The Canonical Column, Book 61: 2 Peter

We now continue our journey through the Canonical Column with the sixty-first book of the biblical canon — 2 Peter. For those unfamiliar with this mystery, the Canonical Column is a divinely embedded framework within Scripture that bears dual witness to the biblical canon through an organized network of witnessing chapters found in three key Old Testament books — Genesis, Leviticus, and Isaiah.¹ For readers new to this series, I recommend first reviewing the introductory article, which lays out the foundational context for the insights explored here.²

Suffice it to say that the Canonical Column refers to a divinely designed structural framework and prophetic network embedded within the Bible which bears witness to the final form of the biblical canon—testifying to its 39–27 book division, identifying all 66 books within it, and even delineating the exact order in which they would appear. In this sense, it may be likened to an internal measuring line that God deliberately placed within his Word, allowing us to determine objectively which canon of Scripture is the correct one.

As established in previous installments, every book of the Bible is confirmed by two witnessing chapters within the Canonical Column—one drawn from the Law (Genesis 12–50 or Leviticus) and the other from the Prophets (Isaiah).³ In the case of 2 Peter, its two witnesses are Leviticus 22 and Isaiah 61. Both of these chapters function within their respective branches of the Canonical Column as figurative types of the epistle of 2 Peter. To this end, each has been divinely embedded with textual allusions to specific passages within the epistle of 2 Peter and intentionally sequenced as the twenty-second chapter in its branch of the framework, and sixty-first of its branch-pair, reflecting 2 Peter’s ordinal position as both the twenty-second book of the New Testament and the sixty-first book of the Bible. As we will see, it is by the mouth of these two witnesses that the divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordained placement of 2 Peter are firmly established.

Table of Contents anchor

The Epistle of 2 Peter

The Second Epistle of Peter stands as the apostle’s final message to the Church, written in the shadow of his impending death (2 Pet. 1:14). It bears the weight of a spiritual testament—an urgent appeal for purity of doctrine and life in an age of encroaching corruption. Where 1 Peter comforted the suffering believer, 2 Peter warns the complacent one, calling the faithful to steadfastness amid deception and decay.

The letter exhorts believers to grow in grace and knowledge, building upon the foundation of faith with virtue, temperance, godliness, and love. Its tone is both pastoral and prophetic: pastoral in its concern for holiness, prophetic in its denunciation of false teachers who secretly bring in destructive heresies and defile the faith through sensuality and greed. These deceivers are described as “spots and blemishes,” a vivid echo of the Levitical law that forbade offering what was corrupted or marred before the LORD. Peter’s imagery thus links moral corruption with ceremonial impurity, portraying false teachers as spiritual sacrifices unfit for God’s altar.

The epistle culminates with a vision of divine patience and cosmic renewal. God’s delay in judgment is not slackness, but mercy; “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years.” The heavens and the earth, once cleansed by water, will one day be purified by fire, making way for “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Through it all, Peter anchors the believer’s hope not in the stability of the world, but in the unchanging faithfulness of God’s word.

Authorship & Dating

From the earliest centuries, the authorship of 2 Peter has been more contested than that of any other New Testament epistle. The traditional view holds that the apostle Peter himself composed the letter shortly before his martyrdom in Rome, around A.D. 64–68. Its self-identification as written by “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1), its reference to the author’s approaching death (1:14), and its personal recollection of the Transfiguration (1:16–18) all affirm Petrine authorship in explicit terms. Early church fathers such as Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome acknowledged the book’s disputed status but ultimately recognized it as canonical, citing its consistent teaching and apostolic tone.

Modern-critical scholarship, however, has often regarded 2 Peter as pseudonymous, composed in Peter’s name by a later author during the late first or early second century. Critics argue that its polished Greek style differs markedly from that of 1 Peter, that it contains apparent literary dependence on the Epistle of Jude, and that its concern with the delay of Christ’s return reflects a later stage of Christian reflection. Some scholars also point to its relatively late acceptance into the canon as evidence of post-apostolic origin.

