THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME – 2 PETER 3:1-18 Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all things and Master Teacher, we humbly come into Your presence to seek Your Holy Spirit to open our eyes to these Holy Scriptures. We earnestly pray for enlightenment as we study together, and we ask You, Father, to open our eyes to see the truths contained in these words. Open our minds to comprehend that which we are reading, and open our hearts to receive the message that You have for us. Finally, dear Father, we ask for the strength and courage to live our lives in a manner of the called, constantly giving You the glory, honor, and praise that You deserve. We pray these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. As we have seen, Peter knew his days were numbered. And from this final chapter of his last epistle, it would also seem as though he knew that following his departure, men would prey on the church with false teaching that would stem from a denial of the Second Coming of Christ and of the Rapture of the church—for in verses 1–9, Peter addresses the subject of the Lord and His delay; and in verses 10–18, he writes of the Lord and His Day. 2 Peter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. Reminiscent of his commitment to “put you always in remembrance of these things” (see 1:12), Peter says, “I’m writing to you to stir up your minds, to bring to your remembrance that which I’ve already taught you.” 2 Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour. Because he places his writings alongside those of the holy prophets, Peter is evidently aware of the inspiration of the Spirit flowing through him as surely as it had flowed through Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. 2 Peter 3:3 (a) Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers… “Things are going on just as they always have,” says the skeptic. “We’ve heard the prophecy update tapes. We’ve read The Late Great Planet Earth. But where is this Second Coming everyone keeps talking about?”—little knowing that his very scoffing fulfills Bible prophecy. 2 Peter 3:3 (b), 4 …walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. The root of skepticism and cynicism lies in a desire to follow one’s flesh and fulfill one’s lust. A denial of the return of Jesus allows people to live however they want because it removes accountability to the God who made them and who will return for them. 2 Peter 3:5, 6 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. There was another time in human history when men scoffed. Day after day, decade upon decade, as Noah constructed a prophetic illustration of gigantic proportion, the laughter of his friends and neighbors accompanied the sounds of his saw and hammer. But eventually, the collapse of the water canopy that surrounded the earth in days of antiquity caused rain to fall, resulting in a world-wide flood—as evidenced to this day not only by geological data, but by its appearance in the written or oral history of virtually every culture. 2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Just as the world was destroyed in the days of Noah, Peter says it will be destroyed again—not by water, but by fire. Let the cartoonists draw their caricatures of prophets of doom. Let the world make its jokes. But you can go to the bank on the fact that just as the world was flooded with water in days of old, it will one day be burned with fire. 2 Peter 3:8 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. After addressing the ridicule of the lost concerning the Lord and His delay in verses 1–7, Peter goes on to speak about the restraint of the Lord in verses 8–9—an understanding based upon the fact that the Lord completely transcends time.… 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. As far as I understand prophecy, Jesus could have come back in 1967, following Israel’s Six Day War, when Jerusalem was at last united. Why didn’t He? If you are among those who didn’t get saved until after 1967, He delayed His coming for you. Although we want the Lord to come back so desperately, we must never forget what this would mean to those who don’t yet know Him. 2 Peter 3:10 (a) But the day of the Lord… After discussing the Lord’s delay, Peter goes on to talk about the Lord’s Day. For prophecy to make sense to you, there are four days you need to know: The Day of Man began in the Garden of Eden when God gave man the privilege, the opportunity to steward this planet (Genesis 2:15). But when Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan rather than to obey God, the Day of Man became a total, unmitigated disaster characterized by famine and starvation, disease, war, and death. The next day on the calendar is the Day of Christ—which will begin when Jesus appears in the clouds to meet His bride in the air and take us to heaven for a seven-year honeymoon with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The third day is the Day of the Lord when, beginning with the Tribulation, God will intervene in human affairs (Joel 2; Revelation 6). Extending through the period of time called the millennium, the Day of the Lord starts dark, but gets brighter and brighter—just as the Jewish day begins at sundown and works its way to dawn. The fourth day, seen here in verse 12, is the Day of God, which begins after the millennium, when, because heaven and earth have been polluted by the presence of Satan, the present heaven and earth are done away with, replaced by a new heaven and earth. 2 Peter 3:10 (b) …will come as a thief in the night… Because it is the Day of the Lord rather than the Day of Christ that will come as a thief in the night, the scoffer, the unbeliever will be caught off guard—but not the believer who is watching for His coming (I Thessalonians 5:4). 