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Scripture Reading: 2 Pet. 3:1-9
In this message we come to chapter three of 2 Peter. In 3:1-9 we see God’s judgment on the heretical mockers. In this Epistle we have not only false teachers but also mockers. These mockers may be the false teachers themselves or those who are influenced by the teachings of the false ones. Both the false teachers and the heretical mockers will be judged by God. Let us now consider 3:1-9 verse by verse.
In verse 1 Peter says, “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you, in both of which I stir up your pure mind by a reminder.” Here we see that Peter’s aim was to stir up the pure mind of the saints. In order to understand God’s governmental dealings, we need a pure mind.
In verse 2 Peter continues, “To remember the words spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior by your apostles.” The words spoken by the prophets are the contents of the Old Testament, the Scriptures (2 Pet. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20), and the commandments by the apostles are the contents of the New Testament, the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). Peter uses both to confirm and strengthen his writings as an inoculation against the heretical teachings in the apostasy. In his first Epistle, concerning the full salvation of God, he refers to both the prophets and the apostles (1 Pet. 1:9-12). Then in the second Epistle, concerning the shining of the divine truth, he refers again to both (2 Pet. 1:12-21). Here in verse 2 Peter does this for the third time. Therefore, Peter’s teaching is based upon the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament, the two sections of the Holy Word. This indicates that what Peter says here actually refers to the entire Bible. His reminder is based upon both the prophecies of the Old Testament and the teachings of the New Testament.
Verse 3 says, “Knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come with mocking, going on according to their own lusts.” The “last days” denotes the closing period of the present age (2 Tim. 3:1; Jude 1:18). This period began from the end of the so-called apostolic age, in the latter part of the first century, and will last until Christ’s second appearing. In verse 3 Peter tells us that in the last days mockers will come. These mockers may be the false teachers in 2:1. Their mocking is part of the apostasy and is according to their lusts.
According to verse 4, these mockers say, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” The promise of the Lord’s coming was given to the fathers by the holy prophets in the Old Testament (Psa. 72:6-17; 110:1-3; 118:26; Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 14:3-9; Mal. 4:1-3). But the mockers said, with a mocking tone, “Where is the promise of His coming?” It is possible that they used the pronoun “His” in a contemptuous manner. The mockers said that everything has continued unchanged from the beginning of creation.
In verses 5 and 6 Peter fights back: “For this is hidden from them by their own willfulness, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth, subsisting out of water and through water, through which the world then, being flooded by the water, perished.” Here Peter points out that the mockers willingly ignore the record in the Old Testament concerning God’s judgment by the flood. That flood was a serious judgment. Nevertheless, the mockers willingly ignored the record in the Bible about it. Literally, the Greek words rendered “this is hidden from them by their own willfulness” mean “this escapes them by their own willfulness”; that is, they are willfully ignorant of this. Hence, it escapes their notice. The heretical mockers ignore willfully and deny purposely the word of God spoken by the prophets in the Scriptures. Therefore, Peter reminds the believers to remember the holy words spoken by both the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles (vv. 1-2).
The promise concerning the Lord’s coming (v. 4) is the word of God. The mockers should not ignore that it was by the word of God that the heavens and the earth came into existence (Heb. 11:3), and it is by the same word that the heavens and the earth are being kept (Heb. 1:3) for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2 Pet. 3:7). Therefore, the mockers should be assured that by the word of God all the material universe, including them, will be judged by the coming of the Lord.
Peter says in verse 5 that by the word of God the heavens were of old. The words “were of old” mean existed from ancient times. In the beginning, that is, of old, the heavens and the earth were created by God (Gen. 1:1). By the word of God (Psa. 33:6) the heavens came into existence first, and then the earth (Job 38:4-7).
