken their part in that act out of ignorant unbelief, but yet they were still culpable for it and would suffer God’s judgment if they did not repent and be converted!

That through ignorance - Peter does not mean to affirm that they were innocent in having put him to death, for he had just proved the contrary, and he immediately proceeds to exhort them to repentance. But he means to say that their offence was mitigated by the fact that they were ignorant that he was the Messiah. The same thing the Savior himself affirmed when dying, (Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do).” (Cp. Acts 13:27; 1 Cor. 2:8).

This is the same thing the apostle Paul affirmed in relation to himself, as one of the reasons why he obtained pardon from the enormous crime of persecution, (1 Tim. 1:13). In cases like these, as we have noted, though crime might be mitigated, yet it was not taken entirely away. They were guilty of demanding that a man should be put to death who was declared innocent; they were urged on with ungovernable fury; they did it from contempt and malice; and the crime of murder remained, though they were ignorant that he was the Messiah. It is plainly implied that if they had put him to death knowing that he was the Messiah, and as the Messiah, there could have been no forgiveness. (Cp. Heb. 10:26-29).

Ignorance, therefore, is a circumstance which must always be taken into view in an estimate of crime. It is at the same time true that they had opportunity to know that he was the Messiah, but the mere fact that they were ignorant of it was still a mitigating circumstance in the estimate of their crime. There can be no doubt that the mass of the people had no fixed belief that he was the Messiah.

As did also your rulers – (Cp. 1 Cor. 2:8), where the apostle says that none of the princes of this world knew the wisdom of the gospel, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. It is certain that the leading scribes and Pharisees were urged on by the most ungovernable fury and rage to put Jesus to death, even when they had abundant opportunity to know his true character. This was particularly the case with the high priest. But yet it was true that they did not believe that he was the Messiah.

Their ignorance was deliberate ignorance. Their minds had been prejudiced. They had expected a prince and a conqueror. All their views of the Messiah were different from the character which Jesus manifested. And though they might have known that he was the Messiah; though he had given abundant proof of the fact, yet it is clear that they did not believe it. It is not credible that they would have put to death one whom they really believed to be the Christ. He was the hope, the only hope of their nation; and they would not have dared to imbrue their hands in the blood of him whom they really believed to be the illustrious personage so long promised and expected by their fathers. It was also probably true that no small part of the Sanhedrin was urged on by the zeal and fury of the chief priests. They had not courage to resist them; and yet they might not have entered heartily into this work of persecution and death. (Cp. John 7:50-53). The speech of Peter, however, is not intended to free them entirely from blame; nor should it be pressed to show that they were innocent. It is a mitigating circumstance thrown in to show them that there was still hope of mercy.

(Verse 18) - But those things - To wit, those things that did actually occur, pertaining to the life and death of the Messiah.

Had showed - Had announced, or foretold.

By the mouth of all his prophets - That is, by the prophets in general, without affirming that each individual prophet had uttered a distinct prediction respecting this. The prophets “taken together,” or the prophecies “as a whole,” had declared this. The word “all” is not infrequently used in this somewhat limited sense, (Mark 1:37; John 3:26). In regard to the prophecies respecting Christ, (see Luke 24:27).

Hath so fulfilled - He has caused to be fulfilled in this manner; that is, by the rejection, the denial, and the wickedness of the rulers. It has turned out to be in strict accordance with the prophecy. This fact Peter uses in exhorting them to repentance; but it is not to be regarded as an excuse for their sins. The mere fact that all this was foretold; that it was in accordance with the purposes and predictions of God, does not take away the guilt of it, or constitute an excuse for it. In regard to this, we may remark:

(1) The prediction did not change the nature of the act. The mere fact that it was foretold, or foreknown, did not change its character. (See Acts 1:23).

(2) Peter still regarded them as guilty. He did not urge the fact that this was foreknown as an excuse for their sin, but to show them that since all this happened according to the prediction and the purpose of God, they might hope in his mercy. The plan was that the Messiah should die to make a way for pardon, and, therefore, they might hope in his mercy.

(3) This was a signal instance of the power and mercy of God in overruling the wicked conduct of people to further His own purposes and plans.

