New Creation and His Advent
The arrival of Jesus in glory will usher in the Day of the Lord, the final judgment, and the New Creation.
In his second epistle, Peter addressed the growing
weariness and discouragement of some Christians due to the apparent “delay” in
the promised “coming” of Jesus, an open door that false teachers and
critics were exploiting. Instead of all the predicted terrestrial and cosmic
upheaval, daily life was continuing as it always appeared to do [Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash].
But the Apostle reminded his readers, the Spirit warned of
just this kind of situation and the activities of end-time deceivers, “scoffers
who will come with scoffing, and declaring: ‘Where is the promise of his coming,
for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the
beginning of creation’!” - (2 Peter 3:3-4).
And Peter reassured his audience that despite present
circumstances, the “Day of the Lord” would come just as promised, and at
the appointed time. Regardless of the charges of the “scoffers,” God was
not slack concerning His promises. But He also did not operate according to humanity’s
schedules and expectations.
- (2 Peter 3:10-13) – “Howbeit, the day of the Lord will be here as a thief in which the heavens with a rushing noise will pass away, while elements becoming intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works therein will be discovered. Seeing that all these things are thus to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be, all the while in holy ways of behavior and acts of godliness, expecting and hastening the presence of the day of God by reason of which the heavens, being on fire, will be dissolved, and the elements, becoming intensely hot, will be melted. But new heavens and a new earth according to his promise are we expecting in which righteousness will dwell.”
In the passage, the Greek word rendered “coming”
is parousia, which means
“advent, arrival, coming, presence.” It signifies the actual “arrival” of
someone or something, and not the process of his or its “coming.” In
ancient Greek, very often it was used for the “arrival” of a
royal person at a city. It is applied several times in the New Testament to the
return or “coming” of Jesus - (Matthews 24:27, 1 Thessalonians
4:15-17).
Peter reminded his readers of the past acts of God. Not
only did He create the earth, but He also destroyed much of it with the Flood. But
in their disparagement of the promise of Christ’s future return, the scoffers had
chosen to ignore the past when “the heavens and the earth that now are, by
the same word have been stored with fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment
and destruction of the ungodly men.”
In fact, the apparent “delay” of the parousia is,
in fact, no delay at all. Instead, it is evidence of the mercy of God. “One
day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
He is not bound by man’s expectations and timetables, or “slack concerning
his promise.” Rather, the God and Father of Jesus Christ is “long-suffering,
not wanting anyone to perish but that all should come to repentance.” His
“delay” is for humanity’s sake, so the gospel has time and opportunity to reach
all men and women.
Nonetheless, the “Day of the Lord” must come, and
its “arrival” will be like the home invasion by a thief - Unexpected,
sudden, unforeseeable. A householder certainly can anticipate attempts by
criminals to rob him, but he cannot ascertain when a thief
will strike - (Matthew 24:42-43, Luke 12:39, 1 Thessalonians
5:1-3, Revelation 3:3, 16:1).
When the day does arrive, “the heavens with a rushing
noise will pass away, while elements becoming intensely hot will be dissolved.”
This description parallels other passages that link terrestrial and celestial
disruptions to the coming of Jesus and the “Day of the Lord.” And here, Peter
is describing nothing less than the dissolution of the old creation - (Matthew
24:29, Revelation 6:12-17).
Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash |
This does not mean its complete annihilation but the replacement of the old order with the “new heavens and the new earth.” The disruption of the old prepares for the arrival of the New Creation, one that is “according to promise.” The last clause echoes a promise from the book of Isaiah - “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” - (Isaiah 65:17).
And when Peter refers to the “coming
of the Day of God,” once again “coming” represents the Greek term
parousia. Thus, the “day of God” is synonymous with the “Day
of the Lord,” and thus, the Apostle locates the “arrival” of Jesus,
the “Day of the Lord,” and the “day of God” on the same day - (2
Thessalonians 2:1-2).
To summarize, Peter has placed the following events at
the time of the “coming” of Jesus at the end of the age:
- The judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
- The Day of the Lord.
- The dissolution of the old creation.
- The inauguration of the New Creation.
And so, the parousia of Jesus will usher in the “Day
of the Lord,” the final judgment, and the New Creation. This leaves no room
for any subsequent interim period after his “arrival.”
The Apostle concluded with an exhortation for right
Christian conduct and holy living, especially when considering all that is
coming. And Christian actions may even “hasten the arrival” of that
day.
But right Christian conduct that can “hasten” the “day
of the Lord” must include the proclamation of the gospel. Jesus himself
declared that the “end” will not come until this gospel
of the kingdom is proclaimed to all nations.” If anything,
the apparent “delay” in the parousia demonstrates that the church has
yet to complete its assigned task - (Matthew 24:14).
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