“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy converstaion and godliness.”  (2 Peter 3)

 

Before we begin to get to our focus of this article let me prefeace it with some bullet points.
*There is much in our contemporary times that point to prophetical fulfilment, One would have to go out of one’s way not to see the signs of the times.
*However, The sound and believing mindset will “not make haste” in drawing conclusions and writing them in stone.
*I say the above even though I have thoughts on what is happening, yet we/I must not be dogmatic.
*In the Old Testament, the prophets spoke of coming events and the Coming Christ, yet they did not understand all that God showed them.  The prophets of old spoke to a victorious and supreme Sovereign that would rule over all of God’s Creation. Yet the prophets also saw and spoke of a Suffering Servants that would fall and die.  They knew not what to make of it all.
*Moving forward from the O.T. to the Gospels, which technically is Old Testament until Christ fulfilled all that was said of His Person, Works, and Words, The religious teachers had in there hand all of the O.T. prophecies concerning Christ and yet completely missed the points of identification.
*Today, the mysteries have been revealed, whether one reads Genesis-Deuteronomy, Psalms, and the Prophets, there is a clear and unmistakable picture of Jesus Christ. Yet the religious leaders that lived during Christ’s time on earth, with all the Scripture needed, missed the point and were condemned by Christ Himself (Matthew 23; John 3, 8).
*The same is true today, we have all the Scriptures and all the prophecies, yet they are still covered in mystery, as the prophets of old, who heard from God Himself, still didn’t understand what they saw and what they said.
*With the example from Scriptural history, Scriptural theology, Scripture prophecy we would be wise to look at our times and be careful not to overstep into “perfect knowledge” that “puffeth up.”  If the men that had the O.T., training in the O.T., and had the Very Author of the O.T. looking them in the face and they still missed the point, we must be careful not to do the same.
*Again I write all the above and I do see “all things work[ing] together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to [H]is purposes” and that “our salvation is nearer than when we first believed,” and “our salvation draweth nigh.”  I do see all the proper, prophecied, and promised “potentates” or kingdoms or nations all moving or rather being moved by the Hand of God. We see all of it to, but let us believe in our Lord and “not make haste” Isaiah 28:16).

 

Now that we have prefaced our article let us get to the point and purpose of Scriptural prophecy. In the Scripture text above, Peter asks his reader [paraphrasing], In light of all that you are seeing and knowing that it has been promised and prophecied for centuries, What now?  What kind of person should you be?

Unpacking Peter’s question, we are asked just as the original readers were asked, Now that you see all the nations moving as Scripture foretold us, you see the lost, the wicked, the unknown (unloved) by God acting out as we were foretold (Isaiah 3,  Romans 1,  2 Peter 2), what kind of person should YOU be? Should WE be, Should I be?

Methinks, it is dangerous to keep our eyes and minds upon all of the foretold events and forget to “Take heed unto thyself.”  In Revelation nineteen (19) we read of John’s vision. John sees Heaven opened, or unrolled before him, yet all with all of splendor before him, his attention is drawn to a Man riding a white horse, His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on [H]is [H]ead were many crowns…[H]e was clothed  with a vesture dipped in blood: and [H]is [N]ame is called The Word of God.” [See also Hebrews 12:1-3]

You see, the focus of Christ’s people must remain upon Him. Whenever a prophet was allowed to receive a glimpse or vision of God, in His Glory, they all fell and were without strength and they saw themselves as undone and God as All and Everything. After they saw or sensed their undone-ness and felt their strength leave them, they were picked up or made to stand up and to go forth and do as God instructed/instructs them.

That vision or sense of God’s Other-ness, God’s Greatness, and God’s Omni-Everything-Else gave the prophets their fervour, their unction, their confidence and strength. Yet with all of that given to them, they remained humble and this power under constraint or meekness allowed them and prompted them to a holiness and boldness (2 Peter 1:19-21).

We are told from Scripture, with all of the above being given to the prophets, they still understood only in parts (Hebrews 1). We are taught, even with all the prophets saw, they could not see the whole picture (1 Corinthians 13:9-13,  2 Peter 1).