2 Peter 3 - part 2 — John Meekin

So go ahead. And we know that that is not a proper biblical viewpoint, and that can actually be proven again right here in the text. How do we prove it in the text? Because God's desire is that all should come unto repentance, and God is calling on men to respond to the offer of the gospel.

Would you like to expand on that? No, I think it's just vital that, not that we are going out looking for straw men to demolish, but Christians do read these things and can begin thinking the way they think.

Well, yes, God is all powerful. He wants men to be saved. It's his desire that all men be saved. So in the end, maybe all men will somehow be saved. But the word of God balances that with human responsibility relative to receiving the message of the gospel.

The Day of the Lord Comes Unexpectedly

Now, verse number 10, if we can. I've got my eye on the clock too, Murray. He's good. He keeps me right, so he does. He likes this watch that I'm wearing today because he likes to strap on it. He'll tell you the story himself sometime.

Verse number 10 says, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. And so this is one of, I think, six contexts in the New Testament where the coming of the Lord Jesus is described coming as a thief.

You'll find that Matthew 24 is coming there in relation to servants. Luke's Gospel chapter 12 is coming in relation to stewards. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 is coming in relation to scoffers. Sorry, seasons.

This chapter, 2 Peter chapter 3 is coming in relation to scoffers. Revelation chapter 3 is coming in relation to the sleeping. And Revelation chapter 16 is, I think the last reference, is coming in relation to the spirits, spirits of demons.

Those are all the six contexts in the New Testament where the Lord is described as coming as a thief. It speaks of the manner. He's coming suddenly, he's coming unexpectedly, and it's the fact of his coming is also in view in the verse.

So the day of the Lord, I thought it started like after the rapture. I'll come here, it says that he's coming, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise. Is that not looking to the end of time?

Sure.

Now, when it says that, look at verse number 10 for a moment. Those words which are rendered here, in the which, would be possibly better translated by means of which. So it's not telling us what is going to happen in the day of the Lord.

What it's telling us is that these things will happen because the day of the Lord has come. Now the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord, I take it, commences. Our brother has been very safe, you'll notice that.

He has been very safe and he's told us it will happen after the rapture. It actually commences, I take it, the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is the Lord's day when he will exert his rights on this world.

The day of the Lord will commence when the man of sin steps onto the stage of history. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. But that day shall not come except there be a falling away first and the man of sin be revealed.

So it commences with the man of sin stepping onto the stage of history. It includes the seven year tribulation period. It includes the thousand year millennial reign. All of that is included under this umbrella term, the day of the Lord.

It's interesting what you've said, Brother John, because if the first horse in Revelation chapter 6 represents the revelation of that man that you've been talking about, that's where the Lord starts to open the seals of that book to establish his lordship over earth.

So right from that point, right through.

When the Lord begins to intervene on the affairs of men. But then there's a great and terrible day of the Lord and the great and notable day of the Lord would be different, wouldn't it? Sure.

It's more specific, as you say, but it's all still in the day of the Lord.

So what is it specifically referring to? Bring us all into it. Help us with it.

I take it that there will be aspects that are included inside this period, the day of the Lord, the great and terrible day of the Lord is appealing to a tribulation period, which is inside this period.

So where you mentioned in Revelation six, six come important to see our authorized version says come and see. But really the word is come. It is God beginning to intervene in the affairs of men, telling the rider and the horse to come and all of those four seals there in Revelation six.

It is God intervening by bringing these horsemen upon the scene of time in order that they might be judged. Yeah.

Yeah. He that sitteth in the heaven shall laugh. The Lord shall have him in derision.

From the Day of the Lord to the Day of God

The day of the Lord. Sorry. Go ahead. So the day of the Lord will take us right on to the day of God. Yes. Yes.

By all means. And at the close of the day of the Lord, we will have what we've been speaking of already, the great white throne. Following the great white throne, we will be going into the day of God referred to in verse number or new heavens and new earth, verse number 13 and the day of the day of God.

