NEW TESTAMENT QUOTATIONS OF PSALM 2
Sixty percent of Psalm 2 has been quoted by the New Testament, either directly or indirectly. The thought of Psalm 2 is the same as that of the New Testament; thus, in a sense, you may find every part of Psalm 2 there. If you put all the New Testament parts together, you will have another Psalm 2. Let us look briefly at some of these verses in the New Testament that we may be more deeply impressed.
We have seen that the first section of Psalm 2, verses 1 to 3, is the opposition of world rulers against Christ. It began to be fulfilled at the time Christ was betrayed and brought to the judgment of Pilate. This is recorded in Acts 4:25-28: “Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” This fulfillment will continue to the time of Revelation 19:19. “And I saw the beast (this beast is the coming antichrist), and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” Christ was the One sitting on the horse, and the antichrist, the kings and all the armies were making war against Him. This will be the final attempt of world rulers to oppose Christ, Praise the Lord! The fulfillment of the first section of Psalm 2 began with Pontius Pilate and will be ended with the beast, the antichrist.
In the second section of Psalm 2, God declared that He has anointed Christ as His king on Zion, the hill of His holiness. Here we must read Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” This is God’s declaration. Now, Revelation 19:16, 20, and 21: “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KlNGS, AND LORD OF LORDS…And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Then Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” This declaration of God in the second section of Psalm 2 lasts so long—from the time Jesus was resurrected and ascended God made this declaration; it is still continuing and prevailing, and it will do so till the thousand years of the kingdom will come. On the other hand, along with His declaration, God has accomplished and will accomplish much destruction upon the enemy: He has destroyed the Roman Empire and many other worldly powers trying to oppose Christ.
The third section of Psalm 2 is Christ’s declaration. Let us read Acts 13:33, “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” “This day” is the day of resurrection. This same verse is quoted in Hebrews 1:5. In Psalm 2 Christ declared that God the Father will give Him all the nations as His inheritance. That word is fulfilled in Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Psalm 2:9 concerning Christ’s rule is fulfilled in Revelation 2:26 and 27: “He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” And again in Revelation 19:15, “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.”
Revelation 6:15-17 is the fulfillment of the last section of Psalm 2, the gospel preaching, admonishing people to return to Christ, to put their trust in Christ and to kiss Christ, for His wrath will be kindled. “The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” This is not a direct quotation from Psalm 2, but the thought, the concept, is adopted from Psalm 2. One day Christ will be angered; the wrath of the Lamb will be exercised. The kings must be wise and put their trust in Him.
If you would properly understand Psalm 8, you must keep Psalm 2 within you. Psalm 2 tells us that Christ is the center of God’s economy, the center of God’s administration. God declared to the whole earth, “Yet have I anointed my king upon Zion, the hill of my holiness.” Do not care for many things; only care for this: God has declared that He has anointed, installed, and established Christ as the King. I do not think there could be any word more clear than Psalm 2. It is so brief, yet so strong. There is God’s declaration, then Christ’s declaration, and then the gospel preaching.
(Christ and the Church Revealed and Typified in the Psalms, Chapter 2, by Witness Lee)
