What is "the day of visitation" in 1 Peter 2:12?

A general exhortation follows. Their conversation is to be honest among the Gentiles who often spoke of them as evil-doers, accusing Christians of their own shameful conduct, as unsaved Gentiles, so that it might bring reproach upon "that worthy Name." By their godly lives the Gentiles should see their good works and when the day of visitation came, they would then glorify God. Does this mean a visitation in judgment, or the visitation in grace? It means the latter, though a visitation by the chastening hand of God is not excluded. When sorrows come, when earthly hopes are blasted, when sickness makes the enjoyment of the material things impossible, then the unbelievers often turn to the people of God for help and comfort, the grace of God will then be manifested in the day of visitation; this glorifies God.

It is a characteristic of Scripture that the meaning of any particular phrase can only be discovered from the context. That is, it does not follow because the purport of any special words has been ascertained in one place, that you must attach the same significance to them in another. For example, the words in Luke 19:44, "The time of thy visitation," undoubtedly mean the day of grace for Jerusalem through the presence and testimony of our blessed Lord. It was the opportunity for blessing, and hence the Lord's lament, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things [which belong] unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." When, however, we come to Peter's words, "The day of visitation," the thought is rather that of judgment, and not of grace, whatever may be the effects, gracious or otherwise, of the "visitation" upon the subjects of it. As another has written, "In the day when God would visit men, these calumniators, with their will broken and their pride subdued by the visitation of God, should be brought to confess - by means of the good works which, in spite of their calumnies, had always reached their consciences - that God had acted in these Christians, that He had been present among them." It is not a question, we apprehend, of any particular time or day; but rather any time when God might intervene and make bare His arm before the eyes of men, compelling them, in whatever way, to glorify Himself and to justify His people. The same principle is seen in the Lord's word to Philadelphia: "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."

The day of visitation refers to God's present dealings with the world. Men may speak evil of the Christian, but when trouble overtakes them, through yielding to their lusts, they will have to admit that God blesses those who quietly and patiently pursue a life of good works.

Love too, as the bond of perfectness, laid them open to the shameless suspicion of ill-wishers, who put an evil construction on the new brotherhood which astonished the world, embracing women emancipated by the faith of Christ from being the mere drudges and playthings of the other sex, and now in a near and common relationship where Jew or Greek cannot be, bond or free, male and female; "for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." It is easy to understand what men think and say of what is only known to and by faith, opening the door, as they in their ignorance of grace and truth judge it must, to indiscriminate licence and uncleanness. But the apostle exhorts that, from observing the comely works of those addressed, even such as spoke against them as evil-doers might rise above their prejudices and glorify God in the day of visitation.

By thus walking as their Master walked they would let their light shine before men, and constrain them to give glory to God in their day of visitations. Instead of rebuke they would have praise from all who preferred peace to lawlessness.4 The generation among whom they sojourned had their characteristic moral features, and so too should they. But they are of the light while the world lies in darkness. The way of the natural man is froward and strange,5 but their calling as new creatures in Christ Jesus was to keep the way of God. Instead of crookedness there should be found in them simplicity, and instead of the perverseness of self-will conformity to Him who pleased not Himself, and was reproachable by those only who reproached God.6 Let them shine therefore7 by keeping steadfastly the path of obedience, having their conversation honest among the Gentiles, and by well-doing silencing the ignorance of foolish men.8 If darkness still refused to comprehend the light, and their close following of Christ had no other present effect than to make them partakers of His cup of suffering, they would be abundant gainers still.9

Let me add, as a reflection upon this Pool near the sheep-market, that the relief which grace provided, in the age of the Law, was only occasional; as I have already noticed; as by a Judge or a Prophet — and as also the Angel stirring this water now and again, witnesses. But now, in this age of the Gospel, grace or the salvation of God is the standing thing, the thing ministered. "This is the day of salvation." And yet, I doubt not, there are special or occasional seasons of the Spirit's peculiar working and visitation. There are "times of visitation" now, as there had been of old; though it be fully true, that the present is a dispensation of grace, as the former had not been. The city of Corinth had such a time vouchsafed to it, as Jerusalem had before it. (Luke 19:44; Acts 18:10) Individuals, likewise, have such times, (1 Peter 2:12) — and indeed if Bethesda witnessed this at Jerusalem in other days, times of Revival, as we call them, have witnessed the same in course of the age of Christendom.

These things are so. — But I must add, that such a day, a day of visitation, leaves the place or the person, if that day be slighted, in a worse condition than it found them.

Scripture contemplates a day or time of visitation. (Jer. 8:12; Luke 19:44; 1 Peter 2:12)

"Beloved, I exhort [you] as strangers and sojourners to abstain from the fleshly lusts such as war against the soul, having your behaviour comely among the Gentiles; that in what they speak against you as evil-doers, they, as observing,* may from your comely works glorify God in [the] day of visitation" (vers. 11,12).

That city had a day of visitation. It had been greatly favoured. The Lord's mighty works had been done there, beyond the common measure — and Andrew, Peter, and Philip, three of the Lord's Apostles, had belonged to that town. (See John 1:44)

But such favour, such a day of merciful, gracious visitation, had been slighted. The place had not turned to Him that had blessed it. It had not repented. (Matt. 11:20) Still, it is not altogether beyond the reach of the abounding, though slighted grace of Christ. The Lord visits it, after all this — and when He visits it, He has the resources of His grace and power with Him.