But do not let this thing be hidden from you, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Truth to Learn
God is always present … everywhere and at all times.
Behind the Words
The word “hidden” is translated from lanthanÅ, which we looked at back in verse five. It means “to lie hidden” or “to be unaware of.” So, a better translation of the beginning of this verse would be, “But do not ignore this one thing …”
Meaning Explained
Today’s verse is one of those which people seem to delight in pulling out of context and using as a proof text for bizarre doctrines (like the earth wasn’t really created in seven days but in seven eons). However, instead of talking about what this verse doesn’t mean, let’s talk about what it does mean.
First of all, Peter is refuting those who claim that the Messiah (the Christ) is not coming because the message of His coming has been proclaimed for thousands of years, and there is no more evidence of it today than there was when it was first proclaimed. These scoffers claim that everything is continuing on without change for all this time, and there is no chance for a change any time soon.
Peter first refuted this by saying that things have not continued in the same way always, and he cites the flood of Noah’s day as an example. He also warns that there will be another judgment of the earth and its inhabitants; this time by fire.
Now for Peter’s second rebuttal of the scoffers’ belief in uniformitarianism. First, though, he warns his readers, “Do not ignore this one thing.” It is his way of saying that the following is a very important thing to learn: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
So what does this phrase really mean? Just this: God is not bound by time. It’s as simple as that! He is right now in eternity past, He is also in eternity future, and He is everywhere in between. Christ, Himself, expressed it when He was arguing with the Jews:
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58)
The expression “I am” means that in every point of time, God is there in the present. It is not just a matter that God has always existed and will always exist but that He simultaneously exists in all points of time and eternity. Therefore, to Him, a moment in time is the same as a thousand years, is the same as a day. That’s what Peter is saying. And, since God is not bound by time, the argument (that it has been thousands of years since the message was first preached and He still hasn’t come) has no bearing in the matter at all.
Application
The next time you find yourself getting impatient with God, wondering why He hasn’t answered your prayers yet, keep in mind that God knows the end from the beginning. He is already there and He knows precisely the right time to help you in your “hour” of need.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved