Expounds on the Apostle Peter's teachings regarding the second coming of Christ, drawing parallels between the Transfiguration account in Matthew 17 and Peter's second epistle. It highlights Peter's eyewitness testimony, the divine voice from heaven, and the sure word of prophecy as foundational reasons for faith, contrasting them with 'cunningly devised fables.' The message emphasizes the importance of looking forward to the new heavens and new earth, urging believers to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, and to live holy lives in anticipation of His return.
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Shall we read together, please, in the second epistle of Peter, chapter one. Second epistle of Peter, chapter one. And we'll read from verse ten. Second Peter, one, verse ten. Wherefore the rather brethren... give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly unto the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth, Yea, I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover, I will endeavor that you may be able, after my deceit, to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His Majesty, for he received from God the Father honor and glory.
When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. On this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy month. We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereon to you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your heart. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God, speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Just the last paragraph in the second official, chapter three. And we'll read from verse ten. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. in which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise, on the element shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. Looking far on his thing unto the coming of the day of God, For them the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the element shall melt with fervent heat.
Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens on the new earth, for in dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, saying that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be fond of him in peace without spot on blameless. And the kind that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, also, according to the wisdom given unto him, has written unto you, and also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, and which are some things hard to be understood, which say that are unlearned and unstable rest, as they do also the other scriptures, under their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing that ye know these things before, beware that ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in grace, under the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to him be glory both now and forever. Amen. Let me go about this blessing. to the reading of this precious portion of His Word. We have been looking in New Testament scriptures some great truths concerning the second coming of Christ, the second Advent.
On Tuesday night we were looking at the teaching of Christ Himself. On again let me repeat that there in the Gospels and the teaching of our Lord we get the great basic foundational doctrine of the second Advent. In the Synoptic Gospels, he speaks about his appearing in glory. And on the Gospel, according to John, for the first time, he mentions the fact of the believer, the church, being taken up to the Father's heart. So the basis of the doctrine is in the teaching of our Lord. In the last night, we were looking at the teaching of the Apostle Paul. And he developed this doctrine, first of all, in relation to the Red Church.
in first Corinthians chapter fifteen and again in first Thessalonians chapter four. We were looking at that last night and this morning we were looking at the second Thessalonians where Paul speaks there about the appearing. That is the manifestation, the apocalypse, the unveiling of Christ when he comes back again in his glory. You notice how the Apostle Paul develops onto the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the teaching of our Lord Himself. But tonight for a few minutes, I want to look at what Peter, the Apostle Peter, has to say about the coming.
And again, there's so much here concerning it that all we will be able to do is just touch the high spot. And I want to look at some of the teaching that he gives here concerning the coming. It's rather interesting that Simon Peter, the Apostle, he never mentions the rapture. Now, that's rather remarkable. Do you think he didn't believe in the rapture? I believe he did. But he gives his viewpoint of the coming again of Christ. On each time he mentions it, it is the public appearing of Christ that he looks at.
In this first epistle, There are three references to the appearing. He calls it the Apocalypse. And it would be interesting to look at those three references concerning the appearing of Christ that we find in the first epistle. But in the second epistle that I want to concentrate on tonight, he gives us a lovely illustration of the appearing and the glory of Christ in chapter one. In chapter one, it is the appearing. And then in chapter two, it is the apostasy. And then in chapter three, it is the practical application of these truths that he has been teaching.
I would like to suggest tonight that the first epistle of Peter is an exposition of three great revelations that were given to the Apostle Peter in Matthew chapter sixteen. You remember a Caesarea Philippi? At a critical point in the ministry of Christ, the Lord asked the question, whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? They gave different reports, rumors that were floating around in the population at that time concerning the person of Christ. Some said he was Elijah. Some said he was John the Baptist, risen from the dead.
And then he said, whom do you say that I am? And Simon Peter as a spokesman, he spoke up and he said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And our Lord in reply to him, he said, Flesh and blood does not reveal it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven. That is the first great revelation, the revelation of the person of Christ. You know, this is the critical point in the ministry of our Lord. Thou art the Christ, the Messiah, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. A magnificent revelation that was given to him by God the Father.
And then the Lord gives him a second revelation. He said, And I also say unto thee that there are Peter's, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This is the first mention in Holy Scripture of the Ecclesia, the called out company of the present day. Oh, a magnificent revelation, the second one that was given to him, the first by God the Father, concerning the person of Christ, the second one concerning the church, and that was given to him by Christ himself. And then the third one, immediately after that, is concerning the cross.