(4) All the other sins of people may thus be overruled, and thus the wrath of man may be made to praise him. But,

(5) This will constitute no excuse for the sinner. It is no part of his intention to honor God, or to advance his purposes; and there is no direct tendency in his crimes to advance his glory. The direct tendency of his deeds is counteracted and overruled, and God brings good out of the evil. But this surely constitutes no excuse for the sinner.

If it be asked why Peter insisted on this if he did not mean that it should be regarded as an excuse for their sin, I reply, that it was his design to prove “that Jesus was the Messiah,” and having proved this, he could assure them that there was mercy. Not that they had not been guilty; not that they deserved favor; but that tire fact that the Messiah had come was an argument which proved that any sinners might obtain mercy, as he immediately proceeds to show them.

(Verse 19) - Therefore - Because of your sin in putting Jesus to death, and “because” he is the Messiah, and God through him is willing to show mercy to the chief of sinners.

And be converted - This expression conveys an idea not at all to be found in the original. It conveys the idea of “passivity,” BE “converted,” as if they were to yield to some foreign influence that they were now resisting. But the idea of being “passive” in this is not conveyed by the original word. The word means properly to “turn; to return to a path from which one has gone astray; and then to turn away from sins, or to forsake them.” It is a word used in a general sense to denote “the whole turning to God.” That the form of the word here does not denote passivity may be clearly seen by referring to the following places where the same form of the word is used: (Matt. 24:18; Mark 13:16; Luke 17:31; 1 Thes 1:9). The expression, therefore, would have been more appropriately rendered “repent and turn, that your sins,” etc. “To be converted” cannot be a matter of obligation, but to “turn to God” is the duty of every sinner. The crimes of which he exhorted them to repent were those pertaining to the death of the Lord Jesus, as well as all the past sins of their lives. They were to turn from the course of wickedness in which they and the nation had been so long walking. That your sins, etc. In order that your sins may be forgiven. Sin cannot be pardoned before man repents of it. In the order of the work of grace, repentance must always precede pardon. Of course, no man can have evidence that his sin is pardoned until he repents. (Cp. Isa. 1:16-20; Joel 2:13).

May be blotted out - May be forgiven, or pardoned. The expression “to blot out sins” occurs elsewhere (Isa. 43:25; Ps. 51:1, 9; Jer. 18:23; Neh. 4:5; Isa. 44:22). The expression “to blot out a name” is applied to expunging it from a “roll,” or “catalog,” or “list,” as of an army, etc. (Exo. 32:32-33; Deut. 9:14; 25:19; 29:29, etc). The expression to “blot out sins” is taken from the practice of creditors charging their debtors, and when the debt is paid, canceling it, or wholly removing the record. The word used here properly refers to the practice of writing on tables covered with wax, and then by inverting the stylus, or instrument of writing, smoothing the wax again, and thus removing every trace of the record. This more entirely expresses the idea of pardoning than blotting does. It means wholly to remove the record, the charge, and every trace of the account against us. In this way God forgives sins. It not that they are overlooked, but that they are gone, not present any longer.

When the times - The word , rendered “when,” is commonly rendered that, and denotes the “final cause,” or the “reason” why a thing is done, (Matt. 2:23; 5:16, 45, etc). By many it has been supposed to have this sense here, and to mean, “repent in order that the times of refreshing may come,” etc. If used in this sense, it means that their repentance and forgiveness would be the means of introducing peace and joy. Others have rendered it “when,” meaning that they might find peace in the day when Christ should return to judgment, which return would be to them a day of rest, though of terror to the wicked. The grammatical construction will admit of either, though the later seems to be more in line with the overall context of the Word of God’s teaching on these matters. It is not our obedience and submission to God that brings these times of refreshing, God’s strong right arm does that. Our submission is the means by which god brings them, and it assures of peace with Him when they do come.

