In the third chapter of Peter’s second epistle, the Apostle hits on certain bullet points that frequently parallel the book of Revelation, and he does so in a very unique way. Because of this uniqueness, 2 Peter 3 can be perplexing for both the Bible student and Bible teacher alike.

Without a proper understanding of God’s plan of redemption, a correct insight into the divine eschatological timeline, and a comprehension of unique Bible phrases, this chapter can be – and often is – misinterpreted.

In this study, we are going to attempt to remedy any confusion regarding Peter’s subject matter and the distinctive way in which he presents it.

As we like to do, we will take this chapter in sections and offer commentary, supporting Scripture, and investigate some of the original Greek.

Underlined Scripture passages are my own emphasis.

“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.” – 2 Peter 3:1-2

What a vital point of remembrance this is! All the Word of God – from Moses to the prophets, the gospels of the Messiah, and up through the Apostles of our Lord and Savior – is divine by nature, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and we always do well to heed every Word.

Our job, as students of the Scriptures, is to rightly divide or cut straight the Word of God to the best of our abilities with the leading of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 2:15).

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” – 2 Peter 3:3-4a

According to John, we have been in the last days since the beginning of the church age (1 John 2:18), and this prophecy has always been with us, though growing in strength as the centuries have progressed.

Sadly, even from professing Christians who do not believe in a pre-Tribulation rapture, we hear them asking us, “Where is the promise of His coming?” Not surprisingly, we also hear these same words from unbelievers who love to mock us and scoff at the promises of our Lord.

“… for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” – 2 Peter 3:4b

The reason I set this portion of 2 Peter 3:4 apart is because this is the foundational focal point of Peter as he continues to expand on his treatise.

As we move on, we will see that Peter’s doctrinal discourse really revolves around the scoffers in the last days declaring that “… for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

In this scoffing, they are exactly like those in the antediluvian world who said the same to Noah as he warned them of the coming judgment of the global flood. To his warnings, they would reply in the same manner, “… for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

Peter will contrast the past with the future, when “… the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7). This future judgment and destruction, as we shall see, is the primary subject matter of Peter’s ‘Revelation.‘

Our objective, therefore, is to determine exactly what this coming judgment and destruction is and when it will occur. First and foremost, though, is understanding that Peter is contrasting this future judgment and destruction with the past judgment and destruction of the antediluvian world during the flood that he will mention in our next verse.

In both instances, the people were then, and are today, “willingly ignorant” of what God accomplished in the past and what God will bring about in the future.

“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” – 2 Peter 3:5-6

Peter has laid down his doctrinal foundation of the global flood for his forthcoming comparison.

If there is one prevailing thought that I would urge the reader to keep in mind as we move forward, it would be this: The Millennial Kingdom is not our kingdom. The Millennial Kingdom is for Israel when God will fulfill His promises to His chosen people. The Eternal Kingdom that God has prepared for them who love Him is our kingdom, as we are citizens of heaven.

“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” – 2 Peter 3:7

Peter is making a comparison between the destruction of the flood that “perished… the world that then was” – that of the devastating topographical upheaval and the splitting apart of the supercontinent (Pangaea) into the continents we have today – with “The heavens and the earth, which are now… reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

“The heavens and the earth, which are now,” is what is commonly known as the old heavens and the old earth that God created in the beginning and has been under the curse ever since the fall of man. Though Christ will regenerate and restore this present earth and heavens – after the beating the earth and heavens will absorb during the Tribulation – into pristine conditions, they will still be the old heavens and the old earth.

When Peter says, “by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire…” we should be reminded of Psalm 33:

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” – Psalm 33:6-9

It is this same Word of God that created and sustains creation that has “kept in store” these same heavens and earth and “reserved” them “unto fire against the day of judgment of perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).

The Greek word for “against” is 1519 εἰς “eis” and means to, for, unto, or into (indicating the point reached or entered, of place, time, purpose, result), toward.

