At the opening of this service we heard these words quoted from Psalm 138:2: 'thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name'. It is a wonder­ful fact that in a certain sense the Word of God has supremacy — a fact that is calculated to be very encouraging and motivating to those whose work it is to spread abroad the Scriptures. The Lord Himself gave the Word, but He uses people to spread it abroad — 'great was the company of those that published it', says Psalm 68:11.

In our text, 2 Peter 1:19, we have another motive and encouragement for car­rying out this vitally important work of taking the Word of God to people throughout the world, that is, its certainty: it is the 'sure word of prophecy'.

Therefore, by the Lord's help, we shall now consider 'the sure word of prophecy'. There are three things we shall look at. First, what this word of prophecy is, or its nature as the 'more sure word of prophecy'; second, what it does, or its effect as 'a light that shineth in a dark place'; and third, what we are to do with it, or the duty laid upon us by the words, 'whereunto ye do well that ye take heed'.

The Word of Prophecy: Its Nature⤒🔗

Strictly speaking, 'the word of prophecy' is simply Scripture foretelling future events, and the phrase, as used in this verse, refers especially to the foretelling of events connected with the coming of the Messiah. But we have more than just the prophecies of Scripture in the phrase 'the word of prophecy': it is descriptive, I believe, of the whole of Old Testament Scripture. Here we have an example of a part — the prophecy of Old Testament Scripture — being taken for the whole. Although the prophets predicted future events, especially the coming of the Messiah, they also proclaimed all the words given to them by God to proclaim. In other words, the prophets were the immediate human agents of God for communicating His mind and will to men.

Now, with regard to ourselves today, having both the Old and New Testaments, we may take 'the word of prophecy' to mean the whole Word of God. In Revelation 22:7 we are exhorted to keep 'the sayings of the prophecy of this book' — not just the prophetic parts of The Revelation, nor even the book of The Revelation, but rather the whole of Scripture. The canon of Scripture was brought to a close when John wrote The Revelation, and towards the end we have the solemn warning that there is to be no adding to nor taking away from 'the words of the prophecy of this book' (22:18-19), that is, of Scripture. Just as the whole of Scripture is described as 'the word of this salvation' (Acts 13:26), 'the word of life' (Philippians 2:16), 'the word of the truth of the gospel' (Colossians 1:5), and 'the word of righteousness' (Hebrews 5:13), so it is described here, we understand, as 'the word of prophecy'.

Another important aspect of the nature of the 'word of prophecy' is that it is 'the word of Christ' (Colossians 3:16), not only as it comes from Christ, but especially because it is full of Christ. It is Christ and Him crucified who is the substance of the Word; He is the very kernel of the truth. Christ instructs us to search the Scriptures for they testify of Himself (John 5:39). You will recall that when the two disciples were on their way to Emmaus, the Saviour Himself drew near to them, 'and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself' (Luke 24:27). Yes, in all the Scriptures. What was it He set before them from all the Scriptures? Himself as the suffering Saviour. 'Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?' (Luke 24:26). How full of Christ is the 'word of prophecy'.

Of course, the Scriptures are a revelation of the mind and will of God, but God reveals Himself also through the personal Word, Jesus Christ. Of Him we read, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' (John 1:1). It is through Christ especially that God reveals Himself — through Christ the personal Word presented in the written Word.

In a verse previous to our text, Peter says he made known 'the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' (verse 16), but how did he make it known? He did not use cunningly devised fables but the 'sure word'. And even although he testifies that he and James and John were eyewitnesses of the divine majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ on the holy mount, he goes on to state, 'We have also a more sure word of prophecy'.

Now when the apostle was speaking of 'the power ... of our Lord Jesus Christ', he was referring to His divine omnipotence. The apostle was making known that Christ, as the omnipotent One, had power to do what had to be done for the redemption of sinners; power to destroy the works of the devil, power to conquer death, and power to conquer him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and thus power to redeem His people. Christ still exercises His power for the salvation of sinners such as ourselves. He is 'mighty to save' (Isaiah 63:1); He 'is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him' (Hebrews 7:25).