The objection to the former is, that it is not easy to see how their repenting, etc., would be the means of introducing the times of refreshing. And this, also, corresponds very little with the design of Peter in this discourse. That was to encourage them to repentance; to adduce arguments why they should repent, and why they might hope in his mercy. To do this, it was needful only to assure them that they were living under the times graciously promised by God the times of refreshing, when pardon might be obtained. The main inquiry, therefore, is, What did Peter refer to by the times of refreshing, and by the restitution of all things? Did he refer to any particular manifestation to be made then, or to the influence of the gospel on the earth, or to the future state, when the Lord Jesus shall come to judgment? The idea which I suppose Peter intended to convey was this: “Repent, and be converted. You have been great sinners, and are in danger. Turn from your ways, that your sins may be forgiven.”

But then, what encouragement would there be for this? or why should it be done? Answer: “You are living under the times of the gospel, the reign of the Messiah, the times of refreshing. This happy, glorious period has been long anticipated, and is to continue to the close of the world. The period which will include the restitution of all things, and the return of Christ to judgment, has come, and is, therefore, the period when you may find mercy, and when you should seek it, to be prepared for his return.” In this sense the passage refers to the fact that this time, this dispensation, this economy, including all this, had come, and they were living under it, and might and should seek for mercy. It expresses, therefore, the common belief of the Yews that such a time would come, and the comment of Peter about its nature and continuance. The belief of the Jews was that such times would come.

Peter affirms that the belief of such a period was well founded a time when mercy may be obtained. That time has come. The doctrine that it would come was well founded, and has been fulfilled. This was a reason why they should repent, and hope in the mercy of God. Peter goes on, then, to state further characteristics of that period. It would include the restitution of all things, the return of Christ to judgment, etc. And all this was an additional consideration why they should repent, and turn from their sins, and seek for forgiveness. The meaning of the passage may therefore be thus summed up: “Repent, since it is a true doctrine that such times would come: they are clearly predicted; they were to be expected; and you are now living under them. In these times; in this dispensation, also, God shall send his Son again to judge the world, and all things shall be closed and settled forever. Since you live under this period, you may seek for mercy, and you should seek to avoid the vengeance due to the wicked, and to be admitted to heaven when the Lord Jesus shall return.”

Times of refreshing - The word rendered “refreshing,” means properly “breathing,” or “refreshment,” after being heated with labor, running, etc. It hence denotes “any kind of refreshment, as rest, or deliverance from evils of any kind.” It is used nowhere else in the New Testament, except that the verb is used in 2 Tim. 1:16, “Onesiphorus oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.” He administered comfort to me in my trials.

It is used by the Septuagint in the Old Testament nine times: Exo. 8:15, “But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite”; that is, cessation or rest from the plagues, (Hos. 12:8; Jer. 49:31; Ps. 69:11, etc). In no place in the Old Testament is the word applied to the terms of the gospel. The idea, however, that the times of the Messiah would be times of rest, ease, and prosperity, was a favorite one among the Jews, and was countenanced in the Old Testament. (See Isa. 28:12, “To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing,” etc). They anticipated the times of the gospel as a period when they would have rest from their enemies, a respite from the evils of oppression and war, and great national prosperity and peace. Under the idea that the happy times of the Messiah had come, Peter now addresses them, and assures them that they might obtain pardon and peace.

Shall come - This does not mean that this period was still future, for it had come; but that the expectation of the Jews that such a Messiah would come was well founded. A remarkably similar construction we have concerning Elijah (Matt. 17:11, “And Jesus answered and said, Elias truly shall first come, and restore,” etc.); that is, the doctrine that Elijah would come was true, though he immediately adds that it had already taken place, (Acts 3:12).

From the presence of the Lord - Greek: “From the face of the Lord.” The expression means that God was “its author.” From the face of the Lord means “from the Lord himself:” (Mark 1:2, “I send thy messenger before thy face,” that is, before thee). (Cp. Mal. 3:1; Luke 1:76; 2:31).

(Verse 20) - And he shall send - (Acts 1:11). Under this economy of things, he shall send Jesus Christ, that is, the Messiah, to teach people; to redeem them; to save them; to judge the world; to gather his people to himself; and to condemn the wicked. Under this economy they were then. This, therefore, was an argument why they should repent and turn to God, that they might escape in the day of judgment.

