Articles
Peter 43 - But the Day of the Lord
But the Day of the Lord, the Day of God
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! (2Peter 3:9-12)
Peter, in his letter, is emphatic in proclaiming the Lord is coming again. No matter what mockers may say, no matter how man views the making of promises, the Lord will be coming again. Peter also affirms that God wishes all would come to repentance. Why? It all has to do with the things which will take place when the Lord comes again.
The Lord is not coming to do what a lot of people are expecting. He is not coming to save the world in reference to sin. That was His mission the first time. “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Hebrews 9:27-28; see also Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10). He is not coming to reign on David’s throne. He is already reigning. That is the core of Peter’s sermon recorded from the day of Pentecost:
“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘ THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:29-36).
Since He is already reigning, He is not coming to set up His kingdom, as that has already been done (Mark 9:1; Revelation 1:9; Colossians 1:13).
When the Lord comes again, He is coming to raise the dead. “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29). He is going to raise all the dead. This will be a general resurrection—no one will be overlooked.
When the Lord comes again, He is coming to judge everybody. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2Corinthians 5:10; see also Acts 17:31; 2Thessalonians 1:7-9; 2Peter 3:7). He will do this by His words (John 12:48). Note that this will be in the day the Lord comes. All will be gathered—not just a part. Scripture never speaks of judgment in regard to separate resurrections. It is in this “day of God” that eternal destinies will be declared.
God’s people will be given new bodies suitable for living with the Lord when He comes again. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21; see also 1Corinthians 15:35-54).
When the Lord comes again, God’s people, the redeemed, will be taken to glory to ever be with the Lord. “ Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going” (John 14:1-4; see also Colossians 3:4).
When the Lord comes again, He will destroy this earth and all things associated with it (2Peter 3:10-12). This will be the end of the world, as this world will be dissolved. The Lord will destroy the world with fire. Temporal things will be gone (Mark 13:31; Revelation 20:11). Don’t mistake it! Our hope is not to be fulfilled on this earth or in the heavens which we now see. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1Peter 1:3-5).
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