12-14-08 Time-Keeping In the Kingdom of God

Our study of Peter’s final letter to the people of God

has brought us to the last 11 verses in these 3 short chapters.

This morning we will conclude our study of the book,

but not before Peter offers us a few more treasures.

If you were with us last week

you may remember that Peter was talking with us

about the end of this world as we know it,

about that final point in the unfolding history of this planet

when this world has served the purpose for which God brought it into being,

providing Him with a temporary platform

on which each member of the human race

could interact with Him within the context of real free will.

In the most remarkable way

He placed into motion

a design for the human race

in which He could powerfully, clearly reveal the true nature of His love for us,

and yet do it in a way

that gave each of us the freedom

to reject or respond to that love.

But from the very beginning

this world was intended to be just a temporary stage,

and once it has served its purpose,

and all the choices have been made,

and all those decisions have been honored by God,

He will toss this world, this galaxy, this universe away

and replace it with a new creation,

one in which righteousness dwells,

one that will have no end.

I like the way the author of Hebrews said it.

HEB 1:10-12 And, "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end."

We think what happens on this earth is so real,

so permanent,

so eternal.

But it’s not.

It’s just a temporary stage on which all of the actors play out their parts.

But the play does not go on forever,

and when the final scene is over,

and the script that was written before foundation of the world is completed,

the lights will go out forever,

and a new and very much better drama will take its place.

And when we left Peter last week

he was talking with us,

or more correctly warning us about those around us

who will try very hard to tell us

that this play we are now involved in will never end

and this stage will last forever.

He had a name for those folks.

He called them the “mockers”

because they will mock the people of God

when we try to suggest that human history has an end

and that end appears to be very close indeed.

We learned some helpful and encouraging things last week.

We learned that those who mock do so most of all

not for reasons of logic,

but rather because their own life choices

have made the existence of a Creator God to whom they are accountable

an utterly unacceptable option.

And we learned, too,

that this world as it now exists

is being preserved by God until it has fully fulfilled His purposes,

and nothing and no one will be permitted to destroy it

until He determines that it is time to do so.

And then we also saw that just as our King holds this planet in His hands,

and keeps, and preserves, and protects it for His purposes,

so He also holds each one of us in His hands

and keeps, and preserves, and protects each of us

until His purposes in us and for us and through us are fulfilled.

OK, that’s where we ended last week,

but that is not where Peter ends this discussion.

And what he does next

may just possibly be

one of the most fascinating prophetic glimpses found anywhere in the Bible.

This just might be the view of Mt. Redoubt from the top of Skyline.

Sandee and I live at the top of Skyline.

The road is heavily wooded on both sides

and most of the time all you see as you drive to the top are trees...lots and lots of trees.

But just as you reach the top of the hill

there is a road to the west

and as you drive by that road,

if you’re watching for it,

all of a sudden you’re given the most remarkable framed panoramic view of Mt. Redoubt

that you’ll find anywhere on the Peninsula.

It’s there for just a few seconds as you drive by,

and then it’s gone.

Now, I’m not promising that’s the type of thing we have happening here with our view of prophecy,

but I think it just might be a possibility.

Let me see if I can explain to you what I mean.

We know that, at least at some level,

Peter has chosen to turn his attention to prophecy

in these final few lines of his last letter to us.

As we saw last week,

he’s just told us how the world will be destroyed - by fire,

and he’s told us that this event will not take place

until everything our Lord wants to accomplish on this earth has been accomplished.

And then, immediately after focusing our attention on that future event

he says this:

2PE 3:8-10 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

OK, there are some things we know with certainty from this passage.

We know that God relates to time in a completely different framework than we do.

Peter is still talking about those mockers we met last week,

those outside the Family of God

who hear us proclaiming that these are the “last days”,

and then who look at the weeks and months and years go by without the return of Christ,

and respond to what they see by saying, “Where is this great promise of His coming?”

And Peter responds to their sneers

with three statements of defense.

First, as we saw last week,

he tells the mockers to look back in history to the flood,

showing them that we have already seen a point in time

when God intervened in human events in a way that nearly eliminated all living creatures.

Then, the second thing he does

is to tell us that God’s concept of time-keeping

is nothing like ours.

We think a month is a long chunk of time,

and a year is very significant,

and 70 years is about all our minds can handle

because it’s all many of us get.