Therefore, the fire that will purge the old earth and heavens will have reached its appointment in time when “the day of judgment of perdition of ungodly men” takes place. When will this be?

We know from the book of Revelation that “the day of judgment and perdition (destruction from the presence of God, ruin, loss) of ungodly men” will occur at the Great White Throne Judgment, when the ungodly will be judged and thrown into The Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15).

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” – 2 Peter 3:8 [The Prophetic Third Day]

I am of the opinion, as many others are, that this powerful verse lays down an illustrative schematic for the history of mankind and the Lord’s plan of redemption and consummation. That is, roughly 6,000 years from creation (or the fall), plus 1,000 years for the Millennial Kingdom equates to approximately 7,000 years, which is represented by the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest during creation week.

While it is impossible to know exactly where we are on God’s timeline, the general consensus is that we are somewhere around the 6,000-year mark – give or take a couple of hundred years at most, but, more than likely, much closer.

But why, of all places, is this amazing verse here in 2 Peter 3:8? It is because of 2 Peter 3:10, which we will look at shortly. Suffice it to say, Peter will outline for us the bookends of what the Day of the Lord entails.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9

Here, Peter takes a quick detour to address the other statement from the scoffers, “Where is the promise of his coming?”

The Lord’s love is certainly magnified in this verse. All throughout the plans of God – through creation to consummation – God’s one purpose of will has always been the salvation of every man and woman who will, of their own freewill, come to Him and His Son’s redemptive provision through His love and sacrificial work for them on the cross.

This promise that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” goes beyond the runup to the rapture of the church. This thought of God’s desire that all be saved is carried on into the Tribulation and even through the Millennial Kingdom. How?

Those who are born into the Millennial Kingdom in their flesh and blood bodies will have their own sin natures and will also need to be saved by Christ’s work on the cross, as they too can come to Messiah for salvation by grace through faith, just as we have.

Now, before we read 2 Peter 3:10, let us remember what 2 Peter 3:8 said: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

“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

This great verse essentially bookends the Day of the Lord for the reader. In An Examination of the ‘Day of the Lord,‘ we observed that the bookends of 2 Peter 3:10 are the rapture of the church (will come as a thief in the night) and the passing away of the old heavens and old earth (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).

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away…” – Revelation 21:1a

“Pass away” in 2 Peter 3:10 is 3928 παρέρχομαι “parerchomai” and means to pass away, perish. And “passed away” in Revelation 21:1 is 565 ἀπέρχομαι “aperchomai” and is best understood as pass out of sight, pass away, depart, vanish.

John witnessed “a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away [poetically, to vanish], and there was found no place for them” (Revelation 20:11), noting that “the first heaven and the first earth were passed away” to make way for “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), while Peter gives the details of this passing away in 2 Peter 3:10 by revealing that “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.”

So, what exactly is happening here? Scientifically, it appears that every atom in the universe will fly apart! Here is how we summarized this action regarding the “plague” that Messiah will inflict upon what is left of the world’s armies at His Second Coming in A Study of Zechariah 14:12-21:

The atom, the building block of all matter, has a proton and a neutron that should repel from each other, but they don’t. When I was young, the “substance” that held the atom together was unknown, as it is today, and was referred to as “atomic glue.” Today, it is known as “strong force,” and science has no idea what this “force” is. But we do! Jesus Christ, Himself:

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” – Colossians 1:16-17

The Greek word for “consist” is “sunistanó” with the following definitions: to place together, to set in the same place, to bring or band together; to put together (i.e., unite parts into one whole), to cohere, hold together.

At the Word of the Lord, “the elements shall melt with fervent heat” and “the earth… shall be burned up” when the Lord discontinues his holding together of every atom in the universe by His divine power!

The writer of Hebrews, quoting Psalm 102:25-26, also mentions this event:

“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” – Hebrews 1:10-12

The Greek word translated “perish” is 622 ἀπολοῦνται “apolountai” and means to destroy, fully destroy, to destroy utterly. And the Greek word for “changed” is 236 ἀλλαγήσονται “allagēsontai” with the root word “allassó” and, in this context, would be better rendered exchanged – the one for the other.

