2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

Peter summarized the ancient history of planet earth and the dramatic changes it went
through in prior verses. At the present time, however, the atmosphere and the earth are
being reserved in their current status quo for yet another purpose in God’s plan (Gnomic
Perfect tense). It might seem to us that nothing ever changes because it has been
thousands of years since the last dramatic change occurred to our planet. But God did not
fall asleep; He did not forget we are here. The same Word that created, destroyed and
refashioned the earth and atmosphere, Jesus Christ, is now in the act of preserving them
(Durative Present tense) for a future day of judgment by fire. There is a day in the
unknown future when the earth and its atmosphere will be destroyed again, but this time
it will be by fire instead of water. And there’s nothing we (mankind) can do to planet
earth to prevent His plans from occurring on time and as decreed.
And to put a personal touch on it, because the false teachers think there will be no
evaluation of believers or judgment of unbelievers in the future, Peter reminds us that
unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne and sentenced to eternal misery.
They will not be annihilated or burnt-up; they will be given a resurrection body that is
able to be tortured by outer darkness and misery forever (Latin: perdition). In other
words, the original creation was judged without man’s presence, but the current creation
will be judged including man’s presence. It is not part of God’s plan to destroy the earth
by fire and leave ungodly men untouched. Peter is not relegating the false teachers and
their followers to the Great White Throne judgment; rather he is emphasizing that the 2 nd
judgment includes a final reckoning of mankind. All Christians, including those who
lived in reversionism with these false teachers, will be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of
Christ.
RELEVANT OPINIONS
God determines the beginning of this universe and the end. He speaks as the Creator in the
beginning, with the result that the heavens and the earth are formed. He speaks as the Judge
on the last day, with the consequence that heaven and earth will be destroyed by fire. (S.
Kistemaker) Since the Millennium is still future, the destruction by mankind by nuclear
holocaust, environmental disaster, or any other worldwide catastrophe is not only pure
fiction but humanly impossible. Only the Lord Jesus Christ Himself at the close of the
Millennium will destroy the present universe and create “a new heaven and a new earth.”
There all believers will dwell for all eternity. (R.B. Thieme, Jr.)
The day of the Lord (3:10) includes the Tribulation, the Millennium, the Great White Throne
judgment, and the destruction of the present heavens and earth. (K. Gangel) The present
heavens and earth likewise are not permanent and immutable, for they “by the same Word
have been stored up for fire.” The “same Word” looks back to verse 5 and indicates that the
divine utterance, which so constituted the old world that it was subject to destruction, has
also determined the end of the present cosmic system. The world and all within it from
beginning to end are dependant upon the omnipotent Word of God. (D. Hiebert) Sadly most
of humanity remains utterly unprepared for the Day of the Lord even while events involving
Israel and the Middle East suggest that that Day may be very imminent. (Z. Hodges)