2 Peter 3:7

3:5-10 Had these scoffers considered the dreadful vengeance with which God swept away a whole world of ungodly men at once, surely they would not have scoffed at his threatening an equally terrible judgment. The heavens and the earth which now are, by the same word, it is declared, will be destroyed by fire. This is as sure to come, as the truth and the power of God can make it. Christians are here taught and established in the truth of the coming of the Lord. Though, in the account of men, there is a vast difference between one day and a thousand years, yet, in the account of God, there is no difference. All things past, present, and future, are ever before him: the delay of a thousand years cannot be so much to him, as putting off any thing for a day or for an hour is to us. If men have no knowledge or belief of the eternal God, they will be very apt to think him such as themselves. How hard is it to form any thoughts of eternity! What men count slackness, is long-suffering, and that to us-ward; it is giving more time to hisown people, to advance in knowledge and holiness, and in the exercise of faith and patience, to abound in good works, doing and suffering what they are called to, that they may bring glory to God. Settle therefore in your hearts that you shall certainly be called to give an account of all things done in the body, whether good or evil.

And let a humble and diligent walking before God, and a frequent judging of yourselves, show a firm belief of the future judgment, though many live as if they were never to give any account at all. This day will come, when men are secure, and have no expectation of the day of the Lord. The stately palaces, and all the desirable things wherein wordly-minded men seek and place their happiness, shall be burned up; all sorts of creatures God has made, and all the works of men, must pass through the fire, which shall be a consuming fire to all that sin has brought into the world, though a refining fire to the works of God's hand. What will become of us, if we set our affections on this earth, and make it our portion, seeing all these things shall be burned up? Therefore make sure of happiness beyond this visible world.

{6} 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. (6) Thirdly, he pronounces that it will not be harder for God to burn heaven and earth with fire, in that day which is appointed for the destruction of the wicked (which he will also do) than it was for him in times past to create them only with his word, and afterward to overwhelm them with water.

The heavens - which now are (οἱ νῦν οὐρανοὶ) A construction similar to the then world (2 Peter 3:6). The now heavens, or the present heavens. Kept in store (τεθησαυρισμένοι) Rev., stored up. Lit., treasured up. The same word which is used in Luke 12:21, layeth up treasure. Sometimes with the kindred noun θησαυροὺς, treasures, as Matthew 6:19; lit., treasure treasures. Unto fire Some construe this with treasured up; as Rev., stored up for fire; others with reserved, as A. V.; others again give the sense stored with fire, indicating that the agent for the final destruction is already prepared.

2 Peter 3:7 . πυρὶ τηρούμενοι . According to the Jewish conception of the rainbow promise, water would not again be the destructive agency. The heaven and the earth are reserved for destruction by fire. τεθησαυρισμένοι : “set apart for”. The writer means that both the rainbow promise and the delay are not to be regarded as implying that there will be no more great cosmical changes. The idea of the association of a great cosmical change with the coming of Christ is an interesting one. It involves the question of our environment when the natural is exchanged for the spiritual body. This writer evidently expects not complete annihilation of the present environment, but a “new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” ( 2 Peter 3:13 ). St. Paul speaks of “the deliverance of the creation itself from the bondage of corruption into the glory of the liberty of the children of God”. “We are not informed as to the nature of our future environment, yet it must be such as to satisfy all the longings, and give scope for all the activities of a perfected humanity” (Mayor, ed. p. 207. See also his most interesting and suggestive note: “ Answer to the objection that no change is possible in the material universe ”; and with whole passage, 2 Peter 3:5-7 , cf. Ruskin, Sesame and Lilies , p. 24.)

