Prophet of the Space Age

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, a British citizen who lived in Sri Lanka, was given the above title for his visionary look into the future. For example, in 1945, he proposed satellite communication using geostationary objects. People thought it would never happen and classified it under science fiction. But in 2023, nearly 7,000 satellites orbit around the earth, giving us directions to restaurants, telecommunications, pictures of whale migrations, and aiding in capturing fugitives.

For Peter, God was the ultimate visionary, the prophet of prophets. He wrote,

“God had known Christ ahead of time, that is, before the foundations of the world, but revealed in these last days for you – who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope will be in God” (1 Pet 1:20–21)

God’s plan of resurrecting Jesus and glorifying him wasn’t a last-minute plan. He had planned it even before he created the world. God, in his foreknowledge, knew Adam would disobey and introduce death into the world, and therefore, he had a redemption plan, planned ahead of time, to send Jesus as a human, let him face death, resurrect him, and glorify him. That’s centuries of planning.

God did that so the Hebrew believers’ faith and hope would be in God through Jesus. That was news to them. They had believed in YHWH God directly or through prophets and priests. They didn’t associate a king, like David, as a person through whom they believed and hoped in God. Further, Jesus wasn’t anywhere near a great king like David. Sure, he did many miracles and delivered people from illness, suffering, pain, disasters, and death. But then, he died on the cross, a death God condemned. No way could he be the channel through whom people approached God.

Yet, before the foundations of the world, God ordained that people would have to believe and trust in him through Jesus Christ. As proof, he raised him from the dead and gave him the glory of sitting at his right hand.

Earlier, Peter said that prophets who prophesied about the suffering of the Messiah eagerly wanted to know if it would be fulfilled in their times, but they were told it wouldn’t be (1:10–12a). Sure enough, Jesus came in “these last days” for Peter’s audience to see, hear, and believe him and God through him.

Many Hebrews struggled to think of Jesus as their Messiah. Even more, they struggled to comprehend that a crucified Messiah was a redeemer. But salvation rested in that Messiah, Jesus.

If God planned Jesus’s resurrection and glorification even before the foundations of the earth, what prevented him from planning our lives? I believe he did plan our lives, perhaps not every minute detail, including our personal decisions, good or bad. But he planned that we would hear about Jesus and surrender our lives to him. He intended that without violating our will or forcing us. That should drive us to admire God, the ultimate prophet who accurately predicts the future, and be secure that God has known us intimately for a long time! And we have eternity to believe and trust him through Jesus.