It is incredibly important that when one speaks of the word of God that they do so in context, and not in drawing out single verses to make a point that the context in which that verse was written does not support. I will show here, in this brief commentary on chapter 3 of 2 Peter, that this chapter does not support a Time Gap Theory, as is supposed here on the boards. The question must be: What does the Word of God say? For the Word of God is our final authority, and such is intended by God to be so. And if such is intended by God, then the Word of God can be understood, but the key to understanding the Word of God is simple: Context. For this reason, we shall be looking at not just the few verses referenced in the post above, but rather the entire Chapter, as the point made in this chapter is singular, as such shall be shown.
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us,[a] the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
It is here that Peter gives his reason for writing this second epistle to those Christians who were dispersed after the burning of Rome. His purpose here noted in Chapter 3 is this: That they may remember the words spoken of by the prophets concerning the Day of the Lord, found in such books as Isaiah, Micah, Obadiah, etc, and the hope that is ours in the return of our King to establish His Kingdom on the earth for the literal thousand year reign, and for eternity afterwards, when the New Heavens and New Earth will be made. The Day of The Lord (also meaning judgment for those who choose to reject Christ as their Savior) is also a subject brought up by the apostles, referring to the 7 years of tribulation and the Great White Throne. And, of course, we read of scoffers (and we see them in our days, as they were present in the day of Peter’s epistle) who are living according to the lust of the flesh, and mocking us saying, “Where is this King of yours? Where is this Day of Judgment?” And they think themselves proper in mocking us, for how many generations have passed, even since the day of Peter, and still Christ as not returned to establish His Kingdom! This is the purpose of this chapter: To bring to mind that God is not lacking in His ability, and He shall bring about the Day of the Lord, even though it seems such a long time since the days of the prophets who were exhorting those around them that judgment is coming.
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
I assume that this is where you make your first argument that there must have been a judgment before the creation of Adam in which the world was destroyed because of the rebellion of the Angels. I will say this: We read nowhere else of a judgment of the angles resulting in a world wide flood, but we do read of a judgment in which, yes, the world was destroyed by water for the judgment of the wickedness of man, and we find that in Genesis chapter 9 with Noah’s flood. Let’s take a look at some of the verses there, please read the whole passage:
8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Note especially that God said that He would not destroy the earth with a flood again in verse 11. Thus, we read of a destruction of the earth in scripture, and we have every reason to believe that this is that destruction that Peter is speaking of in 2 Peter. Within the context of Scripture as a whole, we must accept that this is the destruction that Peter is speaking of, for there is no mention of a destruction by flooding anywhere else on a world-wide scale. He goes on to mention that the earth in its present state is reserved for world-wide destruction by fire.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
This is not in reference to creation, which is what I was trying to say last night in our shoutbox conversation. This is in reference, rather, to the Judgment of the Lord. While it may seem to us that God is slacking on His promise to bring about the Day of The Lord, because of the length of time that we have had to wait thus far (for literally thousands of years so far), and we, who believe, eagerly wait for it, but those who do not believe scoff and say, “Where is it?” Peter makes mention here that to God a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day to say that God is not in a hurry to get this done, and He has not forgotten about His promised judgment of the world for its wickedness. Peter goes on to give the reason for God’s forbearance: Is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God is giving us time before His Day of the Lord to repent! And what does the world do with it? They scoff, and continue on in their lusts. This is not in reference to the time it took to create the world. Notice, interestingly enough, that Peter does not say, “Millions of Years” here.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.[c] 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Again, reference to the coming Judgment. God will judge this present world for its sinfulness. However, why do we look forward to it? Because of the last portion of the above: The New Heavens and New Earths… and how beautiful in a perfect sinless state such will be!
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
What should our response be to this coming Day of the Lord? We ought to live unspotted lives, blameless lives, and be found in peace (with Him and one another). Again, why should the patience of God for this Judgment be desirable? It allows those who are presently rejecting Him, yet one more chance to believe in Him. He also mentions that not everyone understands what they teach concerning the Judgment, and they try to make sense of it by twisting it into something that either makes more sense to them, or sounds more appealing. This they not only do with this subject, but with the rest of scripture.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
And Peter’s final exhortation to remain steadfast in the Word of the Lord, and not to be deceived with the error of the wicked, and to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior. And we too echo, “To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.I have shown in my post here 1) The context of 2 Peter 3 is not of creation, but of Judgment. 2) The Judgment by Flood mentioned here is to be seen as referencing the flood of Noah, which was Judgment on the world for their sinfulness. We have no reason to believe that Peter was refering to a supposed judgment of the angels. 3) That Thousands of Years can be taken literally - those present at that time have waited for so long, and we have waited literally for thousands of years for the coming of the Lord - note: He does not say, "Millions". This passage