From that time on, Jesus began to speak to them concerning the fact that he was going to Jerusalem, and there he would be maltreated, there he would suffer, there he would die upon the cross. That was a revelation that was given to Peter. But he said, Lord, he said, Be not that unto thee. I think he was utterly sincere when he said that. He didn't want to see this one that he had confessed to be the Messiah, the Christ the Son of the Living God. He doesn't want to see him suffer. Be not this unto thee, Lord. And the Lord said, You get behind me, Satan. You don't serve as the things of God, but the things of man.
So here are three great revelations that were given to Peter in Matthew chapter sixteen. First, the person of Christ. Secondly, the truth of the church. The called our company of the present era. and then thirdly the doctrine of the cross. These are the three great revelations that were given to him, and I believe that this is the theme of the first epistle of Peter. First of all, the person of Christ. But it would be interesting to turn over to that first epistle of Peter and look at the references of what Peter thought about him. Some magnificent statements concerning the person of our blessed Lord.
And then there are about five different outlines of the church, on phases of the church, the function of the church in First Peter, and then thirdly the cross. At the end of every chapter, in the first epistle of Peter, there's a reference to the suffering and the glory of our Blessed Lord upon Calvary's cross. So I don't think we're using our imagination at all to say that Peter's first letter is an exposition of the three revelations which were given to him in Matthew chapter sixteen. But in his second letter, it is an exposition of Matthew chapter seventeen.
Do you remember at the end of Matthew chapter sixteen the Lord said this, Verily, I say unto you, there are some, now notice a selection, there are some that standeth here that shall not taste the death. until to see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom and in his glory. What was he speaking about? Some standing here that shall not taste of death until to see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom and his glory. And then immediately after, in chapter seventeen, the Lord Jesus, again just beside Caesarea Philippi, on Mount Hermon, I believe he was transfigured before them.
I know that some today would say that it was Montaibor, but anybody who has been in the swamp and of Caesarea Philippi under the shadow of a pagan temple dedicated to the God's plan, the Lord gave those three great revelations to Simon Peter. But immediately afterward, Mount Hermon, right in the bank, were on the highest point in Israel, in Palestine, with the eternal snow on the top of that mountain, the Lord took these three disciples, Peter and James and John, and he took them to the mountaintop, and buried. He was transfigured before them.
Now, I think that the second epistle of Peter is an exposition of the Transfiguration scene. And he goes into it in some detail here in the first chapter. Notice in the second chapter, he takes her down into the valley. After that magnificent revelation of Christ upon the mountain top, upon Mount Hermon, to go down into the valley. And there they run into all kinds of difficulty and problems in the valley. That's what we get in chapter two. But then in chapter three, we're taken to the end. We want the time to look at that tonight, Lord willing, tomorrow morning, at that little informal session in the morning, I want to look particularly at chapter three, because there's some lovely, lovely things there concerning the future that lies ahead.
After the kingdom and the glory has gone to the day of God, the new heavens and the new earth, and then the practical application of this, we get three looks. First of all, an upward look, then a forward look, and then an inward look. That is a practical application of what we find in the second epistle of Peter. Now let's think just for a moment. First of all, of this magnificent scene upon the mountaintop described in Matthew chapter seventeen, some standing here that shall not taste of death until to see the Son of Man coming in his glory. And then he took them to the mountaintop, Peter and James and John, a select company.
And there upon the mountaintop, our Lord was transfigured. And unfortunately, the three men that were taken up to the mountain top were fast displayed while he was transfigured. But it's absolutely beautiful to notice the language that's used in the Gospel according to Matthew concerning the transfiguration scene. There are three different groups. First of all, there is our Lord. transfigured on two men, one on the one hand and the other on the other, on the right and the left of Christ was placed in the center, he was transfigured.
Moses on the one side and Elijah on the other. And the language that's used in connection with their Lord is his face that shined as the sun and as garments were white as the light. Do you think that that was a reflected glory I don't think it was. I believe it was inherent glory. I believe that many times down here is very possible that our Lord when he was praying, that inherent glory was Godhead, that internal glory, it shone out when he was in communion with his Father. It happened here on the Mount of Transfiguration, glorified.
there upon the mountain's top. Its taste did shine as a sun, on this garment were white as a light. I often thought about Gethsemane. You remember when in the Gospel, according to Luke, we read about his agony. He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground. But in the Gospel, according to John, the Gospel of his glory under his majesty, there we do not find monasteries. There we do not find them sweating great drops of blood, for it is upon us, faith. And when the men came to arrest them, the temple guards, when they came to arrest them, he said, whom seek ye?