In this account, the writers of Hebrews and Psalm 102 assign an illustration to the passing away of the old heavens and earth, making way for the new, as that of “wax[ing] old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed [exchanged].” This comparative description seems to assure us that the new heavens and earth will be true to the original heavens and earth created at the beginning of creation. And why shouldn’t they be? They were perfect then, before the fall, and they shall be perfect again!

And when do the old heavens and the old earth pass away? Sometime after the Millennial Kingdom! This would mean that the Day of the Lord lasts for approximately 1,007-plus years.

Hence, the Day of the Lord begins with the rapture of the church and includes the unknown Gap of time in between the rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation, the seven-year Tribulation (2,520 days), the interim between the Second Coming and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom (75 days), the Millennial Kingdom itself, and the season immediately following the Millennial Kingdom when Satan is loosed from his prison to deceive the nations one last time (Revelation 20:7-9).

‘In That Day’ in the Tanakh

The phrase “in that day” is very often used not only of the Day of the Lord, representing the brutal devastation of the Tribulation, but of the Messianic Kingdom in the Tanakh (Old Testament), as represented in passages such as Isaiah 4:2, Isaiah 11:10-12, Isaiah 26:1-2, Joel 3:16-18, Micah 4:6-7, Amos 9:11-12, Zephaniah 3:14-16, and Zechariah 14:20-21.

As we can clearly see, “in that day,” in the above Tanakh passages, is speaking of the Messianic Kingdom, which, according to 2 Peter 3:10, is within the Day of the Lord!

Again, this Day of the Lord will be 1,007-plus years long and equates with Peter’s admonition, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8), when Peter then interjects that, “… the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night [the rapture]; 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 [the passing away of the first heaven and the first earth (Revelation 21:1a), following the Messianic Kingdom].” – 2 Peter 3:10

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” – 2 Peter 3:11-12

Now Peter introduces us to “The Day of God,” a phrase which, as far as I can ascertain, is never mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

Notice again that 2 Peter 3:12, “the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved” and 2 Peter 3:10, “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,” are both speaking of the same event as described in Revelation 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.”

Therefore, “The Day of God” will immediately follow “The Day of the Lord,” which ends with the dissolving of the old heavens and old earth, climaxed by the Great White Throne Judgment “of perdition of ungodly men” mentioned in 2 Peter 3:7.

All of this will be in preparation for “The Day of God” when God will create (or re-create) the new heavens and the new earth for His Eternal Kingdom, which is the consummating Kingdom that began with His Salvation Kingdom. This is the context that we need to keep in mind as we consider the phrase, “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,” which might be better understood as a parenthetical statement within the verse.

Many Bible teachers claim, because of this verse, that we can “hasten” the Lord’s coming for His church – but we cannot. Nobody can hasten anything regarding God’s plan of redemption and consummation. In the simplest of terms: Virtually everything was seen and known in advance in the sovereign mind of God before He ever created. Nothing can hasten what God has already seen and known.

In any case, as we have observed, the rapture is not even the context of the passage, as the dissolving of the old heavens and the old earth will not occur until after the Millennial Kingdom, over 1,007 plus years after Christ’s Second Coming.

The Greek word for “hasten” is σπεύδοντας “speudontas” with the root 4692 σπεύδω “speudó” and, depending as always on context, can mean hasten, urge on diligently or earnestly, desire greatly, to await eagerly, hurry.

When combined with the introductory phrase “looking for,” we should be able to appreciate that a proper translation of this word within this context would be desire greatly, eagerly await, or some other like derivative.

