Vss. 3-21—Peter then unfolds the divine way of being kept in an evil day. In an epistle that deals with the fallen and corrupted state into which the Christian profession would sink, it is refreshing that the Apostle does not begin on that sad note, but rather, with the faithfulness of God to keep His people in the path of faith.
Peter shows that there are two sides to our being kept: on the one hand there is what God has given to help us in the path, and on the other hand there is what we are responsible to do. As we will see, God wants us to be preserved in the path of faith and has made every provision necessary for this, but we need to be responsibly exercised about it too.
GOD’S PART
In verses 3-4, we have God’s part. He has “given” to us everything that we need for our path to ensure a safe journey in our pilgrimage to heaven. It is a spiritual journey wherein are many dangers, but God has outfitted us with a full provision so that none would fall by the way. In particular, God has given us two groups of things: “all things that pertain to life and godliness” and “the greatest and precious promises.”
Giving Us All Things That Pertain to Life and Godliness
As to the first of these, Peter says, “His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” We might ask, “What exactly are these ‘things’ that God has given to us?” The following list is by no means exhaustive:
The Whole Armour of God—to enable us to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:10-1810Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:10‑18)).
Peter adds, “Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue,” because these things are to be applied in conjunction with our life of communion with God who has called us into blessing.
Giving Us the Greatest and Precious Promises
Vs. 4—The second thing God has “given” to us is the greatest promises. These precious promises have been set before the saints to encourage them to go on in the path of faith. Peter says, “Through which He has given to us the greatest and precious promises, that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Great promises were given to the patriarchs in the Old Testament, and they should not be minimized, but these promises of which Peter speaks are not those. The promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have to do with the earthly blessings that will be realized by Israel in a coming day. But these of which Peter is speaking are promises that God has given to Christians. They are greater because they have to do with superior blessings which we have in Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)). Even the blessings of the New Covenant under the reign of Christ as Israel’s Messiah fall short of the height of Christian blessings with which these promises are associated.
Again, we might ask, “What would these promises be?” Some of these are:
• The promise that we will reign with Him in His kingdom (2 Tim. 2:1212If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (2 Timothy 2:12); Rev. 3:21; 20:421To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
4And 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. (Revelation 20:4)).
God’s desire in all of these provisions for the pathway is that the saints would “become partakers of the divine nature.” We are made partakers of the divine nature when we are born again, at which time we receive a new life from God that has His very nature. But that is not the aspect of partaking of the divine nature that Peter is speaking about here. (The fact that he says, “That ye may become partakers ... ” shows that he is not referring to the initial reception of divine life, but something subsequent to it.) Peter is speaking of a practical partaking of that nature in a moral sense. It is to taste of the things that God enjoys and to be filled with His delights. When we thus “drink of the river” of His “pleasures,” we partake of the things which His nature enjoys (Psa. 36:88They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. (Psalm 36:8)). J. N. Darby said, “We are thus made morally partakers of the divine nature, by divine power acting in us and fixing the soul on what is divinely revealed” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, p. 465). And what exactly is it that God delights in? His own words give us the answer: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found My delight” (Matt. 3:1717And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17); Prov. 8:3030Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; (Proverbs 8:30)).
Peter’s point is simple; if we live in communion with God and enjoy the things He enjoys, we will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust, because in such a state, the flesh in us will be inactive. The attractions of the world lose their power to draw our souls off track when we are enjoying something so infinitely greater. The result is that we overcome the world practically, and thus, escape the lusts that characterize its corrupt state. This shows that it’s not what we know that keeps us going on in the path, but what we enjoy.
Having been given this great provision from God, there is really no excuse for any of us failing in the path—regardless of how dark and difficult the day may be. There is simply no truth to the idea that since things have gotten so disordered in Christendom in these last days, that God understands our situation and excuses our lack of faithfulness.
The Believer’s Part
Vss. 5-21—We have been called to “glory and virtue” (vs. 3). Glory is what we will receive when we are called home at the end of the path and virtue is what we need as we journey along the way. Since this is so, God would have us to be responsibly exercised about our preservation and participate with Him in it by doing our part. As we have seen, God has given us all things that pertain to a life of godliness and He has also given us the greatest promises, but we have to give too. Peter says: “Giving all diligence ... .” Thus, we are to apply ourselves in the things that he is about to mention. In the latter part of this 1st chapter, he puts the onus squarely upon the believer to “supply” (W. Kelly Trans.) the moral and spiritual exercises that are necessary to being preserved.
