It is estimated that Jesus fulfilled 324 Old Testament prophesies. Until the Transfiguration of Jesus, Psalm 2 was unfulfilled.
I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have begotten you. (Psalm 2.7)
Peter was blessed to witness the fulfillment of the Psalm, along with many other prophesies. Looking back on his experience on the mountain, Peter wrote:
So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed.
You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1.19).
Both Old and New Testament prophets were oracles or mouthpieces for God. They declared a crucial messages that revealed God’s plans and purposes for humans.
I have a small flashlight that I use when the electricity goes out. It allows me to navigate the house in the dark without stumbling.
There is enough light in the prophets to guide us through a dark world.
It makes good sense to pay attention to the message of the prophets just as it does to use a flashlight in the dark.
The day is coming when we will live in the full revelation of God’s glory. Prophets will not be needed then, because the Lord will be our light.
Peter described the light as the “morning star” and Rudy Ross has an excellent interpretation of the “morning star” in today’s video.
Peter had both the prophetic word and his personal experience of its fulfillment. We, too, have a relationship with God and the message of the Scripture.
The truth of God’s word and personal experience with God will confirm the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ.
Why can we trust the Bible?
We can trust the Bible because of its divine origin.
First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
Because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1.20-21).
This is the most explicit reference to God’s inspiration from the Bible. Peter declares that a prophet speaks on God’s initiative, not his own.
Jeremiah pointed out the difference between a false prophet and one that God sent.
And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them.
“They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds” (Jeremiah 14.14).
True prophets were sent by God and moved by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s message.
A Practical Application
I recently read Matthew 5.1-2 during a time of prayer. Because I can rely on the Bible being inspired by the Holy Spirit, I was able to trust these words to be from God.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he began to speak and taught them, (Matthew 5.1-2).
As I was praying, the thought came to me. “Today, I am sitting at the feet of Jesus and he is teaching me.”
I couldn’t do that if the words of Matthew 5 were the creation of humans. However, because they are God’s words, I could use them as a way to light my path for the day.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I continue a study on 2 Peter on YouTube today. It can be found on the Bob Spradling channel.
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