Here are several translations that properly translate 2 Peter 3:12:

“[while you earnestly] look for and await the coming of the day of God. For on this day the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the [material] elements will melt with intense heat!” – Amplified Bible

“as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat.” – Holman Christian Standard Bible

“looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” – American Standard Version

“While you expect and eagerly desire the coming of The Day of God in which the Heavens, being tested by fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements, when set on fire, shall melt.” – Aramaic Bible in Plain English

“eagerly looking forward to the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens, all ablaze, will be destroyed, and the elements will melt in the fierce heat?” – Weymouth New Testament

“looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, because of which coming the heavens shall dissolve in fire, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” – Anderson New Testament

“Looking for and longing for the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being tested with fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” – Lamsa Bible

“Expecting and seeking earnestly the presence of the day of God, during which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements going to be burned are melted away?” – Smith’s Literal Translation

Truly, there is nothing man can do to hasten the program of God along, as He is omniscient and knows exactly how history will play out within His great plan of redemption and consummation.

This day that we are to eagerly look forward to is not the rapture that comes as a thief in the night – though we do look forward with great anticipation to that day, every day. Nor is this day The Day of the Lord, which will include the Millennial Kingdom for Messiah and Israel. No, this day that we are to look forward to with great desire and eagerly await is “The Day of God,” the Eternal Kingdom, for this is the Kingdom that God has prepared for those who love Him!

The Eternal Kingdom is our ultimate destination and, as Peter declares, we should be looking forward, greatly desire, and eagerly await our final destiny, which will only come after the elements of the old heavens and old earth will melt with fervent heat, be dissolved, and flee away – followed by the Great White Throne judgment – all of which will prepare “The Day of God” with the creation of a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness will reign supreme, and God will make His tabernacle with men and He will dwell with them eternally (Revelation 21:3)!

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” – 2 Peter 3:13

This is the Eternal Kingdom that I asked the reader to keep in mind throughout this study – the Kingdom God has prepared for them who love Him!

Peter concludes by showing us that he has, in fact, been speaking all along of the preparation of the new heavens and the new earth, after the passing away of the old heavens and the old earth, that will usher in the Eternal Kingdom, the everlasting Day of God.

Though the rapture, Christ’s Second Coming, setting up His Messianic Kingdom, and the Millennial Kingdom itself can be found lurking within the bookends of the day of the Lord in 2 Peter 3:10 through a proper understanding of end-time eschatology – events that span over 1,007-plus years – there is nothing in this chapter of Scripture that alludes to the Second Coming of Christ and His Millennial Kingdom of regeneration or restoration of the people, the heavens, and the earth after the Second Coming — something that many people erroneously see as the subject matter of this entire passage.

The Messianic Millennial Kingdom

“And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” – Matthew 19:28

The Greek word for “regeneration” is 3824 παλιγγενεσία “paliggenesia” (used only in this verse and Titus 3:5) is from 3825/pálin, “again” and 1078/génesis, “birth, beginning”) – properly, the coming of new birth because “born again“; regeneration, renewal, the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renovation.

Messiah Jesus will regenerate, renew, and restore the old heavens and old earth – and even the bodies of those who will go into the Millennial Kingdom so they may live the duration of the kingdom – to pristine conditions. There is no destruction or dissolving of the heavens and earth, and there will be no new heavens and/or new earth created.

While the Millennial Kingdom will be glorious, in and of itself (not only for Israel but even for us as well when we shall be in our glorious eternal bodies and in the presence of our Lord and Savior), it has a dreadful end after the 1,000 years will have been completed (Revelation 20:7-10).

What this tells us is that the “righteousness” of the Millennial Kingdom (apart from the Saints and true human believers) will unfortunately be an enforced righteousness as Christ and His bride will have to rule and reign over the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26-27, 12:5), for the unregenerate human heart – which most who are born into the Millennial Kingdom will obviously have – will still be “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9).

