In 1:19-21 Peter goes on to use the prophetic word found in the Old Testament to confirm their testimony. Both the apostles’ witness and the prophetic word in the Scriptures are the shining of the truth. This shining is part of the divine provision, the provision God has made by His power so that His elect children may be able to stay away from heresy and apostasy.
In verse 19 Peter continues, “And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” “And” indicates that in addition to the truth of the Lord’s transfiguration covered in the preceding verses as the inoculation against superstitious myths, the truth of the prophetic word is used for a more sure confirmation. After speaking of his personal experience of the Lord’s glory in His transfiguration, Peter goes on to use the word of the prophets to confirm his testimony and strengthen it.
Peter indicates that the believers do well to give heed to the prophetic word. This means that they were studying the Old Testament prophecies and giving heed to them.
Peter likens the word of prophecy in the Scripture to a lamp shining in a dark place. This indicates that this age is a dark place in the dark night (Rom. 13:12) and that all the people of this world are moving and acting in darkness. It also indicates that the prophetic word of the Scripture, as the shining lamp to the believers, conveys spiritual light to shine in their darkness (not merely knowledge in letters for mental apprehension) and guides them to enter into a bright day, even to pass through the dark night until the day of the Lord’s appearing dawns.
The Greek words rendered “dark place” may also be translated murky place, a place that is squalid, dry, and neglected. This is a metaphor, illustrating the darkness in the apostasy. This age is a dark, murky, squalid place. But the prophetic word is a lamp shining in the darkness.
Peter says that we do well to give heed to the prophetic word until the day dawns and the morning star arises in our hearts. This also is a metaphor, illustrating a time coming which will be full of light, as a bright day dawning, with the morning star, before dawn, rising in the hearts of the believers, who are illuminated and enlightened by giving heed to the shining word of the prophecy of Scripture. In the time of apostasy the believers do well to give heed in this matter so that the prophetic word, as a lamp, may shine through the darkness of apostasy until such a day dawns upon them. This will cause and encourage them to seek earnestly the Lord’s presence and be watchful that they not miss the Lord in the secret part of His parousia, when He comes as a thief (Matt. 24:27; 2 Thes. 2:8). Hence, this metaphor should allude to the coming age, the age of the kingdom, as a day that will dawn at the appearing (the coming) of the Lord (2 Pet. 1:16) as the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2), whose light will shine to break through the gloom of the dark night of this age. Preceding this, the Lord will appear as the morning star (Rev. 2:28; 22:16) in the darkest hour of the night to those who are watchful and looking for His dear appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). They have been enlightened by the shining of the prophetic word, which is able to lead them to the dawning day.
It is correct to say that the dawning of the day in 1:19 refers to the time of the Lord’s coming back. On that day, the Lord will shine as the Sun of righteousness. The time that is very close to the Lord’s appearing may be likened to early morning, at which time the Lord Jesus will be the morning star to His watchful believers. Although all this is true, Peter is saying something even more. Actually, in 1:19 Peter covers two matters at the same time. He is saying that the entire world is a dark place and that this present age is a dark night. If we did not have the prophecies of the Bible, we also would be in darkness, for we would not have a lamp. But the prophetic word is our lamp shining in the darkness. As we give heed to this prophetic word, we receive the shining of the light. Eventually, this light will shine until a spiritual day dawns within us, and a morning star rises in our hearts. Therefore, Peter first is speaking of a spiritual day, a day that dawns within us. He also speaks of a future day, the day of the Lord’s coming back.
Our experience confirms the fact that in 1:19 Peter is speaking both of a spiritual day and the day of the Lord’s coming. Many times we were in darkness and came to the prophecies in the Bible. As we studied the prophecies, a lamp began to shine within us. Spontaneously we had the sense that no longer were we in the night but in the day, for a spiritual day had dawned within us. We have not only the shining of a lamp, but also the dawning of a day. How pleasant it is for the morning star to rise up in our hearts! Although there may be darkness all around us, within us there is a morning star.
As we have pointed out, the dawning day in 1:19 also refers to a future day when the Lord Jesus will come back as the Sun of righteousness. Before His visible coming, He will be the morning star to those who watch for Him. Therefore, Peter’s word in 1:19 applies both to our spiritual situation and to the Lord’s coming.