What does the "It" refer to?

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Oct 15, 2022
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#41
Just before Christ died, He said “It is finished” (John 19:28-30). What does the word “It” refer to - what was finished?
Here is an interesting verse with the word 'finished' in it...

Revelation 10:7
"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."


The Mystery of God is revealed here...

1 Timothy 3:16
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

  • God was manifest in the flesh
  • Justified in the Spirit
  • Seen of Angels
  • Preaches unto the Gentiles
  • Believed on in the world
  • Received up into Glory
Thus, it could be that Jesus was referring to the Mystery of God as being 'finished'.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
18,892
6,485
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#42
Here is an interesting verse with the word 'finished' in it...

Revelation 10:7
"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."


The Mystery of God is revealed here...

1 Timothy 3:16
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

  • God was manifest in the flesh
  • Justified in the Spirit
  • Seen of Angels
  • Preaches unto the Gentiles
  • Believed on in the world
  • Received up into Glory
Thus, it could be that Jesus was referring to the Mystery of God as being 'finished'.
It's a good point. But the end of the mystery is what happens as a result of all that. God reminds the Jews of the covenant stipulations and, because of their disobedience, the covenant sanctions that are coming. He then shows His path forward to have a people to Himself in the new covenant...the new heaven and the new Jerusalem.
 

PaulThomson

Well-known member
Oct 29, 2023
3,467
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#43
Yet the day before Jesus said: Joh_17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Was the work finished one day then finished again the next day? Or maybe what was finished or ending was his life?
John 17
eteleiOsa/ ετελείωσα aorist indicative active: "i finish" in a timeless i.e. aorist aspect. An action that really happened but which may or may not have been yet completed at the time of the statement.
John 19 Tetelestai Τετέλεσται perfect passive indicative 3rd person singular: He/she/it has been finished. A completed action whose result is still real at the time of the statement.

Jesus was close to finishing the work give him to do in John 17, but has completed that work before expiring his last breath.
 
E

evyaniy

Guest
#44
He had finished the work of selecting the Apostles and teaching them and the people. He had proven His Sonship by the many miracles He performed from the Father.

He was about to face His passion alone and fulfill the Law and accomplish our Salvation through His obedience to His Father in giving His life to save us. When He breathed His last breath and died He had finished all that was required of Him. He had been completely obedient to His Father and the Law. He had given His full measure of Love in dying to save us. He had completed His faith, trusting in His Father and the promise of life in the law to Him, that although He had to die in obedience to the law to save us, He would yet live and be raised to life again.

Then it was up to the Father to accept His offering of Himself and declare He is the Son of YAH, Who saves us from our sins by raising Him from death to life again, according to the promise to Him.
 

ewq1938

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2018
4,995
1,264
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#45
John 17
eteleiOsa/ ετελείωσα aorist indicative active: "i finish" in a timeless i.e. aorist aspect. An action that really happened but which may or may not have been yet completed at the time of the statement.
John 19 Tetelestai Τετέλεσται perfect passive indicative 3rd person singular: He/she/it has been finished. A completed action whose result is still real at the time of the statement.

Jesus was close to finishing the work give him to do in John 17, but has completed that work before expiring his last breath.

I'm going to agree with the translators that rendered "finished" as a completed, past tense concept. He had glorified his Father and he had finished all the Father gave him to do. Those tasks were done and finished before he died. A task is something you start and finish yourself. Being killed isn't the same concept as a task you are given and complete. It was actually a task given to the Romans who completed it the next day.
 
E

evyaniy

Guest
#46
I'm going to agree with the translators that rendered "finished" as a completed, past tense concept. He had glorified his Father and he had finished all the Father gave him to do. Those tasks were done and finished before he died. A task is something you start and finish yourself. Being killed isn't the same concept as a task you are given and complete. It was actually a task given to the Romans who completed it the next day.
Suffering through His torture of the whippings and then being nailed to the cross and raised up above the earth on the cross and struggling to breath each breath by pushing and pulling up on the nails that held Him in place is certainly a "task" that He had yet to complete before breathing His last.
 

ewq1938

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2018
4,995
1,264
113
#47
Suffering through His torture of the whippings and then being nailed to the cross and raised up above the earth on the cross and struggling to breath each breath by pushing and pulling up on the nails that held Him in place is certainly a "task" that He had yet to complete before breathing His last.

No, a task is something you do, not something done to you.
 
E

evyaniy

Guest
#48
He was also given vinegar for His thirst right before He died. He knew He had completed all things and fully fulfilled Scripture at that point since in the Psalms He had said they gave Me vinegar for My thirst.

Psalm 69:21 They gave Me also poison for My food; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.