2 Peter 1:19-21 further assures Peter’s readers of Christ’s second coming; they need to be guided by this promise like a light shining in a dark place. He urges them to remember that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private interpretation because no prophecy ever was produced by an act of human will, but by men who were controlled and directed by the Holy Spirit who made known what God wanted to say.
In 2 Peter 1:19-21, Peter asserts that all prophecy of Scripture is from God, and that includes the prophecy of Jesus’s return. This section begins, 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 start arises in your hearts. (v. 19).
Verse 19 connects with the previous verses that recount Peter’s experience hearing God’s word on the Mount of Transfiguration: we have the prophetic word. We refers to the fact that the Apostles possess the word of God, predicting Christ’s return (Matthew 24:3). Because Jesus’s prophetic word was confirmed, it was made more sure. The words made more sure comprise one word in the original text describing the prophetic word as reliable and certain. This means the text could be translated “we have the reliable and certain prophetic word.”
It is this reliable and certain prophetic word Peter tells his readers, to which you do well to pay attention. This means the prophetic word is so important that Peter insists that it is the right thing for his readers to focus their minds on them. Their mental focus is to be as clear as to a lamp shining in a dark place. When you shine a flashlight into a dark closet it is for the purpose to intently look and focus your attention on what you are looking for.
The readers’ careful look at the prophetic Word should continue until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. The time when the day dawns might point to the day of the Lord when Christ returns (Joel 2:21-25, 3:16-18). The morning star refers to the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 22:16). The time when the Lord Jesus Christ arises in your hearts could mean the time when Jesus, as Lord, arises and arises in your heart until He is the number one priority in your heart. However, since it is connected with the phrase until the day dawns, the phrases together could point forward to the “abundantly supplied” reward of a special entrance into Jesus’s kingdom referred to in 2 Peter 1:11.
Speaking of the reliable and certain prophetic Word, Peter reminds his readers, But know this first of all (v. 20), meaning this is the most important thing you need to know about prophecy, that no prophecy of Scripture, meaning no prediction contained in the Bible is a matter of one’s own interpretation, referring to the creation of an individual’s private explanation of its meaning. This includes the prophecies of Jesus’s return, such as in Matthew 24:27 ands Revelation 22:7, 10, 12. Why is this so important to know?
Peter tells us why: for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (v. 21). The word for introduces a reason why prophecy is not a matter of private interpretation. This is because no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will. Since biblical prophecy was not a product of human volition to make the prediction, that means humans don’t get to decide what the prophecy means; the prophecy means what God meant it to mean. But, indicating a strong contrast, men, referring to humans, did have a part to play in writing down God’s prophecy. They spoke the prophecy, being moved by the Holy Spirit. Yet the prophecy was still from God.
The part men played in recording prophecy is because they were moved, a word picturing a sailboat being borne along by the wind. The Greek word translated Spirit is also translated “breath” or “wind.” The action of the telling is by the Holy Spirit; the men were like the boat being blown on the sea. Just as sailor is an instrument of the action of the wind, so the prophet is a vessel of the Holy Spirit.
It was not the wind or human will that moved men to record prophetic Scripture, it was the third Person of the Triune Godhead—the Holy Spirit who spoke from God. This means it was the Holy Spirit who made known to man what God wanted to say. We see this principle asserted throughout scripture, examples including:
2 Samuel 23:2, where David says God’s Spirit spoke by him.
Luke 1:70, where Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, affirms that the Old Testament prophets spoke the words of God.
Acts 1:16, where the Holy Spirit is said to have spoken through the mouth of David.
Acts 3:18, where Peter asserts that God spoke through the prophets to predict that Jesus, the Messiah, would suffer and die.
1 Peter 1:11, where Peter says that the Old Testament prophets sought to understand the prophecies they had uttered, having been moved by the Holy Spirit.
This section has profound implications regarding the inspiration of the Scriptures. The Bible says, “all Scripture is inspired” meaning God—breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Peter tells us the way in which God breathed His Scriptures was by means of the Holy Spirit, using man’s personality, writing style, and vocabulary to record without error what God wanted to say to man.
