David B. Curtis
David B. Curtis
| Media #1,278 |  |
 |
Good morning, Bereans. We continue our study of 1 Peter this morning, looking at verses 10-12 of chapter 4. In our last study we focused on the first part of verse 10.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 1 Peter 4:10 ESV
"As each has received a gift"—I said that this refers to spiritual gifts, and we spent most of our time talking about the fact that spiritual gifts were for the transition period and they all ended with the end of the age in A.D. 70. Just as the manna ended when the Hebrews entered the land, so the spiritual gifts ended when the believers entered the new heaven and earth, that is, the New Covenant.
"Use it to serve one another"—the Greek term for serve is diakonos which later becomes the title for deacons. In Christianity, leaders are supposed to be servants, not lords.
"As good stewards"— this is literally "household managers." The church is the household of God. A steward is a servant who has been entrusted by his master to use the master's possessions to accomplish work that the master has assigned to the steward.
"Of God's varied grace"—Peter says these gifts are varied. In other words, there were many different kinds and combinations of gifts.
whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Yeshua the Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11 ESV
"Whoever speaks… whoever serves"—these are two first-class conditional sentences. God's gifted servants were expected to speak and serve through His power.
"By the strength that God supplies"—It is interesting that in Romans 12, Paul attributes spiritual gifts to the Spirit, but in Ephesians 4, he attributes them to Christ. Peter assigns them to God the Father. This is another example of how all of the persons of the Godhead are involved in kingdom activities.
"In order that in everything God may be glorified through Yeshua the Christ"— this is a purpose (hina) clause. Spiritual gifts were to glorify God and not the human agent.
"To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever"— this is a doxology that refers to Yeshua in this context. The word "doxology" comes from two Greek words, doxa, which means "glory or praise" and legein, which means "to speak." It means "to speak of His glory." A doxology is a hymn of praise to Yahweh. Scripture is filled with doxologies.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12 ESV
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial"—Peter calls the believers beloved. "Beloved" was how the Father referred to His Son at Yeshua's baptism and at the transfiguration. This title is later transferred to His followers. Being called "beloved" is designed to remind them that their suffering is no indication of God's displeasure or rejection of them. Persecution is to be expected.
Believers, we must keep in mind when going through trials that Yahweh loves us. If you question this, just look at the cross. He loves us so much that he butchered his son that we might have life.
"Do not be surprised"—this is a present passive imperative (thus, a command). It occurs with the negative particle, which usually indicates the stopping of an act already in progress. These believers were surprised at their persecution, so he is telling them to stop.
"Fiery trial"—the words "fiery trial" are from the Greek word purōsis, which according to Thayer, means "a burning 1a) the burning by which metals are roasted and reduced 1b) by a figure drawn from a refiners fire 1b1) calamities or trials that test the character." It pictures the act or condition of being on fire and figuratively (as used here by Peter) it refers to fiery trial, calamity, suffering. This is a metaphor for trials and persecutions not for common problems of daily life.
In the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew, it is used in association with a furnace. In the New Testament, it has the idea of a furnace as well. In the Tanakh, it was used of a smelting furnace where metal was melted down to be purged of foreign elements.
What is this "fiery trial" that Peter speaks of? The context tells us that this fiery trial was something that was to happen soon to the first-century audience. Peter states in 1 Peter 4:7 that "The end of all things is at hand." We saw in our study of this verse that this refers to the end of the Jewish age and the Second Coming of Christ. Peter exhorts them to
rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:13 ESV
"When his glory is revealed"—is also referring to the Second Coming. So, the Second Coming brackets this fiery trial. So, whatever it is, it is connected to the Parousia.
There are many views on what this trial is, but I think the Greek may help us out here. There are only two other uses of purosis in the New Testament. Both are found in Revelation 18. Let's look at them.