In verse 5 Peter speaks of the earth “subsisting out of water and through water.” As in Colossians 1:17, the Greek word rendered “subsisting” literally means standing together, standing with (in juxtaposition, side by side). First the earth came into existence in Genesis 1:1, and then from Genesis 1:9, also by the word (the speaking) of God (Psa. 33:9), the earth began to subsist out of water and through water, that is, to stand together with water in juxtaposition, partly emerging out of water and partly submerged under water. This is the way the earth came into existence.
The relative pronoun “which” in verse 6 refers to water in verse 5. The earth subsisted out of water and through water in an orderly condition. But through the same water it was judged and destroyed by the flood at Noah’s time (Gen. 7:17-24). This indicates that all things have not remained as they were from the beginning of creation.
The Greek word for world, kosmos, denotes order, a system, the world with its inhabitants. The earth in the preceding verse became the world in this verse, not merely the earth, but the earth with its inhabitants in a system. This refers to the world in Noah’s age, which was judged by God with the flood due to the sinfulness and ungodliness of that age (Gen. 6:5-7, 11-13, 17). This book is concerned mainly with the divine government and all its judgments. The first judgment on the world was the one executed by the flood in Noah’s day, which cleared up that ungodly world. This thought must have been in Peter while he was writing this verse. It implies that this age of apostasy will also be judged on the day of the Lord’s appearing, as it was judged in the day of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39). The word “then” in verse 6 refers to the age of Noah.
The word “flooded” in verse 6 refers to the flood of Noah’s time, the flood that caused the earth to be destroyed. The word “perish” means destroyed, demolished, laid waste (Gen. 6:13, 17). The earth, therefore, did not remain the same, but had a change, a cataclysm, by being flooded with water, and was destroyed. Here we see Peter’s strong argument against the heretical mockers. They said that “all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” But actually a cataclysm came upon the earth because of the ungodliness of its inhabitants. This implies that the present world will not remain as it is, but will also have a cataclysm by the Lord’s coming with His judgment upon the rebellious, including the false teachers and the heretical mockers in the apostasy.
In verse 7 Peter goes on to say, “But the heavens and the earth now, by the same word, have been reserved for fire, being kept unto the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” In this verse the word “now” is in contrast with “then” in verse 6. It refers to the present heavens and earth, which remain by the word of God (Gen. 8:22), not to be destroyed again by water (Gen. 9:11), but to be burned by fire on the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
In verse 7 Peter speaks of the “same word.” The false and heretical teachings in the apostasy are a deviation from the word of God spoken by the prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament. Hence, the antidote administered by Peter’s inoculation against the poison of the apostate teachings is the holy word with the divine revelation, which he emphasizes repeatedly.
According to Peter’s word, the heavens and the earth “have been reserved for fire.” The word “reserved” means kept in store. The fire here is the fire that will burn up the heavens and the earth (v. 10) at the end of the millennium when the judgment of the great white throne is come (Rev. 20:11). God’s initial judgment upon the universe was by water (2 Pet. 3:6), but His consummate judgment will be by fire. Water only washes away the filthiness from the surface, but fire changes the nature of the entire substance. This indicates further that the heavens and the earth will not remain the same as they are, but will be cleared up by fire, and that the ungodly false teachers and mockers will be judged and destroyed under the divine government.
The judgment in verse 7 denotes the judgment of the great white throne, which will follow the millennium and precede the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1). Through that judgment all the ungodly will be cast into the lake of fire for destruction. Since it will be the final judgment upon men and demons, it is of the greatest concern to the government of God in the universe.
Here Peter skips over the millennium, the period of time from the Lord’s coming to the judgment of the great white throne. To Peter, as to the Lord, that one thousand years will be as one day (v. 8), a short time. Peter is dealing here with God’s governmental judgment. The millennium will not be for this purpose in God’s dispensation.
Here Peter speaks concerning the “mountain peaks” of the Lord’s coming and of God’s final judgment, but not of the “plain” of the millennial kingdom that lies between the “peak” of the Lord’s coming and that of the final judgment. In this Epistle Peter is concerned with God’s judgment, not with the peaceful kingdom of the thousand years. For this reason he passes over the matter of the millennial kingdom.