Which before was preached - Who has been proclaimed as the Messiah. The name “Jesus Christ” is equivalent here to “the Messiah.” The Messiah had been proclaimed to the Jews as about to come. In his time was to be the period of refreshing. He had come; and they were under the economy in which the blessings of the Messiah were to be enjoyed. This does not refer to his personal ministry, or to the preaching of the apostles, but to the fact that the Messiah had been a long time announced to them by the prophets as about to come. All the prophets had preached him as the hope of the nation.

(Verse 21) - Whom the heavens must receive - The common belief of the Jews was, that the Messiah would reign on the earth forever, (John 12:34). On this account they would object that Jesus could not be the Messiah, and hence, it became so important for the apostles to establish the fact that he had ascended to heaven. The evidence which they adduced was the fact that they saw him ascend, (Acts 1:9). The meaning of the expression “whom the heavens MUST receive,” is that it was “fit” or “proper” that he should ascend. One reason of that fitness or propriety he himself stated in (John 16:7; compare 17:2). It was also fit or expedient that he should do it, to direct the affairs of the universe for the welfare of the church (Eph. 1:20-22), and that he should exercise there his office as a priest in interceding for his people, (1 John 2:1-2; Heb. 7:25; 9:24; Rom. 8:34, etc). It is remarkable that Peter did not adduce any passage of Scripture on this subject; but it was one of the points on which there was no clear revelation. Obscure intimations of it might be found in (Ps. 110; 16; etc.), but the fact that he would ascend to heaven was not made prominent in the Old Testament. ‘The words “whom the heaven must receive” also convey the idea of “exaltation” and “power”; and Peter doubtless intended to say that he was clothed with power, and exalted to honor in the presence of God. (See Ps. 115:3. Compare 1 Pet. 3:22, “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right banal of God; angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject unto him.)” (See also Acts 2:33).

Until - This word implies that he would then return to the earth, but it does not imply that he would not again ascend to heaven.

The times of the restitution of all things - The noun rendered restitution, does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. The verb from which it is derived occurs eight times. It means properly “to restore a thing to its former situation,” as restoring a “strained” or “dislocated” limb to its former soundness. Hence, it is used to restore, or to heal, in the New Testament: (Matt. 12:13, “And it (the hand) was restored whole as the other”; Mark 3:5; Luke 6:10). And hence, it is applied to the preparation or fitness for the coming of the Messiah which was to attend the preaching of John in the character of Elijah, (Matt. 17:11; Mark 9:12). Thus, in Josephus (a Jewish historian of the time), the word is used to denote the return of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon, and their restoration to their former state and privileges. The word has also the idea of “consummation, completion, or filling up.” In this sense the passage means that the heavens must receive the Lord Jesus until all things spoken by the prophets in relation to his work, his reign, the spread of the gospel, the triumph of religion, etc., shall have been fulfilled.

It also conveys the idea of the predicted recovery of the world from sin, and the restoration of peace and order; the consummation of the work of the Messiah, now begun, but not yet complete; slow it may be in its advances, but triumphant and certain in its progress and its close.

All things - All things which have been foretold by the prophets. The expression is limited by the connection to this; and of course it does not mean that all people will be saved, or that all the evils of sin can be repaired or remedied. This can never be, for the mischief is done and cannot be undone; but everything which the prophets have foretold shall receive their completion and fulfillment.

Which God hath spoken - Which have been revealed, and are recorded in the Old Testament.

Of all his holy prophets - This does not mean that each one of the prophets had spoken of these things, but that all which had been spoken would be fulfilled. There can , however, be a solid case made that all of the Old Testament speaks to the same end, that is, the fulfillment of the plan of God in bringing Christ to suffer and die for the sins of His people.

Since the world began - This is an expression denoting the same as from the beginning, meaning to affirm with emphasis that all the prophecies would be fulfilled. The apostles were desirous to show that they, as well as the Jews, held entirely to the prophets, and taught no doctrine which they had not taught before them.