And to this thinking he says in effect,

“You pinheads! Do you think that to an eternal God seven years, or seventy years, or seven hundred years is anything? For with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.”

And then he goes on to give us another glorious glimpse into the heart of God.

The third thing he shares with us concerning God’s postponement in the return of Christ

is to tell us that He is doing what He’s doing

because His longing to bring more people to Himself

makes it worth His having to put up with all that comes with our rebellion a little longer.

And then, after sharing this with us,

Peter finishes his prophetic comments

with a vivid description of the final event on this earth.

2PE 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

OK, that much is obvious.

But what if Peter’s comments about God’s time-keeping

were not just symbolic but literal.

We know for certain that at the very least Peter was telling us

that to an eternal God

a single day is no more or less significant

than is a thousand years.

And even our finite minds can understand that at some level.

Time only has a relevance

in the context of a beginning and an ending

and with God there are neither.

But what if there is more than just that going on in this verse.

What if we are being given a glimpse into God’s overall plan for the human race.

And what I offer you here

I offer mostly just as an interesting idea,

an idea I certainly do not claim to be able to prove with historical data

because no such data exists.

But still,

I will admit that I find it to be an interesting idea.

Apart from the Biblical record

we only have written historical documents

that trace back to about 800 B.C. when the Greeks began keeping written records.

Certainly in the Old Testament records

we have a number of much earlier civilizations mentioned,

in fact civilizations the trace all the way back to the creation,

but putting dates on those events is not always an easy matter.

But there are many Biblical scholars

who believe the events in the Old Testament

span a period of roughly 4000 years.

And of course we know with absolute certainty

that it has been almost exactly 2000 years

since the birth of Christ.

Though there is always some debate,

it is generally accepted that Christ’s birth can be placed somewhere between 2 and 4B.C.

And there is something else we know with certainty as well.

We know from John’s remarks in Revelation 20

that following Christ’s return to this earth

there will be a thousand year period

in which Christ establishes His rule on this earth

and His people will rule with Him.

REV 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

REV 20:2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

REV 20:3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

REV 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

And there is something else we know, too.

We know that God Himself established the 7 day week into human culture.

It is deeply imbedded in His earliest communication with us.

The first chapter of Genesis

records for us what God calls the first six days of creation.

Then, in the first few verses of the second chapter we read:

GEN 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.

GEN 2:2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

GEN 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

OK, if we take this one week concept given to us by our God - six days of work and one of rest,

and then we take Peter’s comment to us

telling us that to God one day is as a thousand years,

to date we have had roughly six thousand years or six days of human history so far,

and we know with certainty

that there will come a 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth yet to come - a Sabbath rest for creation.

And if you want me to stretch this idea even farther,

we can even take that phrase “the last days” which is clearly plural,

and view it as referring to the final two days (or 2000 years) prior to the return of Christ.

All of which means, of course,

that if this really is correct,

then we who are alive right now

are on a very thin line between the sixth and seventh days.

And do I believe all of that?

No, I do not believe it in the same way that I believe

that what Christ did on that cross

has forever removed my sins from me

and freed me to live in an eternal love union with my Creator.

Do I think it’s an interesting idea? Yes!

Am I going to build an empire on it

and start suggesting possible dates for the end of all things?

I have far too much respect for the intellectual integrity

that must be the foundation of anyone who claims divine authority in teaching the Word of God.

But I will also say that,

given the things that have taken place just within my lifetime,

and the pieces that are already in place for the coronation of a world ruler,

it certainly looks as if the time left before the King returns is short even by our human standards.

OK, from there Peter then takes what he has just shared with us

and does what we must always do with any prophetic teaching in Scripture -

he brings it home.

He reminds us that what he has just said

will impact our daily lives

if we have heard it correctly.

And just as a passing observation,

if there is any place where some teachers of Biblical Prophecy seem to miss the point

it’s right here.

You see, the purpose of Biblical prophecy

is to equip us for life here and now.

This life we are called to live is sometimes extremely hard.

We are aliens and strangers in a world filled with false prophets and mockers.

And even if it were not for them,

the very fact that our God has called us to love those around us

is also a calling

to choose, at times, to enter into tremendous pain.

Given the life we are called to live

in the world in which we are called to live it

it is essential that we know that ultimately we win.

