“...knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. ” [2 Peter 3:3-7]
Where Is the Promise of His Coming?
Peter writes about the scoffers who will be present in the last days. They won't think about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of you and say, "Didn't your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first leaders have already died, and the world hasn't changed a bit."
Christians should remember this. They should not be bowled over by the arrogant and blasphemous denials of these men. Rather they should see in them a definite indication that the end of the age is nearing. These mockers reject the knowledge of God and fearlessly indulge their appetites. They advocate permissiveness with total disregard of any impending judgment.
Their primary scoff has to do with the coming of Christ. Their attitude is, “Where is the promise of His coming?” meaning, “Where is the fulfillment of the promise?” But what do they mean by His coming?
Do they mean Christ’s coming for His saints which we speak of as the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18)? It is doubtful that these scoffers know anything about this first phase of the Lord’s return.
Do they mean Christ’s coming with His saints to set up His universal kingdom (1 Thess. 3:13)? It is possible that this could be included in their thinking.
But it seems clear from the rest of the passage that they are thinking of the final judgment of God on the earth, or what is commonly called the end of the world. They are thinking of the fiery destruction of the heavens and earth at the end of the Millennium.
What they really say is this: “You Christians have been threatening us with warning about a terrible judgment upon the world. It’s all a pack of nonsense. We have nothing to fear. We can live as we please. There is no evidence that God ever has intervened in history; why should we believe that He ever will?”
The scoffers deliberately ignore one fact—the flood. God did intervene in the affairs of men, and the specific purpose of His intervention was to punish wickedness.
There is other group of people who say—“How can a loving God destroy the very man and women and their world which He created?” Look at how much time He provided for them to repent. From the time Noah received the order from God to build the ark until the rain began, a span of 120 years had elapsed. Certainly this was time enough for everyone to hear the prediction and take appropriate action.
Do they mean Christ’s coming with His saints to set up His universal kingdom (1 Thess. 3:13)? It is possible that this could be included in their thinking.
But it seems clear from the rest of the passage that they are thinking of the final judgment of God on the earth, or what is commonly called the end of the world. They are thinking of the fiery destruction of the heavens and earth at the end of the Millennium.
What they really say is this: “You Christians have been threatening us with warning about a terrible judgment upon the world. It’s all a pack of nonsense. We have nothing to fear. We can live as we please. There is no evidence that God ever has intervened in history; why should we believe that He ever will?”
The scoffers deliberately ignore one fact—the flood. God did intervene in the affairs of men, and the specific purpose of His intervention was to punish wickedness.
There is other group of people who say—“How can a loving God destroy the very man and women and their world which He created?” Look at how much time He provided for them to repent. From the time Noah received the order from God to build the ark until the rain began, a span of 120 years had elapsed. Certainly this was time enough for everyone to hear the prediction and take appropriate action.
Noah's Ark attraction in Hong Kong
" I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights"
“And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.
... And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.”
[Genesis 7:5-9]
... And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.”
[Genesis 7:5-9]
