PETER'S EPISTLES

1 Peter: Living In Conflict With The Culture

IV. Encouraging Assurance Of Future Glory By Old Testament Prophecy

(1 Peter 1:10-12)

I. Introduction

A. Several believers in different states of the nation have reported on the increasing difficulty they face in living in accord with Bible truth since doing so conflicts with the godless world's deteriorating culture around them.

B. "First Peter was written to Christians . . . whose stand for Jesus Christ made them aliens and strangers in the midst of a pagan society" (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 837), so we study 1 Peter for insight and edification.

C. 1 Peter 1:10-12 teaches us believers how we can experience great assurance of future glory amid current persecution sufferings by heeding Old Testament prophecy on the matter (as follows):

II. Encouraging Assurance Of Future Glory By Old Testament Prophecy, 1 Peter 1:10-12.

A. A great evidences of the validity of the Christian faith is fulfilled Bible prophecy, what no other faith's God can achieve: God in Isaiah 46:9b-10a KJV said, "I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done . . ."

B. To encourage his readers even more about the glory that awaits them following their persecution sufferings in this life, Peter noted that the Old Testament prophets were made aware of the salvation we Christians would experience by God's grace, 1 Peter 1:10. Indeed, we note various prophecies on this very theme (as follows):

1. Isaiah 53:11 predicted that by the knowledge of Messiah would He justify many, indicating the knowledge of Christ by way of faith in Him versus justification by works. Isaiah 53:10 also clarified that when Messiah's soul was made a guilt offering for sin, what would produce His physical death, God would prolong His days beyond death, implying Messiah's resurrection! (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1109)

2. Moses in Leviticus 23:4-14 typologically predicted the death (Passover, Leviticus 23:5 with Exodus 12:1-14) and resurrection (Firstfruits, Leviticus 23:9-14) of the Messiah.

3. David predicted Messiah's crucifixion in Psalm 22:14-16, "a means of crucifixion not known until Roman times," including descriptions of "the pain, the extreme thirst, asphyxiation, and agony to the hands and feet." (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Psalm 22:11-18) Jesus Christ focused on this psalm while on the cross, calling out Psalm 22:1 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" in Matthew 27:46 and later just before dying, alluding to the last phrase of Psalm 22:31, "He hath done this," restating it triumphantly, "It is finished!" in John 19:30. That last phrase in Psalm 22:21 refers to God's having answered Messiah's prayer (in Psalm 22:19-21) to be delivered from death on the cross by raising Him from the dead so that many would turn to Messiah in faith and worship, Ibid., B. K. C., O. T., p. 811.

C. Those Old Testament prophets searched intently with great care their own prophetic writings, for they longed to participate in this salvation and so they tried to discover the time and circumstances to which the Holy Spirit was pointing, 1 Peter 1:11a; Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 842.

D. Those prophets were also interested in the glory to follow (1 Peter 1:11b), what was evident in Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 12:2-9: after being informed by God's angel that after the future Great Tribulation Period, many would be raised in glory, and that those who were wise and turned many to righteousness would shine as the brightness of the firmament and the stars for ever and ever, Daniel was told to shut up the book and seal it for the time of the end when many would peruse back and forth from what we now know was Old Testament and New Testament prophecies concerning the end times! Daniel responded by asking the angel, "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" (Daniel 12:8 ESV) to which the angel replied that Daniel was to shut up and seal the book until the time of the end (when believers would understand it), Daniel 12:9.

E. Indeed, 1 Peter 1:12 relates that as in Daniel's case, it was revealed to these dear Old Testament prophets that they were writing these things to minister not to themselves, but for us believers in Christ today, and these truths were matters that even the holy angels of heaven desired to look into for their understanding and awe.

Lesson: As encouraging assurance of our future glory in the life to come following current persecution trials, God led Old Testament prophets to write about our salvation and future glory, what gained the intense interest of those prophets and even of the heavenly angels but were intended for us for our encouragement in our current trials!

Application: May we be greatly encouraged to know that God certified by Old Testament prophets the reality of our salvation in Christ and our glorification to follow to encourage us in our trials today to keep living for the Lord!