In verse 8 Peter says, “But do not let this one thing be hidden from you, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Literally, the Greek word rendered “be hidden from you” means escape you, that is, escape your notice.
With the Lord God, who is eternal, the sense of time is very different from what it is with man. Hence, for the fulfillment of His word, especially the word of His promise, time is not the crucial matter. The crucial matter is the fact. Whatever God has promised will eventually become a fact. We should not be troubled by the sense of delay according to our reckoning of time.
Verse 9 says, “The Lord does not delay regarding the promise, as some count delay, but is longsuffering toward you, not intending any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” Here Peter says that the Lord does not delay, or is not tardy, regarding the promise, as some count delay, tardiness. The mockers must have been those who count the Lord’s delay as tardiness. They may have accused Him of being idle, since tardiness is a delay that is related to idleness.
In verse 9 Peter says that the Lord is longsuffering toward us. The Lord’s heart is set not on the time of the fulfillment of His promise, but on His people, whom He possesses peculiarly as a treasure (1 Pet. 2:9; Titus 2:14), so that none of us, His precious redeemed ones, would be punished by His governmental judgment, but have a prolonged season to repent so that we may be spared from His punishment.
The words “to perish” in verse 9 mean to be destroyed. Since “you” in this verse refers to the believers in Christ, “to perish” refers not to the eternal perdition of the unbelievers, but to the punishment of God’s governmental discipline of the believers (1 Pet. 4:17-18; cf. 1 Thes. 5:3, 8). Likewise, the word “all” refers to the believers. Furthermore, “repentance” here is repentance unto salvation (2 Pet. 3:15), repentance for not being watchful for the day of the Lord’s coming (v. 10) and not living a life in a holy manner and in godliness (v. 11).
We need to realize that the Lord’s heart is not set on the time of the fulfillment of His promise, but is set on His people. If necessary, the Lord can wait for another day, another period of a thousand years, to fulfill His promise. Today many Christians are saying that the Lord Jesus will come back soon. However, the Lord’s coming may not be as soon as people think. In Revelation 22 the Lord said, “I come quickly.” Nevertheless, nearly two thousand years have passed since the Lord spoke that word. To Him, this is only two days, for with the Lord a thousand years are as one day.
Do not listen to those who set a time for the Lord’s coming back. In the past some predicted the time of the Lord’s coming. In the last century one group of people believed that the Lord Jesus was coming on a particular day. They made themselves ready and even put on white robes. Of course, nothing happened.
After World War I, a number of books were written on the prophecies concerning the Lord’s coming. Some Bible teachers claimed that, according to their view of the world situation, the Lord’s coming was at hand. But more than fifty years have passed since those writings appeared, and the Lord Jesus still has not come. We need to be reminded, therefore, of Peter’s word concerning a thousand years being as one day to the Lord.
When the Lord Jesus comes back, He will not only judge the negative things, but will also receive His bride. This means that He will come both as the Judge and as the Bridegroom. Hence, in order for the Lord to come as the Bridegroom, the bride must be prepared for Him. Is the bride ready for the Bridegroom’s coming? Is it possible for the Lord to come today as the Bridegroom? Because the bride is not yet ready, we may say that it is possible that the Lord’s coming will not be as soon as some figure. The bride can be prepared only through growth in life, and this takes time. Higher forms of life require more time to develop than lower forms do. The higher a certain life is, the longer it will take to grow. Because the bride must be prepared for the Bridegroom and because this preparation is through the growth in life, a growth that requires time, it is not likely that the Lord Jesus will come back right now.
My point here is that we should not be bothered or surprised by any delay concerning the Lord’s coming. Do not blame the Lord and say, “Lord, You said in Revelation 22 that You were coming quickly. Why, then, has it been so long?” Instead of blaming the Lord for delaying His coming, we should be diligent to prepare ourselves to meet Him. We should also minister life to others so that they may grow and be prepared. This is the only way to hasten the Lord’s coming back.
