The Day of the Lord | 2 Peter 3:10-14
Peter explains four ways that we should live in light of the coming day of the Lord: (1) be vigilant, (2) be different, (3) be urgent, and (4) be content. This sermon is part 7 in "A Fisherman's Truth," Bryan Craddock's series of verse-by-verse sermons on 2 Peter.
Professional basketball players always shoot overhand when they get a free throw. Yet experts say that they would be much more likely to score if they shoot underhand. It is simple physics. The ball has a better arc and a more natural backspin. But to shoot underhand, you crouch down and swing the ball between your knees. They call it a granny shot. So, everyone refuses to do it, because people would make fun of them.
Some Christians may disregard biblical teaching about the end times for a similar reason. Admittedly, people who are obsessed with the end times often adopt strange views and behave in weird ways. They may even fall prey to false teachers. Most cults are rooted in warped views of the end times. So, Christians who want to be more respectable often go to the opposite end of the spectrum. They minimize end times teaching, fearing that people will make fun of them.
The Apostle Peter addresses these problems in his second New Testament letter. In chapter 2, he warns that false teachers will infiltrate the church, despising authority, disregarding morality, and distorting biblical liberty, so that people are led deeper in spiritual depravity. But then in chapter 3, he says that scoffers will come who mock belief in the end times. In verse 4, he tells us,
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."
Peter responds to their mockery by discerning their motive. He says that they are following their sinful desires. He then dissects their argument, showing that it is disproved by the Genesis account of the Flood. As God brought judgment through water in the past, so he will bring a fiery judgment upon the ungodly in the future, including the scoffers. The delay in that future judgment expresses his patient desire for all people to repent.
Now even if we dismiss the mockery of such scoffers, we might still avoid thinking much about biblical prophecy. But a proper belief in the end times is vital for a strong Christian life. Peter stresses this idea in his first epistle (1:13; 4:7, 13; 5:4) and returns to it here in 2 Peter 3. In verses 10-14, he explains four ways that we should live in light of the coming day of the Lord. So, as we walk through this passage, I encourage you to consider whether your approach to life is shaped by a biblical view of the end times.
Be Vigilant
Several prophetic passages in the Bible mention the blowing of trumpets. With their piercing tone, they have been used throughout history to sound the alarm for armies going into battle. But though it is never mentioned in Scripture, I would like to suggest that the accordion might help us grasp an important point about end times prophecy and the need for us to be vigilant.
Now you might associate the accordion with men in lederhosen drinking huge steins of beer and dancing the polka, and there is not much vigilance in all of that! But I am thinking about how the accordion works. It creates its piercing tone as it is repeatedly expanded and compressed, and biblical teaching about the end times works in a similar way.
Some prophetic passages are expanded to include descriptions of multiple events. The book of Revelation, for instance, foretells the coming of demonic world leaders and severe natural disasters during a seven-year period that culminates in the return of Jesus. He then binds Satan and rules for a thousand years before a final earthly rebellion. After judgment is carried out, a new heaven and earth are established where God dwells with his people and suffering is no more.
That expanded view might lead some of us to be complacent. We might wrongly assume that we don’t need to get serious about spiritual things until we see some of those events taking place. But other passages compress all those details to wake us up here and now. Peter does this in 2 Peter 3:10. He says,
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.
This translation from the English Standard Version suggests a sequence. The day of the Lord will come “and then” this destruction will happen. But other translations like the King James and the New American Standard stick closer to the Greek text by saying that the day of the Lord comes, “in which” this destruction will happen. In other words, Peter seems to compress the whole series of end times events from the book of Revelation together under the title “the day of the Lord.”
The Old Testament prophets often present a compressed view as well. They place the day of the Lord side by side with events that were happening in their time. Isaiah, for instance, refers to the day of the Lord twice in Isaiah 13. He declares an immediate judgment that will come upon the nation of Babylon, but he describes it along with cataclysmic end times events. Joel does something similar as he speaks of a plague of locusts that came upon Jerusalem.
So, this compression forces us to see end times events as imminent. No time frame is specified, but they could happen at any time. In 1 Peter 4:7, Peter says the end of all things is at hand. Here he says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
Peter heard this analogy from Jesus himself. Matthew 24 tells us that when the disciples ask him about the sign of his coming and the end of the age, he initially gives an expanded answer with various events leading up to his return. But he then compresses it down in verses 42-43, and says,
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house 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.
