Slides: The Day of the Lord (2 Peter 3)

¹ This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, ⁶ and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. ⁷ But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

Recall Scripture!

• OT prophets predicted Jesus’ first coming, the day of the Lord, and the rise of false teachers and scoffers.
• Through apostles, Jesus commanded us to trust him, walk his Way, be ready for his Second Coming, and beware of false prophets and scoffers.
• Scoffers fulfill biblical predictions!

Scoffers

• Follow sinful desires, not truth.
• Sneer and deny Second Coming
• Spout uniformitarianism and deny dramatic divine interventions.
• Deliberately overlook facts:
• God created heavenly realm.
• God’s Word formed the earth.
• God’s Word flooded the earth.

Stored up for fire

The Lord will come in fire… to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment. (Isaiah 66:15-16)

… when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his mighty angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

⁸ But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Everlasting God

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the  world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God… A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. (Ps 90:2, 4)

God and time

• The Lord is eternal, not timebound.
• Time periods that seem short or long to us are the same to Him.
• Delay means God is slow to anger, not slow to fulfill his promises.
• God’s timing ignores calendars and extends his mercy to all.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. ¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Thief in the night

Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming… if the homeowner had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:42-44)

The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly. (1 Thess 5:2-3)

If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. (Rev 3:3)

End of the world

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, the nations will be in anguish, perplexed at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:25-27)

Revealed by fire

Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Cor 3:13-15)

¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

New creation

… the rebirth, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne… (Matt 19:28-29)

He must remain in heaven until the time of the restoration of all things. (Acts 3:21)

The creation itself will be freed from its bondage to decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Rom 8:21)

I will create new heavens and a new earth… Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create… The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. (Isaiah 65:17-25)

New heavens and earth (Rev 21-22)

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. ¹⁵ And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶ as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

Sacred Scriptures

• The same Spirit who inspired OT prophets also inspired NT writers.
• The same Spirit who inspired Peter also inspired Paul and all NT writers.
• Biblical writers reveal the real Jesus and agree with each other, even if twisted by ignorant, unstable people.

Until the day dawns

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty… pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:16, 19)

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and know-ledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Know and grow

• Know Christ, and grow in godliness.
• Know Bible promises and commands, and grow in faith and obedience.
• Know traits of false teachers, and grow more immune and stable.
• Know Christ will return, and grow readier for a world of righteousness.