BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME LIKE A THIEF: Hexei (3SFAI) de hemera kuriou os kleptes: (1Cor 5:5; 2Cor 1:14; Jude 1:6) (thief Mt 24:42,43; Lk 12:39; 1Th 5:2; Rev 3:3; 16:15)

KJV from the Textus Receptus adds in the night but this phrase is not found in the reliable Greek manuscripts.

But (1161) (de) introduces a dramatic contrast with the previous passage that spoke of God's "holding back" His hand of judgment.

THE DAY OF THE LORD
(See related discussion in 1 Thessalonians - there is some overlap)

The following notes represent a compilation of teaching on the incredible period in human history referred to as the Day of the Lord.  The phrase day of the LORD (synonymous with "the day of the LORD's anger", "day of the wrath of the LORD" in Ezekiel 7:9 , "that day") is found in 24 verses (Click uses - OT = 20 and NT = 4, not counting one "day of the Lord Jesus") and the following passages link to uses of the specific phrase plus other related Scriptures. To get a good sense of the character of this day study these Scriptures and make a simple list of all you learn about the day of the LORD.

Reginald E. Showers says that ...

The Day of the Lord refers to God's special interventions into the course of world events to judge His enemies, accomplish His purpose for history, and thereby demonstrate who He is--the sovereign God of the universe. (Maranatha, Our Lord Come. Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1995, 38)

The IVP Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms defines the Day of the LORD as

A biblical phrase prevalent among OT prophets who pointed to a future event or era (not necessarily a single twenty-four-hour day) during which God would visit judgment on Israel or the world. The NT authors interpreted the phrase in a futuristic sense but saw in Jesus Christ the beginning of the fulfillment of the Day of the Lord. For believers in Christ the Day of the Lord is an anticipation of hope; for unbelievers it holds only judgment leading to damnation. (Grenz, S., et al. Page 34. Downers Grove, Ill. IVP)

The Day of the Lord is so unique and significant that it is also referred to  that day. As is often the case with Old Testament prophecy that day usually has a two fold fulfillment, near and future. For example in Isaiah that day is mentioned repeatedly, referring to a time of God's judgment, the near fulfillment usually (but read the context) predicting Babylon's coming conquest of Judah and the far future (but surely not far from where we are beloved, living in the 21st century!) similar to events before he second coming of Christ. If you are intrigued by "that day" I would encourage you to study the following 45 uses of the phrase that day in Isaiah, taking care to read the verse in context so that you might interpret the passage correctly as a few of the passages do not appear to refer directly to the day of the LORD. Enjoy! (Click here for the 45 uses of that day in Isaiah). Below is a "sampling" of uses of that day from Isaiah to encourage you to take some time and study this important time period of God's "calendar"...may this awesome truth not just inform you but transform your innermost being so that if you are not living expectantly, you might, like the saints of Thessalonica, begin to eagerly look forward to the return of God's Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, Who delivers us from the wrath to come. (in the "Day of the LORD")" (1Th 1:10-note)

Isaiah 2:11, 17, 20
11 The proud look of man will be abased, and the loftiness of man will be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty, And against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased.

17 And the pride of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be abased, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship

Isaiah 4:2
In that day the Branch of the LORD (the Messiah) will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel (the believing remnant of Jews - see below).

Isaiah 10:20
Now it will come about in that day that the remnant of Israel (click discussion of remnant) ), and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

As an aside it is worth noting that Isaiah provides more information on the future Day of the Lord and the Millennial Kingdom than any other OT prophet and many of his descriptions are not found anywhere else in Scripture (see note Millennium 3)

The day of the Lord is a familiar Old Testament image for the ultimate day of God’s judgment, His final day in court when He settles the injustices of the world. From the above Scriptural references (and others) one can piece together the following portrait of the Day of the Lord. 

Even a cursory study indicates that this day is not a reference to a single 24 day but to an extended period of time as illustrated in the diagram which will be explained below.

A TIMELINE OF
THE DAY OF THE LORD

When does the
Day of the Lord begin?