And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. Revelation 18:9 ESV
and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?" Revelation 18:18 ESV
John uses purosis of the fiery destruction of Babylon, which is Jerusalem. In Revelation, John uses Babylon as a metaphor for Jerusalem. Revelation 14:8 calls Babylon "the great city." The first occurrence of "the great city" is in Revelation 11:8, where it indisputably refers to Jerusalem ("where also our Lord was crucified"). So, is the fiery trial that Peter talks about connected with Jerusalem's fall? Of great interest is Peter's reference to Babylon at the end of this letter.
She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 1 Peter 5:13 ESV
It sure seems to me that Peter is connecting their fiery trial with Jerusalem's destruction.
These words, "fiery trial," are often interpreted in light of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. While the verse doesn't explicitly mention Jerusalem's fall, many scholars believe it alludes to the intense persecution and suffering Christians faced during that period—both before and during the Jewish revolt against Rome.
This would be the Tribulation that Daniel talked about.
"At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1 ESV
"At that time"—since we jumped in at chapter 12, we don't have a clue as to what time "that time" is unless we look back at the previous chapters. So, let's go back to Daniel 10.
and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come." Daniel 10:14 ESV
Here Daniel is being given a vision of what was to happen to his people ("your people"— the Israelites) in the latter days. This vision is of the future; it is of the last days of Israel.
"At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. Daniel 11:40 ESV
The "at that time" of chapter 12 is the "latter days" of 10:14 and the "time of the end" of chapter 11:40. Daniel 12, then, is talking about the "end times"—that which we know to be the end of the Old Covenant dispensation.
"And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time"—now remember that this is to happen "at that time," in other words, at the end of the Jewish age. Daniel is predicting a time of great trouble in Israel at the end of the age. He informs us that during this time of distress, some of his people will be rescued. Jeremiah tells us the same thing.
These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:" Thus says the LORD: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. Jeremiah 30:4-7 ESV
Jeremiah is talking about a time of trouble for Jacob/Israel and says, "There is none like it." Then he says that this same time period of great distress is a time in which some will be saved. Yeshua also talked about this time. In Matthew 24, Yeshua is answering the disciples' questions about the destruction of Jerusalem. They wanted to know when it would be destroyed, and what signs would precede the end of the age and His Parousia.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. Matthew 24:21 ESV
Yeshua was talking to Jews when He said "then there will be great tribulation." The "then" is referring to the context of verses 15-20 ("when you see the abomination of desolation"). Luke informs us that this abomination would be the surrounding of Jerusalem by armies. This happened in A.D. 67 when Cestius Gallus, the Roman general, laid siege to Jerusalem. The Great Tribulation is not an event yet future to us. It was "then"—during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in the first century. This is made abundantly clear in the parallel text in Luke's Gospel.
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Luke 21:20-22 ESV
Luke tells us here that ALL things which were written were to be fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. What does he mean by that? "All that is written" refers to prophecy. All prophecy was to be fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. Daniel tells us this very same thing in Daniel 9.
"Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Daniel 9:24 ESV
Daniel was told that 70 weeks had been determined on his people Israel and on the city Jerusalem. The Hebrew word used here for "are decreed" is chatha (literally "to cut off."). The 70 weeks are symbolic. By the end of this prophetic time period, God promised that six things would have been accomplished. One of the things that Daniel was told would happen by the end of that period was that God would "to seal both vision and prophet." The Hebrew commentaries are in agreement on the meaning of "to seal both vision and prophet." They say that it means "the end and complete fulfillment of all prophecy."
Daniel's prophecy, then, tells of the time when all prophecy would cease to be given, and what had been given would be fulfilled. When would this be? Daniel's vision begins with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and ends with the destruction of Jerusalem, which we know occurred in A.D. 70.
The fall of Jerusalem was far more than the fall of a city; it was the end of an age. That is why Yeshua said it would be a "great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
For this reason, I ask: "How could it be possible for there to be in the future a destruction of Jerusalem equal or greater than that which happened in A.D. 70?" Yeshua said nothing in time would ever equal what happened in A.D. 70—nothing.
