2 Peter 3:8

2 Peter 3:8 ‘But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as. thousand years, and. thousand years as one day.'

‘But do not let this one fact escape your notice' -Peter seems to anticipate another argument which was popular among the false teachers. ‘Peter warned that delay in judgment does not mean that God's word is impotent.' (Lucas/Green p. 137) Mankind can get off track by forgetting one simple fact. To this day, some people think that “time” will save them or that “time” has inherent power of its own. Evolution is built upon the premise that given enough time anything is possible. But it is ironic that the same people who say, ‘given enough time anything is possible' tend to be the same individuals who mock the idea of. future judgment, because ‘too much time has passed by without anything happening.' The false teachers had deliberately allowed important facts to escape their notice.

‘that with the Lord' -From God's perspective. Since God isn't bound by time and time has no power over God, all time is equal to God, whether great amounts or small amounts.

‘one day is as. thousand years, and. thousand years as one day' -(Psalms 90:4 ‘For. thousand years in thy sight, are but as yesterday when it is past, and as. watch in the night.' First of all, the verse is not teaching that God doesn't know how to tell time. In addition, neither is it teaching that every ‘day' mentioned in the Bible was actually. thousand years in length. Or, even that God will punish the wicked. thousand years for each day that they lived in sin.

Points to Note:

Time doesn't stop God, as it does with mankind. Therefore, God's promise to judge is just as certain, even though thousands of years may pass between promise and fulfillment. ‘If it is his pleasure to accomplish them in. single day, he can do it; if he chooses that the execution shall be deferred to. thousand years, or that. thousand years shall be consumed in executing them, he has the power to carry them onward...' (Barnes p. 259) 2. ‘As far as God is concerned, He might just as well have decreed the end of the world. couple of days ago!' (Oberst p. 336) 3. ‘God sees time with. perspective we lack….with an intensity we lack. He can see the broad sweep of history in. moment, yet he can stretch out. day with patient care.' (Lucas/Green p. 137) 4. Man also needs to accept the truth, that God is not on man's time schedule. 5. The passing of time doesn't affect the promises of God. In contrast to man: God never dies, God never forgets, God doesn't change His mind or lose His moral resolve. And conditions never arise which prevent God from fulfilling His word (Isaiah 2:11). Let not the wicked think that the threat of judgment has died (2 Peter

2 Peter 2:3), or that God has forgotten.

We should be impressed that the apostles refused to speculate about exactly when Jesus would come again (1 Thessalonians 5:1). But since their time many have arise who haven't respected the Bible's authority in this area. After the apostles there were those who took this verse to mean that the world would last for as many thousand years as there were days in creation, since. day equaled. thousand years. The modern day Jehovah Witnesses have adopted the same view.