The Eternal Kingdom, on the other hand, is where our hearts should always be as citizens of heaven, where heaven will finally be realized upon earth, and Christ’s illustrative prayer for His disciples will finally be realized:

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10

“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” – 2 Peter 3:14

This verse brings to my mind the interjection and warning of Jesus to His bride, that we covered in An Examination of the ‘Day of the Lord’:

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” – Revelation 16:15

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…” – 2 Peter 3:15a

This is what creation and God’s plan of reconciliation is all about – including in the Millennial Kingdom – salvation. God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

“… even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” – 2 Peter 3:15b-16

How ironic, is it not, that in the most difficult chapter to interpret in Peter’s two epistles, he says of Paul’s epistles that “speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood“!

“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.” – 2 Peter 3:17

Peter also warned believers earlier in this epistle:

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 1:10-11

Though we are saved by grace through faith, and the Lord will never leave or forsake us, we still have an enemy that strives to deceive us, and if we are not grounded in the Word of God, we could find ourselves “led away with the error of the wicked” and “fall from [our] own stedfastness.” The key is “our own stedfastness.” We must have His steadfastness and trust only in Him completely!

And gloriously, “an entrance shall be ministered unto [us] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” – His Eternal Kingdom – The Day of God!

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” – 2 Peter 3:18

Amen and Amen!

May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”

Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!

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There are many definitions of postmodernism, but none are particularly satisfactory. Therefore, in the spirit of the great existentialists of our time (not that there are any, or ever have been), I will create my own definition.

Postmodernism is the attempt to overthrow the reality that there is one God who provides us with one standard of truth and one standard of righteousness.

It is characterized by skepticism, relativism, and the idea that reason need not be guided by faith to be valid. Its adherents intend to use their reason rather than faith, which is a gift from God, in the futile attempt to change themselves and their societies for the better.

Unfortunately, their faith is in ‘science’ and ‘technology,’ which will lead to their enslavement and ultimate spiritual destruction. Their ‘science’ is the best ‘science money can buy and has no basis in fact (ex., Evolution, transgenderism, climate change, etc.). Their technology will be used to create dependency on the evil Globalists rather than on God.

This new faith seems to be working out as one would expect, as societies all over the world are in turmoil due to this Godless ideology. The heathen who control ‘science’ and ‘technology’ seem to have little interest in making society better.

We are not going to be able to reason with postmodernists because they have hardened their hearts against the Lord and may be irredeemable. However, we can prevent others from being deceived by them if we can rescue them before they become devoted to this foolishness (or any other false ideology).

Postmodernism is basically a denial of reality. Its proponents create a fantasyland in their minds and then seduce others into joining them in their delusion.

The purpose of this article is to restore those who might be tempted by this ideology and return them to reality.

The most certain way to do this is to establish the most basic of realities in the minds of those who have been deceived.

That reality is that Christ died for our sins.

This is the Gospel, and it is the light of the world. It has many uses, but one of the more important ones is discernment. When a false preacher is teaching, all the Christian needs to do is ask himself, ‘What does this have to do with the fact that Christ died for my sins?’

When this is done, what is being said is instantly illumined, and the errors of the false teacher are easy to identify. The Gospel is the foundational truth of reality, and when it forms the basis of our thoughts, we cannot be deceived.

The Gospel can put an end to the delusions that haunt our sinful minds. Prior to repentance, we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air.

We all lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful natures and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were objects of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ when we were dead in our transgressions. He sent his only Son to die for our sins so that we could escape the snares of the devil and be seated with him in the heavenly realm.

The truth of the Gospel cannot be denied by any person who has not been utterly deceived by false doctrine or fantastical thinking. There is no science or technology that can disprove it.

However, there is a mountain of historical evidence that demonstrates the undeniable fact that Christ died for our sins. The only reason to deny this fact is because one has made a conscious decision to deny reality.

He has hardened his heart against the Lord.

To prove this point, we begin with the prophet Isaiah. There is no question that the Isaiah scroll exists and that it describes the preaching of a Jew who would be called Immanuel, or God with us, about 760 years before the birth of Jesus. This prophecy describes a great light that will shine on the Jewish people at a time when they are wandering aimlessly in darkness. To the people of Israel, a child would be born. The government would be on his shoulders, and he would be honored as Mighty God and Everlasting Father.

