10As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
The salvation we enjoy today (ever since the crucifixion) was anticipated by the prophets long before the time of Christ. Moses captured the prophecy to Satan (the serpent) probably without knowing its full meaning:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Gen. 3:15)
In the book of Daniel, written much later, we see that the prophet did not understand a vision he saw and wrote about:
As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.” (Dan 12:8–9)
The prophets knew their prophecies had something to do with God’s grace, that He would intervene in His people’s affairs for their ultimate good. But they often wrestled with the meaning beyond that. They examined and studied what they had spoken. Their messages didn’t come out of their own wisdom, discernment, or considered thought. They knew they were just God’s messengers; they didn’t fully understand His communication that came out of their mouths.
What in particular were they seeking to learn? First, the person whom their messages pointed to, whom we now know to be Christ. They believed the promises of God’s deliverance through a flesh-and-blood human, but they didn’t understand exactly what that meant or who that would be. Second, they struggled with understanding the timeframe for prophetic fulfillment. Third, they were baffled by the notion of suffering in the predictions of the coming One and how it would relate to the glory that would follow (see Isaiah 53, for example).
Peter’s reference to the prophets’ struggle encourages the suffering Christians reading this letter. As we go through suffering and trials, we search the Scripture for the promises of God found in Christ. Even when we don’t fully understand why we suffer, we embrace the hope for the glory to be ours when He returns, and that helps us endure.
Lord, my hope is in Your return in glory; help me keep this in focus.
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