This, then, is what Peter was making known: 'the power ... of our Lord Jesus Christ' — and making it known from the 'sure word'. Yes, he testified to hearing the voice from heaven and to seeing the glory and majesty of the divine Redeemer in the holy mount, but this is what he is underlining: 'We have also a more sure word of prophecy'.

The apostle was also making known the 'coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' (verse 16); that He came into this world to dwell among men. What a wonder: Emmanuel, God with us! The question of Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple was, 'But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?' (2 Chronicles 6:18). Is it possible? Well, this was the great message of the prophets, that the Messiah would come into the world at the set time.

In the days of Moses, and before, there were those who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. They thought of Him as 'the coming One'. Then John the Baptist, through his disciples, asked the Saviour the question, 'Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?' (Matthew 11:3), asking, as it were, 'Art thou the coming One?' This is what Godly people in Old Testament times were much taken up with: the coming of the coming One. How much Godly Zacharias and Elisabeth, and Simeon and Anna in the Temple, were looking forward to His coming. Then suddenly the set time came. 'When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law' (Galatians 4:4) to save His people from their sins by bearing their iniquities.

But when we think of the 'coming of our Lord Jesus Christ', are we not to think also that He shall yet come in the person of His Spirit, to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17)? That prophecy of Joel, of course, had a partial fulfilment on the day of Pentecost, but there shall be a further and greater and worldwide fulfilment of it. All nations shall come unto Him (Psalm 86:9), multitudes from all corners of the earth will flock unto Shiloh, and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be (Genesis 49:10). What an amazing prospect that is! The knowledge of His glory shall cover the whole earth 'as the waters cover the sea' (Habakkuk 2:14); when there shall be, as Jonathan Edwards calls it, 'The latter-day glory'.¹

Then Christ shall come finally in person when He shall 'appear the second time without sin unto salvation' (Hebrews 9:28). On the great last day He shall come without sin, that is, not to bear the sins of His people, for that He has done already. Instead, He shall come unto salvation, that is, for the completing of their salvation, for the gathering of His saints together unto Him. How glorious shall be His coming! 'They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory' (Matthew 24:30). He Himself says, 'Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh' (Matthew 24:44).

We see also the nature of the 'word of prophecy' in the word 'sure'. It tells us that the Word of God is certain, true, altogether without error, absolutely infal­lible. It is settled in heaven for ever, as the Psalmist said:

Thy word for ever is, O Lord, in heaven settled fast;
Unto all generations thy faithfulness doth last. Metrical Psalm 119.89

And as the sure and settled Word, it will endure, as Metrical Psalm 33 puts it:

O but the counsel of the Lord doth stand for ever sure;
And of his heart the purposes from age to age endure. verse 11

What is the reason for the Word being sure? The answer is: its Divine origin. In the verses after our text, especially verse 21, we read, 'For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost'. Here we have God as the original giver of the Word. 'The Lord gave the word' (Psalm 68:11), and each of the Persons of the Godhead was involved in giving the Word. The Word was given by God who cannot lie (Titus 1:.2), by Christ who is the Amen and the faithful and true Witness (Revelation 3:14), by the Spirit who is the Spirit of truth (John 16.13). Therefore the Word cannot be other than sure. Those holy men of old were 'moved' or borne along by the Holy Ghost and thus the Word they spoke and wrote was God-breathed; they were used as penmen so that what they inscripturated is the very Word of God. 'All scripture is given by inspiration of God' (2 Timothy 3:16) and therefore is the 'sure word'.

When we think of that process of the Holy Spirit working in those holy men, we are confronted by what is deeply mysterious. Who can enter into what was happening in their souls when God the Holy Ghost carried them along, so that they were penmen in His hand? There was no submerging of their personalities, but what they wrote was precisely what God would have them to write.

The mysteriousness of that process is akin to the work of the Spirit of God in bringing sinners from death to life. The Saviour said to Nicodemus about the work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth that 'the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit' (John 3:8). But the result of the Holy Spirit thus working secretly in the soul becomes evident. So also the mysterious work of the Spirit of God in those holy men of old as they were borne along is wonderfully evident in our having the Scriptures.