I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but the Great Tribulation is behind us. It is an event in history long past, though most of the Church looks for it to happen in our future. You missed it. I hope you are not too disappointed.
Dr. Thomas L. Constable writes, "Some expositors believed that the 'fiery ordeal' in view is the Tribulation. I prefer the view that it refers to some more immediate trial. If the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation, as I believe the Scriptures teach, Peter's believing readers would not go through the Tribulation, since they would be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:17)."
He says, "I prefer the view that it refers to some more immediate trial." More immediate than "at hand"? When Peter wrote this letter around 65 A.D., the great Tribulation was about to start in a few years. That's pretty immediate.
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7 ESV
Christians at this time, including Peter, felt that the increased persecution that Christians were facing signaled that the time of Christ's Second Advent was near.
Dr. Gregory Brown writes, "Believers must study eschatology. This is a neglected discipline because of all the conflict associated with it. However, God gave it to us, to help us live in light of his coming. We must study it deeply, so it can excite us and prepare us for what lies ahead." By "us" he means believers today. He goes on to say, "One of the ways Peter encourages these saints in their suffering was by telling them the end is near." He should take his own advice and study eschatology. How was it encouraging to Peter's audience to tell them that the "end was near" when it really wasn't near. According to Brown, we twenty-first century believers are to prepare for what lies ahead.
How did Yeshua's judgment coming on Jerusalem in A.D. 70 affect Peter's audience, who lived 400 to 800 miles from Jerusalem?
Peter, an apostle of Yeshua the Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter 1:1 ESV
These regions are the locations of the believers to whom Peter wrote his letters. They were all located in modern-day Turkey, with Bithynia and Pontus forming a Roman province along the Black Sea coast. Galatia was in central Asia Minor, Cappadocia to the southeast of Galatia, and Asia was a western coastal region.
Here's a general idea of the distances they were from Jerusalem (1) Pontus: Around 600-800 miles north of Jerusalem; (2) Galatia: roughly 400-600 miles northeast of Jerusalem; (3) Cappadocia: About 500-700 miles northeast of Jerusalem; (4) Asia: Around 400-600 miles northwest of Jerusalem; (5) Bithynia: Approximately 600-800 miles north of Jerusalem.
Because they were so far away, how did what happened in Jerusalem affect them? Good question. I'm glad you asked. The Jews were strong opponents of Christianity. They hated Christianity and tried to stop it's spread and even sought to wipe it out. Paul's visit to Thessalonica (about 900 miles from Jerusalem) caused a riot.
But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. Acts 17:5 ESV
So, the Jews were attacking the Christians. Because of this, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away at night to Berea. Notice what happens at Berea.
But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Acts 17:13 ESV
The Jews hated Christianity and anyone who preached it. When Jerusalem was destroyed, this Jewish persecution ended. God's destruction of Jerusalem showed the world the identity of the true sons of God.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:19 ESV
That Christians were the true "sons of God" was clearly revealed when the Lord returned and destroyed Jerusalem.
With their city and Temple destroyed, the Jews were no longer able to attack the Christians, and for the most part, the persecution ended. But wait, there's more!
I think that the biggest reason that the wrath against Christianity ended at the second coming was because the spiritual battle then ended. Paul taught the transition saints that they were in a spiritual battle with spirit beings.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 ESV
First of all, notice that Paul says that this struggle is "NOT against flesh and blood." In the Greek this is literally, "blood and flesh." Paul was saying that their struggle was not with humanity, not with mere human power. With what, then, was the struggle? Paul wrote that it was, "against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." We know what he is saying here. The question is what does he mean? The word "rulers" is from the Greek arche which has a wide range of meanings such as "chief (in various applications of order, time, place or rank): —beginning." The word "authorities" is from exousia which means "power, ability, privilege." These titles are used of human and spiritual powers, but notice the rest of the verse—"against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." "Cosmic powers" comes from the Greek word, kosmokrator, which, according to Strong's Concordance, means "a world ruler, an epithet of Satan." Thayer's says it means "lord of the world, prince of this age, the devil and his demons." This is its only use in the New Testament.