2 Peter 3:10 (c) …in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise… The Greek word translated “great noise” is rhoizedon, which speaks of a great roar and the wind of a fire. 2 Peter 3:10 (d) …and the elements shall melt with fervent heat… The Greek word translated “element,” is stoicheion and refers to the letters of the alphabet—alpha, beta, gamma, delta, etc. If a great noise, wind of fire, and melting of gamma rays sound familiar, it’s because these are all terms associated with nuclear radiation. 2 Peter 3:10 (e) …the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. On December 2, 1942, this scripture suddenly had new meaning for many who were reading with understanding—for on that cold winter day on the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field, Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Ferme, and Albert Einstein tested their theory that if Uranium 235 was bombarded with neutrons, energy would be released. And indeed it was. Moving the experiment to a desert in New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, engineers were shocked when the ten-inch rail metal used to drop the first nuclear device was immediately vaporized, shooting debris seven miles into the air and eighteen hundred feet in every direction. With heat so intense that the surrounding sand was turned into glass, it was clear something ominous was taking place. The Nuclear Age was born. Finally, in August of the same year, the A-bomb was dropped over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many who read these verses said, “Impossible! Elements can’t melt. The whole earth can’t be burned up.” But in the events of 1945, they were suddenly silenced. While the Day of the Lord will indeed usher in the destruction spoken of here, I believe Peter’s reference is to something even more devastating. What could possibly be more devastating than nuclear warfare? Concerning Jesus Christ, Colossians 1 tells us that all things were made and are held together by Him. Now, because Coulomb’s “Law of Electricity” says that like charges repel, what keeps the positive-charged protons in every atom from pushing apart? With no better explanation, scientists call it “atomic glue.” We, however, know that by Him all things hold together, that He upholds all things with the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). But there will come a day when He lets go—and with one gigantic boom everything will be wiped out, obliterated, done away with in the Day of the Lord. 2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. If everything we strive for materially will explode eventually, what should be our priority? Rabbi Chaim Herzog, a prominent scholar and lover of the Torah lives in the old section of Jerusalem in a small apartment containing only a chair, desk, and bed. “Rabbi, is this your house?” asked a lady from New York who had come to visit him. “Yes,” replied the Rabbi. “Well, where is your furniture?” The Rabbi looked at this wealthy American lady and said, “Where’s your furniture?” “I didn’t bring my furniture,” she said. “I’m just traveling.” “Ah,” the Rabbi smiled, “so am I.” The message of Scripture from cover to cover is that we’re pilgrims and sojourners on this earth. Yes, God can bless us with cars and houses—but we’re not to make them high priorities because they’re just going to burn, dissipate, and dissolve. “Keep your eyes on the big picture,” says Peter. “Look for the coming Day of God.” 2 Peter 3:12 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? The flavor of the Greek text is that we don’t look for the Day of God passively, but that we actually have the ability to speed it along. “I thought God was sovereign,” you say. He is, but in Scripture we see a sovereign God affected and impacted by His people and their cooperation.… Before entering the Promised Land, the children of Israel sent twelve spies to check it out. And because they chose to retreat in fear rather than advance in faith, they were destined to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Numbers 13). The children of Israel actually slowed down God’s timetable by forty years. “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” Jonah declared. But the people repented, and God chose not to destroy the city (see Jonah 3). Yes, God is sovereign. Yes, God is in control. But He factors in to His sovereign plan the attitudes and cooperation of man. Knowing this, Peter says we can hasten His return. Are you tired of death and disease and depression? Have you had your fill of sadness and sickness and sin? If so, there are two ways you can hurry the day when righteousness will rule the earth. First, the Day of God is hastened by our prayer. In teaching us to pray, Jesus taught us to ask that His kingdom come (Matthew 6:10). This is precisely what one who heard Him teach that prayer did. At the end of the Book of Revelation, Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly”—to which John responded in prayer, “Even so, Lord, come quickly.” The same is still true. Prayer influences the timing of God—including the coming of the kingdom. Second, the Day of God is hastened as we share. According to Acts 2:47, the Lord adds daily to the church such as should be saved. Thus, there is someone who is the last one to be added to the church to complete the bride of Christ. And when that last one gets saved, the body of Christ will be complete, and we’ll go up. Consequently, as we witness, share, and invite people to be a part of the family and make a decision for Jesus Christ—we actually bring closer the day of His return. But the benefits of hastening the day are not limited to future times. Rather, this kind of living and thinking has benefits now, as it produces within us three important qualities.