You will read descriptions in some commentaries that state the Day of the Lord follows the rapture of the church (1a)  ("pre-tribulation rapture"- see discussion of when the rapture occurs)  (1Th 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-see notes 1Th 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18), the event which most evangelicals feel immediately precedes the last seven years of Seventy Weeks of Daniel, and is popularly known as the Tribulation, although nowhere in Scripture is this seventieth week of 7 years specifically designated "the Tribulation" (let me know if you find a passage that contradicts this conclusion - remember that "the Great Tribulation" only refers to the last three and one-half years of this seven year period). The alternative inception date is Mid-Tribulation (1b).

So when does it begin?

First, we must understand the basic timing of this last "Seven Year Period" (Daniel's Seventieth Week) which can be divided into two 3.5 year segments, a conclusion based upon study of Da 9:27 (see notes).

Daniel records the following prophecy he received from the angel Gabriel in answer to fervent prayer...

And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (the Jews/Israel) for one week (one seven year period), but in the middle of the week (after 3.5 years) he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering (in the rebuilt Jewish temple) and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Da 9:27-note)

The Lord Jesus quoted from Daniel 9 as He explained the timing of the events immediately preceding His triumphant return because He wanted the Jews (and all mankind) living during the tumultuous time of Daniel's Seventieth Week to have an easily identifiable event that would indubitably signal the beginning of the the Great Tribulation which represents the final outpouring of God's wrath during the last 3.5 years of  the  Seventieth Week of Daniel...

Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION (referring to the Antichrist or some desecrating action he makes) which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet (reference to Da 9:27-note, also in Daniel 11:31, 12:11), standing in the holy place (indicates the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, cf Re 11:1, 2- see notes Re 11:1; 11:2) (let the reader understand)...there will be a Great Tribulation, (a specific 3.5 year period synonymous with  the "Time of Jacob's Distress" in Jer 30:7 - click other synonyms) such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall...but immediately after the tribulation (the Great Tribulation) of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky (Sign = the Lord returning on the clouds), and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." (Matthew 25:15-31)

Now keeping in mind the timing of this dramatic event described by Daniel and Jesus, read Paul's second letter to the saints at Thessalonica where he addresses the false teaching that the persecution the Thessalonians were now experiencing was part of the great tribulation. He references the same crucial historical event as Daniel and Jesus in order to assure these fearful saints...

"Now we request (plead, implore, beg of) you, brethren, with regard to the coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him (Paul refers not to two events but one event - the rapture he had written about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-see notes 1Th 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18), that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure (literally "mind") or be disturbed (frightened) (false teaching about the Rapture and the Day of the Lord appears to have had a devastating impact on the Thessalonian saints) either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy (a very specific presumably identifiable time of rebellion against God) comes first, and the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) is revealed (apokalupto = literally has the veil removed exposing to open view what he had before hidden regarding his evil character. The aorist tense points to a definite time, a specific historical event), the son of destruction (apoleia = ruin not annihilation), who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God (which Jesus referred to as "standing in the holy place"), displaying himself as being God." (2Th 2:1, 2, 3, 4)

When does Paul state that the Day of the Lord will begin? First, he says "the apostasy" will occur. Then he states when and where "the man of lawlessness" will be revealed. Specifically he states that the revelation of the Antichrist must precede the Day of the LORD. Although many favor the Day of the Lord beginning at point (1a) in the above diagram (after the pre-tribulation rapture), when one compare Scripture with Scripture, there is certainly support for considering the beginning for the Day of the Lord at the midpoint of the 7 Year period of Daniel (1b).

Related Resources:

More on the Day of the Lord
Lecture on Revelation, part 4

Why is the Day of the Lord
not a single day?

Peter using the same term as Paul, says that...

the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (See point 2 on the timeline above)

The question naturally follows "When will the heavens pass away?" Clearly there is no indication that the heavens pass away during the "Great Tribulation" which follows the full revelation of the Antichrist in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Again comparing Scripture with Scripture, we read that following the defeat of the Antichrist at the return of Christ (read Revelation 19:1ff) there is a 1000 year period (I believe John clearly meant a literal 1000 years when he was inspired by the Holy Spirit - if it doesn't mean 1000, one could make it mean almost anything he wanted and it would be "meaningless" and yet it is used 4 times in the passages that follow!) in which Christ reigns on earth, John testifying...

