The Coming Of The Lord Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:8-10 Introduction

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1 Introduction Sheep find themselves in the loving arms of the Shepherd. Four times in chapter 3 Peter calls the reader beloved. Beloved...be mindful (vv.1-7); But, beloved, be not ignorant (vv.8-10); beloved...be diligent (vv.11-14); and beloved...beware (vv.15-18). In every generation faithful saints have clung to the promise of Christ s return. In every generation scoffers walking after their own lusts have said, Where is the promise of His coming? (v.4). Peter will answer their question; exposing the scoffer s ignorance and their character and their doom. The same people who question Christ s coming almost always deny Christ s atoning death, and his miraculous resurrection from the dead and physical ascension into heaven. Skeptics and scoffers sneer at the idea that Jesus is in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father and preparing to return to judge their sin. The Lord God has appointed The Day of Judgment. How do we answer the critic, the skeptic, the unbeliever? How do we justify our patience and hope as we await the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? But what about the Christian who also wants to know; Yes, Lord--why are you waiting? Why delay? The answer is found in the character of God and the purposes of God. Peter points in this passage to three things; God s view of time is different from ours (v.8); God s love and God s grace explains Christ s delay (v.9); and that the Day of Judgment far from being some myth or legend, will see full and final fruition (v.10). Peter is not preparing a paper for an End-Times Seminar. Peter will die soon. The people who are the first recipients of this last note will face hardship, trial, persecution, imprisonment and death. Peter has given specific warnings in the first seven verses; presenting and discussing the critic and the skeptic s taunting question (v.4); describing their self-centered character and their willful ignorance of the truth and then predicts their doom. But now he adds some insight, some thoughts, that are meant to be an encouragement to those who love the appearing of the Lord Jesus; for those who keep looking up. Peter reminds us that God s Word is true (vv.1-4); God s Work is consistent (vv.5-7); and God s Will is merciful (vv.8-10). How God Views Time (v.8) 2 Peter 3:8 (NKJV) But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 1

2 How does God reckon time? Does this mean literally that one day is a thousand years and a thousand years is one day? Some Bible teachers have entered into wild numeric schemes to predict the end of the world and quote this Scripture. What does Peter mean? God is eternal. God does not measure time the way man measures time. We measure time by the revolution of our planet on its axis; the amount of time it takes for the planet to revolve on its axis as it continues its orbital journey around our sun. We measure time by seconds, hours, days, weeks, months and years. a : the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues : duration b : a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future In his book; Starlight and Time: Solving The Puzzle of Distant Starlight In A Young Universe; Dr. Russell Humphreys offers some interesting observations. Dr. Humphreys was a guest on my radio program. A former atheist and evolutionist Dr. Humphreys received his Ph.D. in physics and is a research scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratories. He started with a series of assumptions: 1. The earth is near the center of the universe. 2. The universe is not infinite, but limited in size. 3. The universe has been stretched out. The surprising result was the discovery that time moved in extreme fast forward for distant galaxies during the formation of the universe. It is a scientific fact that we live in a universe in which time moves at different rates, depending on your location. This time dilation effect would have magnified tremendously as the universe was originally expanding. During this expansion, only days were passing near the center, while billions of years were passing in the distant heavens. This allowed light from distant galaxies time to reach the younger earth. The heavens look quite old even though very little time has passed here on Earth (see A Closer Look At The Evidence by Richard & Tina Kleiss; noted for December 14th; no page number listed). The point Peter makes is not some hidden key to chart our course to the end of the world. Rather to not be discouraged with the passage of time. Since God is eternal He can summon all time into His presence; the point of Peter s passage is to assault human impatience. The word day appears 2,182 times in the Bible. Most often it is used in the literal sense. Day can have more than one meaning; depending on the context. Most often it means the amount of time necessary for the earth to revolve on its own axis. Grace precedes judgment. Every second 2

3 Jesus delays His coming is one more second for the sinner to repent of their sin. A day will come when man s rebellion will reach its zenith, man s wickedness will come to full and final fruition, and God will judge the world. How God Sees Man (v.9) 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. A Pastor took an assignment at a rural church. He spoke to one of the old farmers. Do you belong to the Christian family? asked the minister. No, they live two farms down, replied the farmer. No, no, I mean are you lost? Lost? Why I ve lived here thirty years. I mean are ready for the Judgment Day? When is it? asked the farmer. Well, it could be today or tomorrow. Well, said the farmer, when you find out for sure when it is, you let me know. My wife will probably want to go both days. The reason Peter offers the skeptic and scoffer is God s gracious heart. Think for a moment. The scoffer, the critic are in effect mocking God s mercy; laughing at God s long-suffering! Peter reminds us that this is not some man made idea but rather this is God s promise. The word slack means that God is not in the business of being late or tardy. The Lord God remember s His promise; but He also reveals His patience. Peter uses the word long-suffering (makrothumei). The word means patient. What the unbeliever or the immature believer calls tardiness God calls patience. The delay is not so much measured in months or years or centuries but rather by the plan of God, the patience of God, the perspective of God. God nurses a hatred of sin and for sin that becomes almost incomprehensible for sinners. People despise God s Word; reject God s love; ridicule God s sacrifice. Human beings live in a constant state of rebellion, and self-worship, self-will, living in disobedience, drunkenness, deceit, covetousness, pride, mockery, hypocrisy, blasphemy, teaching false doctrine, prayerlessness. Sin brought judgment on Satan (Rev.12:7); it will doom him to Hell forever (Matt.25:41); it brought physical death to humanity (Gen.5:5; Psalm 90:10); and spiritual death to humanity (Matt.7:23). Sin has brought disorder and pain to nature; it serves as an object lesson for angels; and caused God to end His rest after Creation and enter into His work of Redemption. Sin 3

