New Heavens and a New Earth

1. Introduction

Today we finish up with Peter’s two letters to Christ’s disciples.

In this final passage, Peter shares with his disciples this message from the Holy Spirit:

The Day of the Lord will come, and without warning. The mockers and false prophets and teachers are essentially preaching that Christ will not return.

This world will be destroyed completely, by fire, along with the ungodly.

We are to look forward to this, as we will be saved and taken to a new heaven and a new earth. That place will be a place of righteousness, and we are to prepare ourselves to live in that place.

We need to avoid the false teachers and pitfalls of this world, lest we be derailed in our journey. To follow them is to become a slave to sin and Satan

Our assignment is to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, so that we can glorify Him always.

Sodom and Gomorrah was a foreshadowing of the Day of the Lord. a

The day will come unexpectedly, since we do not know when all the elect will be called in.

Lot and his family are also a foreshadowing of how we should conduct ourselves (v11). How will we be be taken to this new heavens and earth? The bible is not explicit - we will go, likely in Spirit

Since the day will come suddenly, we must always be ready, just like the virgins.

This is useful knowledge; act on it and do not get sucked in by the mockers and false teachers.

Rather, grow in the understanding of our Lord. Do all for His glory from here on out.

The Parousia is important. It needs to be where we fix our gaze as we make our life journey through this world. Christ is coming and if we are already in heaven in spirit, we will rise to meet him, along with the presently living.

Peter gives us some commands in this passage. It’s important that Christians focus on them.

Key Question: Given the coming apocalypse, what are Christians to do? How are they to prepare?

Answer: By growing in grace and holiness, as we wait on the Day of the Lord

2. Review

AD 33, Christ was crucified, resurrected and ascended.

Within a few days, news of this event began to circulate around the empire. On the day of Pentecost, 3000 souls from across the empire heard and responded to the Gospel message preached by Peter - the Christ died for our sins, was buried, resurrected, ascended.

In a short time, there were a half million or more Christians. These Christians rejected the Roman lifestyle, refused to worship the Roman gods and the Roman emperor.

Non-Christians began to resent the Christians. As the empire was starting the process of falling apart, the government sought to blame outsiders for the troubles. At the time of this writing, Nero was taking increasingly oppressive measures against Christians.

1 Peter warns of external threats to God’s people

2 Peter warns of internal threats - false prophets, teachers, and mockers

In conclusion, he shares His prophesy of the Day of the Lord

Slide

2 Peter 3:10–12 (NASB95)

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!

3. The Day of the Lord (vv10-12)

Explanation:

Matthew 13:38–43 “and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Chapter 3)

But “the day of the Lord” comprehends the whole series of events, beginning with the pre-millennial advent, and ending with the destruction of the wicked, and final conflagration, and general judgment (which last intervenes between the conflagration and the renovation of the earth).

Command: We are to look forward to the Day of the Lord.

I wonder if people know what they are praying for when they say “come, Lord Jesus”?

The concept of heaven and hell was different from what the ancient Jews believed. Like the Greek concept of Hades. Christ's teachings really enlightened us.

Amos 5:18 “Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light;”

The Day of the Lord will be a shock and a terror to the unbelievers.

Mounce: A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter (Scoffers and the Last Days (3:1–10))

Dr. Earl Radmacher, President of Western Baptist Theological Seminary, recently reported that “on March 5, 1979, nine U.S. satellites simultaneously radioed back to earth that a gamma radiation explosion occurred in a nearby galaxy known as N-49. This explosion lasted for only one-tenth of a second, but released more radiation than our sun does in 3,000 years. Doyle Evans, an astrophysicist at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories in New Mexico, noted that had this explosion of energy occurred in our galaxy, it would have instantly vaporized the earth!” Whether or not this will be the specific way God achieves final judgment is not known. What is certain, however, is that as God once brought upon the world a judgment by water, so in the last days he will bring about a judgment by fire.

Application:

A cataclysm will happen around you, what should be your response?(v 11).

Live godly and holy lives.

Since you are expecting these things, do everything to remain spotless and at peace with Him.