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.  And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth (indicating that Christ and His saints are on earth for a specific 1000 year period), Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (see notes Revelation 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; 20:7; 20:8; 20:9; 20:10)

In the next event which John describes we see a clear parallel with 2 Peter 3:10. John testifies...

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (Re 20:11-note)

John MacArthur commenting on presence earth and heaven fled away writes...

That amazing, incredible statement describes the “uncreation” of the universe. The earth will have been reshaped by the devastating judgments of the Tribulation and restored during the millennial kingdom. Yet it will still be tainted with sin and subject to the effects of the Fall—decay and death; hence it must be destroyed, since nothing corrupted by sin will be permitted to exist in the eternal state ("But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells" 2Pe 3:13-see note). God will in its place create “a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away” (John writes "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea." Re 21:1-note ) The present earth and heaven will not merely be moved or reshaped, since John saw in his vision that no place was found for them. They will be uncreated and go totally out of existence. This is nothing less than the sudden, violent termination of the universe (Macarthur J. Revelation 1-11. and Revelation 12-22. Moody or Logos)

One can conclude that both Peter and John are describing the time period, the day which Peter refers to as the Day of the Lord. And yet we know that the Day of the Lord has already commenced either at the beginning or the midpoint of the Tribulation (as discussed above) following the revelation of the Antichrist, who is defeated by Christ at His return to set up His 1000 year kingdom on an earth, the same earth which Peter says will pass away in the Day of the Lord. It therefore is reasonable to conclude that the Day of the Lord is not a single day but is an extended period beginning at the time of the Tribulation and including the Second Coming of Christ to set up His earthly 1000 year kingdom and finally terminating in the destruction of the heaven and earth as described by Peter.

What Will
the Day of the Lord look like?

Summarizing some of the descriptions in the OT references, we see that this Day is

coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it" (Isaiah 13:9), "a day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes...a slaughter for the Lord GOD of hosts" (Jeremiah 46:10), "a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations" (Ezekiel 30:3), "near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty" (Joel1:15), "surely it is near" (Joel 2:1), "great and very awesome, and who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11), "the great and awesome day" (Joel 2:31), "near in the valley of decision" (Joel 3:14), "It will be darkness and not light" (Amos 5:18), "even gloom with no brightness in it" (Amos 5:20), "(a day when) your dealings will return on your own head" (Obadiah1:15), "near and coming very quickly...in it the warrior cries out bitterly, a day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:14,15), "the day of the LORD'S wrath and all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth" (Zephaniah 1:18), "the day of the LORD'S anger" (Zephaniah 2:2), "His coming...is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap" (Malachi 3:2), "the great and terrible day" (Malachi 4:5), "will come just like a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2).

Notice that the Day of the Lord is frequently associated with seismic disturbances (Joel 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11; 2:31; 3:16), violent weather (Ezekiel 13:5, 5, 7f), clouds and thick darkness (Joel 2:2; Zeph 1:7, 8, 9f.), cosmic upheaval (Joel 2:3,30) Joel tells us that as a result of the Day of the Lord there will also be physical blessings, fruitfulness, and prosperity (Joel 2:21, 22, 23f.; 3:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21). In short the Day of the Lord results in judgment poured out upon sinners that subsequently leads to blessings on the penitent. This Day also brings about the fulfillment of all God's promises (especially to the promise of the Land) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, this fulfillment being consummated in the Millennial Kingdom on earth. To do away with the "millennium" as many do is to make it impossible for God to fulfill His Covenant with the remnant of believing Israel.

The preceding Scriptures on the Day of the Lord are only a sampling of descriptions, beloved. This Day will be so awful that men's hands will hang limp, they will writhe like women in pain, their faces will be red hot because of what is happening. This day is the day when the wrath of God inextricably exterminates sinners and sin forever from earth in preparation for the new heavens and new earth in the Day of God.

What should be our response
to the truth about the DOL?