4 causes the believer the loss of light; the loss of joy, the loss of righteousness, the loss of love, the loss of fellowship, the loss of confidence, and possibly even the loss of health and physical life. Enter the patience of God. He sees me and you. He sees and hears the most dreadful sin and wickedness. He holds His peace. He sees children corrupted by vile and wicked people and does nothing. He withholds His unlimited power to punish and judge and reject and then makes a way out for the sinner. The only hope for the redemption of any soul rests in the patience, the long suffering, the selfcontrol of God. He was patient with each of us....not willing that any should perish The measure of God s restraint indicates the measure of the fearful doom, the judgment set aside for the sinner. God s righteousness and pure anger burns, glows against sin. It would be so easy for God to smite and punish and judge. But He waits. Why? He is not willing that any should perish! Why not simply judge now! Because God s grace and God s compassion, and God s mercy and God s love allows Him to steer clear of the inconceivable horror that awaits the sinner. Some have suggested that this verse teaches universalism or universal salvation. But that is not true. Here willing refers to God s desire and plan. The prophet Ezekiel wrote; Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? (NRSV). God is loving and merciful. But He is also just. Peter explains God s delay in terms of pity and patience. God allows the offense to continue; because the torment that awaits the unrepentant stokes the engine of grace and God allows you one more moment to repent. God s patience allowed Saul of Tarsus to repent. But Nero would not repent. God is willing to save all men. But He will not save a single soul against their will. And so God waits. And waits. God s holiness and justice demands judgment. A glacier moves slowly, so slowly that sometimes it does not appear to move at all. It may take the glacier a thousand years, two thousand years to move from there to here, but move it does. Hell is real. And God does not desire to send a single soul to the place of torment. Love and grace permeate God s nature; and judgment is God s strange work....but that all should come to repentance. 4

5 Repentance means to change; to turn; to change one s mind; to stop and turn and go in a different direction. Here Peter means to turn from sin and unbelief and to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ. It means a willingness to forsake sin and embrace Christ. Repentance is always two turns; a turning from sin and turning to Christ. Repentance is more than sorrow. Sorrow may or may not be involved in repentance. A person may feel a crushing burden of sin and acts and wills to change; but repentance is more than feeling very sorry or very bad. It means turning away from sin and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ. When a terrible tragedy took and Pilate killed a group of Galileans during one of the Feast celebrations Jesus said, Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? (v.3) I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3). Peter told the crowds after the resurrection of Jesus Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Paul in speaking to the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill said, And the times of this ignorance God winked at (overlooked); but now commands all men every where to repent (Acts 17:30). If Jesus is the way; why waste time traveling some other way? The great amnesty will not last forever. How God Observes The End (v.10) 2 Peter 3:10 (NKJV) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. God s mercy and long-suffering are balanced by God s absolute righteousness. Judgment and justice may be delayed; but judgment and justice will not be denied. Now Peter reminds the reader of both the certainty of Christ s coming; and the character of His coming; the Lord will come and the Lord will come as a thief. Both character and certainty include consequences; the heavens...the elements...the earth...will melt with heat. Judgment is coming. Total, overwhelming judgment. Peter pinpoints the time of it; as a thief in the night. This world is temporary. Our world and our universe are not immutable or incorrigible; both are subject to change; both will one day cease to exist. When Peter uses the term elements he probably is not making reference to the Periodic Chart or Table of Elements; but rather to the sum and substance of all that makes up our universe; the 5

6 stars, the galaxies in all its minute constituent parts to everything in that universe (which would include the Periodic Table and the things we have yet to discover). Peter refers to the final moments as the day of the Lord. Broadly the day of the Lord is the day of Christ s second coming and His judgment on the earth. Now Peter repeats the words of His Master; that day will come as a thief in the night. Matthew 24:42-44 (NKJV) Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.44therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. The day of the Lord is sudden, unannounced, catastrophic. How in the world can we be ready? We prepare by living in the present tense, always and every moment ready to meet and greet our Maker. We must keep looking up. The expression with a great noise is one word in the Greek text (hroizedon). It is onomatopoetic. A.T. Robertson says that it means a whizzing sound of rapid motion through the air like the flight of a bird, thunder, fierce flame (WP, 6:176)....it will be burned up. The NIV has will be laid bare. The manuscripts give three different readings here; but with the same net effect. the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Peter draws attention to the fact that this world is temporary. It may seem permanent, it may seem fixed and certain. How about having a fire sale? Conclusion A woman said, I m afraid God will never accept me! She was in deep distress. The reply she heard was shocking and unexpected. He never will the man told her. A blank look of shock and astonishment came across her face. He never will repeated the visitor; but He has accepted Christ. And by faith we can say, He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Charlie Peacock; Time is a gift of love and grace. Without Time there would be no time to change. Without time there'd be no time to change, 6

7 Time to be tried, humbled and broken, Time to hear the word of love spoken. I see the mission up ahead of me and I tremble as one shaken; but if I have the eyes of faith, the eyes to see, I will leave the outcome in the hands of the one who called me, And over and over I must learn and relearn that whether I decrease or whether I increase is not my concern. (not my concern, no) Deliver me from strategy, from endless clever thinking, Set my sights upon the shore, keep this boat from sinking down, Let me taste of a fresh wind of reason and stir the gift within, for I am not a boat left to drift at sea, I remain in you and you remain in me, There is no great distance between you and I. The moment I found out who you were, I found out who I was, The silence covered me and the tears began to fall, I could see...i could see what a great and grand...great and grand act of affection it's all been, (time that is, time that is, talk about time that is, time that is) My history is written through the choices I make, Let me sing just ten true words, I'd rather sing just ten true words than a hundred words that in the end amount to nothing...absolutely nothing. 7