If we give heed to the prophecies of the Bible, we shall experience a lamp shining within us, enjoy the morning star rising in our hearts, and have a spiritual day dawning within us. We may remain in this condition until the actual time comes when the Lord Jesus appears as the morning star and there is the dawning of day with Him as the Sun of righteousness. I believe that this is the proper interpretation of 1:19.
Not long after I was saved, I began to read books on prophecy. During the years I was with the Brethren, I heard many messages on the prophecies in Daniel, Revelation, and other books. For more than half a century, my Christian life has been enlightened by these prophecies. Through Watchman Nee I became familiar with the writings of Pember, Govett, and Panton on prophecy. I can testify that the knowledge of these prophecies has helped to enlighten me. Although great changes have taken place in the world during the past fifty years, I have not been surprised, because of the light from the prophetic word in the Bible. I can also testify that, according to Peter’s word, I enjoy the morning star and the inward dawning of a spiritual day.
First we have the shining of the prophetic word, and then this shining becomes a day dawning within us. Outwardly we live in an age of darkness, but inwardly we are full of light. We may continue to enjoy the morning star and the dawning of a spiritual day until the time the Lord appears as the morning star to the watchful ones and dawns as the Sun of righteousness.
In these verses Peter seems to be saying, “Brothers, as Jewish believers you have much knowledge of the prophecies in the Old Testament, and you have heard our testimony concerning the Lord’s coming. Now some heretics are trying to tell you that this is a superstition, that it is a tale, myth, or legend. Don’t listen to them, and don’t accept heretical teachings. You have our testimony, and you have the prophetic word shining within you. This prophetic word should shine within you until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.”
In verse 20 Peter continues, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of one’s own interpretation.” Here “one’s” refers to the prophet who spoke the prophecy or the writer who wrote the prophecy. Literally, the Greek word for “interpretation” means loosening, untying; hence, disclosure, exposition, solution. One’s own interpretation means the prophet’s or writer’s own exposition or solution, which is not inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. Peter’s thought here is that no prophecy of Scripture is of the prophet’s or writer’s own concept, idea, or understanding; that no prophecy comes from that source, the source of man; that no prophecy originates from the private and personal thought of any prophet or writer. This is confirmed and explained by the following verse.
Verse 21 says, “For no prophecy was ever borne by the will of man, but men spoke from God, being borne by the Holy Spirit.” “For” gives the explanation of the preceding verse. No prophecy of Scripture is of the prophet’s or writer’s solution, for no prophecy was ever borne or carried along by the will of man, but men spoke from God, being borne by the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word translated “borne” also means carried along. The same word is used in verses 17 and 18. No prophecy was ever carried along by the will of man. Man’s will, desire, and wish, with his thought and solution, are not the source from which any prophecy came. The source is God, by whose Holy Spirit men were carried along, as a ship by the wind, to speak out the will, desire, and wish of God.
Because the prophets were carried along by the Holy Spirit, what they uttered was not of their own interpretation or will. On the contrary, what they spoke was the will of God, the concept of God uttered by a prophet who was carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Verses 20 and 21 prove that the prophetic word is altogether reliable and trustworthy. The prophecy in the Scriptures did not come from man’s opinion. This prophecy is God’s word, God’s speaking. For this reason, we should believe whatever is prophesied in the Old Testament. Peter seems to be saying here, “The prophecy in the Bible is genuinely of God. Therefore, it is trustworthy. Do not listen to the heretical teachings of the apostates, of those who have deviated from the track of divine truth. Instead, you should give heed to the prophecies of the Old Testament and also hold to our testimony.”
As we shall see, in 2:1 Peter says, “But there arose also false prophets among the people, as also among you there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” Here Peter says that there were false prophets among the people in times past and that in the future there will be false teachers among the believers. These false teachers will bring in destructive heresies. Peter’s word at the end of chapter one leads him to go on to speak of apostasy in chapter two. Peter’s burden was to inoculate the believers against this apostasy.