And he said, Jesus of Nazareth, they said, and he said, I am. He used the divine title, I am. And if you notice the passage in the Gospel according to John, he uses it three times. And we read that those men went backward and tripping over each other, that fell on their face with the grass. They're on their face. But he's upon a feast. And he's using that magnificent title, the divine title. I am. I am. I am. I believe there's an outshining of the glory there. They must have heard and seen something in the garden. They went backwards and they fell to the ground. But here on the mountaintop, that inherent glory of Christ, it shone out.
He was transfigured before them. So he is the center of figures here upon the mountaintop. And then we read about two individuals, Moses on the one side and Elijah on the other. Now these are two representative types. represented of men. Moses, you remember, died. And that lovely story that we find in connection with his death, the Lord took him up to Mount Nebo, and there he gently put him to sleep. He died by the word of the Lord. Some of the old rabbis in translating that, they translated as, he died by the mark of the Lord, or he died by the kiss of the Lord.
Oh, what a wonderful, wonderful scene that was, those no-man presence. But God's dear servants had served him so long. At the end, he picks him up the mountain, he goes, and there he gently, he puts him to sleep. And the Lord God buried him. I remember when I was at school, I learned a poem. I think it's one of the most beautiful poems from the English language written by Mrs. Alexander about the burial of Moses. I wish I could repeat it here tonight, but it's one of the most beautiful, one of the most dramatic poems in the English language, the burial of Moses. But here is the man who died.
and he was buried. The Lord God buried him and we read that no man north of a sepulchre to this day. But there is a rather mysterious passage in the Epistle of Jude. We read there about an argument between Michael the Archangel and Satan concerning the body, the body of Moses. And it is very likely that that body was required for the Transfiguration. and Satan claimed to have the power of death. And when the time came that that body was required, here was an argument or a controversy between Michael the Archangel and Satan concerning the body.
But the point is this, that here upon the mountaintop on the one side is Moses, the man who died. A few years ago, I was over-alleged. And by the way, if you ever go there, don't pass up the National Museum in Cairo. I had been around Africa at the time, and we came up into Upper Egypt from Khartoum up into Upper Egypt. And another brother and I, we spent a few days in Cairo, and we went to the National Museum. And a part of the National Museum, they have what they call the mummy room. And in that mummy room there have forty-one mummies of the pharaohs dating right back into prehistory.
It's most amazing play. And among those coffins, those caskets that are lying in the mummy room is the casket and the mummy of Rameses II and Seti I. Now, it's generally recognized that either one of those men was the pharaoh of the oppression. And the body is perfectly preserved. Standing, looking down into that coffin, you can actually see the hair on the back of his hands, one hand out of the clouds that are wrapped around the body, and the feet. Everything is perfectly preserved. And as I stood looking into that coffin, it occurred to me, if Moses had made the wrong choice, Instead of being upon the mountain top in glory with Christ, he would have been lying as a mummy in the National Museum in Cairo.
Notice what occurred to him as he stood looking into that coffin. But, oh, God had far, far higher purposes for his dear servant than to be lying, wrapped in clothes in a casket in the National Museum in Egypt. Here he's upon the mountain top. You remember he wanted to go into the Lord, into the land. Oh, Lord, he said, I do want to go into that land and live in that land flowing with milk and honey, but the Lord has other purposes. And instead of that, he died. He was buried, but here he is with the Lord upon the mountain top on Mount Hermon. Now, on the other side was another man, and his name is Elijah.
You remember the history of this man? Here was a man who didn't die. Instead of dying, he was taken up to heaven, raptured up into heaven in a whirlwind on a chariot of fire. Oh, he wanted his eye. You remember that dramatic story where he went to Ahab on his wicked, wicked consort, Jezebel? the worst woman in holy scriptures. And here this prophet of fire, he goes to these two individuals and he thunders the word of God. But then Jezebel, she said, God do so to me and more also if your head remains on the shoulders before the sun goes on.
