Part Three of Four: The Day of the Lord Is Coming

Along with false prophets, false Christ’s presumably coming in His authority, diviners, and just flat evil and corrupt people, the end times will be a time of great confusion. Many of these things below are happening as we speak and a few are yet to happen. . .but they will.

The world has been in the last days, also known as the age of grace or the church age by some, for 2000 years ever since the Cross. The age of the giving of the Law ended at the Cross in great pain and started the age of the last days. The last days will end at the rapture of the church [1]. This will bring in the age of the tribulation.

The tribulation will only last for 3.5 years, but we will not concern ourselves with this, as we will not be here, (remember the rapture?) The age of tribulation will last about seven years. Anyway, in 2 Peter 3, Peter prophesies of the end times and what we might expect in part. He reminds us of Old Testament prophets who prophesied of the end of the age and how there will be scoffers/mockers who will make fun of the truth, of believers, and of the Christian religion. Anyway:

v3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
v4 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 the creation. –2 Peter 3:3, 4 KJV

The Greek word for scoffers is empaiktes, which is one who derides, is a false teacher, a mocker, or someone who ridicules or jeers. In the last of the last days, the mockers will deride believers by laughing and jeering at them. They will scorn and show contempt at Christians and at Christ hoping to minimize Christ’s power and making Him of no affect or effect in our lives. They will say things like, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created [2].”

The reason behind the scoffer’s question is that the last days have lasted for such a long time, approximately 2000 years to be more accurate, that unbelievers cannot help but question His promised coming due to that length of time. The world is falling apart and there is still no Christ. Christ is waiting for that last person who wants to become a believer so he or she is not lost. (Maybe He’s waiting for the person that you are supposed to lead to Christ. So if someone is on your heart, go see them right away. The Bible says that today is the day for salvation.)

The Bible says that Christ is longsuffering and is not willing that one person should perish and that all should come to repentance. The NLT says it like this: The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent [3].

Peter’s Final Words
17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. –2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT

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v1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. –Psalms 1:1 NLT

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[1] Christ WILL come for our spirits at the rapture (Harpazo) but being caught up is NOT the second coming because the Bible says that Christ will NOT come to Earth but will meet us in the air 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The second coming is when Jesus comes with ten-thousands of His saints Jude 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:51; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 19:11-16.
[2] 2 Peter 3:4 NLT
[3] 2 Peter 3:9 NLT