Well, verse number 12.

Thank you, my brother. And today Paul speaks in Corinthians four of man's day. That's correct.

So that's the four days of scripture. How does the day of Christ differ from this? The day of Christ is heavenly.

The day of Christ involves us who are the Lord's people. And this is earthly. This primarily is judgmental. I know that the millennial reign is also, but there is, don't forget there's judgment at the beginning of the millennial reign.

There's an insurrection and judgment at the end of the millennial reign. So this is earthly. The day of Christ is heavenly.

I see what you're saying there. Verse number 10, where you take in the witch to be on account of which, yes, I see that in verse number 12, but I would take verse number 10 and just for your consideration to be not on account of which, but a part of which being the end of the day of the Lord, this melting.

Sure. Is that accurate chronologically, first of all, and then grammatically? I think it's both, my brother. Okay.

I could go with that. Okay. So are there any other comments on verse number 10? He tells us the heavens shall pass away with a great noise. Now don't forget. Let's be clear. This is not during the day of the Lord.

This is at the end of the day of the Lord. But at the end of the day of the Lord, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise. He says the elements, I take it it's the building blocks of material, what we would call atoms, the building blocks of our creation shall melt.

Now notice this, the word melt in verse number 10 is actually the same word as dissolved in verse number 11. It's also the same word as dissolved in verse number 12. It really has the idea behind it of being loosed.

God is going to loose the very building blocks of our creation, this cosmos, and it's all going to be dissolved down into a smaller form. Into a smaller form. Well, I don't think it passes away completely.

But anyway, we likely get to that.

So it's all that holds matter together is let loose? Yes.

So all earth dwellers have been removed. The believers, I don't know where they'll be, maybe in the city. We don't know. We're not told. Those who are unbelievers have been dealt with, they're gone. And now, this could happen in a moment of time.

This doesn't need a year, a day, it could be a moment of time. And all this will take place.

See what our brother is saying is the unbelievers will have been judged at this point. And at this point then there will still be believers on this old earth. Will you say how are they going to be taken from this earth to what will be coming in the future?

The answer I have to that is I don't know. But look at the passage because this passage proves that God will do it. You say how do you know? Well you see there was a world in the past and there was a man in that world.

That world was going to be judged and God used a vehicle to take Noah from that old world which was under judgment and he took him to the new world. In the same manner we can trust God that God will take believers from this world and he'd take them into the new heavens and the new earth.

It's maybe important to point out that when we come into a millennial scene, I believe it's all believers, Romans 11 may help us there. At the beginning. At the beginning of the millennium. Yes, that's right.

There's been the judgment. It's mentioned already. The sheep and the goats. Now in the best of environments, it won't get better, Satan's ensnared, he's put down. In the best of environments there will be unbelievers.

The children of those believers, many of them will be unsaved. And Satan when he's loosed, he can gather probably billions, I don't know. And I don't know how many are going to be on the earth at that time.

There'll be billions upon billions and most of them might hopefully be saved. There'll be many unsaved and they will all be dealt with. They'll all come under judgment and all the believers that are left will be in some way.

I sort of think that city four square might be fully occupied. I don't know.

We're not told. We've got enough problems in second Peter three, brother. We're not going to Revelation 21.

Holy Living in Light of the World's Dissolution

So seeing that all this is going to be dissolved. Yes, very good. He says, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? If what is real is that which is permanent, then this world is not permanent.

This world is not really our destiny. Very good.

At all. That's the whole point of verses 11 and 12. It's not a question. Notice I used to hear some people ask this as a question. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, you would think, what manner of persons ought we to be?

It's not a question. It's actually a statement of exclamation. He says, listen, listen. In light of this, we need to live different lives. What manner of persons ought we to be in light of what is going to happen?

We do become occupied with the things that we have though, don't we? We do. We've got our favorite car or favorite bicycle or favorite suit, favorite hat, favorite stove, favorite house. Things we don't want to leave.

What he's saying here, you should be prepared to leave them all.

