Judgment Day Isn’t a Joke. Atheists and other mockers are laughing their way to Hell.
Atheists love to laugh at and mock us Christians for believing in the Bible, for having faith in God, for trusting the word of God, for believing that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. They'll scoff, laugh at and mock that idea because they are spiritually blind fools who hate the truth.
2 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."
The Bible predicted in the 1st century AD that in the last days people would be mocking and making fun of the idea that Jesus Christ is still coming. Let me tell you something. Jesus Christ is coming again.
2 Peter 3:5-6 says, "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:"
It's talking about the global flood that they're ignorant of.
2 Peter 3:7 says, "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
So, notice that when they actually scoff at the second coming of Christ, here's what they're actually scoffing at. It's not that they're necessarily scoffing about Jesus coming back per se. What they're scoffing at is the punishment of God, the judgment of God. Because what is the second coming of Christ to unbelievers? It's wrath. It's punishment. It's justice for them. We as saved Christians look at the second coming of Christ as the redemption of our bodies. This is the glorious day of Christ, the day of the Lord. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. But if you're unsaved, then the second coming of Christ is a threat to you. It's punishment. It's judgment day. Doomsday is what we would call it from that perspective.
And it says here that they scoff at the promise of his coming. What they're actually doing is they're scoffing at the judgment of God. They're making fun of the fact that someday they're going to get punished. That they're going to get judged by God someday.
Look at verse eight. And remember, this is written 2,000 years ago. It's written in the first century AD.
2 Peter 3:8 - But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The author here, Peter, is obviously indicating that this could be a really long time. It could be thousands of years. Because he's saying, if people are wondering where is the promise of his coming? Well, just remember, for him a day is like a thousand years, a thousand years like a day. That means that it's been two days with that math. That's not a super long time. And the idea here is that it's not strange or crazy that it's 2026 and Jesus still hasn't returned.
And look at the time scale that God worked on in the Old Testament. It's roughly 1,656 some odd years from the creation to the flood. And then from the flood until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ It's still another 2,600 years or so. That's the kind of time scales that God's working on. So, it's not like we should have just expected it all to just happen in rapid succession. Let's give the New Testament some time to cook. If the Old Testament cooked for 1,500 years, you know, the law of Moses. Then the New Testament, the better testament, let Christianity do its thing.
Now, here's the thing. God has a plan for why he's allowing this long period of time to go on.
2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
So, the whole point of holding off on the judgment, holding off on doomsday, holding off on the end of the world, is to give more people a chance to get saved.
But they're scoffing at the judgment of God because look at verse 10.
2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
It's a blessing for us saved Bible believers. We're going to be caught up together with Christ in the clouds. We're going to be taken to heaven, but then God's going to torch this planet. And we're going to see all those plagues and judgments of the book of Revelation play out.
Turn to the King of kings - The Lord Jesus Christ and get saved before it's eternally too late!
DO YOU KNOW?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
WHO IS GOOD?
As it is written, There is none righteous, not not one. (Romans 3:10)
WHO HAS SINNED?
For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
WHERE SIN CAME FROM
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon ALL men, for that ALL have sinned. (Romans 5:12)
GOD’S PRICE ON SIN
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
GOD’S WAY OUT!
But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)
2 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."
The Bible predicted in the 1st century AD that in the last days people would be mocking and making fun of the idea that Jesus Christ is still coming. Let me tell you something. Jesus Christ is coming again.
2 Peter 3:5-6 says, "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:"
It's talking about the global flood that they're ignorant of.
2 Peter 3:7 says, "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
So, notice that when they actually scoff at the second coming of Christ, here's what they're actually scoffing at. It's not that they're necessarily scoffing about Jesus coming back per se. What they're scoffing at is the punishment of God, the judgment of God. Because what is the second coming of Christ to unbelievers? It's wrath. It's punishment. It's justice for them. We as saved Christians look at the second coming of Christ as the redemption of our bodies. This is the glorious day of Christ, the day of the Lord. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. But if you're unsaved, then the second coming of Christ is a threat to you. It's punishment. It's judgment day. Doomsday is what we would call it from that perspective.
And it says here that they scoff at the promise of his coming. What they're actually doing is they're scoffing at the judgment of God. They're making fun of the fact that someday they're going to get punished. That they're going to get judged by God someday.
Look at verse eight. And remember, this is written 2,000 years ago. It's written in the first century AD.
2 Peter 3:8 - But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The author here, Peter, is obviously indicating that this could be a really long time. It could be thousands of years. Because he's saying, if people are wondering where is the promise of his coming? Well, just remember, for him a day is like a thousand years, a thousand years like a day. That means that it's been two days with that math. That's not a super long time. And the idea here is that it's not strange or crazy that it's 2026 and Jesus still hasn't returned.
And look at the time scale that God worked on in the Old Testament. It's roughly 1,656 some odd years from the creation to the flood. And then from the flood until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ It's still another 2,600 years or so. That's the kind of time scales that God's working on. So, it's not like we should have just expected it all to just happen in rapid succession. Let's give the New Testament some time to cook. If the Old Testament cooked for 1,500 years, you know, the law of Moses. Then the New Testament, the better testament, let Christianity do its thing.
Now, here's the thing. God has a plan for why he's allowing this long period of time to go on.
2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
So, the whole point of holding off on the judgment, holding off on doomsday, holding off on the end of the world, is to give more people a chance to get saved.
But they're scoffing at the judgment of God because look at verse 10.
2 Peter 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
It's a blessing for us saved Bible believers. We're going to be caught up together with Christ in the clouds. We're going to be taken to heaven, but then God's going to torch this planet. And we're going to see all those plagues and judgments of the book of Revelation play out.
Turn to the King of kings - The Lord Jesus Christ and get saved before it's eternally too late!
DO YOU KNOW?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
WHO IS GOOD?
As it is written, There is none righteous, not not one. (Romans 3:10)
WHO HAS SINNED?
For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
WHERE SIN CAME FROM
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon ALL men, for that ALL have sinned. (Romans 5:12)
GOD’S PRICE ON SIN
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
GOD’S WAY OUT!
But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)
36-40, M
