Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, June 20, 2015

Based Upon 2 Peter 1:19-21

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“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:19–21).

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For some strange reason there are so many people that figure they can tamper with the prophecies in the Word of God. For some strange reason they are misguided enough to think that they can slice and dice the Word. They figure that they can edit and apply the word to fit their misguided purposes to prove their misguided arguments. Some think that the Word is just some book of literature subject to philosophical or academic criticism. Well, today, I’ve got news for all of us: The Bible, those blessed 66 books concerning the character of God throughout the ages is no ordinary book, friends! This blessed book is the voice of God given to us by a miraculous move of His grace, through feeble men, whom He made holy. It was not mere men who came up with these infallible Scriptures. It was The Holy Spirit, who actuated otherwise average men and made them Holy, to write, under His inspiration, the words. And those words, on the strength of their origin, became the Word of God. In truth, the Word came through the flesh, and dwelt among us. What a miracle of His grace, that the Holy God of life would condescend to make Himself accessible to mere mortals, that we would one day ascend to live with Him forever.

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Now, if you were paying attention to our theme text, you would have noticed that Peter said that we now have a “more sure word of prophecy” that we should take heed to. More sure or made more sure than or by what? With what is Peter correlating this holy gift of prophecies? In the preceding verses, Peter gives an eyewitness account of the following experience: “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.” (Mark 9:1–4). After a short time God the Father trumpeted from heaven that Jesus was indeed His beloved Son whom they should follow. The import of this event must not be lost on us. Just as He promised He would, Jesus gave three of His disciples a sneak peek of the Second Coming. The Bible says that Jesus’ appearance was dazzling in a brightness exceeding anything on earth, yet these mortal men, were spared. Like God’s people who will be resurrected or will still be alive and remain (both groups were represented by Moses and Elijah) at the Second Coming, God miraculously preserved these three men’s life from the brightness of His coming! This dazzling beauty would have destroyed anyone whom the Lord Himself had not covered in His righteousness (Exodus 33:20; 2 Thessalonians 2:8).

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It was with this indescribable preview of the Coming of Jesus that Peter correlated the surety of Bible prophecy. Having experienced that blessed event, these men became more convinced than ever before, that He that shall come, will come, and not tarry. These men became more convinced that, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). These privileged men, who...