Having the Moral Qualities Needed for Living Faithfully
Vss. 5-11—The first thing is to have the moral qualities needed for living faithfully for the Lord. He says, “For this very reason also, using therewith all diligence, in your faith have [supply] also virtue, in virtue knowledge, in knowledge temperance [self-control], in temperance endurance, in endurance godliness, in godliness brotherly love, in brotherly love (divine) love.” Thus, there are seven moral qualities that we need to have in our lives. The KJV says, “Add to your faith...” placing the word “to” before each moral quality. But this is misleading. These supplements to the text imply that these moral qualities are to be added one after another in our lives in consecutive order. However, the thought in the passage is that they should be developed together. Similarly, the branches of a tree do not grow one after another but together as a whole.
Virtue [Spiritual Courage]
(Vs. 5)
Virtue refers to having the spiritual energy and courage to stand on the convictions of our faith. In a day when the general tendency in the Christian profession is to drift along with the current of things which is moving away from God and the truth, it is of utmost importance that we have this kind of conviction and energy to propel us along against the current.
Knowledge
(Vs. 5)
This has to do with being intelligent in the mind and will of God in a practical sense. It is quite possible to be full of energy and zeal for God but lacking an understanding of divine principles, and consequently, to take a wrong action in certain situations. Thus, we also need to have an “understanding of the times” to know what the saints “ought to do” in these difficult days (1 Chron. 12:3232And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. (1 Chronicles 12:32)).
Temperance [Self Control]
(vs. 6)
We naturally tend to be creatures of extreme, and if we are not careful we become imbalanced. Therefore, it is necessary to remain in control of our bodily appetites and every other endeavour that we might engage in (1 Cor. 9:2727But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1 Corinthians 9:27)).
Endurance
(vs. 6)
Godliness
(vs. 6)
Personal holiness is not to be neglected, and therefore, is enjoined upon the saints here. Godliness is not obtained through passivity; it comes through serious exercise (1 Tim. 4:77But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7)).
Brotherly Love
(vs. 7)
This is affectionate love with emotion (Phileo). It is to be expressed toward our brethren in the Lord, but not toward the world. We are surely to love lost souls and reach out to them with the gospel (Rom. 13:88Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)), but it is to be as God loves them (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)) with divine love (agapao). If we love those of the world with phileo love, we might get drawn into the world through our affection for them.
Divine Love
(vs. 7)
This is agapao love. It is love that emanates from a settled disposition of the heart—a decision to love its object which does not involve emotion or merit in the object. God set His divine love upon us when there was nothing in us to love! (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). God loves with both kinds of love (John 3:35; 5:2035The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. (John 3:35)
20For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. (John 5:20)) and we are to love in both ways as well. Divine love tempers brotherly love. This is needed because if we only loved our brethren with brotherly love, we might be inclined to overlook certain faults in them that need to be addressed and rebuked.
Vs. 8—Peter concludes by saying: “If these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren [idle] nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Note: he doesn’t say, “If you know about these things,” but rather, “If these things be in you and abound.” This shows that it is not enough to have been made aware of the need of these moral qualities in our lives; they need to be an integral part of our beings, and as such, to have formed our character. If these things are only with us in a superficial way, they could easily be laid aside, and this has been the case with many. The result of these things being part of our beings is that we will be fruitful in the path of faith.
Vs. 9—Peter then warns: “He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old [former] sins.” This shows that if the positive characteristics of the new life are not being developed in us, we will become blinded to our own state and will lose sight of God’s objective of having Christ displayed in His kingdom glory in the world to come. This may result in a sad departure from the path. Hence, if we are not going on in the Christian path, we will surely slide backward, because our state of soul is never static.
