II Peter 3

One of the basic premises to my understanding of the scriptures is that at, or at least in conjunction with, the destruction of Jerusalem all prophecy was fulfilled. This is based on, among other things:

1. Matt. 5:17-18 -- the passing of the law when all is fulfilled.
2. The emphasis Jesus and the apostles placed on fulfilling prophecy.
3. Luke 21: 20-22 -- Days of vengeance that all things written may be fulfilled.

2nd Peter deals with prophecy and its use by his readers. They were still expecting fulfillment of some of the prophecies.

In II Pet. 1: 16 -21 the confirmed (made more sure) prophetic word was one of the reasons that showed that the cunningly devised fables were not followed when they made known the power and coming of the Lord Jesus. They were to heed the prophetic word until the day dawn.
2 Peter 1:16-21 (NKJV) ¹⁶ For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but (we - mcs) were eyewitnesses of His majesty. ¹⁷ For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." ¹⁸ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ²¹ for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:19 (KJV) ¹⁹ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Peter reminds them to be mindful of Old Testament prophecies and associates them with the coming of Christ.
2 Peter 3:1-4 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, 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." (NKJV)

It is in this same context that Peter says, "We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth." II Pet. 3:13

Was Peter's expectation one he expected to happen soon or was it to be in the distant future?

If, as I believe is indicated, the expectation stemmed from Old Testament prophecies, then, the fulfillment must have been in conjunction with days of vengeance associated with the destruction of Jerusalem.

In support of this there are other passages in 2nd Peter which indicate fulfilled expectation in the near future of those to whom Peter was writing.

Prophecy made more sure (confirmed) is a light until the day dawns.
2 Peter 1:19 ¹⁹ And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; (NKJV)

The false prophets -- their judgment was not idle and their destruction did not slumber.

2 Peter 2:3 ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. (NKJV)
The Scoffers they were told about were of the last days -- 2 Peter 3:3

In 2nd Peter, chapter 3, the promise of Jesus coming was being questioned.
Obviously the promise for Jesus to come is associated with the fulfillment of old testament prophecies.(vs 2-4) The fathers in this case would be the same as those to which the Hebrew writer refers. They were spoken to by the prophets. God's promises were sure however, regardless of the fact that Jesus had not come, as of yet. In this way the scoffers denied Jesus because his prophecies had not come true and this being the case, he could not be a true prophet (Deut. 18:20-22); thus, his teaching and doctrine were to be rejected.
Peter refutes this last days questioning by:
1. By the same word that Noah's world existed and perished, the world, heavens and earth, of Peter's day were preserved and reserved for fire until the day of judgment. ( verses 6 & 7)
2. They were not to forget that a thousand years is as a day.... - (verse 8) - In order not to forget they must have already been aware of it. -- Psalms 90:4
   For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.
   God's slackness was really long-suffering toward them because he did not want any to perish. -- (verse 9) Peter encourages those to whom he is writing to be looking to and hastening the coming of the day of God. Chapter 3, verses 11-12. Looking forward to those things they would be found by him in peace, without spot and blameless. Chapter 3, verse 14

1. Isaiah 65:17-19 ¹⁷ " For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. ¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. ¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. (NKJV) This appears to be the same heavens and earth of Revelation 21:1-5 which John saw coming down out of heaven.
2. Isaiah 66:22-24 ²² " For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me," says the LORD, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. ²³ And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD. ²⁴ "And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." (NKJV) Is it possible that Jesus alludes to this prophecy in Mark 9:44-49?
3. Jesus announcement in Matthew 5:17-18 -- Matthew 5:17-18 ¹⁷ Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (NKJV)
   The word till is often over looked when the heaven and earth as mentioned by Jesus are read. Was not Jesus referring to the prophecies?

Paul speaking of these things wrote things hard to be understood. What was written\spoken by Paul?

Romans 13:11-12 ¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. (NKJV)

Is there any difference in Paul's "awake out of sleep" and Peter's "be diligent to be found"? 1 Peter 4:7 says

⁷ But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. (NKJV)

Philippians 3:20-4:4 ²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. ¹ Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. ² I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (NKJV)

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 1:4-8 ⁴ I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, ⁵ that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, ⁶ even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, ⁷ so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸ who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

When did the gifts cease?

1 Timothy 6:12-14 ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, (NKJV)

Titus 2:11-13 ¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹² teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (NKJV)

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ¹ Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (NKJV)

Why would some think that Christ had come if that was not a possibility?

Philippians 1:3-10 ³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. ⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, (NKJV