Scoffing…for Now

What Peter has said would come indeed has:

In these “last days” scoffers abound who live according to the dictates of their own pleasure and laugh at the very idea that Jesus Christ will come again—after all, He’s been gone for nearly 2,000 years! In their scoffing folly, they fail to see that God is unbound by the constraints of time. To Him, the past two millennia are as if two days have gone by (2 Peter 3:3-8).

Funny thing is, the Lord is taking His time to return because He is longsuffering toward man—even the scoffers—giving ample opportunity for repentance (v. 9).

Nevertheless, the Lord is coming again and in a most unexpected time and manner—as a thief in the night, Peter describes it (v. 10).

And it won’t be pretty.

The earth and universe as we know it will be totally “dissolved” (vv. 10, 12).

I remember a couple of decades ago hearing a prophecy preacher allude to this text and surmise that a global nuclear holocaust is in view. That, of course, evokes images of Hiroshima in our minds, but there’s more to the ultimate destruction than a global nuclear disaster. The heavens—the starry expanse—will also be involved.

Indeed, this is mind-boggling.

I came across an advertisement for a book with stunning photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and Voyager I. In the introduction to the book, Stephen Hawking mentioned that astronomers now estimate that there are 150 billion galaxies in the universe, of which the Milky Way is but one!

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have captured the most comprehensive picture ever assembled of the evolving Universe — and one of the most colourful. The study is called the Ultraviolet Coverage of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UVUDF) project.

All of this, Peter declares, will be altered in a moment!

The purpose of the “dissolving”?

Re-creation.

“We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (v. 13)

This will be your ultimate eternal inheritance—if you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

To all of this, scoffers smirk.

The Christian’s response should be radically different.

  • We should believe all that God has told us in His Word.
  • We ought to be pursuing a life of godly living (vv. 11, 14), especially considering that our ultimate “earth” dwelling will allow for no unrighteousness.
  • We better be sure we don’t listen to scoffing voices and begin to give heed to their pernicious unbelief (v. 17).
  • We must keep growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 18).

As with everything in our Christian life, may it all be to His ultimate glory—now and forever!

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