The prophet claimed that the child would be of the line of David and would establish his own kingdom that would rule the earth.

Isaiah stated that this child would grow up before God, but he would be despised and rejected by humanity. He would become familiar with sorrow and suffering and would be detested among his people.

His mission would be to take up the infirmities and carry the sorrows of all of humanity. He would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.

The punishment that brought us peace with God would be upon him, and by his wounds, we would be healed.

To claim that any other prophet, savior, or religious figure other than Jesus could have met these criteria is obscene. One would have to be a complete fool or a postmodernist to make such an outlandish statement.

The Bible has time and again shown itself to be a reliable historical document, and those who reject it as such do so out of rebellion, not reason.

Science and technology will never be able to refute the Gospel.

The people who existed at the time that Jesus was born had a very limited understanding of what the prophet Isaiah was even talking about. It is clear from the account of the Apostles that the enemies of Christ, the Pharisees and Sanhedrin, could hardly comprehend what Isaiah was prophesying.

There is no question, without being petulant, that a child named Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. It was predicted by the prophet Micah about 750 years before the birth of Jesus that the great king that Isaiah spoke of would come from this town.

This child, whose origins would be of ancient times, would one day rule over Israel.

There is no question that this Jesus would become a preacher of God’s word and would speak to the people in parables. Asaph was a Levite, appointed by King David who lived about 1,000 years before the birth of Christ, to serve as a worship leader. He was also known as a seer or a prophet.

No one understood that the Son of God would speak to the people in parables until Jesus actually did it. It is not rationally possible to attribute this to any other religious figure. Only those who have hardened their hearts against the Lord could engage in such foolishness.

There is no question that Jesus performed miracles that caused him to accumulate a great following. He caused the blind to receive their sight, the lame to walk, those with leprosy to be cured, the deaf to hear, and the dead to be raised.

It was not only his preaching that fed several thousand people with only a meager amount of food.

When his greatest enemies, the Pharisees, saw these miracles could not be denied, they had to come up with an explanation to win back the people. They claimed that these miracles were done by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons, and that Jesus used hellish power to drive out the denizens of the abyss.

As we have seen in this postmodern era, the number of ‘Pharisees’ who deny reality are legion. Some of these people actually claim that the Jesus of the Bible never existed. One does not have to be a religious zealot to deny the obvious, however, as this error is even more pronounced among those who call themselves atheists.

There is no question that this preacher of righteousness claimed to be God in human flesh. He stated this so many times that it is indisputable that this is who he thought he was.

Given the fact that he fulfilled numerous prophecies and performed miracles leaves little room for doubt that he was who he said he was. Even the skeptic, if he has an honest bone in his body, must give way to the historical facts.

There is no question that, in accordance with the prophecy of Isaiah, Jesus predicted that he would be put to death by the Jews. Isaiah even gives us a clue as to how he would be killed.

There is no question that Jesus was ‘pierced’ because he claimed to be the Christ, the Son of living God.

There is no question that Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem about thirty-seven years before it occurred. When he pronounced judgment on the Pharisees, he told them that all the righteous blood that they had shed would cover them.

When his disciples marveled at the temple, Jesus informed them that in one generation (40 years), not one stone of the temple would be left upon another.

If we read the account of Josephus, this prophecy was perfectly fulfilled.

There is no question that when Christ was crucified, and he gave up his spirit, that darkness filled the land as described in the Bible. About AD 52, Thallus, who was possibly a Samaritan, wrote a history of the Mediterranean.

Julius Africanus (221 AD) had access to some of these writings and wrote of the day of the crucifixion:

“On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness, Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.”

There is no question that Jesus had a mere twelve disciples when he was put to death. These disciples were common people, such as tax collectors and fishermen. There was nothing special about any of them from a worldly perspective; they had no wealth or worldly power.

There is no question that Jesus rose from the dead and inspired these people to proclaim the Gospel at great hardship to themselves. Each one testified to the resurrection, and due to their horrible sufferings at the hands of the Romans and Jews, they met a terrible end.

