Meaning of FATHER

(a) Someone's immediate ancestor (Gen. 42:13), either the grandfather (Gen. 28:13) or an even more distant ancestor (Gen. 17:4).

(b) One who has been the pioneer in an activity or who has led a social group (Gen. 4:20). Ancestor, chief, or one of the authorities of a city (1 Chr. 2:51; 4:14, 18).

(c) One who has, with respect to someone, a paternal and wise attitude (Gen. 45:8; Judges 17:10; 18:19). Title that expresses respect and honor. This is what those who had the function of teaching were called, especially if it was an elder (1 Sam. 10:12; 2 Kings 2:12); The king's advisors and prime ministers also received this name (Gen. 45:8).

(d) Except as Creator and Sustainer, God is not revealed as Father in the OT (cf. Mal. 2:10; Acts 17:28, and see Ant. 4:8, 24).

The Lord Jesus is also prophesied as “the everlasting Father” or “Father of the eternal age” (Is. 9:6). It was not until the revelation of the NT that God was made known as Father, and only by the Lord Jesus while on earth, who constantly spoke to His disciples of God as their Father in heaven (Matt. 5: 16, 45, 48; 6:1, 8, 14, 15, etc.).

As Son he thus made Him known to them while He was on earth. After the resurrection the Lord sent this message to his disciples, whom he now calls "his brothers": "I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (John 20: 17).

The will of the Father and the work of His Son, who was for them the source of eternal life, had brought the disciples, in this respect, to the same heavenly position as the resurrected Christ Himself before the Father (cf. Eph. 1:3 ff.; 2:7 ff.).