Vs. 10—Since this is the case, Peter says: “Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall [stumble]” (W. Kelly Trans.). Again, he puts the onus on the believer to apply himself in these things so that he wouldn’t stumble in the path. We might wonder: How we are to make our “calling and election” more sure when it is as sure as it could ever be? For it is something that is altogether God’s prerogative; He chose us, and He called us—and we’ve had nothing to do with it. However, Peter is not speaking of what is true and sure in the heart of God, but of what should be manifest in our personal lives as we walk with the Lord. We prove and confirm that we are His elect by manifesting the moral features that Peter has been speaking about and by bringing forth fruit unto God in our lives. These things are the unmistakable evidences of our calling and election.
Vs. 11—The great result is: “An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Thus, in a coming day, God will compensate the saints’ devotion to Christ and their service for His name, and it will be displayed before a wondering world (2 Thess. 1:1010When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:10); Eph. 1:1212That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (Ephesians 1:12)). Many have thought that this verse is referring to our entrance into heaven when the Lord comes (the Rapture). This would mean that some of the saints are going to have a grander entrance into the Father’s house than others, due to their faithfulness on earth. However, this is not true. The saints’ responsibility is not taken up at the time of the Lord’s coming to take us home to heaven (the Rapture); we will all have an equally grand and happy reception then. The question of the saints’ faithfulness (or lack thereof) will be taken up later at the judgment seat of Christ, and the results will be manifested before the world at the Appearing of Christ and during His millennial kingdom (Matt. 24:45-4745Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. (Matthew 24:45‑47); Luke 19:15-1915And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. (Luke 19:15‑19)). This is what Peter is referring to in this verse. He is not speaking of our entrance into heaven but of our entrance into the public side of “the everlasting kingdom,” which will be when we come out of heaven with Christ at His Appearing (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; 213To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)
14For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: (1 Thessalonians 2:14) Thess. 1:10; Jude 1414And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (Jude 14), Rev. 19:1414And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14), etc.).
F. B. Hole said, “The everlasting kingdom is not heaven. No one gains heaven as the result of diligence or fruitfulness; nor do some gain an abundant entrance and others a meagre entrance there. There is no entrance into heaven save through the work of Christ—a work perfect and available alike for all who believe—so that all who enter at all enter in the same way and on the same footing without distinction. The everlasting kingdom will be established when Jesus comes again, and in connection with it, rewards will be given as the parable of Luke 19:12-2712He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? 24And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. (Luke 19:12‑27) teaches us. There will, consequently, be great differences as to the places that believers will occupy in the kingdom, and our entrance into it may be abundant or the reverse. All will depend upon our diligence and faithfulness. The remembrance of this will certainly stir us to zeal and devotedness.” (Epistles, vol. 3, pp. 127-128)
The positive results of having these moral things in our lives are:
• We will be fruitful in our Christian lives (vs. 8).
• We will be preserved from stumbling in the path (vs. 10).
• We will have an abundant entrance into the kingdom (vs. 11).
Being Established in the Present Truth
Vss. 12-14—The second thing needed to ensure preservation in the path is to be established in the Christian revelation of truth—and especially as it applies to the condition of things in the last days when Christendom would be in disorder, as chapters 2-3 indicate. Peter says, “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” This shows that it is important to have an understanding of the truth; it will “preserve” us in the path when held in communion with the Lord (Psa. 40:1111Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. (Psalm 40:11)). The principles of God’s Word, when upheld and applied in one’s life, will guide us and keep us from getting off track (Psa. 17:4; 119:105, 1304Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. (Psalm 17:4)
105NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)
130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)). Those who have not been grounded in the Christian revelation of truth are susceptible to being “carried about with every wind of doctrine” that comes along (Eph. 4:1414That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:14)). The Apostle Paul states that being “established” in the truth involves understanding both his “gospel” and “the revelation of the Mystery” (Rom. 16:2525Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, (Romans 16:25)). The fact that Peter says, “Though ye know them, and be established in the present truth,” shows that he considered those to whom he was writing as having matured in the faith. Peter’s burden was to keep the saints “in remembrance of these things” because there is a very real danger of forgetting them.
Knowing the Old Testament Scriptures is a tremendous advantage for a Christian, for therein are many principles that can help us in our walk with the Lord. But they will not establish us in “the present truth.” Why? Because the present truth which Peter is referring to is not found in the Old Testament; it is the revelation of Christian truth which God has delivered to the saints through the apostles; it is New Testament truth.
