Peter closes his letter with a reminder about the “Day of the Lord”. It will be sudden, dramatic, and cataclysmic. How should we prepare for it?

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The Day of the Lord

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Here is the Transcript from which this podcast was produced:

3:10 The Day of the Lord and the New Heaven and New Earth

In v4, Peter tells us that one argument from the false teachers is

“…Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Their conclusion is that “It has always been this way and it will always be this way” i.e. the return of the Lord is bogus. He’s not coming back.

Peter answers in v10:

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

This will be a cataclysmic event. No warning, no advance notice, just ….BOOM. A thief does not give advance warning of his arrival. He shows up when you least expect him. When the Lord returns, it will be sudden.

Jesus taught that his coming would be as unexpected as the coming of a thief:

Matthew 24:42-44

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Paul says in his letter to the Thessalonians, in Chapter 5:

1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly…

John says in Revelation chapter 3:

3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

In that catastrophic day “the heavens will disappear” with a loud noise made by something passing swiftly through the air. The sky will recede “like a scroll, rolling up” (Rev 6:14), and the earth and sky will flee from the presence of God (Rev 20:11). In this chapter, in the 14th verse Peter divulges another detail:

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

When this day takes place it will not be a drawn-out affair. It will be over in the blink of an eye.

Two things are certain.

1. The Lord will return.
2. It will be sudden and catastrophic.

3:11-18 How Should We Respond?

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. 

This is a tricky verse for me. The only thing I can think of is what Jesus said in Matthews Gospel:

Matthew 24:14

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

So there is only one item on God’s “punch list” before the day of the Lord appears – the Gospel “must be preached as a testimony to all nations.”

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 

13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 

Are we REALLY supposed to look forward to the sudden fiery disintegration of our world? No – what WE are looking forward to is the aftermath – the NEW Heaven and the NEW Earth!

I compose music, and one of my chief frustrations is that what I hear in my head is seldom achieved in reality when I attempt to put what I hear in my head onto paper. I so look forward to the day when sin does not interfere with the music that resides in my heart and mind.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 

“Love God, Love your neighbor” – the message of the New Testament. In doing so, we fulfill the Law as it pertains to our outward affiliations

In 2Pe 2:13 Peter has called the false teachers “blots and blemishes” (the opposite of these two words).

Those who are “found at peace with him” have put out of their lives the things he hates.

15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

I love that Peter honors Paul here, especially in light of their early history  where Paul rebuked Peter for his hypocrisy in relation to the Gentile – Jew issues in the years following Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul is a “brother” who has “wisdom”. Peter is also putting Paul’s words on par with Holy Scripture.

I wonder how much Peter and Paul interacted throughout their lives – I can’t help but believe there was regular interaction between them. These two letters from Peter are aimed at Peter’s constituency in Northern Asia Minor, whereas Paul had huge influence and many followers in Southern Asia Minor (with Ephesus as a the hub). I do believe that there was spillover  – Northern Asia Minor would have heard of and perhaps even read what Paul wrote, and Paul’s followers would surely have interacted with Peter’s followers and Peter’s letters. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when these two 1st century giants of the faith crossed paths!

The false teachers are “ignorant” literally “unlearned”. They have not studied the Scripture, they are not schooled in the art of interpreting Scripture – yet they act as if they are knowledgeable. They sound smart, yet there is no foundation to their words in truth. 

Back in the 70’s when I was a new Christian, one of the things wending its way through the Body of Christ was the “Name it and Claim it” teaching. This teaching would use Scripture to teach that we could have anything we want – wealth, power, prestige – simply by “confessing it”. One such example was Philippians 4:13 where Paul tells us that “I can do all things through Christ”. These people would use this verse as proof that all things could be ours. But that is NOT what Paul was talking about. Paul was talking about the fact that he could be content whether he had an abundance of provision or when he had insufficient provision. This was an example of unstable people distorting Scripture for their own ends.

Zondervan’s Expository Commentary states:

“In a time when the Christian church is plagued by heretical cults and false teaching, Peter’s warning about the irresponsible use of Scripture is important. Correct exegesis must be a continuing concern of the church.”

Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament

Copyright 2004.

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 

How can we be “on guard?” By paying heed to the following (pretty much a summary of this letter):

1. Prior knowledge of false teachers and their activities. Be aware of false teachings and false teachers.
2. Warning against the immoral lives of these false teachers (ch. 2; cf. Mt 7:16). Their immorality is a snare because it appeals to the basic instincts of our sin nature.
3. Reminders of the historicity of the apostolic message (1:16-18). Learn the Apostolic teachings! Hint… today we call it the New Testament.
4. The prophetic teaching of the past (1:19; 3:1-2). Hint – we call this the Old Testament.
5. The warning of judgment (e.g., the Flood). The day is coming when God will bring it all down as He did in the days of the Flood. This is real – not a story.

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen

Take heed (v17), and grow (v18).

“grow in grace” – this happens as we walk with Him, loving our neighbors and loving God. 

“grow in the knowledge of our Lord” – comes from continued study and application of His Words as found in the Bible.

Blessings!

Paige