eschatology, Like a Thief (2 Pet.1-3)

Peter writes about "the last days", when mockers will basically say, "So, where is this so-called Jesus?  I thought He said He was coming again?"  This particular portion of verses are probably just referring to and applied to the Church Age, but they could also be applied to the Tribulation.  Either way, Jesus will "come" at the proper time:  He will "come" to meet all believers of all times in the air (the rapture, at the beginning of the Tribulation);  and 7 years later, He will "come" again to earth (His Second Coming, at the battle of Armageddon). 

The main point being made in the scriptures below is - consider our "having to wait" (however long) - to be His patience with mankind!  We can never accuse God of not giving us a fair chance...

(2 Peter 3:3-9) Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

"The day of the Lord", which includes both the Tribulation and the Millennium, will come LIKE A THIEF!!!  With no warnings!!!  How many thieves do you know who would give you a warning before breaking into your house to steal from you??? 

So "the day of the Lord" will come when least expected (beginning with the rapture and the start of the Tribulation), and it will end with complete destruction (at the end of the Millennium).  And as we have already read, the Tribulation also carries with that age a lot of destruction and disasters.  So why would we want to look forward to that?  Instead, Peter tells us (the believers now in the Church Age) to look forward to heaven...

(2 Peter 3:10-13) 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. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 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! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Today's takeaway:  I've sometimes said, "Lord, the rapture could happen right now!  I would not mind!"  After reading the above, I'm now realizing that this is a very selfish request.  Instead, I should be asking the Lord to help me reach out to the unsaved - so that they can escape judgment and destruction.  God will take cure of the timing.  He will know exactly the moment when all people who are to become Christians in this age will have done so... and the rest, who will eventually become Christians, will need to learn "the hard way".

I always find it interesting how we love a "good story" about bad people.  How when watching a movie or TV show, we love to hate the villain.  And in real life, people will gloat and revel in seeing someone suffer (whether justly or even unjustly).  This is why celebrity gossip smears and news about horrific events "sell".  If it didn't, we wouldn't see so much of it.

But we have a higher calling:  to love the unloved - to be missionaries right where we are right now - and we should be looking forward to heaven...

(2 Peter 3:14-18) Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 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, 16 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. 17 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, 18 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.