… PURITY. First John 3:3 tells us that he who looks for Jesus’ coming purifies himself. It’s amazing how careful a person drives when he looks in his wallet and realizes his license has expired. So, too, it’s amazing how purity will characterize the life of one who believes this could be the day, this could be the hour of Christ’s return. PEACE. The one who looks for the Lord’s coming takes a whole lot more things a whole lot less seriously. In other words, the one who looks for the Lord’s coming is not uptight about the scratch in his car, the bruise to his ego, or the slight at the office because he sees the bigger picture of eternity. PURPOSE. The life of the one who looks for the Lord’s coming, who is involved in the work of the kingdom, is neither boring, predictable, nor routine. If you feel that your life is simply going in circles, it could be because you’ve lost sight of your purpose. Hasten the day, beloved, by your prayer and as you share. Live for eternity, and you’ll find unparalleled purity, purpose, and peace. 2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Taken from Isaiah 65:17, the Hebrew word translated “create” is bara and refers to the act of creating something from nothing. The new heavens and new earth are not a remodeled or renovated version of the present. No, they’re brand new. 2 Peter 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. We know Jesus is coming back, but there are many who don’t have a peace about His coming because they know they are not spotless and blameless. Understand, beloved, that in Luke 12:37 we hear Jesus saying, “Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching.” Therefore, if you are simply watching for His coming, if you are tired of this world system’s sin and corruption and want to see the Lord rule and reign at last—it is you the Lord calls blessed. Many years ago when a family went to see the Oakland A’s play, upon entering the stadium, the son, seven, and the daughter, eight, were given free wristbands with their names and seat numbers on them. As the family made their way into the stands, they turned around to see that the daughter wasn’t with them. They looked and looked for her until—after about ten minutes—one of the ushers brought her to the seat number printed on her wristband. When the family was reunited, did they yell at her? No. Did they come down on her? No. Did they say, “Daughter, you are spotted and full of blame. Depart. Away with you!?” No. For although she had wandered off, although she had become mixed up, all she really wanted was to be with her parents. So with tears in her eyes, the parents embraced her, sat her down between them, and bought her some popcorn, a hotdog, and some cotton candy. So, too, if your heart is like the daughter’s, if you simply say, “Yes, I wandered away, but what I really want is to be with You, Father”—don’t you know He is going to embrace you as tightly as the parents embraced the daughter? “Wait a minute,” you say. “The text says not only are we to look for Him, but we are to be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” That’s true. And the only way we can be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless is to be found in Him. The great news of the gospel is that the moment you became a Christian, you were positioned in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Consequently, when the Father looks at you, He doesn’t see you. He sees the spotless and blameless One, Jesus Christ. And no one embodied the reality of this truth better than Peter… When Jesus called to Peter fishing on the Sea of Galilee in direct violation of the command He had given him to remain in Jerusalem, Peter couldn’t swim to shore fast enough. And when he got there, did Jesus lecture Peter, berate Peter, humiliate Peter? No. He served Peter (John 21:12, 13). Will Jesus be mad at you when He comes? Not if, like Peter, you’re saying, “Lord, even though I’m out to lunch, drifting out to sea, fishing where I ought not be, I still want to be with You.” 2 Peter 3:15, 16 (a) And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood… Peter and Paul had an interesting relationship. In Galatians 2, we read that Paul rebuked Peter for his failure to fellowship with Gentiles when fellow Jews were present. Here, Peter tells us that Paul’s writings are hard to understand. With different callings and different methods—Peter called to primarily minister to Jewish believers, Paul to Gentiles—Peter and Paul illustrate what is to take place in and through the body of Christ as we find both unity and diversity in Him. 2 Peter 3:16 (b) …which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest… “Wrest” means “to torture” or “to distort.” Those who twisted Paul’s words were his enemies, the legalists, who accused Paul of telling people to sin in order that grace might abound (Romans 6:1). 2 Peter 3:16 (c) …as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. There are those who contend that it was not until centuries later that the church recognized Peter’s, James’, or Paul’s writings to be inspired. But such is not the case, for in placing Paul’s writings on the same plane as “the other Scriptures,” Peter knew they were equally inspired. 2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. While it is true that belief affects behavior, it is equally true that behavior affects belief. For example, the more you study evolution, the more you become aware of its scientific absurdity. But people continue to buy into it because believing they are nothing more than animals allows them to justify their own animal behavior. Peter says, “I know you know the truth. But be careful because if you choose to live in carnality, you will eventually change your theology to justify your sin.” 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Peter closes not by saying, “Grow in devotion,” or, “Grow in zeal,” or “Grow in holiness.” He closes by saying, “Grow in grace” because grace is not the starting point. Grace is the only point. Have a blessed day!
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:58:15 +0000
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