Makes you think. And they are going to be part of this creation, which itself will be dissolved. Now, verses 11 and 12, please. You will notice that the terms, one of the reasons this morning I asked our brother Higgins why godliness in his chapter was singular, is because godliness in this chapter is actually plural.

The two terms used here, he speaks about holy behavior, and that's a plural term. And he speaks about godliness, and again, that's a plural term. I take it that what he's showing is every manner and facet of Christian life and testimony is coming under these things.

Just for young believers as they study their Bible, and they say, how does our brother know what's plural and singular? If you have a Mr. Newbery, and there's a whole pile of Mr. Newberys out there for less than $100.

If you don't have one, go and buy one. And he's got little marks at the side that will tell you what's singular and what's plural. In the Old Testament, you'll have two, which is dual. It's a little bit different.

They've got a little bit different grammar than we have. But that's how we, very simply, you don't have to be a great student. You are a good student, brother. So I'm not denying that. But that's how you can find it out, just in our simplicity.

I was bad at grammar at school, but I can look for little lines in Mr. Newbery's Bible.

Sorry. No, you go ahead, brother.

I gather what Peter is saying here is the only thing that is going to survive into eternity is what has the character of God stamped on it. That is what is worth and what will persist into eternity.

It'll be a wonderful day, if that's the right word. It is the right word. Day of God. It'll be a wonderful day when all that has been corrupting of this creation, all that has corrupted itself in this creation, these false teachers, sin, immorality, all that is hostile to God, rebellion against God, the blasphemy against God, when that is all gone and we enjoy his presence in all its fullness.

And you're saying, William, that that will be part of the day of God. Right. Because it will not be part even of the millennial reign. Even in the millennial reign, there will be sin. There will be death.

There will be insurrection. But when it comes to the day of God, you'll notice he speaks, and in verse number 13, which is referring to the same thing, he says, wherein dwelleth righteousness. In the millennial reign, righteousness will reign.

In the day of God, the eternal state, righteousness will dwell. It will take up its home.

It will take up its residence. Is the writer to the Hebrews at the end of chapter 12 saying something similar to this?

We receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved. Go ahead. No, I think a little different emphasis in Hebrews. He's reminding these Jewish believers that in Christ they have come into the good spiritually of all.

You're in the kingdom now and you're enjoying all the blessings and benefits of it now. But he's not really saying that the kingdom and its manifestation has come.

But he speaks of, yet once more, signifying the removing of those things which are shaken. As of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. So that's what I was looking at.

Very good, Brother Rich. Are we in verse 13? Give me a moment on verse number 12. Because there are three passages in the New Testament which actually speak of the eternal state. And just for younger believers here, 1 Corinthians 15, Revelation chapter 21, and 2 Peter chapter 3 are the three chapters in the New Testament.

When it's 1 Corinthians 15, it's God's kingdom program. When it's Revelation 21, it's God's redemptive program. Here in 2 Peter chapter 3, it's God's creation program. And this is its consummation. When we come... when it's... when it's... where am I?

Revelation 21.

Sorry? Yeah, Revelation 20 tells us about that. In this passage, it's how.

It's how the day of God will come. When we go to Revelation 21, it's when the day of God will come. And in the other passage, 1 Corinthians 15, it's when.

So is the whole of Revelation 21 all the day of God?

Another subject. Have Bible readings on that some other time, brother.

The first six verses or eight verses will be for sure.

Our brother has just raised one of the most controversial things that we could consider. Far be it from me.

I'll get you back at the passage. How can you hasten unto the coming of the day of God? Sure.

So our brother is referring to verse number 12 again. Looking for. Is expecting. But then we've got a problem with the next term. Hastening unto. Because we can't. We can't hasten the day of God. But what we can do is we can change ourselves.

We can change our attitudes in light of the fact that we know that the day of God is coming.

Hastening the Day of God Through Holy Conduct

Is there not... sorry... Is there not a thought in the Scriptures that God is responsive to the eager desires of His people? Thy kingdom come. Very good.