However, our text also says that the 'sure word' is 'more sure', that is, it is more sure than a certain sure thing. It is more sure than the voice that Peter writes of in verse 18, 'this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount'. How profound were the words uttered by that voice: 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him' (Matthew 17:5). Of course, those words they heard from heaven were sure; there is no question about that for they were words of God who cannot lie. Yet Scripture is 'a more sure word'.

In what sense is the written Word more sure than the voice from heaven? The voice from heaven was transient — it was heard and it was gone; but Scripture is a fixed and permanent Word. What a great privilege is ours in having this 'more sure word'! If it were only the voice from heaven we had, where would we be? We would be depending on fallible memories and word of mouth transmission of the words of that voice. So it pleased God, as it says in the Westminster Confession of Faith, 'for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church ... to commit the same wholly unto writing' (1:1). What an unspeakable mercy it is that God has given us His written Word! Of course, it is in the written Word that we have the record of the voice from heaven and of the glory of Christ being manifested on the Mount of Transfiguration.

A thought-provoking question was posed today in the Society's Business Report on the work being done in Iran: 'Can you imagine what it would be like if we had no Bible at all?' How highly favoured we are in having this 'more sure word' — and we must be praising the Most High for it. To others it was said, 'To you is the word of this salvation sent' (Acts 13:26), as if to say, 'A great favour has been bestowed upon you'. How great indeed is our privilege! But what effect does the Word have upon us?

The Word of Prophecy: Its Effect←⤒🔗

Let us look, in the second place, at the effect of the 'word of prophecy'. There is one effect indicated by our text: the effect of enlightening. The Word of God is compared to 'a light that shineth in a dark place'. The dark place that we are to think of especially is this world itself, which has gross spiritual darkness cover­ing it. However much light of knowledge there may be in various academic disciplines or particular professions, the world is enveloped in spiritual dark­ness. When man fell, his understanding was darkened; as Thomas Boston puts it, 'the understanding, that as a lamp or candle shone brightly, is now enveloped with darkness'.² The soul of man came under the darkness of both ignorance and sin. We by nature are born in spiritual darkness, and if we are not enlight­ened by God in His mercy we will continue doing the works of darkness. The world, then, is covered by dreadful darkness, and something of the dreadfulness of that darkness is indicated by what it culminates in: 'outer darkness' and 'the blackness of darkness'. What a mercy it is that we have the 'sure word' as 'a light that shineth in a dark place'.

Another element in the darkness that covers the world is false religion: Roman Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions of darkness. We heard today already about the spiritual darkness of false religion in our own nation. We also heard that in the prevailing darkness in Iran there are indications that some are looking for more than they can find in Islam. Only the Word of Christ and Christ in the Word will enlighten a poor sinner in his darkness.

But, of course, Satan, the prince of darkness, is constantly working to keep men in darkness. 'The world lieth in wickedness' (1 John 5:19), and the evil one is 'the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience' (Ephesians 2:2), 'the god of this world (who) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel' (2 Corinthians 4:4) shine into their hearts and they be converted. Multitudes upon multitudes in our own and other lands are travelling on in darkness to outer darkness. What hope is there for them?

What hope was there for you in the past, child of God? You who have the hope now that you are a child of light must acknowledge that you were brought to hope in God's Word, the light that shines in the dark place. Light comes into the soul when the Word is applied to it. When the gospel is preached in any place, a certain degree of light comes to that place; but never will there be light in the soul of any person until the Word is divinely applied to it. 'The entrance of thy words giveth light,' said the Psalmist (Psalm 119:130). There must be the entering of the Word into the soul if there is to be life and light in it.

That is what happened, for example, in Philippi (Acts 16:23ft). The jailer there was in the greatest darkness but the light of the truth entered his soul when it was presented to him by Paul and Silas, and so he became a child of light. What a remarkable and most profound change occurs when a sinner is translated, or carried across, from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Colossians 1:13). To the children of light it is said, 'ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord' (Ephesians 5:8) — not just brought into light, but made light itself, 'light in the Lord'.

