For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (17) For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (18) And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. (19) And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

2 Peter is written by the apostle Peter, written when he knows he is about to be executed. It is his witness centering in the person of Jesus Christ, Son of God. Peter links his epistle with his great experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Transfiguration was a glimpse of the glory of God where he beheld the Lord as He will be when He returns – the veil was lifted and the intrinsic glory of Christ Jesus that he shared with the Father was revealed and affirmed the unique, majestic, glorious Son of God.

In our verses today Peter gives us two elements of the foundation of faith: the apostolic witness to Jesus Christ and the written prophetic revelation of God in Scripture. Peter explicitly denies making up tales about Jesus but accuses false teachers of doing so. The apostles – Peter, James and John were present at the Transfiguration and proclaimed what they saw and heard. This was not a subjective vision or dream. Peter tells his audience to pay attention to the Word as a lamp shining in the dark until Christ returns – when the morning star rises in our hearts. He compares the day dawn which is preceded by the rising of the morning star to the Lord who will appear as the morning start for the faithful.

Jesus Christ is coming again – He will return bodily in power and glory to judge the wicked and to bring final redemption and eternal glory to His people. C.s.Lewis always puts it better than I can: “Some day (and what if this present were the world’s last night,?) an absolutely correct verdict – if you like, a perfect critique – will be passed on what each of us is.”