The passing away of heaven and earth in 2 Pet 3
Turn in your Bibles to 2 Pet 3. This morning we continue our study of the passing away of heaven and earth. Reformed Church in Georgetown Texas. Preterist church in Georgetown Texas. New Covenant Fellowship Church in Georgetown Texas. Pastor David Boone.preterism covenant eschatology.
As you do, I want to point out 2 things that will help us to see this text for what it is:
1. We have seen from the Scriptures that in the context of prophecy, heaven and earth often refer to rulers and people. As far as people and rulers are concerned, the Bible’s focus is Israel; in the Scriptures the passing away of heaven and earth is the passing away of OC Israel.
2. Peter’s prediction in this passage is of the same substance as Jesus’ words in the Olivet Discourse. These are parallel passages that speak about the same events, the coming of the Son of Man, the judgment and destruction of OC Israel which was the passing away of heaven and earth; this occurred in 70 AD and was manifest in the destruction of OC Israel by the Romans.
This shouldn’t surprise us, since Peter was one of the few to whom Jesus spoke those prophetic words.
2 PET 3
1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” By interpreting Scripture with Scripture we know that the last days were not the last days of human history, but last days of OC order. The author of Hebrews identifies the first century as the last days, but James also identifies the first century as the last days in James 5:3. Furthermore, our author of this letter, Peter identifies his day as the last days in Acts 2 when he quotes Joel and says that prophecy about the last days is being fulfilled now (in his day – not now in our day). So Peter isn’t saying, I’m writing to you guys in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, to let Americans know in 2000 years that scoffers will come in their day. Peter is letting his contemporaries know that since they were living in the last days they shouldn’t be surprised at what they were already experiencing: scoffers saying, “where is this coming he promised?” After all, Jesus told them time and again in various ways that he would come in their generation, that some who were standing there would not taste death before his coming. After 20 years passed and everything was carrying on like normal, antagonistic Jews would no doubt scoff and say where is it? After 30 years…where is it? 35 years…generation is almost passed away. That heretical blasphemer Jesus who claimed to be God promised a coming. Where is it?
5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. Very briefly, let’s consider what happened in the flood. Was the planet destroyed? No. What was destroyed in the flood? People. Wicked people were destroyed. Peter calls the flood to mind, drawing from Jesus’ words in Matt 24. Jesus likened His coming to the flood. Matt 24:37-39 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Peter and Jesus liken the coming day of judgment to the flood; Peter’s expectation of destruction was no doubt of a similar fashion: the destruction not of a planet, but of wicked people. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. So he says the present heavens and earth were reserved for judgment by fire; in the flood the wicked people were destroyed by water. In the coming of Christ, wicked PEOPLE would be destroyed by fire, namely the fire set ablaze by Rome in 70 AD. So again, the present heavens and earth would refer to unbelieving OC Israel and her rulers authorities and respective socio-political-religious order, which was the very thing destroyed in that generation.
8 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. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. So now Peter encourages them and says look, I know you are suffering reproach by these mockers who are making fun of you, kicking you out of the synagogue, acting like you’re crazy. Hang in there. He will come before this generation passes away, just like he said, but his delay is for the purpose of giving more people time to repent, since the kingdom is at hand.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Once again, Peter draws from Jesus’ words in Matt 24. Matt 24:42-44 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Again, Peter shows that he is discussing the very thing that Jesus discussed in the Olivet Discourse, namely the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70 AD.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. This is about the destruction of the temple and the people who took refuge in it. Here Peter is drawing from the prophecy in Isaiah 66:5-6 5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: “Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame. 6 Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve.
Remember the doctrine of the 2 Israels: Israel according to the flesh which made themselves God’s enemies by rejecting him and Israel according to the Spirit. Isaiah, like Peter, is encouraging Israel according to the spirit that God’s enemies, these scoffers, will be repaid as they deserve. They said let his blood be on our heads and our children’s heads…well, it would be. With a roar God executed judgment on unbelieving OC Israel in the destruction of the ungodly people, the city and the temple. Isaiah is giving the same encouragement as Peter. Your own people who call themselves Israel, yet exclude you because of the name of Jesus will be put to shame. They try to shame you now, but THEY will be put to shame when all they trust in is destroyed with them, with a roar they will pass away.