Paul goes on to say: "against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." These forces are "spiritual" and not human. They are in "heavenly places" or the spiritual realm, that is, the place where Yahweh dwells.
The first-century saints were in a spiritual battle with spirit beings. These spirit beings were fighting against Christ and the Gospel. These spirit beings would empower and provoke people to attack the Christians. They were in a spiritual war and that war ended in A.D. 70 with the coming of Christ.
Let me show you this by looking at Matthew 24 and Matthew's account of the Olivet Discourse. The Lord is answering the disciple's questions about the destruction of the Jewish temple, the sign of His presence, and the end of the age. Yeshua is speaking to his disciples in the first century and that context must be kept in mind. I just want us to look at one verse.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29 ESV
Modern commentators generally understand this and what follows as the end of the world, but the words "immediately after the tribulation of those days," show that he is not speaking of any distant event but of something that would immediately follow the tribulation. He was referring to the destruction of Jerusalem.
John Gill (1809) writes, "Verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, that is, immediately after the distress the Jews would be in through the siege of Jerusalem, and the calamities attending it; just upon the destruction of that city, and the temple in it, with the whole nation of the Jews, shall the following things come to pass."
If you are not familiar with the apocalyptic language of the Tanakh, you will not understand what Christ is saying here. It sounds to us like the end of the world. But if we are familiar with the first three quarters of our Bible, we will know that this language is common among the prophets.
I want to focus on the last half of verse 29: "The stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." We see this same language in Revelation 6.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. Revelation 6:12-13 ESV
Is this to be taken literally? Are the literal stars going to fall out of heaven? There are many who think so and who see this as the end of the world, a cosmic collapse if you will. But I don't think this is talking about literal stars. When was this to happen?
The word "stars" is found 51 times in the ESV, and most of its uses refer to a large number.
The LORD your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven. Deuteronomy 1:10 ESV
"Stars" is used of literal stars, bright lights in the sky, and it is used of divine beings.
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. Deuteronomy 4:19 ESV
Here "stars" and the "host of heaven" refer to sentient created spiritual beings which reside in the heavens. If you are not familiar with the Divine Council Viewpoint, you may be wondering who the sentient, created beings are. Let me try to briefly explain.
Yahweh existed from all eternity in the three persons of the divine Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then at a point in time, Yahweh created other gods, lesser gods and angels, to be part of His family, His divine council. Notice here that these "stars" have been "allotted to the peoples." The word "allotted" in Hebrew is chalaq which means "apportioned" or "assigned." Here we are told that Yahweh has assigned "stars, the host of heaven," to the peoples of the earth (i.e., "all non-Israelites").
Israel is not to worship these gods. Speaking of judgment that was to come upon disobedient Israel, Moses says:
all the nations will say, "Why has the LORD done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?" Then people will say, It is because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them. Therefore, the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book, Deuteronomy 29:24-27 ESV
These gods that Israel worshiped were "not allotted to them." They were allotted to the nations. Throughout the Scriptures these gods are called stars.
From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. Judges 5:20 ESV
Here the stars are fighting for Israel against Sisera.
when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:7 ESV
These "stars" and "sons of God" are synonymously referring to gods (i.e., divine council members).
You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; Isaiah 14:13 ESV
It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. Daniel 8:10 ESV
wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. Jude 1:13 ESV
Jude is using an allusion from Enoch.
1 Enoch 80:6-8: And many chiefs of the stars shall transgress the order (prescribed). And these shall alter their orbits and tasks, And not appear at the seasons prescribed to them. 7 And the whole order of the stars shall be concealed from the sinners, And the thoughts of those on the earth shall err concerning them, [And they shall be altered from all their ways], Yea, they shall err and take them to be gods. 8 And evil shall be multiplied upon them, And punishment shall come upon them So as to destroy all.'