Slide

2 Peter 3:13–15 (NASB95)

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

4. God will save His people - Our Assignment (13-15)

Explanation:

Isaiah 65:17 ““For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.”

Revelation 21:1–5 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.””

Command: be diligent

Command: regard the patience of the Lord as salvation

What sort of people ought we be, knowing the world is to be destroyed?

v13 - the beauty of the new earth is that righteousness dwells there. 14a. Knowing that we are destined for righteousness - we need to strive for righteousness.

As long as the Day is delayed, there is opportunity for others to be saved.

Mounce: A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter (Scoffers and the Last Days (3:1–10))

God in his forebearance has postponed the day of his return in order that men may have as much time as possible to repent and believe. No one is to conclude, however, that he has changed his mind about the basic issues. The day of the Lord will come.

Paul has written the same thing. His word is Scripture - it comes from HS

Illustration: A safe, dry place, out of the weather.

Lifeboat

Safe harbor

Argumentation:

Arguments of the false prophets, teachers, and scoffers

Since the day of the Lord is not coming, people can do whatever they want, there is no consequence

But there is no safe place

Application/Exhortation:

Christian - rejoice that you will be safe when the apocalyse comes

non-Christian - consider the consequences of your unbelief - There will be a resurrection, and Christ will hold you accountable for your sins of unbelief.

2 Peter 3:16–17 (NASB95)

as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,

5. Beware of getting side-tracked (16-17)

Explanation:

Command: be on your guard - this is how we can be on our guard, by being knowledgeable

Paul has written this to you as well, but sometimes he is hard to understand.

We need to wait for wisdom sometimes.

Ignorant people twist and misunderstand his writing to their own destruction. A reference to false prophets, teachers, mockers.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 3

unstable—not yet established in what they have learned; shaken by every seeming difficulty; who, in perplexing texts, instead of waiting until God by His Spirit makes them plain in comparing them with other Scriptures, hastily adopt distorted views.

V. 17 - dont let yourselves be taken in by this errant teaching, lest you be led away from your stedfastness.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 3

The Pauline Epistles were by this time become the common property of all the churches.

The “all” seems to imply they were now completed11 Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 523.

Argumentation:

Bad interpretation:

trying to make sense of a difficult passage using 21st Century understandings.

Misunderstanding genre - historical, prescriptive, prophetic, allegorical?

Post modernism - redefining words and phrases

Paul was just a man, as were all the Apostles, so prone to error

Application:

Knowing these pitfalls, be teachable

Know that humans are fallible - scripture is not

Dont be ignorant. Use the knowledge to stay away from heresy and follow your Lord and Saviour in righteousness and love.

Slide

2 Peter 3:18 (NASB95)

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

7. Peter's final command to us (18)

Explanation

Knowledge is power - be prepared for what is coming. Do not be sucked in but grow in grace and knowledge.

As long as we remain true to Him, God will give us more and more grace. This is unmerited favor

While God gives us grace, we must continue to listen to, study, pray, and meditate upon His word. The more we do this, the more grace we will obtain.

Glory to God now and forever.

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Westminster Catechism

When we glorify God, we are a light shining in the darkness.

Argumentation:

Kneeology vs theology

Praying for guidance when the Bible already gives it.

Illustration:

Henrietta Mears - Billy Graham’s Sunday school teacher, “What the Bible is all About”

Missionaries, like Robert Jermaine Thomas. Jim Elliot

Application:

Glorify God in all that you do.

Pray over meals

Pray when people share difficulties

Share the Gospel as a solution

Share the Gospel to show the glory of Christ

8. Conclusion

The Day of the Lord will come, and without warning. This world will be destroyed completely, by fire, along with the ungodly.

We are to look forward to this, as we will be saved and taken to a new heaven and a new earth.

That place will be a place of righteousness, and we are to prepare ourselves to live in that place. We need to beware of the false teachers and pitfalls of this world, lest we be derailed in our journey.

Our assignment is to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, so that we can glorify Him always.

Progress in grace and sanctification, as we prepare for the Day of the Lord.

Strengthen our faith. Be diligence in discernment of what others. Be confident of our glorious future.

9. Gospel