(Verse 22) – For Moses truly said - The authority of Moses among the Jews was absolute and final. It was of great importance, therefore, to show not only that they were not departing from his Law, but that he had actually foretold these very things. The object of the passage is not to prove that the heavens must receive him, but that he was truly the Messiah.

Unto the fathers - To their ancestors, or the founders of the nation. (See Deut. 18:15-19).

A Prophet - Literally, one who foretells future events. But it is also used to denote a religious teacher in general. (See Rom. 12:6). In the passage in Deuteronomy it is evidently used in a large sense, to denote one who would infallibly guide and direct the nation in its religious affairs; one who would be commissioned by God to do this, in opposition to the diviners Acts 3:14 on which other nations relied. The meaning of this passage in Deuteronomy is apparent from the connection. Moses is stating to the Hebrews (Acts 3:1-8) the duty and office of the priests and Levites. He then cautions them against conforming to the surrounding nations, particularly on the subject of religious instruction and guidance. They, said he, consult, in times of perplexity, with enchanters, and charmers, and necromancers, and wizards, etc. (Acts 3:11-14), but it shall not be so with you. You shall not be left to this false and uncertain guidance in times of perplexity and danger, for the Lord will raise up, from time to time, a prophet, a man directly commissioned in an extraordinary manner from heaven, like me, who shall direct and counsel you. The promise, therefore, pertains to the sages or prophets which God would raise up; or it is a promise that God would send his prophets, as occasion might demand, to instruct and counsel the nation. The design was to keep them from consulting with diviners, etc., and to preserve them from following the pretended and false religious teachers of surrounding idolatrous people. Thus explained, the prophecy had no “exclusive” or even “direct” reference to the Messiah, and there is no evidence that the Jews understood it to have any such reference, except as one of the series of prophets that God would raise up and send to instruct the nation.

If, then, it be asked on what principle Peter appealed to this, we may reply:

(1) That the Messiah was to sustain the character of a prophet, and the prophecy had reference to him as one of the teachers that God would raise up to instruct the nation.

(2) It would apply to him by way of eminence, as the greatest of the messengers that God would send to instruct the people. In this sense it is probable that the Jews would understand it.

(3) This was one of those emergencies in the history of the nation when they might expect such an intervention. The prophecy implied that in times of perplexity and danger God would raise up such a prophet. Such a time then existed. The nation was corrupt, distracted, subjected to a foreign power, and needed such a teacher and guide. If it be asked why Peter appealed to this rather than to explicit prophecies of the Messiah, we may remark:

(1) That his main object was to show their guilt in having rejected him and put him to death, Acts 3:14-15.

(2) That in order to do this, he sets before them clearly the obligation to obey him; and in doing this, appeals to the express command of Moses. He shows them that, according to Moses, whoever would not obey such a prophet should be cut off from among the people. In refusing, therefore, to hear this great prophet, and putting him to death, they had violated the express command of their own Lawgiver. But it was possible still to obey him, for he still lived in heaven; and all the authority of Moses, therefore, made it a matter of obligation for them still to hear and obey him. The Jews were accustomed to apply the name prophet to the Messiah (John 1:21; 6:14; 7:40; Matt. 21:11; Luke 4:24; John 1:21), and it has been shown from the writings of the Jewish rabbis that they believed the Messiah would be the greatest of the prophets, even greater than Moses.

The Lord your God - In the Hebrew, “Yahweh, thy God. “Raise up unto you.” Appoint, or commission to come to you.

Of your brethren - Among yourselves; of your own countrymen; so that you shall not be dependent on foreigners, or on teachers of other nations. All the prophets were native-born Jews. And it was particularly true of the Messiah that he was to be a Jew, descended from Abraham, and raised up from the midst of his brethren, (Heb. 2:11, 16-17). On this account it was to be presumed that they would feel a deeper interest in him, and listen more attentively to his instructions.

Like unto me - Not in all things, but only in the point which was under discussion. He was to resemble him in being able to make known to them the will of God, and thus preventing the necessity of looking to other teachers. The idea of resemblance between Moses and the prophet is not very strictly expressed in the Greek, except in the mere circumstance of being raised up. God shall raise up to you a prophet as he has raised up me. The resemblance between Moses and the Messiah should not be pressed too far. The Scriptures have not traced it further than to the fact that both were raised up by God to communicate his will to the Jewish people, and therefore one should be heard as well as the other.