And she actually threatened Elijah's life. Now I have heard people say smart things about Elijah because he ran away from a woman. But, you know, I would never, never engage in folly of that kind. You know, even the outstanding servants of God sometimes have become discouraged. But he went forty days into the wilderness, and he laid down under the gin of our tree, and he said, Oh, Lord, take away my life. I don't want to live any longer. They have slain thy servants with the edge of the sword they've dug down thy elders, and I, I only am left.
Unlikely, under his breath, he said, when I'm dead, there's nobody left. You ever feel like that? You think that you're the only pebble on the beach? You think that you're the only servant of God in the area where you are? You know that is the way he felt. And I have a tremendous lot of sympathy for the dear man and the way he felt. Lord, take away my life. I don't want to live. But the Lord at other purposes. And instead of that, he gives him something to eat and something to drink. You know, the Lord always comforts and feeds his people before he rebukes them. He did that to Simon Peter at the Sea of Galilee and the Lake of Tiberias.
Before he rebuked him, he first of all said to him, O the grace and kindness of God, to his dear servant. And after he was fed, and after the Lord had spoken to him, then he went off to do some more work for God at Mount Horab. But instead of dying, he was raptured up to heaven in a whirlwind on the chariot of fire. So here on the mountaintop there's a man who died and was buried. And on the other side there was a man who didn't die but was wrapped up to heaven. And I believe that these two individuals are representatives of those that are asleep in Jesus at the present time.
Oh, we do thank God for those that have had a test before God and days gone by. Our minds go back to many, many. that lived a lifetime of service for God. I was looking at a gravestone, a little plank, out in California, some little time ago in Oakland. It was a dear man that I knew years ago that was a tremendous help and a blessing and encouragement to me. His name was W.J. McClure, possibly known to some who are here this evening. Now, all that it is on the plank is this, William John McClure, the day he was born and the day he died, and on to that was he served his generation by the will of God and fell asleep.
You know, I think that's lovely. He served his generation by the will of God and he fell asleep. Oh, there's many in that position today. Those that are asleep in Jesus, they have been put to sleep, but one day they're going to rise. On the other hand, when Christ comes back again, we which are alive and remain, we will not pass through that experience, but will be raptured up to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. So I think upon the mountain top, Peter here and the Apostle, these three select individuals, we get the Lord in the center and the representative of those that had died and raised again.
on those who didn't die but raptured up to the presence of the Lord and the Lord and the Sanchez. So this is the great central theme of the vision that was seen upon the mountain top. These two men represented of those that are asleep today but will be raised when the Lord comes back again on those that will rapture up into the presence of the Lord without dying. Now, a second group. Here are three men in their natural bodies, Peter and James and John, and whom this scene was enacted there fast asleep. Now, personally, I believe that these three men are representatives of an earthly company.
On the coming day, in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, there will be a heavenly company, but there will be an earthly company at that time. And I believe that these three men, first of all, passed the slate. But then they awoke. And, you know, I think that they're representative of that godly remnant of the nation of Israel. Oh, many of them are asleep today to the great truths of Holy Scripture, but they will be awake. And when they are awake, then Peter said, Lord, it's good for us to be here. Let's make three tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses and one for a life.
But the next thing we find is God interrupted us. Oh, no, he said, not three tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses and one for a life. The Lord would never, never tolerate that. He said, This is my beloved Son and whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. And so Peter is rebuked in what he said. I think that these three men in their natural bodies in the kingdom, in the coming day, are representative of an earthly company that once were asleep, but not awake, on the sea Christ in his glory. And overall, we read about the Shekinah cloud, that Shekinah cloud of glory, overshadowing this magnificent thing.
Now this is what Peter is using here as a type and picture of the appearing, on the glory of Christ in the coming day when he will be on the throne in his kingdom. On Peter he tells us three reasons here, why he doesn't follow cunningly devised fables. That is cleverly concocted story. I think that is the way Phillips translates the word, comingly devised tables. And there are a lot of people today that are following comingly devised tables, cleverly concocted stories. And he tells us three reasons why we don't follow that.
Now the first thing is what he saw. And the second thing is what he heard. And the third thing is what he read. He said the prophetic word has been made more sure. by what he saw. So here are three reasons why we do not follow cunningly the vice-devil, what he saw from the mountain top, the vision. And secondly, the voice, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him, and then the prophetic word, made more sure. Now, after this he tells us about three life. and with the darkness of the present day. I'm not going to go in detail into the second chapter.