I thought it was more practical here in a sense because he starts the verse and he says, Seeing then that all these things, what manner of persons ought ye to be? And in that sense, we are earnestly expecting and hastening unto.

By our practical outworking of what we know in Scripture, we are hastening unto the day of God.

Demonstrate by our lives that we are anticipating that and eagerly grasping at it.

Unlike the servants that said, Our Lord, the Laith is coming. And they began to smite one another. Even in Moses' day, really they didn't want Moses to come back down from the mount. Okay. So what with us is the anticipating, the looking forward to it.

Just the opposite.

So the day of God would be an unchangeable day in the program of God. Sure. It's not something that's moving. It's something that's fixed by God, unknown to us.

And for us who are here, just so we understand, when we speak of the day of God here, it's eternity removed from time.

Now verse number 13. I'd like to give you a little lineup I have here in these verses. I'll take any lineup you can give. Live holy, live godly, look longingly, live peacefully, and live blamelessly. Very good, my brother.

I like that. Very good.

New Heavens, New Earth, and Righteousness

Verse 13 now? Sure. All right. There's a quotation there, as you pointed out in your opening, to Isaiah 65 and 17. Yeah, go ahead. The new heavens and the new earth were in wealth righteousness. But in the context of Isaiah 65, of course, it also talks about the child being 100, dying, and obviously it's not the day of God as such.

It's the millennium that's in view in Isaiah 65. So how come we have it here?

Very good. Now, you'll notice if we were reading in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 65 verse number 17 opens with a reference to the new heavens and new earth. If you go to Isaiah 66, in that chapter, you'll read again.

He opens with it in 65. He concludes with it in 66, where you say, is this a reference to the day of God, the eternal state? In Isaiah, it's not. But in this chapter, Peter, by the inspiration of God's spirit, he lifts that quotation and he propels it from the millennium and he propels it into the eternal state.

Now, what is said in relation to the millennium in Isaiah 65 is that the former will not come into mind. Right. So would you take that principle as well to apply to the day of God? In what sense would you?

Well, we won't be dwelling on life down here and how bad we had it down here. Sure. We'll be taken up with Christ. Very good.

Yeah. Very good. So what you're suggesting is Isaiah 65 is a millennial scene? Yes. Yes. Even though you've got a new earth, all that comes after it is a millennial activity.

And we can prove that because there are references in that chapter to the effects of sin. Yes. And there's no effects of sin when it comes to the new heavens and the new earth.

We're in wealth, righteousness. So the idea of righteousness being at home is that everything is finally made right. Yes. Amen.

God will have his will. God will have his way. And righteousness will find its abiding place, its dwelling place. God will be ever eternally worshiped. God all in all.

All in all. And while we think of this and we've been emphasizing the power of God that will accomplish it, never forget it's the work of Christ that is the basis of all. That God will finally be able to be done with our flesh and we will be changed, we will be new creatures, never again to be prone to sin and to grieving him.

And it's all because of what Christ has done.

The Work of Christ and the Renewal of Creation

Now, if we can... Sorry, David. I was going to say, along with that, the reconciling work of Christ will have met its conclusion at this point. All things reconciled. There will never be another fall.

There will never be another entrance of sin. There will never be the catastrophes that we've read about. But God will be all in all. It's interesting, though, just to point this out, I think maybe it was stated, but there is both a continuity and a discontinuity between, say, the millennial conditions and the new heavens and the new earth.

For one thing, there's still an earth and there are still heavens. Christ, we know after his resurrection, was in a spiritual body, a body that expresses spirit. We, right now, are in soulish bodies that express soul life.

And yet, the new body that we have will be still we. It will be changed. As you know, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians, we sow it in one way and we see it growing up in another. But there is a continuity.

So really, this is a reforming. Just as the flood was a reforming of the first earth conditions into a new, so God is, through the dissolving of these elements, not destroying them, but recasting them into a permanent state.

