1 Peter 1:10-12

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ that was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.”

A Salvation that Prophets Searched for

In verse 10, Peter is referring to the salvation he spoke about in verses 5 and 9. He says the Old Testament prophets “searched” (a word used to describe miners digging deep) carefully for it.

There are times people take their salvation very lightly. But the prophets were very concerned about how God’s plan of salvation was going to unfold and they inquired about it for 6000 years. In fact, the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is a story of God’s redemption of mankind.

The Old Testament prophets did not understand God’s redemptive plan completely. This is because, firstly, revelation was progressive. Everything about the future was not revealed in an instant. Also, prophecy can have dual fulfilment – immediate and far ahead in time. For example, Abraham was promised blessing through his seed. This was fulfilled in the birth of his son Isaac, but also in the coming of Christ (Galatians 3:16).

So it was like a mystery to them (see Ephesians 1:9,10), but even so, the prophets looked earnestly for the coming of the Messiah. The prophet Daniel is an example – a man who had great devotion to understand scripture. When he received some revelations about the future, he struggled to understand it and was troubled (Daniel 7:15). But he was told that the words would be closed and sealed up and that he could rest and would be raised up to receive his inheritance at the end of the days (12:7-13). Other prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah also spoke about Christ, but their knowledge was limited.

After his resurrection from the dead, when Jesus spoke to two travelling men, He told them that all that had happened was just as it was spoken by the prophets. Christianity is the only religion that cannot be reinvented, because it is built on prophecies that were spoken thousands of years ago, and on historical facts.

Through His people, God has written and preserved the scriptures for us that we may be warned (1 Corinthians 10:11) and that through our learning, we may have hope (Romans 15:4). And every bit of scripture is accurate; every one of its prophecies is being fulfilled.

Peter goes on to say in v12 that the prophets were ministering not unto themselves, but unto others. In Romans 14:7,8 we are reminded that whether we live or die, it ought to be unto the Lord. Matthew Henry’s commentary on these verses reads, “It is the honour and practice of a Christian to be useful to others, in many cases, rather than to himself. The prophets ministered to others, not to themselves. None of us liveth to himself. Nothing is more contrary to man’s nature nor to Christian principles than for a man to make himself his own end, and live to himself.”

Angels also desire to look into it

In the Bible, it is clear that angels have a ministry. For example, they announced the coming birth of John the Baptist to his parents. They ministered to Jesus during His trials and were communicators at His resurrection. Angels are spectators of us (see Luke 15:7) and they are ministering spirits to all who believe (Hebrews 1:14). Ephesians 3:10 says that God displays His wisdom through the church to heavenly beings.

Here Peter reminds the church that they have received the very same gospel that angels too long to look into.

The gospel was such a preoccupation for the prophets as well as for angels. Let’s not take it for granted. “Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:2).