Him shall ye hear - That is, him shall you obey, or you shall receive his instructions as a communication from God.

In all things, whatsoever - These words are not quoted literally from the Hebrew, but they express the sense of what is said in Deut. 18:15, 18.

(Verse 23) - And it shall come to pass - It shall be, or shall occur. This is not the usual word rendered “it shall come to pass.” It is a word commonly expressing “futurity,” but here it conveys the notion of “obligation.” In this verse Peter has not quoted the passage in Deuteronomy literally, but he has given the sense.

Every soul - Every “person” or “individual.” Soul is often put for the whole man by the Hebrews, (Acts 7:14; Jos. 10:28).

Hear that Prophet - That is, obey his instructions. He shall have authority to declare the will of God; and he that does not obey him refuses to obey God. (Cp. Luke 10:16; John 13:20).

Shall be destroyed - This quotation is made according to the sense, and not literally. In the Hebrew the expression is Deut. 18:19, “I will require it of him,” that is, I will hold him answerable or responsible for it; I will punish him. This expression the Septuagint has rendered by “I will take vengeance on him.” The idea of the passage is, therefore, that God would publish the man that would not hear the prophet, without specifying the particular way in which it should be done. The usual mode of punishing such offences was by cutting the offender off from among the people, (Exo. 30:33; 12:15; 9:15; Num. 15:31; 19:13; Lev. 7:20-21, 25, 27, etc). The sense is, that he should be punished in the usual manner; that is, by excision, or by being destroyed from among the people. The word translated “shall be destroyed” means properly “to exterminate, wholly to devote to ruin,” as of a wicked people, a wicked man whose life is taken, etc.

To be destroyed from among the people means, however, to be excommunicated, or to be deprived of the privileges of a people. Among the Jews this was probably the most severe punishment that could be inflicted. It involved the idea of being cut off from the privileges of sacrifice and worship in the temple and in the synagogue, etc., and of being regarded as a pagan and an outcast. The idea which Peter expressed here was, that the Jews had exposed themselves to the severest punishment in rejecting and crucifying the Lord Jesus, and that they should, therefore, repent of this great sin, and seek for mercy. The same remark is applicable still to people. The Scriptures abundantly declare the truth, that if sinners will not hear the Lord Jesus, they shall be destroyed. And it becomes each individual to inquire with honesty whether he listens to his instructions and obeys his Law, or whether he is rejecting him and following the devices and desires of his own heart. It will be a solemn day when the sinner shall be called to render a reason why he has rejected the teachings and laws of the Son of God!

(Verse 24) - All the prophets - That is, the prophets in general. It may be said of the prophets generally, or of all of them, that they have foretold these things. This expression is not to be pressed as if we were to look for distinct predictions of the Messiah in each one of the prophets. The use of language does not require so strict an interpretation.

From Samuel - In the previous verse (22) Moses was mentioned as the first in order. The next in order was Samuel. The same mention of Moses and Samuel occurs in Ps. 99:6. The reason why Samuel is mentioned here is probably that he was the first prophet after Moses who recorded a prediction respecting the times of the Messiah. The Jews, in their divisions of the books of the Old Testament, reckoned the book of Joshua as the first of the prophets. But in Joshua and Judges there does not occur any distinct prediction of the Messiah. The prophecy in Samuel, to which Peter probably had reference, is in 2 Sam. 7:16. From the time of Moses to Samuel, also, it is probable that no prophet arose. God was consulted by Urim, and Thummim (Exo. 28:30; Num. 27:21), and consequently no extraordinary messenger was sent to instruct the nation.

As many as have spoken - Whosoever has declared the will of God. This is to be taken in a general sense. The meaning is, that the prophets had concurred in foretelling these days. They not merely concurred in foretelling a happy future period, but they foretold distinctly the very things which had actually occurred respecting Jesus of Nazareth; and the Jews, therefore, should listen to the voice of their own prophets.