Would you accept that? I would accept that, my brother.

Now, there are two views on that. Some see the fact that when Peter uses these terms, some see the fact that earth will be totally done away and the heavens, the atmospheric and the stellar heavens will be totally removed.

I personally can't see that myself. I think that these terms, which Peter is using, is pointing to a renovation, if you will, or a reforming of what we know of the present heavens and the present earth.

Would Hebrews 1 bear that out?

I was thinking blind and cannot see afar off.

I hope I'm not like those people in your chapter.

David, could we just... You'll allow me just to ask David to elaborate because some may take a wrong impression from a spiritual body. You said it quickly, a body that is not dominated by my soul, my awareness of what's around me, my physical needs, hunger, thirst, sleep, and so on, but a spiritual body.

Right.

In 1 Corinthians 15, as we know, the body that we have now is said to be soulish. And we'll meet this word soulish tomorrow, so we'll talk maybe more about it at that time. But it has to do with earthly appetites.

We have spirit, soul, and body, but in some ways spirit is the odd man out right now. We don't perceive the spiritual world except by faith right now. We can't enter into it. Our body can't express spirit.

But in the recreation, in the new glorious body we shall have, like his own glorious body, Philippians 3, that body will be fully capable of expressing spirit and perceiving a spirit world that is now obscure to us.

And it will be a much more wonderful phase of existence.

Brother Bill. Yeah, I was thinking about Hebrews 1. They shall all wax holders of their garment. They shall be changed. Sure. Hold them up.

But the year shall not fail. Now, would you like a word on that before we... No. No, okay. It's not important. He's very gracious. No, go on. I know it's...

Go on if you point on it. The word new is kenos. It's for quality. That's correct. And you get the same in Revelation 21. All things are new.

It's the same word. Sure. The other word naos is not used of the new heavens and new earth. It's a different kind. Now, verse number 14, if we can, we'll move through possibly these two sections. We've approximately 15 minutes left.

Diligence, Peace, and Blamelessness Before Christ

And you'll notice, Peter, you'll notice he speaks about diligence. And then in verses 15 and 16, he speaks about doctrine. You'll notice if we go into the next section, he mentions dangers. You'll find he mentions development.

And last of all, in this last section, there's a doxology. And that will bring us through the two sections as we consider the time.

We have the without spot and blemish for the third time in Peter's writings. Very good. The lamb without blemish and without spot in the epistle of 118. And then we find the false teachers are spots and blemishes.

But we, through the power of God and through the wonderful teaching of this epistle, can be found without spot and blameless. The same words.

Very good. And I take it, Brother David, when it says that we may be found in him, it's indicating that we may be found in his presence. When we are with the Lord Jesus, how will we stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus?

We will stand without fault, without spot, and blameless before. Peace. That's a wonderful thing because our brother opened the book, and he told us at the beginning of the book, he said it was grace and peace.

You'll notice how Peter finishes the book. He mentions here peace. You see when we get down to verse number 18, you'll know what he mentions there. But grow in grace. We have a beautiful balance, even at the end of the book, of what Peter started with at the commencement of the book.

So we are to be diligent now that we may be found in him in peace. So that would require morally to be spotless and blameless. Not sinless. Not sinless.

But no blot on the testimony. So, again, we're linking back themes which have already been developed in the book. We mentioned about adding in chapter 1 today. Now we're here. It's actually a command.

Be diligent. There's three commands, I think, in these two sections that we're looking at. Beware. And then grow is a command as well. And so here as believers, we are being commanded to be diligent. Why would we be diligent in light of the future being found in the presence of the Lord Jesus?

With this consideration that the fact that he seems to be delaying his coming is not a delay. He's simply being long-suffering, and he is still carrying out his purposes in salvation. Souls are being saved.

So, William, it's never right. I mean we hear it sometimes in prayer. And believers thank God that the Lord has delayed his coming to the air. That's actually terminology which is not correct. God's program is on a definite time scale, and God will fulfill that.