The Day of the Lord is coming, and it will come suddenly and will be an awesome and  terrible day. It is a day of gloom and of destruction from the Almighty. It is a day which includes Christ's Second Coming to defeat the Antichrist (Re 17:14, 19:11, 12, 13, 14,1 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 - see notes Re 17:14, Re 19:11ff) and to reign and rule on earth for 1000 years (Millennial Reign) as King of kings and as Lord of lords (Re 20:4, 5, 6-see notes Re 20:4; 5; 6). And finally Peter tells us that it is the day in which the world as we know it will finally and irrevocably come to an end.

On the basis of these awesome events Peter exhorts us...

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless (See notes 2Peter 3:11; 12; 13; 14)

What does Peter emphasize by repetition? Obviously he emphasized looking to the future. And so his charge is to take care what you look for, because what you are looking for will determine what you are living for!

Dear reader, if you are not a believer, let Peter's teaching awaken in you a sense of urgency to

Seek the LORD while He may be found.
Call upon Him while He is near
(Isaiah 55:6).

And as Isaiah records elsewhere (in the King James translation):

Look unto me, and be ye saved,
All the ends of the earth
For I am God, and there is none else. 
(Isaiah 45:22)

Seek Christ's righteousness through faith in His atoning sinless sacrifice. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be rescued from eternal loss and separation. There will be no excuses in the Day of the Lord. No second chances. No bribing the Righteous Judge.

The Day of the Lord Is at Hand
(Click to play hymn by Charles Kingsley)
The day of the Lord is at hand, at hand;
Its storms roll up the sky;
The nations sleep starving on heaps of gold;
All dreamers toss and sigh;
The night is darkest before the morn;
When the pain is sorest the child is born,
And the day of the Lord is at hand, at hand,
The day of the Lord is at hand.

Who would sit down and sigh for a lost age of gold,
While the Lord of all ages is here?
True hearts will leap at the trumpet of God,
And those who can suffer can dare.
Each old age of gold was an iron age, too,
And the meekest of saints may find stern work to do
In the day of the Lord at hand, at hand,
In the day of the Lord at hand.

Beloved, how should we who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb respond to the truth about the great and awesome day of Jehovah? Fanny Crosby's hymn sounds the call to all who would be God's faithful watchmen and watchwomen. Let us sound the alarm to all those who the Spirit graciously sends into our life for the Day is nigh...

Sound the Alarm!
Click to play this hymn by Fanny Crosby

Sound the alarm! Let the watchman cry!
“Up! for the day of the Lord is nigh;
Who will escape from the wrath to come?
Who have a place in the soul’s bright home?”

Refrain
Sound the alarm, watchman! Sound the alarm!
For the Lord will come with a conqu’ring arm;
And the hosts of sin, as their ranks advance,
Shall wither and fall at His glance.

Sound the alarm! Let the cry go forth,
Swift as the wind, o’er the realms of earth;
“Flee to the Rock where the soul may hide!
Flee to the Rock! in its cleft abide!”

Refrain

Sound the alarm on the mountain’s brow!
Plead with the lost by the wayside now:
Warn them to come and the truth embrace;
Urge them to come and be saved by grace.

Refrain

Sound the alarm in the youthful ear;
Sound it aloud that the old may hear;
Blow ye the trump while the day-beams last!
Blow ye the trump till the light is past!

Refrain

 See the discussion below for the time referred to as the "Day of God" (2Pe 3:12-note, 1Co 15:28). Note that the Day of the Lord contrasts with a similar phrase the day of Christ (Php 1:6-note Php 1:10-note, Php 2:16-note, 1Cor 1:8, 5:5) all NT uses of this phrase relating to the reward and blessing of the individual members of the body of Christ.

Barclay has an interesting note:

The Day of the Lord is a conception which runs all through the prophetic books of the Old Testament. The Jews saw time in terms of two ages— this present age , which is wholly bad and past remedy; and the age to come, which is the golden age of God. How was the one to turn into the other? The change could not come about by human effort or by a process of development, for the world was on the way to destruction. As the Jews saw it, there was only one way in which the change could happen; it must be by the direct intervention of God. The time of that intervention they called the Day of the Lord. It was to come without warning. It was to be a time when universe was shaken to its foundations. It was to be a time when the judgment and obliteration of sinners would come to pass and, therefore, it would be a time of terror.