Isaiah says: 6 Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve.
Likewise, Peter says: The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. In 70 AD, the fire and sword of Rome brought God’s judgment on the heavens and earth of OC Israel.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. Peter is speaking of things his contemporaries were looking forward to in their day. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. He says: The elements will melt in the heat. If I come to this with a literal interpretation and my presupposition is that this is the destruction of the physical planet, then I naturally understand that elements here refers to the elements of the periodic table, the subatomic particles of the planet, carbon and nitrogen and gold, etc. As we have already demonstrated, this is not referring to the burning up of the planet by fire, but the judgment and destruction of ungodly people by fire.
So what is meant by elements? This is the second time in this chapter that Peter has used that word translated as elements. The Greek word here is stoicheia which should be familiar to those of you who were here for our study of Galatians. It is the same word Paul used to identify the elementary principles of the world, namely Judaism: how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable stoichea - elements? Paul also uses it 2 times in Colossians 2 and both times there it refers to the same: elementary principles of religion. So the melting of the elements here, contextually, refers to the burning and destruction of the elements of the OC order.
I’d like to share with you a quote from Josephus, a Jewish historian with regards to the Jewish religion. Antiquities of the Jews Book 3, Chapter 7, section 7.
“Now here one may wonder at the ill-will which men bear to us, and which they profess to bear on account of our despising that Deity which they pretend to honor; for if any one do but consider the fabric of the tabernacle, and take a view of the garments of the high priest, and of those vessels which we make use of in our sacred ministration, he will find that our legislator was a divine man, and that we are unjustly reproached by others; for if any one do without prejudice, and with judgment, look upon these things, he will find they were every one made in way of imitation and representation of the universe. When Moses distinguished the tabernacle into three parts, (15) and allowed two of them to the priests, as a place accessible and common, he denoted the land and the sea, these being of general access to all; but he set apart the third division for God, because heaven is inaccessible to men. And when he ordered twelve loaves to be set on the table, he denoted the year, as distinguished into so many months. By branching out the candlestick into seventy parts, he secretly intimated the Decani, or seventy divisions of the planets; and as to the seven lamps upon the candlesticks, they referred to the course of the planets, of which that is the number. The veils, too, which were composed of four things, they declared the four elements; for the fine linen was proper to signify the earth, because the flax grows out of the earth; the purple signified the sea, because that color is dyed by the blood of a sea shell-fish; the blue is fit to signify the air; and the scarlet will naturally be an indication of fire. Now the vestment of the high priest being made of linen, signified the earth; the blue denoted the sky, being like lightning in its pomegranates, and in the noise of the bells resembling thunder. And for the ephod, it showed that God had made the universe of four elements; and as for the gold interwoven, I suppose it related to the splendor by which all things are enlightened. He also appointed the breastplate to be placed in the middle of the ephod, to resemble the earth, for that has the very middle place of the world. And the girdle which encompassed the high priest round, signified the ocean, for that goes round about and includes the universe. Each of the sardonyxes declares to us the sun and the moon; those, I mean, that were in the nature of buttons on the high priest's shoulders. And for the twelve stones, whether we understand by them the months, or whether we understand the like number of the signs of that circle which the Greeks call the Zodiac, we shall not be mistaken in their meaning. And for the mitre, which was of a blue color, it seems to me to mean heaven; for how otherwise could the name of God be inscribed upon it?”
So according to Josephus, we have represented in the temple and the priesthood heavens, earth and elements. So the destruction of Peter’s present heavens and earth could be rightly understood simply as the destruction of the Temple, which was the literal epicenter of worship for the Old Covenant people of God.