That would be a very pessimistic story, but you remember after what they saw on the mountain top, when they came down, oh, they came down from the mountain, and when they got into the valley, there were cases, sad, sad cases, that the Lord had to deal with. And coming down from the mountaintop in chapter one, we come down into the deep, dark, dismal valley in chapter two, speaking of the apostasy. But conflicted with the apostasy, before he speaks of it, he tells us the light that we have and with the darkness. Now, the first one is something we have in our hands. And the second one is something we have in our hearts.
And the third is something that is on the horizon. And it's absolutely beautiful the way that Peter brings these three things on. He said, This voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount. And we have also a more sure word of prophecy. And that is the first one. The word of prophecy made more sure. It was authenticated by what he saw. Are you interested in the prophetic scriptures in the Old Testament? You know, I believe at the present time we should carefully examine that gift prophetic scriptures in the Old Testament.
This is what Peter is speaking about here. And what he had read in the Old Testament was authenticated by what he saw upon the mountain top. The voice which came from heaven we heard. When we were with him in the holy month, we have also the word of prophecy made more sure. That is the first one. Something we have in our hands. God's prophetic word. And then something we have in our hearts. He said... For unto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shinedeth in a dark place until the day dawn on the day star arise in your heart. Now we have something in our heart.
And Peter says it is the day star. It is the word that's used for the bright and morning star. You know today when we consider the darkness around us in every hand. apostasis that we see everywhere. Thank God we have the word, the prophetic word of God. But then we have something inside in our heart. The day star, the bright and morning star. You know that is one of the most beautiful pranks and pictures of the coming again of Christ for you and for me. He is the bright and morning star. Have you ever seen it? Sleepy head.
that sleep in their bed just six o'clock in the morning, you'll never see the bright morning star. If you want to see it, you'll have to set your alarm clock. It comes up around about three o'clock in the morning, and if you want to see it, you'll have to set your alarm clock. The first time I ever saw it was in the middle of Africa. I've told the story before, but I don't mind telling it again, because it made such a tremendous impression on me at the time. Many a time, lying on the brunt of my back beside a fire in an African forest with the men chattering all around as we were lying there at night in camp.
And before the dawn, when we got up on the long dead march, many a time looking above my head, in the dry season, out a cloud in the sky, on those constellations up above, looking so clear and so bright, you could almost feel you could put up your hand and touch them. Beautiful, beautiful sight. By the way, south of the equator, they're all upside down. And if you're down there, you'd have to rethink your astronomy. But in any case, I learned some of the constellations at that time. But I'll never forget the first time I saw the morning star. So the Portuguese administrator, he sent a message that he wanted to see me.
He lived about a hundred and fifty miles away at a place called Novogaya. We were pioneered at the time in the middle of an African tribe called the Songo, at a place called Chittuto. And when I got this order, it was practically a command. The only means of transport I had at the time was an old bicycle. It was the days before automobiles, and I spent off on the bicycle along the nine-inch path to travel the hundred and fifty miles to the place where the administrator was. I finally got there. Trump thanked me for my business, and then he showed me a place to sleep. But about three o'clock in the morning I got a message.
and it meant that I had to get up and get home as fast as I possibly could. I don't want to tell you the reason why, but in any case, it meant that I had to get up and get home as fast as I could. I started off about three o'clock in the morning on the bicycle, and after about ten miles the thing broke down, no means of repairing it, so I abandoned it at the side of the path and started a walk. I walked the whole of that night, And the next day, from dawn till dark, again I walked until the sun was going in in the evening. I arrived at a river called the Jombo, and when I got there I found some of my men were sleeping in a grass hut on the bank of the river.
I went in and asked them if one would come as a volunteer. And come with me through the night. I wanted to go home. All that said, you lie down here and have something to eat. And tomorrow morning at the dawn will start. I said, no, we have to get going. And there's a boy sitting beside the fire. And he got up. And he put his axe over his shoulder and he said, Tatuyenum. Let's get going. And he started off into the mic. On me holding onto his belt, we started. We came down to the river. We crossed in the Belgar, a river that was infested with both crocodiles and hippos. And we crossed to the other side.
