a warning of last days old-earth scoffers

Check out these words of the apostle Peter …

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,  that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”   For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.  2 Peter 3:1-6 (ESV)

So what is a scoffer? A scoffer is someone who jeers or mocks or treats something with contempt or calls out in derision.

So what motivates the scoffers of whom Peter speaks?

• They come scoffing in the last days
• They are following their own sinful desires
• They question the return of Christ Jesus
• They overlook the fact of creation AND the worldwide flood

So the two-fold fact they overlook is the following …

1. that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
2. and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.

The first fact appears to be speaking of creation … while the second fact seems to be speaking of the worldwide flood …

For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.  Genesis 6:17 (ESV)

I find this to be a very interesting warning.  In the study of geologic strata or layers, scientists typically fall in one of two camps.

One is the old earth camp where the geologist believe it takes millions of years to form each geologic layer through naturalistic processes that rarely change.  In other words as Peter wrote, ‘For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’  They do not take into account the worldwide flood of Noah’s day.

The other camp is the young earth camp where the geologist believe it takes days, weeks, months and/or years to form each geologic layer … something that was scientifically observed and documented when Mount St. Helens erupted in the 80′s.  They believe most of the layers were formed during the cataclysmic activities of volcanic activity and rain that occurred during the world wide flood of Noah’s day.  Therefore they also believe the earth is thousands of years old … not millions or billions.

Check out this summarized version of the worldwide flood …

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.   And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights … The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.  The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters.  And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.  The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.  And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind.  Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.  He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.   And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.  Genesis 7:11-12, 17-24 (ESV)

Interesting warning from Peter, don’t you think?

Bernie

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