Will come - On the basis of Peter's previous arguments, he states without reservation that the Day of the Lord will come

Thief (2812) (kleptes) (Mt 24:42,43; Lk 12:39; 1Th 5:2; Rev 3:3; 16:15) is one who steals and Webster adds he does so stealthily and secretly, when you are not expecting him, suddenly without notice. A thief comes and aims to come when no one expects him.

This metaphor echoes the words of Jesus Who warned that

if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (Mt 24:43)

Thus the Day of the Lord will occur suddenly and unexpectedly, resulting in surprise and irreparable loss for those who are unprepared ("in the Ark" of Christ being the only "preparation")

Calvin has these thoughts by way of application:

This has been added, that the faithful might be always watching, and not promise tomorrow to themselves...he now shakes off our sleepiness, so that we may attentively expect Christ at all times, lest we should become idle and negligent, as it is usually the case. For whence is it that flesh indulges itself except that there is no thought of the near coming of Christ?

IN WHICH THE HEAVENS WILL PASS AWAY WITH A ROAR: en te hoi ouranoi rhoizedon pareleusontai (3FMI): (Ps 102:26; Isa 51:6; Mt 24:35; Mk 13:31; Ro 8:20; Heb 1:11,12; Rev 20:11; 21:1)

Peter now unfolds the specific events connected with this aspect of the Day of the Lord beginning with the heavens. What does he mean by the heavens? The physical, visible universe, the vaulted expanse, the sky with all the things that are in it. In the primitive Hebrew they didn't appear to have a concept or even a word for universe, they simply spoke of heavens. so here Peter indicates that the whole universe will pass away.

Will pass away (3928) (parerchomai) according to TDNT means "to go by”... “to flow past”...Then more generally “to pass away” in the sense of “to come to an end,” “to perish”. Jesus used this verb twice in the following passage to remind His disciples that

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. (Mt 24:35)

The apostle John used parerchomai to describe the

new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (see note Revelation 21:1)

Roar (4500)(rhoizedon  from rhoizéo = make a whizzing or whistling noise <> from rhoízos = Homer used to describe the whizzing of an arrow in flight and by Plutarch to describe whistling of wind in a storm) often described noises made by swift movement as of  the rushing of mighty waters, cracking roar of the flames of a forest fire.  This verse represents the only Biblical use.

Rhoizedon conveys a sense of onomatopoeia, the sound of the word being imitative of the sound of the noise or action designated. The following noises reflect the sense of this word - an arrow whizzing or whistling by, a spear hurtling through the air with a whistling noise, the sound of filing, the splash of water, the rush of a bird’s wings in the air, or the hissing of a snake.

So the universe will pass away with a whizzing, a whistling, or a crackling sound of objects being consumed by flames. John explains this incredible time apparently just after the conflagration of the heavens and earth writing...

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (Re 20:11-note)

AND THE ELEMENTS WILL BE DESTROYED WITH INTENSE HEAT: stoicheia de kausoumena (PPPNPN) luthesetai (3SFPI): (Ps 46:6; 97:5; Amos 9:5; 9:13 Nahum 1:5)

Literally the Greek reads

the elements being scorched up, shall be dissolved.

Elements (4747)(stoicheia [word study]) literally means “ones in a row,” as in letters of the alphabet or numbers. The idea is things standing in a row and thus referring to something orderly in arrangement. As applied to material things, it meant the elemental substances that constitute matter, the basic elements that make up chemical composure of the universe, the components into which matter is ultimately divisible and ultimately includes the very elements that make up the universe, such as the atoms. All of these will be dissolved.

Will be destroyed (3089) (luo) means to loose, release, dissolve. This word means to set free what is bound and possibly here pictures the world being set free from the corruption that exists because of sin (Ro 8:21-note). The elements shall be loosened and broken up into their component parts, like a building being torn down. The physical structure of the present world will disintegrate. This picture is the very opposite of the consistency claimed by the mockers in (2Pe 3:5-note).

Luo is the root of the word lutron, a ransom (payment which sets free).

