Second Epistle of Peter
PURPOSE OF PROPHECY
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:19 (KJV)
Peter now turns from the transfiguration to prophecy which also tells of the power and coming of Christ. Some might say, "Peter, you had a dream or an hallucination, we do not know whether to believe you or not." In a sense, Peter says, "All right, if you will not believe me regarding this, perhaps you will believe what the prophets say about the coming again of our Lord Jesus. If you give good heed to them you will believe that He is coming again."
"a more sure word of prophecy"
Literally: "A more sure word of prophecy", "We have the prophetic word more firm." The Revised Version puts it, "The word of prophecy made more sure." The way the Authorized Version reads, it would seem that Peter is comparing prophecy with the transfiguration and leaving the impression that prophecy was more important than his testimony of the transfiguration. However, he may have meant that the transfiguration made surer or confirmed the truth of prophecy. At all events, the Father's proclamation cannot be of less value than the voice of the prophets, although it might be that some of Peter's readers would be more ready to believe prophets than Peter's testimony. Both were the Word of God.
"prophecy"
Perhaps some of us think of prophecy as foretelling, but this is not always so. A prophet is one who speaks for another – a spokesman for God. In Exodus 7:1, God says to
Moses, "Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." He also says to Moses of Aaron, "He shall be thy spokesman" (Ex. 4:16). In telling of Christ, Moses, says, "The Lord thy
God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall harken" (Deut. 18:15). So we have Aaron called Moses' prophet, but Moses is also called a prophet, and Christ too. All of these did predicting, but the great bulk of their work was exhorting the people of their times. A prophet may tell of the past, present, or future. Here of course, Peter is referring primarily to the predictions of the prophets concerning the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When Peter speaks of prophecy he is referring to Old Testament prophecy, as is evident from verse 21. Prophecies already fulfilled are convincing proof of the inspiration of Scripture. Think of Psalm 22 with all its statements concerning Christ on the cross and then remember that David lived 1,000 years before Christ was born. Isaiah lived 700 years before Christ, yet his book is full of prophecies concerning the person and work of Christ. His 53rd chapter alone should convince any doubter of the truth of inspiration. Such prophecies simply could not have been invented by man. Besides the hundreds concerning Christ, we have prophecies already fulfilled of Judas, John the Baptist, and Mary; of Israel, Babylon, Egypt, and many others. Prophecy starts way back in Genesis 3:15, where the Lord says to the serpent (Satan), "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This tells of the struggle between Christ and Satan in which Christ gained the victory.
Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with prophecies concerning the second coming of Christ. Our portion is particularly interested in Old Testament prophecy, so we will touch on a few of these. One of the plainest has already been quoted. "And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee" (Zech. 14:5). In Deuteronomy 30:3 we read, "That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all nations, whither the Lord thy God bath scattered thee."
Consider the testimony of Job. In chapter 19:25-27, he says, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day unto the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." This could only be fulfilled at Christ's second coming when Job is raised from the dead. Consider also verses 6 and 8 of Psalm 72, "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass; as showers that water the earth...He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." To some extent, several of the prophets refer to this glorious event.
Besides proving the inspiration of Scripture, prophecy has many other valuable uses. It shows us how our mighty God has a foreknowledge of all things. It also warns the unsaved of the judgment to come and advises turning to Christ before it is too late. It teaches Christians to work "while it is day: for the night cometh, when no man can work"
(John 9:4). It enlightens Christians regarding the future.
"ye do well that ye take heed"
Our verse says that we do well when we take heed to this prophetic word. We should not only read it, but give it our closest attention and let it affect our every action. What our verse says of prophecy should be true of the whole Word of God. We should make both Old and New Testament our constant study and guide. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Ps. 119:105). "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation" (Ps. 119:99). "They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Civilization has risen or fallen based on the measure in which the Word has been welcomed or rejected.
"a light that shineth in a dark place"
Peter pictures prophecy as a light or lamp which shines in a dark place. What would we know of the past, present, or future if it were not for this lamp? We would be completely in the dark. We would know nothing of the origin of things, their purpose or end. Without the Word of God, we would know nothing of God and our creation by Him. Without it we would know nothing of His plans for us or the world. And certainly, we would know nothing of the consummation of the matter. Thank God for every one of us who have come to know Christ and His salvation. We truly have been "called out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9).