Defenders of the traditional view respond that stylistic variation can be accounted for by the use of a different amanuensis, audience, or purpose. Whereas 1 Peter was written to encourage persecuted believers, 2 Peter was written to warn against false teachers—naturally calling for a different tone and vocabulary. The epistle’s intimate, autobiographical details, along with its strong affirmation of the Transfiguration and eyewitness testimony, bear marks of authenticity unlikely to have been invented by a later forger.

Whether written directly by Peter or under his supervision near the end of his life, 2 Peter reflects the apostolic voice in both content and character. It closes the Petrine witness with a prophetic vision of divine judgment and renewal, uniting the authority of the Law and the Prophets with the certainty of Christ’s return.

Witnessing chapters of 2 Peter in the Canonical Column

Having introduced the epistle’s background and authorship, we now turn to its two appointed witnesses within the Canonical Column. As previously stated, the two witnessing chapters of 2 Peter within the Canonical Column are Leviticus 22 and Isaiah 61. Both of these chapters have been deliberately composed and structured to reflect the content of the epistle of 2 Peter. Within each, one can discern divinely embedded allusions to the scenes, imagery, and language of the epistle of 2 Peter—through which they together affirm its divine authorship, canonicity, and its ordained position as both the twenty-second book of the New Testament (within An Holy Priesthood) and the sixty-first book of the divinely sanctioned biblical canon overall (within Second Isaiah).⁴

Context of Leviticus 22

Leviticus 22 forms the continuation and culmination of the priestly regulations that began in the preceding chapter. Whereas Leviticus 21 focused on the personal holiness of the priests themselves—their physical wholeness, purity, and conduct—chapter 22 extends that concern to the holiness of their service and the sanctity of the sacred gifts they handle. The chapter thus preserves a delicate boundary between the holy and the profane, ensuring that nothing defiled might approach the altar of the LORD.

The first half of the chapter (vv. 1–16) establishes that even those ordained to serve God are not exempt from His standards of purity. Priests rendered unclean by disease, contact with death, or bodily discharge were forbidden to partake of the holy offerings until they had washed and been declared clean. These ordinances symbolized the absolute moral purity required in those who minister before the divine presence. The holiness of the priesthood depended not only on office but on inward and outward purity alike.

The second half (vv. 17–33) shifts from the priests to the people, governing the sacrifices brought before the LORD. Every animal offered must be “without blemish,” and no offering bearing defect or corruption could be accepted. Even the timing of sacrifice was regulated—young animals could not be offered before the eighth day, and a mother and her offspring were not to be slain in the same day—underscoring that holiness embraces mercy, patience, and divine order. The chapter concludes with a reaffirmation of covenant identity: “I am the LORD which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God.”

In its historical setting, Leviticus 22 taught Israel that access to the sacred required separation from impurity, and that God’s holiness permeated every sphere of life—from the priest’s table to the altar of sacrifice. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this chapter stands as the natural parallel to 2 Peter, for both emphasize purity amid corruption, the unacceptability of blemished offerings, and the divine order that governs holiness in time, worship, and conduct. Each warns that corruption—whether physical or moral—renders one unfit for the presence of the LORD.

Leviticus 22 -> 2 Peter

As the twenty-second chapter of An Holy Priesthood (which functions within the Canonical Column as a figurative type of the New Testament canon), as well as the sixty-first chapter of the Law pair of branches (The Circumcision and An Holy Priesthood), Leviticus 22 has been deliberately designed by God to serve as a figurative type of the epistle of 2 Peter—ordained before the foundation of the world to become the twenty-second book of the New Testament and the sixty-first book of the Bible. Accordingly, this chapter has been divinely embedded with allusions and echoes of various kinds to specific scenes and passages that God, in his perfect foreknowledge, knew would be found within the epistle of 2 Peter. The comparative table below documents a selection of the most notable of these allusions, with explanations provided in the accompanying footnotes.