Vss. 13-15—Sensing from the Lord that the time of his death was drawing near, Peter accounted it a right and profitable thing to use his time and energy to stir up the saints by putting them “in remembrance” of “these things.” This shows that he knew the value of repetition. It also shows us that while we may know the truth and have been established in it, we still need to go over those things, again and again, so that they remain “always in remembrance.” Thus, we are not to be looking for new truth—for with such endeavours some have turned aside into error—but rather, to go over the same truth that was “once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 33Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3)).
The Lord had told Peter that when he was “old,” he would be called upon to die for God’s glory as a martyr (John 21:1818Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. (John 21:18)). In the fact that he says, “As our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me,” suggests that his death would be by crucifixion (vs. 14). Religious history tells us that he, by his own request, was crucified upside down, for he didn’t feel worthy to be crucified in an upright position as the Lord was.
Keeping God’s Glorious End Before Our Souls
Vss. 15-21—The third thing needed for preservation in the path is to have our eyes fixed on God’s glorious end—which is to have Christ publicly displayed in His kingdom glory in the world to come (the Millennium). To assure the saints that this great end will be reached in the ways of God, Peter points us to what took place on the Mount of Transfiguration. He says, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.” The apostles (Peter, James, and John) were given a preview of Christ’s coming kingdom glory (Matt. 17:1-91And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. (Matthew 17:1‑9)). It was God’s confirmation and guarantee that His ultimate end would be reached by Christ being publicly glorified in the world to come.
Being actual “eye-witnesses” of the event, the apostles have “made known” to us the certainty of it and its meaning. Peter assures us that what they saw was not a dream, nor was it some well thought up scheme that they had “cleverly imagined”—it was a divine reality. Thus, we have living proof in the testimony of the apostles that God will crown Christ publicly as “King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:99And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9)) and that He will reign as such in millennial kingdom glory. Many Christians look no further than the Rapture, thinking that it is the fruition of God’s purpose. It will mark the end of the Church’s history on earth, but God’s great end has to do with the display of Christ in His kingdom glory in two great spheres—in heaven and on earth (Eph. 1:1010That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10)). It’s true that we will be called to heaven at the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:15-1815For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑18)) and glorified together with Christ at that time (Rom. 8:1717And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17); Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)), but Peter does not dwell on that side of things here.
Vss. 19-21—What they saw on the mount confirmed the prophetic Word in the Old Testament. Peter says, “We have also the prophetic Word confirmed, in giving heed to which we do well (as to a light shining in a dark place), until the day shall dawn, and the morning star arise in our hearts.” (A translation from J. N. Darby’s Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, p. 473 – footnote.) The Old Testament prophets wrote about that day, but the apostles saw it with their own eyes! There is one difference; the prophetic Scriptures tell of Christ’s earthly glory in that coming day, whereas the Mount of Transfiguration tells of Christ’s heavenly glory. These two testimonies do not contradict each other; on the contrary, they complement one another, for Christ will have glory in both spheres. The KJV rendering of verse 19 suggests that the prophetic Word was made “more sure” by the experience that the apostles had on the mount, but those prophetic Scriptures couldn’t have been made any more sure than they already were; they are God’s inspired Word! What Peter is simply saying is that the scene on the mount coincided with and confirmed what the Old Testament Scriptures had stated.
He says that we will “do well” to “take heed” to such passages of Scripture. This was a needed exhortation for these believing Jews because they may have been tempted to neglect the Old Testament Scriptures after they converted to Christianity. In their minds, those things pertained to their old life as Jews, and therefore, had no real application to them now. Peter addresses this mistaken idea and explains that those Old Testament prophecies are of great practical value to Christians, and we would do well to heed their message. Those passages of Scripture are like “a light shining in a dark place”—this world. They present God’s unchanging moral standards for man; we learn from them that while man’s morals change and decline with the times, God’s do not. The prophetic Word sets before the believer the hope of this world being set right when Christ reigns. At that time, there will be a “regeneration” of moral life on earth, and everything will be ordered according to the mind and will of God (Matt. 19:2828And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)).