The other side, no path, no road at all, just for nine-inch path. And we started off. We walked that night. until about midnight. And then he pulled himself away from me and threw his axe at something in the darkness. And I yelled at him, I said, what is it? Oh, he said, it's a leopard who's just pulled on an antelope and was eating it. But he said, I have chased it away. He said, come on, Tatooine. And I went forward again and grabbed them by the belt. And we started off again through night. Now, about three o'clock in the morning, I saw something come up over the horizon that looked exactly like the headlight of a motorcycle.
It was so bright, but there was no vehicle of any kind in the area. And I said to the boy, I said, what's that? He put his head over his shoulder, he said, oh, he said, that's the Mutumbo. Now, Kutumbuka, that means the jump. And mutumbo, it means the jumping one. I said, what does that mean? He said, that's a star that comes up before the dawn. And he said, it's so bright and it comes up so quickly that we call it the mutumbo, the jumping one. I said, in our language, we call that the bright and morning star. And he said, you watch it. it'll come up and where you see it coming up he said shortly he said you'll see the sunrise come up in that very spot and we went on through the night when the sun came up the morning star it disappeared but we were standing on the edge of an escarpment and looking right away down through the valley i saw a place where there was a coil of smoke coming up from among the trees, and that's a little place that I called home.
And all that was dear on earth to me at that time, it was there. It was home. The first sight of home I got was when the bright and morning star had disappeared when the summer came up. We started off again and about three o'clock on the afternoon we arrived home and when I got home I found that all my fears were delayed. I pulled off my shoes and I laid down on the bed and I slept for twenty-four hours right around the clock. I'd walked over a hundred and thirty miles without stopping and without a bite of food but I tell you I'll never forget the bright and morning stars You know, I have it right here.
It is already risen, and it's in my heart. The bright and morning star, it is the second light. But then, the third one is, today, dawn, the Son of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wing. The bright and warm star, is a beautiful, beautiful symbol for the Church of God today. And we have it right here. It is already risen in our heart. But oh, thank God, when Christ shall come and we're with him in the glory, then the next item on the program is the Son of Righteousness that shall arise with healing in his wing. Thank God for the glorious prospect that lies ahead.
Not only the bright and morning stars, but the day dawn. When he comes, And then peace will be brought to this poor old earth that has suffered so much at the hand of man. Now, just let me conclude by pointing out that in chapter one, we get three lives. Something in our hands, something in our hearts, something on our eyes. In chapter two, we get three lives. One is a spiritual man. The second is a eternal man. On the third is a natural man. In the midst of the apostasy, on day two are three types. Three representative men.
First of all, we get the spiritual man, that is Noah. A man who was a preacher of righteousness and made a very, very dark day. He is a stricken man. The second man is Lot. A man who was done in Sodom and a place where he never should have been. you remember he made a very faithful decision. And while Abraham remained outside the city, Lot, he cast his eyes towards Sodom. He pitched his tent towards Sodom. On the next place we find him in Sodom. On the third place we find him is sitting at the gate, apparently engaged in all the politics on what was going on in Sodom.
He was a true believer. but he was a carnal man in the place where he never should have been. And God had to burn him out. The angel had to take him by the hand and conduct him out of that wicked, wicked place. You know, when we think of that word Sodom, what a sinister word it is. You know, the meaning of the word has been completely changed today. We talk about the gay generation. What a wicked... wicked travesty. We do thank God for people like Anita Bryant. I thank God for that woman that will stand up against this wickedness, this violence in the world in which we live today.
That's where luck was. In Sodom, he never should have been there. He was a kindle man, and God had to burn him out and take him out of the place. Noah, the spiritual man, but the carnal man. But then there's Balaam, the natural man. Balaam never had life. And that man, he died among the enemies of God. And he went to his own place. So in chapter two, it is three lives. First of all, three lives, three lives. And then at the end of the epistle, there are three looks. First of all, the upward look. The forward look, and then the inward look, the practical application of what the Apostle is speaking about here, the power and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So this is Peter's testimony. And again, let me repeat, in conclusion, I think it is a beautiful commentary on Matthew chapter seventeen, just as the first epistle is a lovely commentary on chapter sixteen. A God blesses word to our hearts for his next. A little word of prayer. Our God and Father, we lift our hearts to thee again in the name of the Lord Jesus, and we find thee that we have not been left in the dark unto the nature of the day in which we live. Our Father, as we look around, see the darkness of the deepening on every hand, we come to help it feel that the day dawned on the bright and morning star, risen in her heart.
Our Father, we thank thee for the bright hope that Christ will come, and that will be in his presence.