History reveals that God intervenes in the affairs of man, not only to save His own people, but to judge the wicked. Scoffers in the local church doubt, and the world denies, but Peter proves from history and the Bible that Jesus is coming again. The questions isn’t “if”, but “when” He’ll return.
God is eternal, but His creation is not. No insane politician, angry army, plastic straw tossing tot, or chemical company will destroy this world; God will do it Himself. He destroyed the world and man’s system in Noah’s day (Gen 6:13, 17; 7:4), scorched Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes (Gen 18:17, 26-32; 18:24-25, 29), and killed every firstborn animal and male in Egypt (Ex 3:20; 6:1-8; 11:4-6; 12:29; Num 8:17; 33:4; Ps 78:50-51; 105:36; 135:8; 136:10). He’s set the very day for His final judgment of sin and sinner alike (Is 13:10-11; 64:1-4; Acts 17:31).

I. The Judgment Will Come (2 Pet 3:10). This verse begins with the powerful word but. Peter will now God’s patience with His elect by holding back judgment and His judgment. Rather than the nature of judgment, Peter summarizes the certainty and the result of God’s judgment.

The Day of the Lord is first used of an era when God brings man to nothing and exalts Himself (Is 2:12). It begins with darkness and proceeds to light. It includes God’s judgment by natural disturbances (Ezek 30:3; 13:5-7) and divine destruction (Jer 46:10; Amos 5:18-20; Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:7-9), but includes a time of material and spiritual blessing (Joel 2:21-23; 3:16-21; Zeph 3:14-20). It begins at the 7-year Tribulation, and includes the 2nd
Coming of Jesus, and His earthly Millennial Kingdom (Rev 19:1-20:15).
This Day of the Lord isn’t a 24-hour period because Peter re-defined the term as an indefinite era (2 Pet 3:8).

We don’t know when the Day of the Lord or day of judgment will come, but it will arrive as a thief in the night (2 Pet 3:7, 10; Mt 24:43; Rev 3:3; 16:15). This image isn’t a reference to the Rapture of the Church, which is the Lord raising the Church to be with Him in Heaven (Jn 14:1-3; 1 Thess 4:13-18). A thief’s arrival is always unannounced, unexpected, and unpleasant; never to bless but to kill, steal, and destroy (Jn 10:10). The coming of Christ as a thief is to judge the world nestled spiritually asleep, content in false peace and safety (1 Thess 5:2-3).

II. The Heavens Will Pass Away (2 Pet 3:10). God created this universe and everything in it to pass away (Heb 1:10-11; Rev 21:1), but His Word, like Him, is eternal (Is 40:8; Mt 24:35; 1 Pet 1:25). Peter’s concern is the last portion of the Day of the Lord, the 1,000 years of the His literal, earthly Millennial Kingdom.
After the Millennium, the heavens, meaning the sky and space (ouranos) will pass away or come to an end (2 Pet 3:5, 7, 10, 12, 13). This will be accompanied by a great noise (rhiozedon) like the whistling of an arrow past the ear, and the elements (stoicheia), the building blocks of creation will melt (luo) with fervent heat. Luo means to untie or dissolve. Paul wrote that in Jesus all things consist (sunistemi) or are held together (Col 1:17), but on the Day of the Lord, Jesus will open His hand and the universe will be destroyed.

III. The Earth Will Burn (2 Pet 3:10). The earth and the works (ergon) in it will be burned up (katakaio, from which comes the English word catastrophe). Ergon refers to things or achievements of effort. The planet and everything people boast in will be consumed by fire so they no longer exist (katakaio). Fire is always used in the Bible to symbolize God’s judgment against sin. When sinners stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 19:17 - 20:1), no one will have anything to point to and boast or excuse.
Jesus the Judge will come. His judgment will be full and complete; everything touched and ruined by sin will be destroyed and God will begin anew (2 Pet 3:13). Today, God’s you are the firstfruits of this new work of creation by God (Rom 8:18-25).