THE FAT LADY IS SINGING!
“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for first, kept for the day of judgment and destruction for ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:3-9 NASV).
On March 10, 1976, the Dallas Morning News wrote about this exchange between Ralph Carpenter and commentator Bill Morgan: Despite his obvious allegiance to the Red Raiders, Texas Tech sports information director Ralph Carpenter was the picture of professional objectivity when the Aggies rallied for a 72-72 tie late in the SWC tournament finals.
“Hey, Ralph,” said Bill Morgan, “This…is going to be a tight one after all.”
“Right,” said Ralph, “The opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings.”
According to my “reliable” source (Wikipedia), this was the first recorded use of the phrase, “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” After that, Don Meredith, the first Dallas Cowboy quarterback, repeatedly used it as a commentary on Monday Night Football in the early 70’s.
The phrase was taken from one of Richard Wagner’s operas (Der Ring des Nibelungen), where a “fat lady” by the name of Brunnhilde, sang a twenty-minute farewell scene that leads to the finale which is about the end of the world.
And thus the phrase, “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings!”
In our series out of 2 Peter, we’ve come to chapter three where Peter cautions the believers and corrects the false teachers with the reality that…the fat lady is singing. And what might she be singing?
Jesus is coming soon morning or night or noon,
Many will meet their doom Trumpets will sound,
All of the dead shall rise, Righteous meet in the skies,
Going where no one dies Heavenward bound (R. E. Winsett, 1942)
In years gone by, that song used to be sung at least once a month in Sunday worship. In Bible college, it was a staple; now…not so much!
When Nancy and I worked with the church on Long Island, there was a sister in Christ, who requested with great emotion that that song never be sung. Why? Because her family was lost. I could sense the tension that she was experiencing. How can we sing of friends and family meeting their doom while we sing of the joys of heaven?
There needs to be a sensitivity, a heart for those who are lost, because a cavalier attitude or a callous disregard for their condition is not of Jesus.
But as we wrestle with the emotion that surrounds His return and the judgment of God upon those who do not know Him (2 Thess. 1:9), we must continue to faithfully proclaim those truths. Not singing a song that reminds us of their doom does not change the reality of His return.
As personal as that may be in our lives, we must be careful that that kind of emotionalism does not descend the slippery slope of the heresy of the false teachers. Their disbelief…and denial of the return of Jesus was based on two false tenets.
First, they didn’t believe He would return because He hadn’t returned: “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
But notice where they went to establish that – all the way back to creation. Not back to when Jesus made the promise (Matt. 25), which would have made it only 30-40 years.
But that’s what cynics and mockers do – they use misdirection. As Douglas Moo points out in his commentary on 2 Peter: “Mockers do not so much reason against the truth of God as they disdain and belittle it” (Douglas Moo. 2 Peter, 166).
Peter uses their reference of the beginning of creation to remind them that God spoke the world into existence out of water and by water (Gen. 1)…and then He used that same water to destroy that world (Gen. 6).
One sidebar here: regardless of what anyone says, we go to the text! We let the Bible speak and inform our beliefs and behaviors. If God can intervene dramatically in the course of history, then we’d better believe He can do it again. The only difference…is that the next time will be with “fire.”
That reminds me of the song New Life sang when I was in the group: “It’s gonna rain, it’s gonna rain, you better get ready and bear this in mind. God showed Noah the rainbow sign, it won’t be water but fire next time…” (Charles Johnson).
But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2 Pet. 3:7 NASV).
How foolish to believe that God cannot or will not judge and destroy the world He judged and destroyed once before!
At this point, Peter says that the false teachers “deliberately” (NIV) forgot those facts. Hmmm…how convenient! And why would they do that? Because this is really about people finding any excuse to “follow after their own lusts” (2 Pet. 3:3), to do their own thing, to be held accountable to a standard no higher than their own thoughts and desires.
It’s what Jesus said in John 3 where He pointed out that “men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20).
It is a deliberate rejection because they don’t want anyone, much less God telling them what to do. And that’s why Peter calls them and us to “remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles” (2 Pet. 3:2).
Don’t be led astray: the fat lady is singing!
But there’s one more point that Peter says needs to be understood: “…Do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:8-9 NASV).
The false teachers impugned God’s character by implying that He had been unfaithful to a promise He hadn’t kept.
But why hasn’t God made good on His promise of Jesus’ return?
First, because God doesn’t reckon time like we do. In God’s eyes, how much time has passed since Jesus ascended back to Heaven?
Answer: 2 days! (Now, I know we are an impatient people, but come on – two days!
Second, because our purpose for wanting Jesus to return may not be in line with God’s purpose for delaying. When we want Him to come back right now, what are we missing?
We may be missing the heart of God (as much as we’d like for Him to return now, but His delay is a gracious delay: “…Not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
And why is He giving us time to repent? Because He is returning. The false teachers got it all wrong: His judgment, His timing and His love.
Are you ready for the finale? Because the fat lady is singing!