2 Peter 3:7 . But — Though the destruction of the old world by water shows that the present world may be destroyed, I do not say it will be destroyed by water. No: the heavens and the earth, which are now — This whole sublunary world; by the same word — Which at first created them, and afterward destroyed them, and then again restored them; are kept in store — Τεθησαυρισμενοι εισι πυρι τηρουμενοι , are treasured up and preserved for fire; that is, preserved from a deluge for the purpose of being burned. Therefore the earth is not always to remain, but is to suffer a destruction even more terrible than the former; at the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men — The day when God will judge the world, and punish the ungodly with everlasting destruction. “In regard that Hammond and some other celebrated commentators understand this prophecy as a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, it will be proper here to inform the reader, that in support of their interpretation they appeal to the ancient Jewish prophecies, where, as they contend, the revolutions in the political state of empires and nations are foretold in the same forms of expression with those introduced in St. Peter’s prediction. The following are the prophecies to which they appeal: Isaiah 34:4 ; Ezekiel 32:7 ; Joel 2:10 ; Joel 2:30-31 ; Amos 8:9 ; Haggai 2:6 ; Matthew 24:29 .

Now it is remarkable, in these prophecies none of the prophets have spoken, as Peter has done, of the entire destruction of this mundane system, nor of the destruction of any part thereof. They mention only the rolling of the heavens together as a scroll, the obscuring of the light of the sun and of the moon, the shaking of the heavens and the earth, and the falling down of the stars. Whereas Peter speaks of the utter destruction of all the parts of this mundane system by fire. This difference affords room for believing that the events foretold by the prophets are different in their nature from those foretold by the apostle; and that they are to be figuratively understood, while those predicted by the apostle are to be understood literally. To this conclusion likewise the phraseology of the prophets, compared with that of the apostle, evidently leads. For the prophetic phraseology, literally interpreted, exhibits impossibilities; such as the rolling of the heavens together as a scroll, the turning of the moon into blood, and the falling down of the stars from heaven as the leaf of a tree. Not so the apostolic phraseology.

2 Peter 3:7 . Οἱ δὲ νῦν οὐρανοὶ , but the heavens which now are ) The heavens are the same and the earth is the same, as of old (although they appear to have undergone no slight change at the deluge): but the mockers speak as though they were not at all the same. The apostle expresses their feeling, δὲ , but , makes an antithesis: by water , and, for or unto fire . Fire shall refute the mockers. This verse also depends upon that , 2 Peter 3:5 .— τῷ αὐτοῦ ) The article is rarely placed before αὐτοῦ ;[19] but it is thus placed, Hebrews 2:4 ; Jam 1:18 .— τεθησαυρισμένοι , reserved ) Therefore it is that the heavens and the earth do not more quickly grow old.— πυρὶ , unto or for, fire ) The Dative. Let those fiery meteors be thought of, which in our time often gleam from the lofty sky.— τῶν ἀσεβῶν , of the ungodly ) these very persons, and the others. [19] Nevertheless the reading αὐτῷ , which is set down by the margin of the larger Ed. among those not to be approved of, in the margin of Ed. 2 is put on a level with the reading αὐτοῦ ; and the Germ. Vers. bas “durch eben das Wort.”—E. B. Τῷ αὐτῷ is read by AB (according to Lachm.) Vulg. Memph.: and so Lachm. But Τῷ αὐτοῦ , by B (according to Tisch.) C: and so Tisch. Stephens’ Rec. Text omits τῷ ; but not so the Elzev. Rec. Text.—E.

The heavens; the ethereal, or starry heaven, as well as aerial; for, 2 Peter 3:10,12 , he distinguisheth the heavens that are to perish by fire, from the elements; and 2 Peter 3:13 , he opposeth a new heaven to that heaven which is to be consumed; but the new heaven is not meant merely of the aerial heaven. And why should not this be meant of the same heavens, which elsewhere in Scripture are said to perish? Job 14:12 Psalm 102:26 : All of them wax old, & c. By the same word; the same as 2 Peter 3:5 . Are kept in store; are kept safe as in a treasury, and untouched for a time, that they may be destroyed at last. Reserved unto fire; that they may be consumed by it. The destruction of the world by fire at the last day, is opposed to the destruction of it by water in the flood. Against the day of judgment; the general judgment. And perdition of ungodly men; this the apostle speaks with an emphasis, because they were ungodly against whom he here bends his discourse.

7. (Compare Job 28:5, end). which are now—"the postdiluvian visible world." In contrast to "that then was," 2Pe 3:6. the same—Other oldest manuscripts read, "His" (God's). kept in store—Greek, "treasured up." reserved—"kept." It is only God's constantly watchful providence which holds together the present state of things till His time for ending it.