The Faith Of The Prophets
THE FAITH OF THE PROPHETS
1 PETER 1:10-12
How much do you appreciate the privileges of your salvation?
Peter’s readers might legitimately have asked why their faith should be so specially important. Where Paul referred to Abraham and Hebrews to a long line of the faithful, Peter turned to the prophets. In contrast to the predominant modern view, which sees them as little more than clear-sighted interpreters of their own time, he followed the rabbinic saying, “No prophet ever prophesied except for the days of the Messiah.” This did not mean that they did not prophesy for their own time, but that they saw their own time in the light of the day of the Lord. Peter said that they were so convinced that they were giving God’s message that they committed themselves to it before they knew to whom it applied or when it would come to fulfillment.
To be noted is that they showed deeper interest in the salvation (1:10) than in the time (1:11). The term “the Spirit of Christ” is found again in Romans 8:9. Here it means they were so possessed by the Spirit of the Messiah that they were able to see coming suffering and glory with his eyes.
In addition, however, they saw that they were also foretelling the salvation of those to whom Peter was writing, ie the church. It has often been suggested that the prophets could not discern the interval between the first and second comings of Christ; just as when a man viewing two parallel ranges of mountains from a distance cannot know the deep valley that separates them. With all the truth in this view, it is inadequate. Throughout the Old Testament God is praised as Savior. But there is always an element of inadequacy in it and so there is a looking to the future. This is concisely summed up in Hebrews 11:39f. Not only has Christ entered into his glory (Luke 24:26), but also we share in it, eg Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-4. It is not merely that we shall experience “the powers of the world to come,” but we have tasted them already (Hebrews 6:5). Eternity is projected into time, the glory of Christ may be seen in the church before his return, and so the salvation which the prophets hoped for has become a reality through our faith.