In Second Peter 3:10, Peter reaffirms the Day of the Lord: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." The evidence against the false teachers is overwhelming. The Day of the Lord will come. Jesus is coming again, as He promised.
"The day of the Lord" (v. 10a), refers to the miraculous intervention of God in judgment in the end times. It refers to the events of the Second Coming that end with God's final judgment of unrepentant sinners and the destruction of the universe. In the Old Testament, the Day of the Lord will be a day of judgment, darkness, and damnation, when the Lord returns and destroys His enemies. In the New Testament, the Day of the Lord is awesome and terrible, a day in which no man can stand apart from saving faith in Christ. "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Rev. 6:17). Severe judgment because of man's sinfulness.
Peter said, "The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night" (2 Peter 3:10a). It will be a total surprise to the unsuspecting sinner. It will come without warning, and it will be disastrous to those who are unrepentant. Paul also said: "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them" (1 Thess. 5:2-3a).
Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away" (Matt. 24:35a). Peter said, "the heavens will pass away with a great noise" (2 Peter 3:10b), or "with a roar" (NASB, NIV). "Roar" is a word that sounds like what it means. It speaks of "a rushing sound," or "a loud noise," referring to the whizzing, crackling sounds that come from objects being consumed by fire (MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Publishers: Chicago, 2005], 124).
John MacArthur describes the sound: "On that future day, the noise from the disintegrating atoms of the universe will be deafening, unlike anything mortals have ever heard before" (Ibid).
What Peter introduced in verse 7, he fills in the details here: "the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (v. 10b). "Elements" (v. 10b), literally means "ones in a row," like the letters of the alphabet or numbers. When used of the physical world, it describes the basic atomic components that make up the universe (Ibid). With intense heat the material world will be destroyed.
Take courage in your walk with Jesus. Remain faithful and true to the Word. Doubters may ridicule us and false teachers may scoff at us, but we will be vindicated when Christ returns and fulfills all things. Sinners will be eternally punished and this world will be destroyed, but there will be a new heaven and a new earth, where all God's people will spend eternity with Jesus. Stay forever faithful, and keep an eye on the sky in expectation. Maranatha! Lord, come quickly! Amen.
John MacArthur describes the sound: "On that future day, the noise from the disintegrating atoms of the universe will be deafening, unlike anything mortals have ever heard before" (Ibid).
What Peter introduced in verse 7, he fills in the details here: "the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (v. 10b). "Elements" (v. 10b), literally means "ones in a row," like the letters of the alphabet or numbers. When used of the physical world, it describes the basic atomic components that make up the universe (Ibid). With intense heat the material world will be destroyed.
Take courage in your walk with Jesus. Remain faithful and true to the Word. Doubters may ridicule us and false teachers may scoff at us, but we will be vindicated when Christ returns and fulfills all things. Sinners will be eternally punished and this world will be destroyed, but there will be a new heaven and a new earth, where all God's people will spend eternity with Jesus. Stay forever faithful, and keep an eye on the sky in expectation. Maranatha! Lord, come quickly! Amen.
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