There must, of course, be the accompanying of the Word by the Spirit of God if the darkness that is in the soul is to be dispelled. A great marvel it was when God, in His work of creation, 'commanded the light to shine out of darkness'. How much greater a marvel it is, believers must say, that 'God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ' (2 Corinthians 4:6), that is, in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In thinking of the Word as a light we are to bear in mind that it is Christ in the Word who is especially the light. He declares, 'I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life' (John 8:12). He is the glorious Light of the world who is graciously calling to us in our darkness to come to Him (if we have not been yet enlightened), and also is calling His enlightened people to trust in Him in their times of darkness. We are to be ever looking to Him, the Light of the world, as He is presented to us in the 'light that shineth in a dark place'.

It was an amazing effect that the Word had in Thessalonica also. The light of the gospel came in a general way to the people of Thessalonica, but the gospel came to some of them in a very special way — with spiritual light. 'Our gospel came not unto you in word only', wrote Paul, 'but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance' (1 Thessalonians 1:5). This assurance is not the assurance of faith, but the assurance that the word of the truth of the gospel is the 'sure word'. Those believers in Thessalonica came to understand that the Word of God was certain, right, inerrant and infallible, the Word that could indeed be the foundation of their salvation. Assurance of the veracity, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Word of God is what the believer has been brought to.

What a blessed people are they who have been made children of light! What is a characteristic of these blessed children? Do you think that they will go on in light constantly without having darkness? It is clear from the Word of God that this is not so. 'Who is among you that feareth the LORD...that walketh in darkness...?' (Isaiah 50:10). That is the experience of the believer from time to time. How should he react? 'Let him trust in the name of the LORD'. Let him turn to the 'sure word' of the Lord where he will find light. The Lord will cause light to arise to him in his darkness.

Here then is 'the light of the world': Jesus Christ Himself, but Jesus Christ as revealed in the Word. Therefore the Word itself is a light for this lost world, 'a light that shineth in a dark place'.

We heard today about the Iranian woman who received a copy of The Gospel According to John in her own language, Farsi, and how she was filled with grateful wonder that she should have been so favoured as to have part of the written Word of God in her hands. Greater was her wonder and gratitude when the Word was blessed to her to bring her to faith in Christ and to see Him as the light of the world.

There is no hope for a lost world if the Word be not spread abroad. This is the great need of the nations of the earth; and this is the pressing need of our own nation — that the Word again be proclaimed throughout its length and breadth, in our parishes, towns and cities. Sadly, there is a famine of the pure preaching of the Word in many corners of our land, and also a dreadful apathy on the part of so many with regard to this light that shines in dark places. What is our duty?

The Word of Prophecy: Our Duty←⤒🔗

Our duty is very clear: 'whereunto' — that is, to the 'sure word of prophecy' — 'ye do well that ye take heed'. These words, 'that ye take heed', were addressed by the apostle, in the first instance, to the Jewish Christians who were scattered abroad, but we today are also called to heed the 'sure word'.

In what way are we to take heed to it? By conducting ourselves according to it. 'This is the light that I must have for my feet; this is the lamp that I must have for my path', says the believer. 'It is my desire that I would indeed be, as the apostle John puts it, "walking in truth" (3 John 4). 'I must have my heart and life conformed to this light.' The Christian is concerned to take heed by keeping 'the sayings of the prophecy of this book' (Revelation 22:7), to be ever diligent in going along the narrow way which it prescribes. He acknowledges that this is the good path, the old path, the narrow way that leads to life eternal; and that he must have God's Word as his light if he is to progress in the way, endure to the end and arrive in heaven at last. So the 'sure word' must be thus heeded if he is to do what is required in verse 10, 'Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure'.

There is another way in which we are to be heeding the Word: by doing our utmost to convey it to others. Peter's concern was not only that these Jewish believers would be put in remembrance of the Word that had already been spoken to them (verses 12 and 13), but also that it would be proclaimed to others. How boldly he preached the Word to the multitude on the day of Pentecost. He set before them their sins, and also the crucified One who died and rose again for the remission of sins. The Word had an effect upon them. They anxiously enquired, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' (Acts 2:37). The Word was not only a light to show them their sins, but also a light to show thousands of them 'the light of the world', Jesus Christ, to the saving of their souls. This Word, in the hand of the Spirit of God, is the same effective Word today as it was then.