Leviticus 22	2 Peter
Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hollow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.5 (Leviticus 22:3)	But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. (2 Peter 2:10)
What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him; Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleannness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath; The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water. And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food. That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the LORD.6 (Leviticus 22:4-8)	And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; (2 Peter 2:13)
Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these: because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.7 (Leviticus 22:25)	But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; (2 Peter 2:12-13)
And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.8 (Leviticus 22:28)	But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8)

Context of Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61 stands among the most radiant proclamations in the second half of the book, forming the theological summit of Second Isaiah (chapters 40–66). The chapter is written in the voice of the anointed Servant of the LORD—one who is endowed with the Spirit to proclaim good news, heal the brokenhearted, and herald liberty to the captives. Its opening line, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me”, announces both divine commissioning and messianic fulfillment, a passage later cited by Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:17–21) as a direct prophecy of His ministry.

Historically, Isaiah 61 was addressed to the post-exilic community of Judah, who had returned from Babylon yet still languished under spiritual and material desolation. To this weary remnant, the prophet brought a message of hope: God would restore the ruins, rebuild the waste cities, and clothe His people with garments of salvation and righteousness. Foreigners would serve in the rebuilding, priests would again minister in holiness, and everlasting joy would replace shame and confusion. The tone is jubilant yet reverent—a liturgy of restoration after judgment.

Structurally, the chapter marks the beginning of the final movement in Isaiah’s prophetic symphony. The Servant’s voice here merges with that of Zion herself, as the anointed Redeemer and the redeemed nation become one. God’s covenant faithfulness (“I will direct their work in truth”) and His creative righteousness (“as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth”) frame the chapter with agricultural imagery, symbolizing growth, fruitfulness, and divine order.

Within the framework of the Canonical Column, Isaiah 61 stands as the prophetic counterpart to 2 Peter, just as Leviticus 22 forms its priestly counterpart. Both chapters affirm that true restoration and glory arise only through holiness. Each warns, in its own idiom, that corruption and blemish must be purged before righteousness can flourish. Where Leviticus 22 sanctifies the priesthood and offerings, Isaiah 61 sanctifies the people themselves—transforming the once-defiled nation into “priests of the LORD” and “ministers of our God.” Thus the two witnessing chapters together testify of the unblemished purity and divine righteousness that 2 Peter exalts as the Church’s ultimate calling.

Isaiah 61 -> 2 Peter

As the twenty-second chapter of Second Isaiah (which functions within the Canonical Column as a figurative type of the New Testament canon), and the sixty-first chapter of the Prophets pair of branches (First Isaiah and Second Isaiah), Isaiah 61 has been deliberately designed by God to serve as a figurative type of the epistle of 2 Peter—ordained before the foundation of the world to become both the twenty-second book of the New Testament and the sixty-first book of the Bible. Accordingly, this chapter has been divinely embedded with allusions and echoes of various kinds to specific scenes and passages that God, in his perfect foreknowledge, knew would be found within the epistle of 2 Peter. The comparative table below documents a selection of the most notable of these allusions, with explanations provided in the accompanying footnotes.

Isaiah 61	2 Peter
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; . . . .9 (Isaiah 61:1)	We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:19-21)
; . . . he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;10 (Isaiah 61:1)	While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. (2 Peter 2:19)
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;11 (Isaiah 61:2)	But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:10-12)
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.12 (Isaiah 61:3)	For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8)
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.13 (Isaiah 61:7-8)	For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:11)
I will great rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.14 (Isaiah 61:10)	According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4; cf. 2 Pet. 3:14)
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.15 (Isaiah 61:11)	Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13)

Conclusion: The Canonical Column affirms the canonicity and ordinal position of the book of 2 Peter as the twenty-second book of the New Testament and the sixty-first book of the Bible.