To be clear, the only similarity between the coming of Jesus and the coming of a thief is unexpectedness. A thief has no right to enter someone’s home. But Christ has every right to enter our world and to carry out judgment. After making this statement, Jesus focuses on the personal accountability of that judgment. So, the vigilance that we need is a focus on our spiritual standing with God.
Have you been reconciled to God through faith in Christ? Have you repented of your sins and received his forgiveness? Are you seeking the Lord and walking by the Spirit? Are you ready for him to return right now? Stay vigilant!
Now, as we have seen in 2 Peter 3:10, Peter focuses on the cosmic result of the day of the Lord. So, that leads us to a second way that we should live.
Be Different
I doubt many people today have a treasure chest like those we hear about in tales of kings or pirates. But we each have things that are important to us. Matthew 6:21 tells us that Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So, what are the things that you value and how do they shape your life?
Jesus spoke of storing up treasure in heaven not on earth. He makes the point that earthly treasures can be stolen or destroyed by moths and rust. Peter takes this argument to a different level. He argues that the cosmic result of the day of the Lord should lead believers to be different from the rest of the world. Look again at how he describes the day of the Lord in 2 Peter 3:10. He says,
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.
There will be a fundamental change in the created order, and Peter describes it in explosive terms. He mentions a great noise and intense burning. Where the ESV says, “heavenly bodies,” a more literal translation of the term is “elements.” Scholars debate whether Peter might have even been thinking of the constituent components of matter. Philosophers had proposed something similar to modern atomic theory over 400 years before Peter’s time. So, from a modern perspective, it is not hard to see in this description something like a massive nuclear explosion.
Did Peter intend for us to take his words literally or figuratively? Some people point to the cataclysmic descriptions of judgment in the Old Testament. They argue that since those prophecies were only referring to nations being overthrown, such descriptions should always be taken figuratively. For instance, when Isaiah predicts the fall of Babylon in Isaiah 13, he speaks of the sun and stars going dark in verse 10 and the earth being shaken out of its place in verse 13. But as I have suggested, it might be better to understand passages like that as a compressed view of an immediate judgment alongside the ultimate one.
So, we cannot be certain that Peter is speaking literally, but it seems reasonable. The secular view is that the universe began with a Big Bang. Is it unreasonable to say that a similar burst of energy could undo it? If you accept that God created and actively sustains the universe, then you must allow that he has the power and the ability to dissolve it.
The end of verse 10 speaks of the earth and its works being “exposed.” Some early Greek manuscripts say, “burned up.” But when there is a difference like that, many scholars argue that the more difficult option is probably the original. Perhaps Peter intended to show the point of the burning. It exposes what is of eternal value. So, in verse 11 he says,
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
Our anticipation of the day of the Lord should lead us to be different from the unbelieving world. We should be holy, set apart from sin, living in conformity with the character and commands of God. We should also be godly, having a heart to worship and exalt him instead of ourselves. God designed us to live that way, but we depart from his purpose when we live for the possessions, power, and satisfaction of the material world.
So, if everything is going to burn, why should I bother to be different? Why not take advantage of all that the world has to offer? Peter answers those questions as he points out a third way to live in light of the coming day of the Lord.
Be Urgent
Being in a hurry will often get you into trouble. It might lead you to drive dangerously fast. When you rush through a project or through making a big decision, you are more likely to make a mistake. So, in most situations, caution is wise. Slow down and take a yellow-light approach.
Some people respond to end times prophecy, however, with a red-light approach. They assume that we should do something to stop such things from ever happening. But the biblical perspective gives us the green light. Peter says that we should be urgent about the coming of the day of the Lord. In 2 Peter 3:12, he speaks of,
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!
We find different words in the New Testament to describe how we should wait for the end times. Paul uses one word in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 to speak of perseverance in waiting for Jesus to return and deliver us from wrath to come. He then uses another term in Titus 2:13 to describe how we look forward to the blessed hope of Christ’s appearing in glory. Peter uses a third word here that refers to anticipation in a more general sense. But he clarifies his meaning with the word “hastening”. We should want to speed things up.
But why should we be so eager for this fiery scene to come about? It is because of what it leads to. This destruction is like demolition day in one of those home renovation shows. God needs to clear the way for something much better. In 2 Peter 3:13, Peter says,
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
When sin entered creation, everything was affected. God made human beings to live forever, but because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience we experience sickness, death, and decay. Plants and animals experienced that change too. God’s curse foretold the development of thorns and thistles. Animals became aggressive. The Flood of Noah’s time only made things worse as it brought about a fundamental change in the earth’s climate that reduced the human life span.
