2 Peter 3:1-12
After warning his readers of the coming of false prophets, Peter now warns them of those who would scoff at the idea of Christ’s imminent return in judgment because of the number of years that had transpired since Christ ascended to heaven. Despite the interval of over 200 centuries, Christ’s promise to return is just as valid today as the day He first uttered it.
1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 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:
“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you” - Peter had already written one previous letter to the readers of this letter, but it is unclear whether or not the previous letter is the one we recognize as 1 Peter.
“in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance” - Peter’s purpose in both letters was to remind his readers of certain things.
“That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets” - He wanted his readers to be reminded of the promises and prophecies written in the OT scriptures, particularly those referring to Christ. The prophecies concerning Christ’s first coming had been fulfilled and so the prophecies concerning the second coming will also be fulfilled.
“and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour” - He also wanted to remind them of the words spoken and written by the apostles of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, especially those concerning the return of Jesus Christ. Peter wants them to remember these things as a defense against the skepticism he knew would be coming.
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 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.
“Knowing this first” - Peter prefixes important statements with this phrase, indicating that it is something that they should always remember.
“that there shall come in the last days scoffers [mockers], walking after their own lusts [fleshly desires]” - The “last days” refers to the span of time between Christ’s first coming (Jesus’ earthly ministry) and His return in glory (Heb. 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:18). During this period there will be those who will mock the idea that Christ will return but Peter reveals their true motivation. These people are not honest seekers of truth but instead follow their own fleshly desires and thus are not interested in the return of Christ.
“And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” - Or, “Where is the fulfillment of the promise of his coming?”
“for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” - Their “proof” that Christ is not returning is that ever since “the fathers” (the OT patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.) have died, life goes on as it always has. Every day the sun rises and sets and the next day it happens all over again. As far as the scoffers are concerned, Christ’s promise to return has not changed one thing.
5 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: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
“For this they willingly are ignorant of” - Peter is about to expose the flaw in the logic of the scoffers, a flaw that they willingly ignore because they would prefer that their skepticism be true instead of actually knowing the truth. This flaw proves that they are not truly honest seekers of the truth.
“that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water” - God created the heavens and earth by speaking His word. Creation did not take millions of years but happened within the span of a day.
“Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished” - This same world that God created within the span of a day was judged with flood after Noah preached for 120 years. Peter is giving an example of God working quickly and another example of God working slowly. Creation was fast but judgment was slow in coming.
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.
The current heavens and earth have an appointment with the wrath of God when He will destroy it in order to judge and destroy (“perdition” means “destruction”) ungodly men. This appointment has been promised now for centuries and the length of time has nothing to do with the certainty that it will happen.
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.
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing” - Peter is about to express something about the Lord that we and the scoffers need to remember when trying to figure out God’s timing.
“that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” - Peter is not giving us a mathematical formula for calculating how time progresses for God compared to how it progresses for us, because he expresses it in both directions (1 day = 1,000 years and 1,000 years = 1 day). Peter is telling us that time is irrelevant to God for He works according to His own timing. When He wants to work fast, he can do 1,000 years of work in one day. When He wants to work slow, He can do a day’s worth of work over the course of 1,000 years. He does not work according to how fast or slow we want; He does things the right way.
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.
“The Lord is not slack [to loiter; to be late] concerning his promise, as some men count slackness” - If it seems that God is running late (according to our standards) in fulfilling His promises, Peter assures us that is not the case, regardless of what men think. God is fulfilling His promises when He has decided in His wisdom that they should be fulfilled.
“but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” - The reason Christ has not yet returned is because He giving people time to repent rather than return immediately and commence His judgment of the world. It is His love for those who will be saved that has prevented His return before now. By “delaying” God is showing mercy to the very ones who are criticizing Him for the supposed delay.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night” - The skeptics and scoffers think the day of Christ’s return will never come, but it will come when they least expect it and sooner than they think. He will come and they will be unprepared for it.
“in the which the heavens [the starry heavens] shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements [rudiments] shall melt with fervent heat” - Peter seems to be referring to “the heavens” (the physical universe) and “the elements” (the rudiments or the building blocks) being destroyed as all the matter in the universe burns in the largest nuclear explosion ever to occur. Scientists have discovered a force called “the strong nuclear force” that holds the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of an atom. Without this force the protons would repel each other like the North poles of two magnets being pressed together and is the only thing keeping an atom from immediately flying apart in an explosion. All God has to do is to cause that force to cease to exist and every atom in the entire universe would be immediately destroyed in a gigantic nuclear explosion. God may not choose to fulfill this verse in that way, but it’s a possibility.
“the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” - Everything on this earth, and everything that man has created will be destroyed when the Lord destroys the universe.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Knowing that the universe is going to be destroyed by fire and will cease to exist, it should change our outlook on this world and how we live in it. Instead of striving to accumulate possessions on this earth that we cannot possibly keep, we ought to be seeking the Lord and how to live godly lives that are pleasing to Him.
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?
“Looking for and hasting [to desire earnestly] unto the coming of the day of God” - We are to be earnestly looking for and desiring that day when God will do away with this universe that has been stained by sin so that He can created a new heavens and a new earth that will be filled with righteousness (v. 13 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”).
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