The canonicity of the epistle of 2 Peter is affirmed by its two witnessing chapters within the Canonical Column: Leviticus 22 and Isaiah 61. These chapters were not placed arbitrarily, but have been meticulously embedded with deliberate textual allusions to their corresponding biblical book, and arranged within their respective branches of the framework in order to bear witness of that book and its ordained position within the canon. As previously stated, each witnessing chapter reflects a different aspect of 2 Peter’s canonical placement—Leviticus 22 signifying its role as the twenty-second book of the New Testament, and Isaiah 61 signifying its position as the sixty-first book of the Bible overall. Both chapters have been divinely embedded with direct allusions to specific passages and content that God, in his perfect foreknowledge, knew would be contained within the epistle of 2 Peter, which was ordained before the foundation of the world to serve as both the twenty-second book of the New Testament and the sixty-first book of the biblical canon. Accordingly, by the testimony of these two witnesses within the Canonical Column, the divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordinal placement of the epistle of 2 Peter are established—being witnessed by both the Law and the Prophets.

1. I received the knowledge of this great mystery by the light of divine revelation way back in 2009 (1 Chron. 28:19; Num. 8:4; cf. 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:12). ↩︎
2. Alternatively, if that article is too long, you can read a summarized version here. ↩︎
3. Every book of the Bible has two chapters which correspond to it within the Canonical Column–one in Genesis 12-50 or Leviticus (the Law), and one in Isaiah (the Prophets). Genesis 12-50 (known in the Canonical Column as “The Circumcision”) and Isaiah 1-39 (known in the Canonical Column as “First Isaiah”) are both figurative types of the Old Testament canon–each containing 39 chapters which have been divinely designed to prefigure the 39 books of the Old Testament canon. Similarly, Leviticus (known in the Canonical Column as “An Holy Priesthood”) and Isaiah 40-66 (known in the Canonical Column as “Second Isaiah”) function as figurative types of the New Testament canon–each containing 27 chapters which have been divinely designed to prefigure the 27 books of the New Testament canon. The individual chapters within these four scaffolding branches of the Canonical Column are known as witnessing chapters, so called because they have been divinely embedded with textual allusions of various kinds to the content of the specific biblical book which occupies the same numerical position within the canonical sequence. Thus the witnessing chapters function as divinely designed figurative types of whatever biblical book they numerically correspond to within their specific branch of the framework–testifying to their divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordinal placement within the completed biblical canon. ↩︎
4. The Canonical Column testifies that the Protestant biblical canon is the divinely sanctioned form of the Christian Bible that is stamped with the Lamb’s seal of messianic approval. ↩︎
5. In Leviticus 22:3, the LORD warns that any descendant of Aaron who approaches the holy things while still in a state of uncleanness “shall be cut off from my presence.” This injunction forbids a priest from presumptuously entering sacred service while defiled, for such irreverence profanes what God has hallowed. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 2 Peter 2:10, where the apostle condemns false teachers who “walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness” and “despise government.” ↩︎
6. In Leviticus 22:4–8, the LORD commands that no priest defiled by disease, contact with death, or any other uncleanness may eat of the holy things until he has washed and been made clean. The passage underscores that the sacred meal may only be partaken of by those who are purified, for to eat while unclean is to profane the holy. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 2:13, where the apostle describes false teachers as “spots and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you.” Thus, the framework employs the image of priests eating the sacred meal in a state of uncleanness in Leviticus 22 to prophetically foreshadow the defiled false teachers feasting among the New Testament saints in 2 Peter 2. ↩︎
7. In Leviticus 22:25, the LORD forbids Israel from offering the “bread of [their] God” from the hand of a stranger, declaring that “their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them.” Such sacrifices are rejected because inward corruption and outward defect render them unfit for acceptance. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 2:12–13, where the apostle describes false teachers as those who “shall utterly perish in their own corruption” and calls them “spots and blemishes.” Both passages identify corruption and blemish as twin marks of rejection before God—whether in a sacrifice or in a man. The precision of the parallel is underscored by the fact that the plural word “blemishes” occurs only twice in the entire Bible: once here in Leviticus 22:25 and once in its corresponding book, 2 Peter 2:13—a verbal signature affirming the intentional nature of the allusion. ↩︎