As glorious as our world is, it falls far short of what God made it to be. We have a hard time imagining that it could be any different, but it is broken. It doesn’t work right. It is polluted spiritually and physically. The worst part is that we are separated from the direct connection with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed. So, as we see in the life of Christ, true righteousness is always opposed in this world.
God’s solution is to start over with a new heaven and earth in which righteousness dwells, in which there is no taint of sin or its awful consequences. Isaiah 11:6 describes wolves and lambs, leopards and goats, and even lions and calves all dwelling together in harmony as a little child leads them. We find the first explicit mention of a new heaven and earth in the closing chapters of Isaiah.
It is also described in the final chapters of the book of Revelation. In Revelation 21:3-4, John says,
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
The great promise of God is that those who are forgiven of their sins and are clothed in the righteousness of Christ will live forever in that new heaven and earth. So, we should fix all our hopes upon that future and wait eagerly for it. We should seek it and pray for God to bring it soon. Jesus says that we should pray for the kingdom to come. John ends the book of Revelation by saying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
The process of getting there will not be easy. The series of events that unfold in the day of God, as Peter calls it, are frightening. But as we saw back in 2 Peter 3:9, God is patient, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. So, our urgency should not lead us to withdraw from the world. It should lead us to reach out and proclaim the promise, calling people to repent and to receive this great hope. That promise leads to one final way that we should live.
Be Content
I often take the freeway as I come to church on Sunday morning, and I cannot help but wonder if some of the other drivers might be headed to their church too. It goes through my mind when someone tailgates me, cuts me off, or comes speeding by. Now I confess that my driving is not always exemplary either. But it makes me think that the way we approach the journey should reflect the goodness of the destination.
Of course, I’m not talking about driving, so much as life itself. As believers, we are headed toward a new heaven and earth in which righteousness dwells. As we just saw, that should lead us to be urgent. But the journey may be long and difficult, so in light of our great hope we should also be content. That may be a good way to sum up 2 Peter 3:14. Peter says,
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
Peter identifies two areas of diligence, and I think that both relate to contentment. First, we should be diligent to be found by the Lord without spot or blemish. This ties back to what he said in verse 11 about being holy. But here it comes after he highlights the new heaven and earth. We should reflect that hope by living righteously on the journey.
We get into trouble when we lose sight of that incredible destination. We focus entirely on finding satisfaction here and now. Those desires could be inherently sinful or more neutral. But when they go unfulfilled, we might react sinfully, lashing out with anger.
Why would we add to the unrighteous spots and blemishes that we already have? Thankfully, we are cleansed and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. But we should not treat that lightly. Reflect the righteousness of where you are headed. Find contentment now in the anticipation of what awaits you in the future. Paul connects these ideas in Titus 2:11-13, by saying,
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Going back to 2 Peter 3:14, we find that Peter also says that we should be diligent to be found at peace. When the journey seems long, we might start to worry. We might fear that things in our home, our society, or our world are getting out of control. We might be paralyzed by that or energized to fight back. Neither response reflects the confidence that God will be faithful to fulfill his promise in his perfect timing.
So, peace in the present is anchored in the promise of God about our future. We know the end of the story. Jesus wins! He told his disciples to find peace in this confidence. John 16:33 tells us that he said,
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
How are you approaching this journey to the new heaven and earth? When your desires are not fulfilled, when you are tempted to be controlled by fear, reflect the goodness of what awaits us by being content.
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It’s not easy to understand the day of the Lord and all the details of end times prophecy, but the main lessons of judgment and hope are clear. So, live for the day. Let it shape you to be vigilant, different, urgent, and content. If you have never done so, I urge you to join us in the journey. Start trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
If you would like to learn more about the end times, you might want to start with Matthew 24 and 25 which records Jesus’ discourse from the Mount of Olives. He stresses some of the same practical responses. So, don’t avoid the end times. Let it shape your life. Live for that day, and don’t be afraid to tell someone else about it. There is no hope until someone wrestles with the reality of coming judgment.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13)!
Reflect
What role has biblical teaching about the end times played in your life?
What could you do to live more in light of the coming day of the Lord?
How should the coming of the day of the Lord shape our evangelistic outreach?