The "wandering stars" that Jude speaks of is a common ancient Jewish idiom in both the Tanakh and the Pseudepigrapha for divine celestial beings. In the ancient world, the stars were called the "host of heaven" and were equated with deities. In the Tanakh, the stars of heaven are also called "heavenly host."
In the text in Matthew 24:29, "the powers of heaven" are the "host of heaven." This phrase "host of Heaven" is found 19 times in the ESV, and 18 of those uses refer to divine beings.
You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. Nehemiah 9:6 ESV
Only living creatures can worship Yahweh. Clearly, the "host of heaven" here refers to created divine beings who reside in the heavens.
Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. Psalms 29:1-2 ESV
The "heavenly beings", "ben el," are called upon to worship Yahweh. Psalm 97 tells us that Yahweh is exalted above all gods.
For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Psalms 97:9 ESV
If there are no other gods, than this is saying that "Yahweh is far above things that don't exist."
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29 ESV
This text in Matthew 24 is about the judgment of the gods with whom the first-century Christians were in a spiritual battle. Psalm 82 also talks about their judgment.
God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: Psalms 82:1 ESV
I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! Psalms 82:6-8 ESV
Yahweh is saying here that He will judge the disobedient gods, and He will take away their immortality.
We also have an example in early Judaism where people used Psalm 82 to talk about the judgment of the gods. When they dug up Qumran, they found this text—11Q. Melchizedek. It uses Psalm 82 to talk about the judgment of the gods. "It is the time of the year of Melchizedek and of his armies, the nation of the holy ones of God of the rule of judgment as it is written about him in the songs of David who said 'God will stand in the assembly of the gods; in the midst of the gods; he judges.'"
This is talking about Christ who is the judge. The 11 Q. Melchizedek text goes on immediately in the next line and says: "To his aid shall come all the gods of justice." And so there are these good gods coming to aid Melchizedek in the destruction of the Belial and other spirits to redeem the people.
Yahweh is declaring that He will judge the disobedient gods and He will take away their immortality.
We see in Psalm 82, then, that Yahweh reviewed their performance as "gods" and judges of the Gentiles and condemned them for failing to rule justly.
Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! Psalms 82:8 ESV
Who is the God here? Who is to judge these disobedient gods and the earth? In the LXX, the word "arise" is the Greek word anistemi. This is the term used in the New Testament for resurrection. Peter uses it in Acts 2.
This Yeshua God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Acts 2:32 ESV
"Arise, O God"—is a reference to Yeshua, the resurrected One. He is the God who arises and judges the earth.
Now, you may be thinking that if the gods were judged by Yeshua in his resurrection and ascension, why does Paul tell the Ephesians thirty years after the resurrection and ascension that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood?
The victory of Christ over the gods was won at Calvary, but it was not consummated until the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Notice what Matthew writes.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29 ESV
"The stars" and "the powers of the heavens" are the same spiritual "cosmic powers" and "spiritual forces of evil" that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 6:12. We know that this is speaking of A.D. 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem. What began at Pentecost was completed in the holocaust of the A.D. 70 judgment on Jerusalem. Babel is reversed, and the nations are gathered and ruled by Yahweh.
In Hebrews 2:5, the author indirectly establishes the rulership of their (prior to A.D. 70) world by powerful angelic beings.
For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. Hebrews 2:5 ESV
By saying that God will not subject the "world to come" to the rule of angels, the author implies that their current world was being ruled by spirit entities. But that world ended in A.D. 70, and we now live in the "age to come." Satan and his demons have been defeated. The spiritual battle is over. Christ is victorious. Those gods who rebelled against Yahweh have been judged. And when the spiritual war ended, so did much of the persecution that was coming against believers.
The "fiery trial" that Peter talks about was an event that was in the very near future of his first-century audience. He was preparing them for what was coming. The Great Tribulation is past—two thousand years past. This doesn't mean that suffering for believers is over because believers around the world still suffer for their faith. But the "fiery trial" that Peter refers to is in our past.
| Continue the Series |