Second Peter

In 2nd Peter 3 Peter speaks of this earth being destroyed and a new earth. We will look at two alternative views on this passage. Was Peter speaking about the total destruction of this planet, assumed to occur at the Second Coming of Jesus, or was he speaking of the destruction of the Jewish state? Whichever one of these is correct, the implications for Christian faith and lifestyle remain the same: we live by the values of the kingdom of God and not by the values of this world.

Remember that Peter was the apostle to the circumcised. Remember also that Peter and all the apostles then were Jews. They were all conscious of the demise of their former state. Peter was writing to Jewish believers. In 2 Pet 3:3-15 Peter speaks of the day of the Lord:

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God…

We start by looking at the term day of the Lord. It is used many times in the prophets of the day in which God’s end purpose shall be fulfilled. Until then God waits patiently, working out His plan in righteousness. In particular it means the day of judgment against Israel:

Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him.

Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light, even very dark and no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your feast days and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.(Amos 5:18-22).

See also Zephaniah 1, where the day of the Lord is near and is the destruction of Judah, a day of darkness, clouds and blackness, when with fire God will destroy the “whole earth”. Historical commentators show that this was fulfilled in 589BC, 30 years after Zephaniah prophesied, using the same language that Peter used.

Deuteronomy describes the judgement of Israel if they turned away from their covenant. This was in Peter’s mind as an obedient Jew who followed the law:
For a fire is kindled in My anger and shall burn to the lowest hell and shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. (Deut 32:22).

Isaiah told us not to set our heart on the things that perish:

Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell there shall die in like manner: but My salvation shall be forever and My righteousness shall not be abolished. (Is 51:6).

This chapter starts by telling the Jews to look to Abraham, who was justified by faith. Then Isaiah showed that a New Covenant shall go forth, that will include the Gentiles. “For a law shall proceed from Me, for a light of the people…My salvation is gone forth and My arm shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me and on My arm shall they trust.” (Is 51:4-5).

This covenant is not based upon the law, for Abraham was justified without it, but on the faith of Jesus Christ. Isaiah says that the Old Covenant is passing away and those who live in it shall die by the law. In this passage there is no doubt that the heaven and earth passing away is the passing of the Old Covenant and the establishment of everlasting righteousness. Isaiah continues by saying that Christ makes a New Earth, a new body and community in Christ:

I have put My words in your mouth and I have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth and say to Zion, you are My people. (Is 51:16).

So when Peter said that the order of the Jews was being destroyed, he encouraged them to look for God’s salvation in Christ, in the New Heaven and New Earth.
We now turn back to our text in Peter:

…wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless. (2 Pet 3:12-14).

Peter wrote 2nd Peter just before the siege of Jerusalem which started in 66AD. John Owen believes that this passage is about the destruction of Jerusalem. (See The Works of John Owen Vol. 9.) Owen claimed that Peter was not speaking of a literal destruction of the planet.

What are some reasons for this view?

1. The world destroyed in Noah’s day, which Peter used as a comparison, meant a judgment upon men, not a destruction of the planet.

2. The symbolism of the heavens dissolving and the earth being destroyed are used in scripture to mean the end of a nation, not the end of the world.

3. Peter was addressing scoffers of his own generation, the Jews who scoffed at Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of Judaism. This is what the Jews were aware of concerning Jesus’ teaching. They persecuted the Christians because of this.

4. The New Heaven and New Earth Peter spoke of are said in Is 65:17, 66:21-22, Hab 2 and Heb 12:26-28 to be the gospel age.

5. Peter said that they were to expect the fulfilment of this in their own generation.

6. Looking for salvation in a new physical heaven and new physical earth would not solve anything. The problem is the hearts of men and the solution is in Jesus. The New Heaven and New Earth merely depict His salvation.

7. The Greek word used twice in 2nd Peter 3 for elements, which shall melt with fervent heat, is used seven times in the New Testament and refers to the elements of the Jewish Old Covenant state (Gal 4:3, 4:9, Col 2:20, Heb 5:12, 6:1).

8. Peter uses similar language here that Jesus uses in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew, Luke and Mark (the sun the moon and the stars) for that which occurs immediately after the tribulation of those days, which Jesus expressly said was the fall of Jerusalem (Matt 24:29). Peter used the same language also in Acts 2 when describing the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy in his day.

But one of the main reasons that we believe that 2nd Peter 3 is about the destruction of the Jewish state, is that it is possible that the Bible does not say that the earth will be destroyed at the end, at the resurrection, when Jesus hands over the kingdom to the Father. Paul speaks of this is 1st Corinthians 15 and he says nothing about the earth being literally destroyed.

We will look at this in the next chapter, from texts in Revelation and the prophets. It is often assumed that these texts say that the earth will be destroyed, but do they say this? Is the idea of the total destruction of this planet a pagan myth that we read into 2nd Peter 3 unwittingly? You may not agree with this, but we should be able to challenge our views, while holding to the inerrancy and intended meaning of scripture.

It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him. (1 John 3:2).

Peter said that the reason that this event was delaying in his time, was that the Lord was longsuffering. The 1,000 years being one day that Peter mentioned is not a definition of a day. Peter’s purpose is to show that God is patient. This was also mentioned by Jesus in Matt 10:23 and 24:14 in showing that this judgment would wait until the gospel had gone to the Jews, i.e., it would wait for that generation to hear the gospel.

When Peter said that we look for new heavens and a new earth he meant that our hearts and lives are not of this world, but we are in Christ. We are not looking in the sense that we do not have it yet, but maintaining our focus and view in Christ. We are also expecting Christ’s vindication in history and in eternity.

Peter’s exhortation has relevance to every generation. The fashion of this earth is always corrupting and passing away and will do until Jesus finally returns at the resurrection at the end of this age. Then we have the final manifestation of that which began at Pentecost. Once again we quote Calvin’s view of this:

Here the world to come is not that which we hope for after the resurrection, but that which began at the beginning of Christ’s kingdom; but it will no doubt have its full accomplishment in our final redemption (resurrection). (Calvin, Commentary on Hebrews 2:5).

This is the New Heaven and New Earth, fulfilled in new birth and in the redemption of our bodies. We look at the Second Coming of Jesus and resurrection in the next chapter.