THE PROPHET WORD

2 Pet. 1:16-21

   16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased"--18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

   This is the epistle text on the Sunday in the church year (in Norway), where the gospel text on the 1 text series is about Jesus explanation for the disciples eyes on the mountain of Tabor.
   Jesus inner glory shone thrue, so that it became visible for their carnal eyes; - “His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light,” we read about this in Matt. 17:2, and Moses and Elijah, the representatives for the law and the prophets, revealed themselves there with Him, - and testified with that for the disciples about, that He is the one we have testified about.

   And that wasn’t the end of it, as if that wasn’t enough! – But in addition to this the Father spoke directly to them from heaven, as Peter testifies about here: “For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” (v.17).
   “And we ourselves heard this utterance,” Peter testifies in (v.18), - and earlier he has said: “ - we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (v.16).
   “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard,” says Peter later on, in a defense speech before the high council (Acts 4:20).

   We are dealing with an eyewitness; - he was there when it happened!
   He was later on willing to die for this, - so you should be certain of that it wasn’t cleverly devised tales he was dealing with. And if one man was crazy enough to die for something he knew was a lie, you should be aware of that also all the other apostles - except one - also died for the same, - and he who didn’t suffer the martyr death of them, John, he lived a long life as a victim for persecution because of the testimony of Jesus Christ; - imprisoned to the prisoner island Patmos among others where he got the revelation.

   They had lived with Jesus, these men, also after His resurrection. That is a powerful testimony to us!
   Also listen to John the baptizer’s testimony: “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:34).
   God had given him a word in advance: “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33), - and John had seen this happen with Jesus! Here you have another eyewitness.

   But the religious leaders in the country, who sat in the high chairs, and administrated the religious disposition in the country, - Jesus says about them that, among other things: “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” (John 8:19).
   And these who were completely blind, who never had had any salvation meeting with Him whom God had sent, - they sat there as spiritual authorities, whom the people turned to, to get answers about questions of the eternity; - something that caused Jesus to cry! (Luke 19:41).
   Jesus shows us how serious this condition was, when He says: “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate.” (Matt.23:38).
   And in year 70 after Christ, Israel became completely obliterated as a nation, so there was not left any stone upon stone.
   That’s how it goes, when the people stay with spiritual leaders who themselves are blind, and will not have it differently, or receive correction; - “both will fall into a pit,” Jesus says (Matt.15:14).

   On the background of this, - with regard to both love for Jesus Himself, He who paid the costly prize – and to the souls, Peter cries out with a big compassion: “We were eyewitnesses! – We heard! – We saw!”
   That’s how it is for every true witness; - he can say to any person: “I have seen that Jesus is your Savior!” – It’s not cleverly devised tales, but as Lina Sandell (Swedish hymn writer) testifies in the song: “It is revealed to me that I own the child rights, because God with me in Christ is reconciled.”
   Is that revealed to your heart?

   Yes, God hasn’t spoken in the hidden about this – now in this very moment, He sent you eyewitnesses to His greatness, - and didn’t you hear? Yes, but what is so hard is to believe that it is especially for me; - I can’t really find anything by myself that is right.
   No, that’s good at least, - because He came to seek and to save that which isn’t “right”, - that which was lost! (Matt.18:11; Luke 19:10).

   But listen now whether salvation is for you too when the Word testifies that He died for us all! – Or when it testifies that He is the atonement for all the worlds’ sin (1John 2:2).
   How would you be able to step outside of that? – Do you have your origin on another planet? – Or are you shaped by another root, than the rest of humankind? No, but I don’t know whether I have the right faith and trust! And it is a lot of truth in that, that you can own a fake and dead faith, - but if you are struggling here, it is really because you want something “firm” in your own chest to hold on to, - you want a visible or tactile proof, before you believe.
   But if this is you, there is one thing you must realize here: - it is not faith in itself that saves you, but Him you believe in!
   You actually have your focus in the wrong place!
   If I had my faith in my left hand and Jesus in my right, - which one would you have chosen? I guess the right one! – And this is exactly faith!
   God’s testimony isn’t: Look, here is faith, who has been given to you for salvation, - so you must stretch after it, - no, the testimony is: Look, here is Jesus, who has been given you for salvation! – Or as John expresses it in his letter: “And the testimony (God’s) is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (1 John 5:11).
   Yes, who are these “us” then, who the apostle speaks about here? And the Word answers: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...” (John 3:16).
   This eternal life is given to us all, in Him. As someone said: You ask: “I wonder if I am among the chosen ones?” You shouldn’t ask like that, - you should rather ask: “Am I a sinner who needs salvation? – Am I a sinner to whom God’s undeserved mercy is the only hope? – Yes, then I am exactly one of them that Jesus came for!”

   Peter was an eyewitness to the wonderful Tabor explanation, - and then we would think that he put this on the top of everything! – We think pretty soon that if we could get wonderful manifestations among us, yes, then the people would come flocking and start believing! Yes, there’s no doubt that people would come flocking in, - we see that in so many connections, but if they also want to come to a saving faith, is another thing.
   Just read for example John 6, in that connection and learn from it.

   No, Peter, he turns it upside down for us, and puts something much higher than what he had just seen: “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (v.19).
   God’s word! – The Scriptures testimony! – pay attention to that, because it is like “a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.”
   That is what stands there and testifies to us, also then, when visions and revelations, warm feelings and tangible peace is gone, and everything is normal, or maybe even desolate and cold.
   Look at Him! – Whom the law and the prophets testifies about, - He has been here and made all things well, and now He sits by the Fathers right hand and speaks our (human being) case! Where He sat down after He made purification for our sins (Heb.1:3).
   There is a story about a father who had been to an evangelistic meeting together with his daughter; - he had heard the word about salvation and went home so uplifted and happy. But when he woke up the morning after, the delightful feelings were gone, and the word he had heard was as dead; - and he was in despair over this and thought that it was all just a fraud! Then his little daughter said to him the saving words: “But daddy, it’s still standing there, the word you heard yesterday!”

   Yes, God help us to see that, because Peter gives us the reasons for that this word is so great and important: “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (v.20-21).
   It is simply God’s word!

E.K.

Holy Bible, New American Standard Version
Translator: Benedicte Holtan Smart