2 Peter 3 and the Destruction of the earth

Will the current heavens and earth be destroyed in order to make way for the new heavens and earth?
Dr. Michael D. Williams

Second Peter 3 verses 3 through 13 is certainly a text that Christians have traditionally gone to on this question. And at first glance, you know, Peter is using a very vivid string of terms to speak about the Day of the Lord, the coming of the new heavens and new earth, and it's been very typical for Christians to go to a text like this, especially from the King James reading of, say, verse 10: "This world will burn up; it will be consumed in fire; it will be destroyed." Sound biblical exegesis, however, in the last number of years has pointed out, and I think convincingly, that the language that Peter actually uses here is not destruction language, but is purgation language. The best manuscripts, instead of using for consumed with fire instead of using a term that comes from a verb meaning to consume, it actually comes from a verb meaning to establish or to find, and it does create the idea of purgation. Interestingly, and importantly, we miss the context of what's going on here. If you skip to verse 10 you get this, again, this very vivid picture. But before that, Peter talks about the Noahic deluge. What we really have here is this world will be destroyed as Noah's world was destroyed. So we really have the picture of three worlds here: Noah's world before the flood, the world that came after the flood, and the world that will come after the return of the Lord. And these three worlds are distinguished by two catastrophic events: the flood and the destruction by fire. But God's only created his world once, and it's still here, so the Noahic flood did not destroy the world, it purged it, it cleansed it. And the language of purgation is actually fairly common in Scripture. It's there in Malachi to speak about the world to come. Paul uses it in 1 Corinthians to speak in this way. And I think on balance, then, just within the text itself, on the analogy of the Noahic flood, God is not going to destroy his world and replace it with some other world, he is going to cleanse it. Now, a radical cleansing that will be; it's not simply going to come and pick up the trash, but it will not be a complete destruction.

[robturvey]

Excellent summary but what is the point of the annoying background muzak?

[jollyrancher]

This is also the jw position. 2 Peter 3:7 says that the heavens and earth that now exist are reserved for fire. But that does not mean the planet earth will be destroyed. In the same chapter, Peter compares the coming destruction to the flood of Noah's day. God did not destroy the planet earth then, but rather the ungodly people. Psalm 104:5 says that God has established the earth (speaking of the planet earth) on its foundations and it will never be removed. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said that the meek would inherit the earth.

[dbchillin]

I agree and out of this Refiner's Fire he will bring forth a new Heaven and a new Earth

[aaronowen]

where will the saved be during this time period? Will we be in Heaven and if so does that mean that Heaven acts kind of like the ark did during the flood? We will be there while the earth is remade and then come back to earth to live?

[cssmith]

So, in other words, it gonna be a flood of fire (lava)?

[makarov]

If the end of that second heaven and earth has not come even yet, then why did Peter tell them to watch for it?

[ryan]

He’s right. God will not burn the whole planet earth, but extinct the wicked.

[mitchellc]

The gospel is the gospel of the kingdom!

Jesus is going to return and set up the kingdom of God ON THE EARTH! God’s government ON THE EARTH! The Messiah died for his people! God resurrected the Messiah! The Messiah will resurrect his people! The destiny of the Messiah and his people is to be ON THE EARTH! The renewed restored earth! God also dwelling with them! Rev 21

Matt 24
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Jesus said the Father is the only true God!



John 17
3 And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

[janethunter]

So, if, in the beginning, God created heaven and the earth and earth was void and without form, then after 6 days, he said "it is good" when did it become void and without form? When God creates, he creates perfectly. Sin is the thing that destroys, but that didn't come until Adam and Eve sinned. So, when did God's creation get destroyed? The flood didn't destroy the earth. It destroyed mankind. It grieved God that he had made man, so he decided to wipe man out. Then Noah found favor with God, and God decided to continue the human race through him. God changed his mind. Earth was cleansed by the flood. It was not destroyed. I believe "The world that was" and was completely destroyed was before God created this world to suit mankind. The beginning of creation is not knowable. The Bible is God's Word to mankind. So, whatever God did before he made man is not the message he has for us. Everything is about Jesus, who he is, and what he did for us.

[markderksen]

Otherwise it would contradict Psalm 102

[yasec]

What the fuck Edit: sorry wrong video praise the lord 🙏🙏

[onlyonemrxonlyonemry]

So he Loves you ? Ok. Send me 2 Hell then.