“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).
The church has always had to fight two grievous heresies and therefore she has formulated her confession with care. On the one hand there is the heresy of at least partly being able to earn one’s own salvation, as the Pharisees and Arminians believed; on the other hand there is the heresy of minimising the importance of keeping the law, like the libertines of Peter’s time and all those who compromise God’s law. We see how the former is tackled by Paul in his letter to the Galatians; the latter is tackled in Peter’s letters to the temporary residents in the Dispersion. Both are written for our edification. But what has Peter’s text about the Lord seeing one day as a thousand years (and vice versa, above) got to do with the importance of keeping the law?
Very much, says Prof. B Holwerda.1 For what is it that withholds people from sinning? It is our belief that God sees us in all we do and that there will come a day of God’s judgement on the world. Since such a belief did not suit the ‘libertines’ of Peter’s time, they denied that there would be a judgement day – as so many people do today. They saw such a belief as an impediment to living it up.
To be sure, they had to admit that the Scriptures did refer to a last day. But, they added, didn’t the Scriptures also say that day would come with haste? Hadn’t Christ said, “Surely I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:20) And hadn’t Habakkuk prophesied, “For surely He is coming, and He will certainly not come too late”? Hadn’t Malachi also warned that the Lord was coming (Mal. 3:2-3) and hadn’t Isaiah said He would judge and would “come with fire” (Is. 66:15-17)?
Well then, where is He? said the libertines of Peter’s days. Doesn’t reality show that this is a big lie? What has happened to the promise of His coming? And so these easy going, liberal thinking, ‘Christians’ implied there would be no last day and no final judgement. In this way they wanted to remove faith in Christ’s coming as a brake on sin. In this way they minimised the seriousness of transgressing God’s commandments.2
But Peter warns the congregation: there will indeed be a last day, a day of judgement: the present heavens and the earth are being saved for the fiery judgement day and the destruction of godless people (verse 7). It may seem to some believers, as it does to unbelivers, that one year follows another without a judgement day materialising but, Peter adds, “do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”.
Rev van der Jagt, in a recent New Year’s Eve sermon on this text,3 says: Peter tells us that God’s clock ticks differently than our watches … When we think: “Boy, it takes long!” then the Lord says, “It is only a moment: a thousand years is as one day.” When we think, “Time is moving so fast; the years fly past”, then God figures differently: “One day is a thousand years”. The Lord is in a hurry to come; He longs for the last day. However, He is also patient. Rev van der Jagt, proclaiming God’s Word, adds:
“The Lord uses time to help you. He takes the time to save His own. This self-same time which the Lord uses to destroy His enemies, He uses to save His people and to gather His church. The Lord does not irritatingly and annoyingly drag His feet. He is only full of Godly patience. Patience like in the days of Noah. The Lord then showed how long-suffering He was by postponing the punishment He was about to send. He did not want any person to perish. In word and deed Noah had to preach to show how long-suffering God was. For one hundred and twenty years, Noah had to let everyone know of God’s coming judgement. That’s how much patience God had. Only then did the Lord withdraw His word, the word whereby He kept the waters above and the waters beneath in their place. Not till after those 120 years had passed did the Lord destroy the world of those days.”
There’s an urgent warning in all this. We need to keep an eye on God’s time. Although He is very patient, God’s patience has its limits. Once the time is up, there are no second chances. We can’t do our lives over again. The Lord is not ‘dragging His feet’ as it were but is in a great hurry. However, He has an agenda to complete and therefore does everything in His time. Rev van der Jagt, speaking as the Lord might speak, as it were, says:
“But talking about hurrying, how much do you hurry in your life? I have given you time for living. A normal clock, from year to year. But in spite of the fact that every second, every day, every heartbeat, and every breath of air is pure grace, you have often not walked one step faster for Me and my service. Talk about dragging your feet! I am not slack with the promise of my return, don’t worry. But take note of yourself. For where were you, when I asked for the input of your energies for the sake of My Kingdom? What did you do, when I asked you to witness of Me? What did you do for Me with your money? When did you visit the sick to comfort them? How often did your feet find their way to the lonely? Did you fix up your relationship with your neighbour? How often did you visit a meeting having My Kingdom in mind? Have you prayed for the office-bearers, for mission work, for daily work to society? Why did you not make prep-study for your Bible Study club? Talk about dragging your feet! Take a good look at yourself. Do not dawdle! Otherwise, you will lag behind.”
God’s clock ticks on, also in 2025. He is pursuing His goal—the glory of His name, the establishing of His kingdom, the full number of His elected ones—with great urgency. When that full number is achieved our Lord will return. Meanwhile, each new day He still gives is proof of His grace. Says Rev. van der Jagt:
“Do not be deceived by the scoffers of this world. They see that time is moving on. For them it means: it always keeps on going, nothing changes. Live it up. Quickly grab everything you can from life. Soon it will be too late. Then you will die, and all is finished.”
But we who believe know that this life is not all there is. Death is not the end. And we know that our Lord is pressing all history on to the great day of His return. Unbelievers have reason to fear the Lord’s coming; but He teaches us to await this day with longing and patience. As Rev. van der Jagt, proclaiming God’s Word, says:
“The Lord gives us a much richer perspective on life. He gives a new heaven and a new earth. A world in which righteousness dwells, He makes haste with His coming: ‘Behold I come quickly’. At the same time, He is patient. He is long suffering towards you and me. He is gracious unto us. As we leave the old year and enter the new, He teaches us once again to learn to read the clock and understand the times.”
People often make New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps they’re determined to lose weight, to live within their budget, to save up for something they want. What will we do differently in 2025 than in 2024? We can’t change what we’ve done in the past year, but we can learn from our mistakes and sins and shortcomings and be more determined, by the power of His Spirit, to reflect more and more His image and to go forward placing our complete trust in Him. To conclude with the preaching of Rev van der Jagt:
“God brings life to us in small pieces, that we know as hours, days and months. Generations come and generations will go; He has taken us under the wings of His compassion. He travels with us into the new year. He is present in our changing circumstances. Indeed, for He controls it all, for the times are His. We do not need to quickly stretch out towards all that we desire and would love to have. Seek first His Kingdom. All these other things shall be added unto you. Grow and increase in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, in this, as well as in the coming year; next year as well as into eternity.”
- Prof. B Holwerda, De Wijsheid Die Behoudt (The Wisdom that Saves – meditations), Oosterbaan en Le Cointre, Goes, The Netherlands, 1957, pp. 190-194.
- Holwerda, op. cit.
- Rev W van der Jagt, sermon on 2 Peter 3:8 preached in Free Reformed Church, Mt Nasura, New Year’s Eve 2024.