This is encouraging, is it not? When we are concerned about our duty to pub­lish the Word of God among all nations, and when there is much work to be done in translating the Scriptures into the languages of the peoples of the world, what an encouragement it is that the Word is the same now as it was then, the same 'sure word', the same light that shines, the same powerful Word which is 'the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek' (Romans 1:16). Truly, it is a powerful Word.

This truth is also a motive to do what we can, while we can, so that others would have this precious, sure, enlightening Word in their own hands and hearts. This is the prayerful concern of ministers of the Gospel: that the Word will go forth powerfully to bring multitudes who are in darkness to know the blessed One who is the light of the world. And believers generally, when they consider the blessing they themselves received from the Word, under the work of the Spirit of God, desire that others, especially those near to them, would have the Word as the Word of their salvation. But again we say that there is no possibility of a turn of the tide of iniquity that is rising higher and higher nationally and internationally unless the Word be accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost from heaven.

It is indeed an onerous responsibility that is laid upon the church of Christ, and upon those engaged on behalf of the church, in having to translate and publish faithful versions of the Word of God. The responsibility of transmitting the truth has been laid on the church in all generations. It was given to the church in Old Testament times, as we see in Metrical Psalm 78,

His testimony and his law in Isr'el he did place,
And charg'd our fathers it to show to their succeeding race;
That so the race which was to come might well them learn and know;
And sons unborn, who should arise, might to their sons them show.Psalm 78:5, 6

Today, there is a responsibility laid upon parents to instruct their children in the truth; upon the church to faithfully declare the Word; and upon those involved in the work of this Society to continue, by Divine grace, transmitting the truth by faithful translations of the Scriptures.

One last point needs to be emphasised: our heeding the Word is to continue, as our text says, 'until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts'. What day is this? We believe that is ultimately the great day when Christ will come to gather all His saints together to Himself. But each saint is first gathered in at the moment of death, when an entrance is given to him into the kingdom above — the kingdom that we read of in verse 11, 'the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ'.

To continue heeding the Word, never turning aside — this is what the child of God is striving to do. The believer is sure that he must not give up, turn aside, nor turn back, but go on in the way. He must run the race that is set before him, having the Word as a light and Christ before his eyes (Hebrews 12:1-2). Then at last he will have the day star arise in his heart. The day star? Is this not Christ Himself? Yes; He is the bright and morning star that will be given to each believer who continues to the end. Christ says, 'I will give him the morning star' (Revelation 2:28), as if to say, 'I, Myself, will be his portion eternally'. At the time of their departure believers shall go to 'be with Christ; which is far better' (Philippians 1:23). Then they shall have such a fulness of communion with Christ as they could not have in this world. This is what is in store for them.

'I will give him the morning star'. To whom shall it be given? To those who 'hold fast', 'to him that overcometh', and, says Christ, 'leepeth my works unto the end' — that is, the works required by Christ of everyone — doing His will and walking in His ways (Revelation 2:25, 26). So the day star shall arise at last in the heart of each believ­er in his having the full enjoying of Christ forever. The church in the Song of Solomon was earnestly desiring that day when she said, 'Until the day break, and the shadows flee away' (Song 2:17). Such is the language of believers in this world who long to have more of Christ and fuller communion with Him. Then, at last and forever, they shall have that desired and fullest communion — and all this because of the 'sure word of prophecy' being blessed to them in time, bringing them to know Christ as 'the light of the world', 'the bright and morning star'. I have a desire, said Paul, 'to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better' (Philippians 1:23). 'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain' (v. 21). Why is it gain to die? The answer must be, 'I shall be with Him; I shall have Him; I shall have communion with Him forever and ever'.

Finally, who is especially set before us in the 'sure word of prophecy'? Oh, it is indeed Christ. 'I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified', said Paul (1 Corinthians 2:2). This, then, is what we are never to lose sight of about the preaching of the Word: it is essentially preaching Christ. This is what people sitting in darkness need so much: the preaching of the Word, which is the preaching of Christ, so that they will behold Him with the eye of faith, have deliverance from the wrath which is to come and the hope of eternal life. And then, as verse 11 shows, an entrance shall be ministered unto them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.