2 Peter 3:3-4

2 Peter 3:3-4 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Expanded Translation

Realizing this first (and keeping it uppermost in your minds), that at the time of the last days mockers (deriders, scoffers) shall come with (or, in) mockery (scoffing, derision), walking according to (dominated by) their own personal cravings and strong desires (not what God desires), while they are saying, Where is the (fulfillment of the) promise of his (Christ's second) coming? For from the time that the fathers fell asleep (i.e., died), all things are remaining as they are (fixed and permanent in their pattern, course, or place) as they were at (and from) the beginning of creation.

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knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery

Jesus prophesied of mockery concerning Himself (Matthew 20:1-34; Matthew 19:1-30, fulfilled in Matthew 27:29-31; Matthew 27:41). If we live the Christ-like life, we may expect similar treatment. See John 15:18-20.

The last days is a term used sometimes in the New Testament with reference to the last days of Judah (and Jerusalem) as a nation (Acts 2:17, James 5:3). This could be true here, but it seems likely that the term is more general in its meaning and indicates the last days of the world, the final dispensation of history. The Christian Age, then, is evidently meant here, as in 2 Timothy 3:1, Hebrews 1:2, 1 Peter 1:5; 1 Peter 1:20. The word eschatos (last) used here, occurs in all these verses.

walking after their own lusts

Both the words their and own are emphatic in the Greek. These men are quick to scoff, mimic, and ridicule the Christian, but their own personal lives are rotten to the core! Why? They live for themselves, utterly indifferent to the laws of God.

and saying, where is the promise of his coming

That is, Christ's return to earth. It is significant that the very same doctrine is frequently the subject of mockery today among worldlings. You-'re as slow as the second coming of Christ, or You-'ll never get that done until Christ returns and similar statements are to be heard from their foul mouths. Others, while not deriding the doctrine verbally, do so inwardly, for they make no preparation to meet the Saviour. This shows their unbelief, for the Master said, Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour (Matthew 25:13).

for, from the days that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation

Their statement simply was not true, for they willfully forgot the facts of history (2 Peter 3:5). Many today placate their consciences by the same meanspurposely forgetting (and many times disbelieving) what took place in the days of Noah.

It seems best to take the term fathers here as meaning their fathers, or the previous generation, Between that time and the creation, they asserted, summer and winter, springtime and harvest, had come and gone in regular sequence. Why should we worry now? Will it not be the same in the future?

The second coming of Christ was an oft-discussed subject in the early church, and many of the Thessalonians, particularly, were of the belief that the Lord's coming was just at hand (2 Thessalonians 2:2). It may be that some of these mockers were acquainted with those who continued to believe this erroneous doctrine. If so, it doubtless added fuel to the fire of their already insulting remarks. Today, date setting has cheapened the true doctrine of the return of Christ in the minds of the world.[72] But we may still expect our belief in this glorious event to be ridiculed and mocked, even when the worldlings about us are not acquainted with the false teachings of men on the subject.

[72] William Miller, the actual founder of the Seventh-Day Adventists, said Christ would come in 1843. The prophecy failed, so he fixed a day in October of 1844. That failed also. Other Adventists have set 1847, 1850, 1852, 1854, 1855, 1863, 1866, 1867, 1877, etc., etc., etc. Because of such foolish predicting, the true doctrine of Christ's return has suffered ridicule, and is evil spoken of,