We, as Bible students, can observe that the words of scripture are coherent, with a common voice, woven together like a fine tapestry, although it is written by numerous authors spanning over a thousand years. Thus, the scripture even testifies of itself that it is true. It is true, and as Peter has emphasized and will continue to emphasize, one of the things we can count on is that Jesus will return and the world will be judged. Therefore, we should live accordingly, and be found faithful upon His return.
2 Peter 1:19-21
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.
Set to dark mode
2 Peter 1:19-21 meaning
In 2 Peter 1:19-21, Peter asserts that all prophecy of Scripture is from God, and that includes the prophecy of Jesus’s return. This section begins, 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 start arises in your hearts. (v. 19).
Verse 19 connects with the previous verses that recount Peter’s experience hearing God’s word on the Mount of Transfiguration: we have the prophetic word. We refers to the fact that the Apostles possess the word of God, predicting Christ’s return (Matthew 24:3). Because Jesus’s prophetic word was confirmed, it was made more sure. The words made more sure comprise one word in the original text describing the prophetic word as reliable and certain. This means the text could be translated “we have the reliable and certain prophetic word.”
It is this reliable and certain prophetic word Peter tells his readers, to which you do well to pay attention. This means the prophetic word is so important that Peter insists that it is the right thing for his readers to focus their minds on them. Their mental focus is to be as clear as to a lamp shining in a dark place. When you shine a flashlight into a dark closet it is for the purpose to intently look and focus your attention on what you are looking for.
The readers’ careful look at the prophetic Word should continue until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. The time when the day dawns might point to the day of the Lord when Christ returns (Joel 2:21-25, 3:16-18). The morning star refers to the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 22:16). The time when the Lord Jesus Christ arises in your hearts could mean the time when Jesus, as Lord, arises and arises in your heart until He is the number one priority in your heart. However, since it is connected with the phrase until the day dawns, the phrases together could point forward to the “abundantly supplied” reward of a special entrance into Jesus’s kingdom referred to in 2 Peter 1:11.
Speaking of the reliable and certain prophetic Word, Peter reminds his readers, But know this first of all (v. 20), meaning this is the most important thing you need to know about prophecy, that no prophecy of Scripture, meaning no prediction contained in the Bible is a matter of one’s own interpretation, referring to the creation of an individual’s private explanation of its meaning. This includes the prophecies of Jesus’s return, such as in Matthew 24:27 ands Revelation 22:7, 10, 12. Why is this so important to know?
Peter tells us why: for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (v. 21). The word for introduces a reason why prophecy is not a matter of private interpretation. This is because no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will. Since biblical prophecy was not a product of human volition to make the prediction, that means humans don’t get to decide what the prophecy means; the prophecy means what God meant it to mean. But, indicating a strong contrast, men, referring to humans, did have a part to play in writing down God’s prophecy. They spoke the prophecy, being moved by the Holy Spirit. Yet the prophecy was still from God.
The part men played in recording prophecy is because they were moved, a word picturing a sailboat being borne along by the wind. The Greek word translated Spirit is also translated “breath” or “wind.” The action of the telling is by the Holy Spirit; the men were like the boat being blown on the sea. Just as sailor is an instrument of the action of the wind, so the prophet is a vessel of the Holy Spirit.
It was not the wind or human will that moved men to record prophetic Scripture, it was the third Person of the Triune Godhead—the Holy Spirit who spoke from God. This means it was the Holy Spirit who made known to man what God wanted to say. We see this principle asserted throughout scripture, examples including:
This section has profound implications regarding the inspiration of the Scriptures. The Bible says, “all Scripture is inspired” meaning God—breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Peter tells us the way in which God breathed His Scriptures was by means of the Holy Spirit, using man’s personality, writing style, and vocabulary to record without error what God wanted to say to man.
We, as Bible students, can observe that the words of scripture are coherent, with a common voice, woven together like a fine tapestry, although it is written by numerous authors spanning over a thousand years. Thus, the scripture even testifies of itself that it is true. It is true, and as Peter has emphasized and will continue to emphasize, one of the things we can count on is that Jesus will return and the world will be judged. Therefore, we should live accordingly, and be found faithful upon His return.