(Verse 25) - Ye are the children of the prophets - Greek: “Ye are the sons of the prophets.” The meaning is, not that they were literally the “descendants” of the prophets, but that they were their “disciples,” “pupils,” “followers.” They professed to follow the prophets as their teachers and guides. Teachers among the Jews were often spoken of under the appellation of fathers, and disciples as sons, (Matt. 12:27. Matt. 1:1). As they were the professed disciples of the prophets, they should listen to them. As they lived among the people to whom the prophets were sent, and to whom the promises were made, they should avail themselves of the offer of mercy, and embrace the Messiah.

And of the covenant - Ye are the sons of the covenant; that is, you are of the posterity of Abraham, with whom the covenant was made. The word “sons” was often thus used to denote those to whom any favor pertained. whether by inheritance or in any other way. (Matt. 8:12, “The children (sons) of the kingdom”; John 17:12, “the son of perdition.”) The word “covenant” denotes properly “a compact or agreement between equals, or those who have a right to make such a compact, and to choose or refuse the terms.” When applied to God and man, it denotes a firm promise on the part of God; a pledge to be regarded with all the sacredness of a compact, that he will do certain things on certain conditions. It is called a covenant only to designate its sacredness and the certainty of its fulfillment, not that man had any right to reject any of the terms or stipulations. As man has no such right, as he is bound to receive all that his Maker proposes, so, strictly and literally, there has been no compact or covenant between God and man. The promise to which Peter refers in the passage before us is in Gen. 22:18; 12:3.

In thy seed - Thy posterity. (See Rom. 4:13, 16). This promise the apostle Paul affirms had express reference to the Messiah, (Gal. 3:16). The word “seed” is used sometimes to denote an individual (Gen. 4:25); and the apostle (Gal. 3:16) affirms that there was special reference to Christ in the promise made to Abraham.

All the kindreds - The word translated “kindreds” denotes “those who have a common father or ancestor,” and is applied to families. It is also referred to those larger communities which were descended from the same ancestor, and thus refers to nations, (Eph. 3:15). Here it evidently refers to “all nations.”

Be blessed - Be made happy.

(Verse 26) - Unto you first - To you who are Jews. This was the direction, that the gospel should be first preached to the Jews, beginning at Jerusalem, (Luke 24:47). Jesus himself also confined his ministry virtually entirely to the Jews.

Having raised up - This expression does not refer to his having raised him from the dead, but is used in the same sense as in Acts 3:22, where God promised that he would raise up a prophet, and send him to teach the people. Peter means that God had appointed his Son Jesus, or had commissioned him to go and preach to the people to turn them away from their sins.

To bless you - To make you happy; to fulfill the promise made to Abraham.

In turning away - That is, by his preaching, example, death, etc. The highest blessing that can be conferred upon people is to be turned from sin. Sin is the source of all woes, and if people are turned from that, they will be happy. Christ blesses no one in sin, or while loving sin, but by turning them from sin. This was the object which he had in view in coming, Isa. 59:20; Matt. 1:21. The design of Peter in these remarks was to show them that the Messiah had come, and that now they might look for happiness, pardon, and mercy through him. As the Jews might, so may all; and as Jesus, while living, sought to turn away people from their sins, so he does still, and still designs to bless all nations by the gospel which he had himself preached, and to establish which he died. All may therefore come and be blessed; and all may rejoice in the prospect that these blessings will yet be bestowed on all the kindreds of the earth. May the happy day soon come!

It is the consistent and concerted testimony of all of the Word of God that Jesus was the promised Messiah of God and that He was the One sent by God to purge the elect from their sins. There can be no stronger case set forth than that of the unity of the Old and New Testaments on this point. Time and again the OT Word points to the coming promised Savior and time and again the NT Word points to Christ as the promised One Who fulfilled all of God’s promises concerning redemption. This ought to be the primary and most significant spiritual sense that we take away from any OT passage. The historical sense is true and is needful to establish the meaning of the passage, but we cannot, must not ignore what a messenger in the OT has to tell us concerning Christ and His work!

I need to read the Old Testament with an eye on the promised work of Christ on our behalf.