This lamp enlightens the Christian's path before him and causes him to see in spite of total darkness all around. As the pillar of fire was a light and guide to the children of
Israel as they journeyed through the darkness of the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan, so the Word of God is a light and guide to us as we journey through the darkness of this life to the glory land. Let us constantly avail ourselves of this brilliant light. We need never walk in the dark if we take the light with us wherever we go.
"a dark place"
The word translated "dark" in our verse could be translated "dry" or "squalid." This indicates that the lamp not only dispels darkness, but exposes dirt and filth. It is like a dark room filled with trash and filth. Such is not noticed in the dark, but when the lamp is lit it all comes to light. The world is not only in the darkness of ignorance, but also in the darkness of sin and corruption. Much of this would pass unnoticed except for the shining of the lamp.
Every prophet was a light revealing the sin and squalor of his time. Joseph was a prophet who exposed the sin of his brethren. Elijah shined the light of God upon the sin of King Ahab and the people of his time. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Amos, etc., were all lights exposing the corruption of their times. In many ways this is a beautiful world which manifests the hand of a marvelous Creator, but for the most part it has been ruined by the corruption in the heart of man.
The greatest light of all times was the Lord Jesus Himself. He said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of lift" (John 8:12). "The dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace" (Luke 1:78, 79). None ever exposed the squalor of His time like the Lord Jesus. While He spoke mostly in a tender way, yet He had a way of convicting sinners of their sins which caused them to be pierced to the heart. It caused many to turn to Him for salvation, but others to hate Him even unto death. He especially showed up the sins of religious hypocrites, the Pharisees, causing them to cry out for His blood.
Christ, the great light, has gone back to heaven. The Word of God is here to shine out – to dispel darkness and expose squalor. Each Christian today should be an aid in dispelling darkness. Many in the world seldom read the Bible, but a Christian should witness and live for Christ and be a light in the world. In Matthew 5:16, the Lord Jesus says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Paul says, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8). Like the moon, may we reflect the glorious sunlight of the Son of God.
"until the day dawn"
The sun arose on this scene when our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but it quickly set again at Calvary's cross and now there is darkness in this world; perhaps not as dark as before because of the light from the God's Holy Word and the reflection of Christ through Christians. When our Lord Jesus comes again the day will again dawn. "The Sun of righteousness shall with healing in his wings" (Mal. 4:2). Our present time and time when He comes again will be as different as night and day. All will be clear when the sun at last shines. Prophecy was a lamp in the darkness, but we will not need a lamp when the Son of God shines. What a grand day that will be; it will be the day of all days. The Lord is soon coming. "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light" (Rom. 13:12). "Ye are all the children of light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thess. 5:5, 6).
"the day star arise"
Shortly before the break of day a bright star appears in the heavens. Our verse refers to this as the day star. In other places it is referred to as the morning star. Christ says in Revelation 22:16, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." So this bright and morning star represents the Lord Jesus – as the morning star appears shortly before daybreak, so the Lord will soon come again to receive His own unto Himself.
"in your hearts"
The expression "in your hearts" at the end of our verse might cause some to say, "The day star arising has nothing to do with the coming of the Lord. It is a matter of arising in our hearts." Some interpreters believe that "in your hearts" refers back to "take heed." In other words, we are to take heed in our hearts to this "more sure word of prophecy." They would make the words in between these two phrases a parenthesis as follows: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well to take heed, (as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise) in your hearts."
However, the person of Christ and the hope of His coming should shine into our hearts. The lamp of prophecy is intended to throw light on our path, but also into our hearts. We are walking in the midst of darkness, but it is not dark in our hearts. The joy of the light of Christ shines in before the day breaks. The Christian anticipates the glorious day which is coming and is not a child of the night, but of the day (1 Thess. 5:5). "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts" (2 Cor. 4:6). He is the bright and morning star for our hearts.
If the truth of Christ and His coming really shines into our hearts it will wean us from the world. We will care for none of its pleasures, or honors, and certainly not for its sinful ways. "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:3). In many ways we are going through a night of trial and sorrow, but the light of this bright and morning star keeps shining in to fill our hearts with joy. Has this glorious light shined into our hearts?