13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Where did God promise a new heaven and earth? Isaiah 65 & 66. Peter knew that he was living in the last days and was living out those prophecies about being rejected by his own people and saw in his day the coming destruction of the temple in God’s repayment of his enemies. This is in conjunction with the establishment of a new heaven and earth. They were looking forward to the full consummation of the New Covenant order with a new people of God characterized by righteousness. Just as we read in 2 Cor 3. The OC was a ministry of condemnation, whereas the New is a ministry of righteousness. In the new covenant we aren’t righteous because we do stuff, but because Jesus did stuff. We are declared righteous before God based on the meritorious work of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice. As our great High Priest, he shed the blood of the lamb –himself. He went into the real Most Holy Place in heaven presented the blood before the Father. In Peter’s day they were awaiting his return from behind the heavenly curtain to announce that God had accepted the sacrifice. In his return in 70 AD he came out of the Most Holy Place to declare atonement is complete, you are righteous.
This new heavens and earth is where righteousness dwells. In the first century they were awaiting this righteousness; you may recall Gal 5:5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
So as you can see, to interpret these passages with the understanding that heavens and earth refers to OC Israel along with her rulers authorities and socio political religious order is extremely contextual and consistent and virtually free of contradiction.
Before we close, I’d like to read you a quote from John Owen. Who is John Owen? Only one of the most brilliant theologians of all time.
J.I. Packer says, “I owe more to John Owen than to any other theologian, ancient or modern.
John Owen preached a sermon on 2 Pet 3 in 1721. In that sermon he says:
On this foundation I affirm that the heavens and earth here intended in this prophecy of Peter, the coming of the Lord, the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, mentioned in the destruction of that heaven and earth, do all of them relate, not to the last and final judgment of the world, but to that utter desolation and destruction that was to be made of the Judaical church and state; for which I shall offer these two reasons, of many that might be insisted on from the text:-
'(1.) Because whatever is here mentioned was to have its peculiar influence on the men of that generation. He speaks of that wherein both the profane scoffers and those scoffed at were concerned, and that asJews, some of them believing, others opposing, the faith. Now there was no particular concernment of that generation, nor in that sin, nor in that scoffing, as to the day of judgment in general ; but there was a peculiar relief for the one and a peculiar dread for the other at hand, in the destruction of the Jewish nation ; and, besides, an ample testimony both to the one and the other of the power and dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was the thing in question between them.
'(2.) Peter tells them, that after the destruction and judgment that he speaks of (vers. 7-13), " We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,' etc. They had this expectation. But what is that promise? Where may we find it? Why, we have it in the very words and letter, Isa. 65:17. Now, when shall this be that God shall create these new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness? Saith Peter, " It shall be after the coming of the Lord, after that judgment and destruction of ungodly men, who obey not the gospel, that I foretell." But now it is evident from this place of Isaiah, with chap. 66:21, 22, that this is a prophecy of Gospel times only; and that the planting of these new heavens is nothing but the creation of Gospel ordinances to endure for ever. The same thing is so expressed Heb 12:26-28.
' This being the design of the place, I shall not insist longer on the context, but briefly open the words proposed, and fix upon the truth continued in them.
'First, There is the foundation of the apostle's inference and exhortation, seeing that all these things, however precious they seem, or what value soever any put upon them, shall be dissolved, that is, destroyed; and that in that dreadful and fearful manner before mentioned, in a day of judgment, wrath, and vengeance, by fire and sword; let others mock at the threats of Christ's coming: He will come- He will not tarry; and then the heavens and earth that God Himself planted, -the sun, moon, and stars of the Judaical polity and church, -the whole old world of worship and worshippers, that stand out in their obstinancy against the Lord Christ, shall be sensibly dissolved and destroyed: this we know shall be the end of these things, and that shortly.
Well done, John Owen. It’s no wonder this man is respected by so many.
As John Owen expressed the first heavens and earth passed away in the destruction of unrepentant OC Israel in 70 AD by the Romans at which point God fully established the new heavens and earth, his gospel kingdom, his new people under a new covenant: his church. Thus, we are a part of this new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.
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