We need to know that righteousness does triumph,

that all evil will be defeated,

and every right choice will ultimately bring a deeply fulfilling result.

That’s what prophecy is there for.

That’s why God tells us how the story ends.

But in our fiercely competitive religious industry

all too often it’s used as a gimmick to sell books,

or increase donations,

or attract larger crowds.

But Peter won’t let us get away with that

because the very next thing he does after giving us a glimpse into the future

is to bring us right back to the present

and tell us how these truths will affect us here and now

if we have heard and understood them correctly.

2PE 3:11-12 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

His message is clear -

whether our days on this planet end with the return of the King,

or whether they end with the death of our physical bodies,

our time on this plant is incredibly brief,

and the choices we make here and now

matter more than we could ever imagine,

both for our own life

and in the lives of every person we touch.

And then he goes on to offer the great hope.

2PE 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

No more pain,

no more sadness,

no more bad guys winning and good guys being shredded by the immorality of others.

Do you think that’s just old people stuff,

things that would provide hope and encouragement just to those who are already nearly dead and gone?

If so, then I didn’t say it right.

The injustice of corruption wounds the people of God at every age.

The kid at school who cheats his way to a better grade and is never found out,

the youth culture that awards status on the basis of how much you can drink, or smoke, or swallow -

the utter injustice of a world system

that ridicules righteousness

and rewards immorality

brings suffering at times to everyone who has the courage to do right, no matter what their age.

And when Peter tells us that we are hoping for and longing for a time and a place in which righteousness dwells, he’s offering hope to every child of God,

no matter what their age.

Well, Peter then offers one final strong exhortation -

2PE 3:14-15 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation...

And then he does something that I just love.

He goes on to say,

2 PE 3:15-16 ...just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Now isn’t that great?

Peter uses Paul as an authority with which to prove the truth of his own comments.

What that means, of course,

is that from the very beginning,

from the earliest days of the Church

the Divine authority of Paul’s writings

was recognized by those in the highest positions of leadership within the Church.

In case it interests you,

Peter was probably referring here to Paul’s comments to the Romans

in which he said,

ROM 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

And then, in chapter 9 he said,

ROM 9:22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

ROM 9:23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

ROM 9:24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

But do you know something else I really like about Peter’s comments here?

I like hearing Peter say about Paul’s letters,

in which are some things hard to understand...

I like that because it tells me that Peter himself had to at times wrestle with Paul’s words,

churning over them,

trying to understand what he was saying.

I like that because it tells me there’s nothing wrong with me

when I find I have to do the same thing.

It’s OK when I read a passage from Paul’s letters

and it just simply doesn’t make any sense to me at all at first.

In fact most of the most critical discoveries of truth I’ve made in my life

have come only after prolonged wrestling matches between me and some passage.

And nearly always,

when I finally see what’s being said

it isn’t because I’ve rooted out some hidden, intricate truth,

but rather because I have finally let go of some deeply ingrained false assumption

that has been blinding me to what’s really being said.

Just one example...

Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians by saying,

EPH 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the holy ones who are at Ephesus ...

And he uses the same word “holy” to describe them

as he uses to describe God Himself.

Now how can that be?

Surly he means they should strive to be holy,

to work at becoming more holy.

But that isn’t what he said.

And when I finally stopped rewriting his words

so as to make them more acceptable to my mind

and simply believed what he was saying,

when I finally realized that we are now and will remain for all eternity

absolutely pure, and holy, and sinless at the spirit level of our being,

it began a process within me

that reshaped my entire doctrinal system from the foundation up.

But it began not by discovering the intricate or the obscure,

but by seeing what was in plain sight all the time.

Anyway,

I just love knowing that there were times when Peter went through a similar process

in his relationship to Paul’s writings.

And then, one final time,

he warns us that there will be those

who will wilfully distort Scripture for their own ends,

and he wants us to be on guard against them.

2PE 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness...

Just because they quote Scripture,

don’t assume they’re telling you the truth.

He wants us smart.

He wants us always on guard,

and he very much wants us

to listen to and trust the protective voice of the Spirit of God within us.

If it doesn’t sound right to you,

even if you don’t immediately know why,

back away.

And with that he offers us his final words to the people of God.

2PE 3:18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.