“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)
“The day of the Lord.” When is it? It came with the coming of Jesus Christ, who was called Emmanuel, “which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) The day when God took a body of flesh and lived among us. The word of God that Jesus preached ushered in a new day.
It “will come as a thief in the night.” “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4) “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10) See what the destroyer did to God’s servant, Job. “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3) The spirit of Satan is the thief. What does he steal? The truth of God’s word. He takes away understanding. He steals your peace of mind and comfort in the Holy Ghost. He destroys spiritual understanding with the doctrines and commandments of men. He is here now!
“The heavens shall pass away with a great noise.” What is the great noise? “Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?” (Job 40:9) “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) Did the Lord Jesus descend from heaven? Did he not speak with the voice of God, and sound the trump of God? (Read Revelation 1:10) How great was that sound? The dead shall hear the voice. (Dead in trespasses and sins.) (Read John 5:25) How far does the voice of God reach? “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” (Romans 10:18) This voice, the gospel of Jesus Christ, brought judgment to the world.
“And the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” “Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire.” (Isaiah 30:27)
“As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.” (Ezekiel 22:20) These metals are put in the furnace and melted with fervent heat so that the refuse is separated from the pure metal. As we read earlier, the Lord is burning with his righteous anger, and his tongue is “as a devouring fire.” His tongue spoke his word.
“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” (1 Corinthians 3:13) The impure separated from the pure by the word of God, which is “like as a fire.” (Jeremiah 23:29)
“And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched. Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?” (Ezekiel 20:48-49)
Jesus said, “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?” (Luke 12:49) Does Jesus speak parables? “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them.” (Matthew 13:34)
After sin and ungodliness are burned away by his word “as a devouring fire,” something clean and pure appears. We are delivered from the darkness, and we see what John saw. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1) All things natural passed away and all things became spiritual. We no longer contend with flesh and blood, “but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness” (spirits of devils), “against spiritual wickedness in high places,” trying to force their way into the city of God. (Ephesians 6:12)
Where once it was natural, it is now spiritual. If the spirit of Christ abides in you, these things are clearly seen.
