The Day of the Lord

[ed]

Something I have been forced to work a bit.

Here is a refreshing take on it.

THE HEAVENS DECLARE
Part 27
SAGITTARIUS-THE ARCHER

"Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (II Pet. 3:6). Does the fact that the world of that day "perished" and was "destroyed" mean that we are not living on the same earth that saw the flood in Noah's day? Does it mean that this planet was obliterated so that it no longer existed! Does it mean that Noah was "raptured" off to some distant planet or to some far-off heaven somewhere while God created a new earth for him to live on? Of course not! Then what "world" or "earth" was destroyed by the flood? The scripture shows plainly that it was a world of people and a WAY OF LIFE--a KOSMOS-- a social order, a world system and arrangement of things! So we see that the world that was destroyed in Noah's day was not this physical earth of mountains, valleys, rocks, rivers, trees and oceans, for of that earth the scripture is emphatic that "one generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but THE EARTH ABIDETH FOREVER" (Eccl. 1:4). And again, "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He FORMED IT TO BE INHABITED" (Isa. 45:18). It is clear that while God did not destroy the planet, He did bring an era of unbridled wickedness and utter depravity to a screeching halt and total end, thus destroying, not only fleshly men, but a WHOLE WAY OF LIFE including all the institutions, organizations, governmental systems, economic orders, religions, traditions, customs etc. that were characteristic of that corrupt civilization.

"Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD" (Gal. 1:4). The description of this present world declares it to be evil, and Paul asserts that we are being delivered or saved out of it through Jesus who gave Himself for us. One cannot read these words without a feeling of utmost wonder at the revelation that just as it was the ark that saved Noah from the world of his day, so it is Christ who saves us from this present evil world. Noah was saved from his world by a ship, whereas we are saved from our world by a glorious Person! To be delivered from this present evil world does not mean to be "raptured" off to some "beautiful isle of somewhere" any more than Noah was removed to another planet when he was "saved" from the world that then was.

Religion teaches that we are saved from one "place"--hell, to go to another "place"--heaven.And of course neither of these places are on this earth, so therefore the only purpose for our being on this earth at all is to make preparation to get out of here and go someplace else! Too long preachers have tried to scare people into heaven by painting lurid and horrible pictures of hell, rather than preaching Jesus Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God, who is made unto all that believe wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

It is an incontrovertible fact that the average christian today is not looking for the same thing Peter was looking for-- new heavens and a new earth. Did Jesus teach us to pray, "Come, Lord Jesus, and take us home to heaven," or did He teach us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven?" To be delivered from this present evil world doesn't mean to be taken anywhere. It means to be transformed, it means to be in a different condition, or state of being, than the world.

As our Lord implored, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (Jn. 17:15-17).

Jesus said, "I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). John wrote, "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I Jn. 5:4).

A friend said to Mark Twain: "I am worried. The world is coming to an end." "Don't be worried," replied the famous humorist, "we can get along without it." Mark Twain may not have known it, but he spoke the truth. We can get along without it, because God has arranged to fashion a new world by fire. The apostle Peter wrote "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which theJesus said, "I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). John wrote, "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I Jn. 5:4).

In keeping with the modern use of language we might speak of the three worlds of II Peter 3 as the world of yesterday, the world of today, and the world of tomorrow. Much of the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of God's purpose for humanity has been occasioned by a failure to understand what a world really is. The biblical "end of the world" has been misconstrued to denote the burning up of the literal earth, and all things upon it. On account of this misunderstanding of what is meant by "the end of the world" many saints have feared its approach.

The ancient world was destroyed by water, and the present world shall be destroyed by fire. The fact that the water was literal leads some to believe that the fire must also be literal, but this by no means follows. Under the Old Testament all things were literal, whereas under the New Testament all things are spiritual. The temple of God once was of literal stones, but now the true temple is built up a spiritual house made of living stones, not of earthly material. Noah's ark was literal too, but it served as a type and example of the greater ark of the New Covenant -- Christ and the power in Him which will save the sons of God from the loss of this perishing world and through them will replenish and renew humanity. When "fire" is mentioned most christians think of hell fire, but not heavenly fire. But the testimony of scripture is that OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE (Heb. 12:29).

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[eaglesway]

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[micah7:9]

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