The Day Of The Lord

The Day of the Lord

It’s Delay, Our Response

In some Bibles, The Day of the Lord is found as a preoccupy of 2 Peter 3:1-17. In chapter 3, Peter is dealing with the hard heart of scoffing at the return of Jesus Christ, the final Judgement and how we should be living.

There once was a man who oversaw a crew, whenever he felt they were not working up to par, he would shout, “You are slower than the Second Coming of Jesus Christ,” meaning you are never going to get it done.

Many believe Peter wrote this letter about A.D. 67-68, shortly before his death.

To help us grasp the truths of 2 Peter 3 we are going to look at it in an outline format of three divisions because Peter gives us three confirmations: 1.) The Writings of the Old Testament 2.) The Teaching of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. 3.) The Promise of the New Heaven and New Earth.

Let us begin with an overview reading: “Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

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 in it will be laid bare.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

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

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:1-17)

The Writings of the Prophets

Peter wants to stimulate us with wholesome thinking by recalling the writings of the prophets, [the Old Testament]. In dealing with those who scoff or in the dealing with our own tendency to begin to question what is written in the past about the Lord’s return. Peter presents a truth for us to keep our spiritual hearts excited. He reminds readers of the time of the prophets, “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.”

Peter gave them a reminder of the past – God the Creator is also God the Judge. In His Sovereign will, any changes can occur at any time for He designed and He controls the “natural” processes. By God’s command water played the significant role in the creation of the world also became the agent for destruction to a people who scoffed God’s Word on how to live for Him. The scoffers of Peter day deliberately or rather (thelontas) willingly forgot God’s Creation and the Flood. (2 Peter 1:12–13, 15; 3:1–2, 8)