2 Peter 3:8-9
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9
In the context Peter is addressing the scoffer who says "where is this coming he promised?". Peter reminds us that God is not on the same time frame as us. God is eternal and we think 70 years is a long time. In light of eternity, its really not that long. If it takes God 35 years to keep a promise (which is close to the time frame that Jesus ascended until Peter wrote this letter), then we think God is slow in acting upon His promise. Well, its been a little under 2000 years now! Is God slow? No, because time doesn't matter to God, rather He is patient! What is He waiting for? Peter reveals to us that God is not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance. What does he mean by that? Does he mean that God will not return until the human race ceases to exist, therefore, all have had an opportunity to respond? I don't think so. Based on other Scriptures, I believe God has a plan and in that plan He has called people to Himself. He knows who are His past, present, and future. He will not come until that plan is completed, for if He does come in our time frame, those He has called will not have an opportunity to come to repentance. The word "anyone" throws us off. I would encourage you to take a look at a Strong's Concordance to look up the definition of this Greek word. We assume that the word means anyone meaning everyone or all people, but that is not the meaning of that word. It means "a certain one" or "some". The bottom line is that we have to trust in a sovereign God who will carry out His plan in His timing and He does not operate in our limited understanding of time. The hope of His coming is not that we will be rescued from our trials and tribulations, that happens when we enter the presence of the Lord upon death, but that He is coming back to redeem the earth! Evil will be destroyed and God will reign forever upon an everlasting throne! We will live on a new earth with new resurrected bodies as God designed. That is the hope of His coming! It would be cool to be alive during His coming though! Live today in light of that hope!
In the context Peter is addressing the scoffer who says "where is this coming he promised?". Peter reminds us that God is not on the same time frame as us. God is eternal and we think 70 years is a long time. In light of eternity, its really not that long. If it takes God 35 years to keep a promise (which is close to the time frame that Jesus ascended until Peter wrote this letter), then we think God is slow in acting upon His promise. Well, its been a little under 2000 years now! Is God slow? No, because time doesn't matter to God, rather He is patient! What is He waiting for? Peter reveals to us that God is not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance. What does he mean by that? Does he mean that God will not return until the human race ceases to exist, therefore, all have had an opportunity to respond? I don't think so. Based on other Scriptures, I believe God has a plan and in that plan He has called people to Himself. He knows who are His past, present, and future. He will not come until that plan is completed, for if He does come in our time frame, those He has called will not have an opportunity to come to repentance. The word "anyone" throws us off. I would encourage you to take a look at a Strong's Concordance to look up the definition of this Greek word. We assume that the word means anyone meaning everyone or all people, but that is not the meaning of that word. It means "a certain one" or "some". The bottom line is that we have to trust in a sovereign God who will carry out His plan in His timing and He does not operate in our limited understanding of time. The hope of His coming is not that we will be rescued from our trials and tribulations, that happens when we enter the presence of the Lord upon death, but that He is coming back to redeem the earth! Evil will be destroyed and God will reign forever upon an everlasting throne! We will live on a new earth with new resurrected bodies as God designed. That is the hope of His coming! It would be cool to be alive during His coming though! Live today in light of that hope!
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