And they did it joyfully.

There is no question that these disciples carried Christ’s message to the Roman world and had an incredible impact upon it. These disciples, who were anonymous and unremarkable, became so powerful in their testimonies that the rulers of the world were forced to deal with them.

There is no question that a secular historian, who authentically cannot be questioned even by skeptics, wrote of Jesus about 94 AD:

“At this time, there was a wise man who was called Jesus, and his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon their loyalty to him. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive. Accordingly, they believed that he was the Messiah, concerning whom the Prophets have recounted wonders.”

There is no question that the Roman Emperor Nero hated the Christians who had been brought to repentance due to the preaching of the disciples of Jesus.

The historian Tacitus writes:

“But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero (in AD 64, July) fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called “Christians” by the populace.

Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.

Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”

There is no question that Jesus told his disciples that they would be handed over to be persecuted and put to death. That they would be hated by all nations because of him.

The historian Tacitus leaves no doubt that Jesus prophesied correctly.

There is no question that Pliny the Younger (112 AD) wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan, which is well documented and cannot be disputed, about his problems in dealing with the Christians. His letter will not be repeated here but only its highlights.

The points that Pliny made were:

• That Christians were still being put on trial for their faith at that time.
• That Pliny was concerned about the age and sex of the people who were being put to death for their faith.
• Pliny questioned if those who name the name of Jesus should be punished for that ‘offense’ alone.
• Those who refused to ‘repent’ of their faith and worship Roman gods were put to death.
• Those who recanted their beliefs and cursed Christ were allowed to live.
• That Christians were meeting for church weekly and partaking of the Lord’s supper as Christ had commanded to do in remembrance of him.
• The Romans considered Christianity a depraved, excessive superstition (Emperor Constantine would reverse this a mere two hundred years later).
• That the ‘contagion’ of Christianity had spread not only in the cities but the villages and farms as well.

There is no question that Greek satirists ridiculed the Christian faith but, in so doing, revealed that the faith was still a powerful force not long after the death of John the Revelator.

A Greek satirist, Lucian of Samosata (125-180 AD), wrote:

“The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account… You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property.”

It seems that Lucian, even though he was a mindless heathen, was well acquainted with the Christian faith.

Another Greek satirist, Celsus, also could not contain his distaste for the truth of God. In 178 AD, he wrote:

“It is clear to me that the writings of the Christians are a lie, and that your fables are not well-enough constructed to conceal this monstrous fiction: I have heard [argument based on rumor] that some of your interpreters…are on to the inconsistencies and, pen in hand, alter the originals writings, three, four and several more times over in order to be able to deny the contradictions in the face of criticism.” (37).

“There is nothing new or impressive about their ethical teaching; indeed, when one compares it to other philosophies, their simplemindedness becomes apparent.” (53). [Paul said that the preaching of Christ crucified was a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.]

“One ought first to follow reason [based on what?] as a guide before accepting any belief, since anyone who believes without testing a doctrine is certain to be deceived” (54). [Celsus was an Epicurean in which the pursuit of pleasure was the primary goal of life. This is the ‘reason’ that Celsus ‘tested’ and based his understanding of the world upon.]

Celsus would go on to ridicule the virgin birth of Christ using his reason based on worldly pleasure.

Celsus mocked:

“Let us imagine what a Jew- let alone a philosopher- might say to Jesus: ‘Is it not true, good sir, that you fabricated the story of your birth from a virgin to quiet rumors about the true and unsavory circumstances of your origins? [Wouldn’t Jesus’ numerous enemies have seized upon this false accusation, good sir, and used it to destroy his reputation?] Is it not the case that far from being born in the royal David’s city of Bethlehem, you were born in a poor country town, and of a woman who earned her living by spinning [that does not mean that she was not of the line of David, good sir?] Is it not the case that when her deceit was uncovered, to wit, that she was pregnant by a Roman soldier called Panthera, she was driven away by her husband- the carpenter- and convicted of adultery. [If she had been convicted of adultery, good sir, she would have been stoned in accordance with the law. Also, good sir, Joseph did not drive her away but married her even though this Roman soldier allegedly got her pregnant]” (57).