Thus, being occupied with the prophetic Scriptures causes the millennial “day” to “dawn” in our “hearts” before the time when it will dawn upon this world at Christ’s Appearing. The saints whose hearts are fixed on Christ’s coming kingdom glory “love His Appearing” (2 Tim. 4:88Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)), because it is the time when He will be openly vindicated in this world where He was shamed; and, if we have been enlightened in the present truth (vs. 12), “the Morning Star” will arise in our hearts. This refers to the imminent hope of the Lord’s coming to take us home to heaven at the Rapture (Rev. 22:1616I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (Revelation 22:16)). It rises in our hearts in the sense that it becomes an imminent thing to us, because we know that the Morning Star appears on the horizon before the sun rises and a new day begins. So, Christ will come for His saints at the Rapture before He comes with His saints at His Appearing to bring in the millennial day. If the Appearing of Christ to set the world right is shortly to come to pass (Rev. 1:11The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Revelation 1:1)), then the Rapture is even nearer! This is the Christian’s “blessed hope” (Titus 2:1313Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)).
When these two things are realized in our souls, they will make an impact on our lives. The immediate effect of “the day” dawning in our hearts delivers us from this world. We realize that there is no point in putting our energy into building up something for ourselves here in this world when that whole system is about to be judged by God. The immediate effect of “the Morning Star” rising in our hearts bestirs bridal affections in us toward our heavenly Bridegroom and a longing to be with Him; and it also begets in us a genuine concern to reach the lost with the gospel (Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)). Thus, there is nothing so refreshing and spiritually healthful than to have our hearts fixed on that future scene of glory when God will publicly exalt His Son.
Vss. 20-21—Drawing this subject to a close, Peter gives a word of caution as to the handling of the prophetic Scriptures. He says: “Knowing this first, that [the scope of] no prophecy of Scripture is had from its own particular interpretation, for prophecy was not ever uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spake under the power of the Holy Spirit.” In saying, “No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation” (KJV), he means that no passage has its own isolated interpretation. Hence, when interpreting the prophetic Word, we must keep in mind that no one passage can be fully understood without the rest of Scripture having its bearing on it. This is a great guiding principle for correct Bible interpretation. The J. N. Darby Translation footnote on verse 20 states, "One might almost say 'no prophecy explains itself.'" Therefore, we must have the light of all the Scriptures shed on any one passage to correctly understand the full scope of its meaning. F. B. Hole said, “It is a warning against treating each prophetic utterance as though it were, by itself, a kind of self-contained saying to be interpreted apart from the mass of the prophetic teaching. All prophecy is connected and inter-related and to be understood only in connection with the whole” (Epistles, vol. 3, p. 131).
This “golden rule” of Bible interpretation is of paramount importance; it will deliver us from error. In spite of this warning, the cults in Christendom are notorious for isolating passages of Scripture in the Word of God and building spurious doctrines out of their mistaken ideas. Peter reminds us that the prophets did not write the Scriptures in that way—that is, “by the will of man.” Being “moved by the Holy Spirit” under inspiration (2 Tim. 3:1616All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16)), they wrote the Scriptures in such a way that it all fits together as one harmonious whole—no passage contradicts another (John 10:3535If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; (John 10:35)). This is remarkable because many of those men whom God used lived in different places and their lives were hundreds of years apart in time; they couldn’t have consulted one another to assure consistency. There were many writers but one Author—God Himself. On occasion, God would use unholy men to communicate a prophetic word—like Balaam (Num. 22-2435And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 36And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast. 37And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor? 38And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak. 39And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath-huzoth. 40And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. 41And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people. 1And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. 4And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 8How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? 9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! 11And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 12And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? 13And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. 14And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. 16And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. 17And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken? 18And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: 19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. 21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. 22God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. 23Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! 24Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. 25And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. 26But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do? 27And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. 28And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon. 29And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 1And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. 3And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 4He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 5How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! 6As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. 7He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 9He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee. 10And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. 11Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor. 12And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 13If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak? 14And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. 15And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 16He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 17I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. 18And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. 19Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. 20And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. 21And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock. 22Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. 23And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this! 24And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever. 25And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way. 1And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 4And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. 5And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor. 6And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 10And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (Numbers 22:35‑25:10)) and Caiaphas (John 11:49-5249And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. (John 11:49‑52))—but He would only use “holy men” to write the Scriptures. Since the Scriptures are divinely inspired of God, we can expect with the fullest assurance that the future glories of Christ, which those Old Testament prophecies forecast, will surely come to pass.