8. In Leviticus 22:28, the LORD commands that neither a cow nor a ewe and her young be killed “in one day,” establishing a sacred boundary within the cycle of life and death. The prohibition reflects divine restraint and order—life is not to be extinguished without measure or mercy. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 3:8, where the apostle exhorts believers not to be ignorant of “this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Both passages emphasize the sanctity of divine timing: in Leviticus, the law defines what must not occur within a single day; in Peter, the Spirit reveals that one day belongs wholly to the Lord, who measures time according to His eternal purpose. The deliberate nature of the allusion is reinforced by the linguistic rarity of the phrase “one day”—appearing only here in the entire book of Leviticus. Though not exclusive to 2 Peter in the New Testament, the phrase occurs in only three other books (Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Revelation), further attesting to the intentional design of this correspondence within the Canonical Column. ↩︎
9. In Isaiah 61:1, the prophet speaks in the voice of the anointed Servant, declaring, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.” The verse opens with the Spirit’s anointing as the source of divine proclamation—the same Spirit who empowers the messenger and authenticates his words as God’s own. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 1:19–21, where the apostle affirms that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation,” for “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Both passages attribute prophetic utterance directly to the Spirit of the LORD, emphasizing that true revelation is not human invention but divine inspiration. The Servant’s anointing in Isaiah 61:1 thus prefigures the very principle Peter articulates—that prophecy originates not in man’s will, but in the moving of the Holy Ghost. ↩︎
10. In Isaiah 61:1, the anointed Servant proclaims His mission “to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” The liberty He offers is true and spiritual—deliverance from sin’s bondage and restoration to divine favor. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 2:19, where the apostle exposes false teachers who “promise them liberty, they themselves being servants of corruption.” Both passages hinge on the same word—liberty—but in opposite senses: Isaiah speaks of the genuine liberty wrought by the Spirit of the LORD, whereas Peter warns of a counterfeit liberty rooted in corruption. The Servant’s proclamation thus stands as the prophetic antithesis to the false teachers’ deceit, revealing that freedom divorced from holiness becomes another form of bondage. ↩︎
11. In Isaiah 61:2, the anointed Servant declares that He has been sent “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God.” Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 3:10–12, where the apostle warns that “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,” when “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise” and “the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” Both passages emphasize the imminence and certainty of the divine day: Isaiah foretells it as a prophetic “day of vengeance,” while Peter expounds its cosmic fulfillment as the fiery dissolution of the present world. ↩︎
12. In Isaiah 61:3, the redeemed are described as “trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 1:8, where the apostle assures believers that if the graces of faith and virtue “be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Both passages employ the same arboreal imagery, portraying the righteous as divinely planted trees whose fruitfulness glorifies God. ↩︎
13. In Isaiah 61:7–8, the LORD promises His people that “for your shame ye shall have double,” and that He will “make an everlasting covenant with them.” The double portion signifies restored honor and abundant inheritance—the overflowing reward of covenant faithfulness. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 1:11, where the apostle declares that “an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Both passages celebrate the same divine generosity: those who persevere in righteousness are not merely received but richly welcomed into everlasting covenantal blessing. The “double portion” of Isaiah 61 thus prefigures the “abundant entrance” of 2 Peter 1, each portraying the overflowing reward reserved for the faithful in the everlasting kingdom of God. ↩︎
14. In Isaiah 61:10, the prophet rejoices, “He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 1:3–4, where the apostle declares that believers, through the divine power of Christ, have been given “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” and have become “partakers of the divine nature.” Both passages depict the believer’s transformation in terms of divine endowment—the soul being clothed or infused with righteousness not its own. The imagery of being arrayed in God’s own virtue in Isaiah 61 finds its fulfillment in the believer’s participation in God’s nature in 2 Peter 1, each expressing the same truth: salvation is the adorning of humanity in the righteousness of God. ↩︎
15. In Isaiah 61:11, the prophet declares that just “as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an allusion to 2 Peter 3:13, where the apostle affirms, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Both passages depict the same eschatological hope—the divine bringing forth of righteousness. Isaiah envisions it as the organic fruit of God’s restorative work upon the earth, while Peter describes its ultimate fulfillment in the renewed creation. Each reveals righteousness as the final harvest of God’s redemptive purpose, springing forth at the consummation of all things.
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