2 Peter 3
The Day of the Lord
2 That ye may be mindful{2} of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour{3} :
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation{5} .
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished{7} :
8 ¶But, beloved, be not ignorant{9} of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 ¶The Lord is not slack{10} concerning his promise, as some men count slackness{11} ; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance{12} .
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night{13} ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up{14} .
Typology to consider
The first earth was destroyed by water. This was the type. The second earth will be destroyed by fire.
This is the antitype.
Jesus' Baptism: Type of the 2nd Coming (Mat 3:16-17)
Moses and God's Glory: Type of the Resurrection (Exod 33:18-23)
Baptism of the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:7-12)
The Burning Bush: Type of the Resurrection (Exodus 3:1-6)
Triumphant Entry (Matthew 21)
Interpretation:
To remember is to recall a second time. The way to really understand the destruction of
the earth by fire on the Day of the Lord is to "remember the former things"
(the flood which is the type) to know "the latter end of them". See Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, Isaiah 41:22
Interpretation:
This word in the Greek means "to remember".
Interpretation:
In the mouth of two or three witnesses may every word be established. Matthew 18:16 . Peter is
telling believers to remember the words of the holy prophets (first witness) and the words of the apostles of the
Lord. (second witness)
Interpretation:
Peter is telling us that scoffers will come BEFORE the Day of the Lord. These men will not
follow the Spirit but the flesh and live opposed to the teachings of Christ.
Interpretation:
Those who are foolish forget the fate of the wicked in the Great Deluge and in Sodom and Gomorrah. Peter
tells us that these scoffers will come first. This will occur before the day of the Lord.
Interpretation:
The term "are ignorant of" in the Greek means to be hidden from. The wicked do not understand that by God's destruction of the earth by water, that God was acting out the destruction to come on the Day of the Lord by fire.
Interpretation:
When God destroyed the earth in the Great Deluge, everything on the earth perished except the righteous.
In the same way, God will destroy the earth again except by fire.
Interpretation:
The heavens and the earth which exist now are reserved for fire in the same way that the
first earth was reserved for destruction by water.
Interpretation:
Greek : hidden from
Interpretation:
This word in the Greek means slow
Interpretation:
Greek: slowness or delay
Interpretation:
When the Day of the Lord comes, the wicked will be destroyed. So, God is slow to bring
about this Day, wanting all to repent and be saved.
Interpretation:
The day of the Lord will only come as a thief in the night on those who are not watching
and praying. See Matthew 24:43
Interpretation:
How does Peter know all this? Because he understands how all this was acted out typically in
the Great Deluge. The first baptism was in water. The second will be by fire.