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2 Peter 3:10-12
New Catholic Bible
2 Peter 3:10-12
New Catholic Bible
10 However, the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a mighty roar,[a] and the elements will be dissolved in flames, and the earth and all that it contains will be disclosed.
11 Wait for and Speed the Day of God.[b] Since everything is to be destroyed in this way, consider what sort of people you ought to be, living holy and saintly lives. 12 Wait for and speed the coming of the Day of God,[c] on which the heavens will be set ablaze and all the elements will melt because of the intense heat.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Peter 3:10 The Day of the Lord . . . a mighty roar: this “Day” is also mentioned in Acts 2:20, 1 Cor 5:5, and 1 Thes 5:2 and refers to Christ’s Second Coming, repeating the sayings of the Prophets (e.g., Joel 2:1; Zeph 1:7). This coming is certain, but the time is known only to the Father (see Mk 13:32). It will arrive suddenly, unexpectedly, and without warning (see 1 Thes 5:1-3), ushering in the solemn judgment (see Acts 17:31). The heavens will disappear with a mighty roar: this is apocalyptic, figurative language like that of the Books of Daniel and Revelation.
- 2 Peter 3:11 What is it that is delaying the coming of the Messiah? The sins of human beings. This is what many thought among the Jewish circles, and our author shared that conviction. He wishes above all to encourage Christians to stand fast and make progress in the faith. Their eyes are not fixed on a hazy horizon; rather, they live from the promise of an unimaginable renewal of humankind and the world through the Christ who comes.
- 2 Peter 3:12 Day of God: synonymous with “Day of the Lord.” The idea of a final conflagration, found only here in the New Testament, was common in apocalyptic writings and in Greco-Roman thought.
