Like a Thief

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (v10).

I’m horrible at remembering important dates. The only chance I have is either using some sort of digital reminder or when my wife gently whacks me in the head with a 2x4. “You DO remember that tomorrow is Mothers Day, don’t you?” Yeah, I spend a LOT of time in the “belated” section of the card store. Here Peter wants us to know that the day of Jesus’ return may sneak up on us but we’ll certainly know it’s happened. You probably aren’t going to miss the destruction of the solar system. That should get your attention. The day of the Lord might sneak up on you but you won’t miss it. I promise.

Pete wants his readers to know that the bad guys won’t get away with it. Specifically, he’s writing from Rome to warn believers in Asia Minor about a posse of sleaze ball hucksters who are infiltrating local churches and tearing them apart from the inside out (2:1-3). They’re money grubbing embezzlers and looking to make an easy score (2:3, 14-15). They’re slimy sexual predators (2:2, 10, 14, 18). But Jesus loves His church and will make sure these con artists get what’s coming to them. Mess with the church, you mess with Jesus. Saul/Paul found that out the hard way (Acts 9:4-5).

That happens on “the day of the Lord” (v10). This is Jesus’ promised return. The trash talkers not only don’t believe in His Second Coming but have made it a convenient punchline (3:3-4). They deliberately ignore the history of God’s big moves in our planet, such as creation and the flood (3:5-7). Even 2,000 years ago there were haters in regard to His comeback (3:9). Pete wants us to realize that the reason Jesus hasn’t returned is so that everyone who might turn to Him as Savior will have the chance to do so. He’s not slow. He’s patient. There’s a HUGE difference.

The apostle writes that when Christ comes back, it won’t be subtle. First of all, it “will come like a thief in the night” (v10). Pete’s buddy Paul used exactly the same image when told his friends in Thessalonica that Jesus’ Second Coming would sneak up on them. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (2Th 5:2). It’s going to be a sudden. It’s going to be a surprise. Pete was right there with the rest of Jesus’ posse when the Rabbi/Carpenter told them, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Lk 12:40). This is going to be bad news for the bad guys. Think of it as a sneak attack on the scoffers.

Jesus’ return may be sudden but it certainly will not be silent. A fearsome fireworks display will fill the sky. “The heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved” (v10). It will be loud. Explosions will cause the ground to shudder. It will be hot. When stars and planets catch on fire, you know something big is going on. REALLY big. Christ Himself told Pete and the boys about the cosmic component to His comeback. “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, on the earth the distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with far with with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Lk 21:25-27). Be sure that you won’t miss it. It will be in all the papers. You can watch it on every channel. It might sneak up on us but it won’t be subtle. 

On one hand, this will be the greatest pyrotechnic entrance the universe has ever seen or heard. On the other, this is so much more than a spectacular walkup for our returning Hero. It’s all part of His cleansing of every bit of filth and sin in creation. Before Jesus Jesus makes all things new, He’s going to torch everything old. It’s not like He’s bought a fixer-upper universe and flipping it. Nope. He’s making an entirely new heavens and earth. You’ve heard of a scorched earth policy. This is a scorched universe maneuver. Burn, baby, burn. 

So what do we do with this? How does this help me as I go to work, raise my kids, and love my spouse? First of all, it’s a HUGE encouragement to share Jesus and His life-changing Gospel with those He places in your life. For those of us who follow Christ, we get a pass on the punishment of His fiery judgment. When we placed our trust in Him, Jesus faced the full brunt of God’s judgment for our sin. If that’s not crazy enough, He gives us His sinless perfection in exchange (2Cor 5:21). We need to let everyone know that this is not just about buying fire insurance. This is about enjoying God’s best now and forever. Second, we must remember that in the end Jesus wins. Evil is punished. All of those who have done you wrong will be taken care of once and for all. Like the greatest superhero of all time, Christ comes to the rescue and takes care of the bad guys.