What a buffoon. Sounds like a typical Hollywood actor.

“I could continue along these lines, suggesting a good deal about the affairs of Jesus’ life that does not appear in your own records. Indeed, what I know to be the case and what the disciples tell are two very different stories… [for example] the nonsensical idea that Jesus foresaw everything that was to happen to him (an obvious attempt to conceal the humiliating facts).” (62). [It was not only his disciples who testified that he foresaw these things, good sir, but the prophets who lived long before Jesus saw them as well.]

“The men who fabricated this genealogy [of Jesus] were insistent on the point that Jesus was descended from the first man and from the king of the Jews [David]. The poor carpenter’s wife seems not to have known she had such a distinguished bunch of ancestors.” (64).

“What an absurdity! Clearly, the Christians have used the myths of Danae and the Melanippe, or of the Auge and the Antiope in fabricating the story of Jesus’ virgin birth.” (57).

“After all, the old myths of the Greeks that attribute a divine birth to Perseus, Amphion, Aeacus and Minos are equally good evidence of their wondrous works on behalf of mankind- and are certainly no less lacking in plausibility than the stories of your followers.” (59). [God did not have sex with Mary, good sir, but placed the Lord Jesus in the womb of Mary. The difference between the Greek gods and Jesus is immense and not comparable in any rational sense.]

Where are your gods now, good sir? Who takes them seriously?

The mindless buffoon Celsus continues on to mock the prophecies about Christ:

“Now perhaps you will argue that we have the words of the holy prophets- that they bore witness concerning you. With due respect, I must ask why you are to be taken as the subject of these prophecies rather than the thousands of others who lived after the prophecy was uttered? [Because only Jesus fulfilled over 300 of these prophecies to the letter, good sir.] What can be applied to you can surely be applied to others.” (58). [Not in the mind of a reasonable person, good sir.]

There is actually too much evidence that Jesus was who he said he was. There were just too many witnesses for anyone to legitimately call into question anything that Jesus said or accomplished.

Scripture records:

“He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken'” (see John 19:31-36).

How did Jesus get the Romans to not break his bones when he was crucified, good sir?

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (see Galatians 3:10-14).

How did Jesus get the Romans to crucify him, thereby fulfilling prophecy, good sir?

The climate cultists like to call us ‘climate deniers,’ to put us in the same category of ‘holocaust deniers.’ Those who deny the existence of Jesus and that he was who he said he was are ‘reality deniers.’

In worldly terms, they are mentally ill. In spiritual terms, they will receive their well-deserved reward in hell before bathing in the Lake of Fire for eternity.

Finally, we do not need to look to history to prove the Gospel. All we need to do is point to the greatest civilization to have ever existed over the last 6,000 years.

That is Western Civilization.

There is no question that Western Civilization, which is based on the fact that Christ died for our sins, is the greatest civilization in human history.

Regarding government, freedom, law, property, comfort, medicine, knowledge, and every other measure of civilization, there has been no time in human history that was superior to what we enjoy today. Every other civilization was characterized by barbarity, lack of civil rights, and the gulag for those who were disobedient.

The evil Globalists and their religious advisors (the Jesuits) are fully aware of this and are attempting to turn back the clock on Western Civilization and return us to barbarity. They intend to wipe out the Christian faith with the help of the most powerful ‘Christian’ institution on the planet.

However, the church will be raptured before they succeed.

There is no question that God sent his only Son to die for our sins.

To reject this fact and refuse to testify to it is inexcusable.

Those who do reject the Gospel do so out of hardness of heart, which is guided by their own wickedness.

There is no question that those who purposely, of their own volition, deny reality deserve the same eternal home that God created to house Satan and his demons.

What may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them.

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