The Day of the Lord

Going off my post from last night (mark this on your calendars, I may never write so many posts in so many days again), I decided that after Morning Prayer I'd read 2 Peter.

Now the only verse I could (can) quotes from this beautiful letter is 3:8 "But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

I learned that particular verse in the context of "Day-Age Creationism" back in middle school when we were comparing and contrasting scientific creationism/evolutionary theories.

(This is not a post on creationism or evolution.  I can do one later . . . maybe.  Email me if you want my current thoughts).

But reading all of 2 Peter in one sitting put 3:8 and other verses into a context I never saw before.

2 Peter 3:1-13
1. This is now the second letter that I'm writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
2. that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
3. knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
4. 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."
5. For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
6. and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
7. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgement and destruction of the ungodly.
8. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
10. 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.
11. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
12. 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!
13. But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Okay, I know, that's a lot to unpack, but I'm going to try anyway and, hopefully, I won't loose you or my train of thought along the way.

Verses 1-3 are the set up to the topic which leads to the next set of verses 4-7.

Here, Peter explains how skeptics will question the claims Christ made about His second coming (half the reason we observe and celebrate Advent).

Now verses 8-10 are where all the thoughts in my head are focusing.

Peter is explaining why it appears Christ is taking so long to come back.  First, he states that how God sees time and how humans see time are two vastly different ways (v.8).

Second, Peter reassures us that Christ is coming, just not as quickly as we humans might want because Christ is waiting for people to repent and return to Him (and, let's be honest, God doesn't always show up in the way or when we want Him to).  Then, after all have been given the chance or chances to repent and turn from sinful ways, only then will Christ return, at a time we do not know (v.8-10).

Peter finishes with instructions on how then we should conduct ourselves until Christ's second coming (v.11-13).

But it's verses 8-10 that really struck me.  To think Christ is delaying His return and the final full healing and restoration of the earth, all because He wants as many people to come to Him as possible. Like with Noah where the unrighteous were warned and given an extra 120 years to repent, God once again is giving us time after His declaration of return to turn from sin and darkness back to Him, back to healing and light.

That's intense.

Which is why the Great Commission is so important.  If we, the Church, are meant to help hasten the day of the Lord (v.11-12) then going out and preaching the gospel and healing power of God is of great importance.

(And by preaching I mean like Jesus, not like angry fools who let their tongues rule their thoughts and actions instead of the grace of the God).

Go read the Peters.  There is a lot of other things I could say about other parts of 2 Peter, but I will save those for another post.  Who knows, maybe I will write three posts in three days.

With lots of love,
Demelza