Shouldn't we actually be praying for his coming?

Even so, come Lord Jesus. And the term often used, thanking the Lord for the day of grace being extended. There's no such thing. That's not correct. What about another day of grace?

There's only one. That's right. So, in Philippians, when Paul's speaking about attaining to the resurrection, he wants to now seek to attain to that. He says, not that I've already attained or I'm perfected, but that I might apprehend that for which I was apprehended, laid hold on.

And, brethren, that's nothing to do with your type of service. That's Christ-likeness. And he finishes up, one day we're going to be like him.

Paul’s Writings as Scripture

Now, verse number 15, if we can. And Peter says here, Now, some think that the long-suffering in view in verse number 15 is general. Some have extended it out to unbelievers. I personally don't take that view.

I think that the long-suffering in view here is to believers. I think that he has extended the long-suffering of God in verse number 9 to unbelievers. What he's telling us here, well, people may ask, what about the apparent, you know, what about the fact that we are here, and we are living presently?

That's what Peter's talking about. He says, the fact that you are here is actually the long-suffering of the Lord in salvation, so that you may grow in sanctification. Well, you say, what will be the basis of sanctification in the Christian life?

Well, that's verse number, that's the end of the verse. Even as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you. And we've got the New Testament writings, and we've got the Old Testament scripture.

Never forget, fellow saints, the basis for sanctification in a believer's life is the Word of God. And I endorse what our brethren have taught today. As believers, we need to get back to this book.

You don't think verse 15 is an encouragement to the believers to be involved in the spread of the gospel? And a count. So reckon this to be so. The long-suffering of God is an opportunity for souls to be saved.

I didn't think it that way. Is that how you would take the text, brother?

John, with whom is the Lord being long-suffering in verse 15?

I thought it was with believers, but what did you think, David?

Well, I think your idea is intriguing. Most gracious, brother. I mean, there's a valid point to be made there. I don't know, is the Lord really long-suffering with his people?

Well, the question I ask, David, is why would the Lord mention the same thing that he mentioned in verse number 9? It would seem to be repetition of the theme that he's already mentioned. And that's why I suggested the second aspect.

Could it be the Lord is long-suffering towards you believers in not coming in and vindicating you because his goal is to see people saved? Okay. Kind of a wedding of the two thoughts.

I'll bend that far. My grandfather, when I was just saved in Bible readings, he used to say when there was a difference of opinion, he used to say, I would like you believers to agree with me because I would like you to be right.

But I wouldn't go as far as that. Let's move to the end of verse number 15. It's interesting to notice when Paul writes in his own epistles, he always speaks about the grace which is given unto him. But here when Peter writes, Peter acknowledges the gift that God gave to Paul.

And Peter says, listen, he says, look at the wisdom. Look at the wisdom. Our beloved brother, Paul. There was a day, you know, when Paul had to withstand Peter to his face. Peter never held that against against Paul.

And he calls him our beloved brother.

He learned something, didn't he? Brother John from his master, how he spoke of John so well to others, but not really to John. And so comes here. He speaks so well of Paul when there's a time when he couldn't.

Very nice.

Very nice. So as you read Paul's epistles and you say, well, I don't really understand that. Set aside Peter.

Need the same problem. So you have it in this epistle taking it as a whole. We have those who will deny the scriptures. Those who will, at the beginning of this chapter, deride it. Where's the promise of his coming?

And now we have those who distort it. So we have ways in which men get around the word of God in these different ways. Denying it and deriding it and then distorting it here, as they did with Paul's writings.

Our brother's referring to the word rest in verse number 16. It's not R-E-S-T, W-R-E-S-T. And it means to twist or distort the holy scriptures. And they tried it with the Old Testament scriptures.

And they're also doing it with the writings of Paul.

Hymenaeus and Philetus and 2 Timothy. A resurrection. Not thee. A resurrection has passed already. And so taking a truth and twisting it and overthrowing the faith of some. Some of the things that Peter wrote aren't too easy to understand.