Luo - 42x in 39v in the - Matt. 5:19; 16:19; 18:18; 21:2; Mk. 1:7; 7:35; 11:2, 4f; Lk. 3:16; 13:15f; 19:30f, 33; Jn. 1:27; 2:19; 5:18; 7:23; 10:35; 11:44; Acts 2:24; 7:33; 13:25, 43; 22:30; 27:41; 1 Co. 7:27; Eph. 2:14; 2 Pet. 3:10ff; 1 Jn. 3:8; Rev. 1:5; 5:2; 9:14f; 20:3, 7

The NAS renders luo as annuls(1), break(1), breaking(1), broke down(1), broken(2), broken up(2), destroy(2),destroyed(3), loose(2), loosed(2), putting an end to(1), release(1), released(7), removed(1), take off(1), unbind(1),untie(8), untied(1), untying(4).

The basic meaning is to loose that which is fastened or bound and thus to unbind or untie, but the exact meaning depends on the context (see following summary or verses below) determines the shade of meaning.

Summary of luo: Literally to untie something (colt = Mt 21:2, Mk 1:7, Lk 3:16, Lk 13:16, Jn 1:27 = sandal thong, man [Lazarus] wrapped in bandages = Jn 11:44), break the seals of a scroll (Re 5:2 - secular use described "broken seals of a will", or "of the opening of a document" or "a letter"), release from prison (Ac 22:30 cp release of angels and/or the devil = Re 9:14,15, 20:3, 7).

Figuratively: to destroy (temple [Jesus' body - so referring to death in this case by crucifixion], Jn 2:19), to break a "rule" (Sabbath, Jn 5:18, 7:23), to annul (commandment, Mt 5:19, Scripture, Jn 10:35), set free from a bond (by Satan = Lk 13:16), cause something to cease (put an end to, death Ac 2:24, How? By the resurrection), breaking up a group of people meeting (Ac 13:43), break up some object (ship's stern, Ac 27:41), release from marriage (1Co 7:27), break down a spiritual barrier (Ep 2:14), to destroy (the heavens and earth, 2Pe 3:10, 11, 12), destroy the works of the devil (1Jn 3:8 -Apostolic fathers write "consequently all magic and every kind of spell were dissolved [luo]" and "his destructiveness comes to an end"), release from bondage to our sins (Re 1:5).

Luo can describe release by a relatively violent manner - Jn 2:19, Ep 2:14-note, Ac 27:41, 2Pe 3:10, 11, 12-note.

Luo is the root word of the important word group which includes the following

Lutron - price paid to redeem a captive, loosing them from their bonds and setting them free, Mt 20:28, Mk 10:45, Lxx = Lv 25:24

Lutroo - means to redeem or to free by paying the ransom price, 1Pe 1:18-note, Lk 24:21, Titus 2:14-note

Lutrosis - describes the act of redemption, of freeing, of releasing or of delivering, Lk 1:68, 2:38, He 9:12-note, Lxx = Lv 25:48

Lutrotes - describes a redeemer, Ac 7:35

Analuo - Literally to undo again. Loosing the anchor of a ship in order to allow the ship to set sail, used by Paul to mean depart as if by loosing an anchor freeing him to glory (Php 1:23)

Analusis - departure euphemistically of death (2Ti 4:6).

Epiluo -  let loose upon literally and figuratively to clarify, explain or interpret (Mark 4:34)

Epilusis - act of explaining, exposition or interpretation (2Pe 1:20, 21)

Kataluo -  To unloose what was bound. To find lodging. To destroy, dissolve (Mk 14:58, Ac 6:14, et al)

Kataluma - Lodging place, inn because when travelers arrived they "loosened" their belts. (Mk 14:14)

Akatalutos - Speaks of that which is indissoluble (He 7:16 = indestructible life).

Antilutron - A price of redemption (1Ti 2:6)

Apolutrosis - Redemption, the gift offered as ransom money. The recalling of captives from captivity through the payment of a ransom (Christ’s death).

Halusis - Literally not to loose and thus a chain, for a chain is something that cannot be loosed.

Comment: This group of words was used in secular Greek to speak of freeing prisoners, opening closed doors, breaking fetters, and liberating people from habits. In a very elemental sense, then, the ransom is a payment which frees a prisoner. As a ransom is paid the prisoner is redeemed from captivity. In secular Greek literature a ransom was paid to release prisoners of war. It was also the payment given to buy a slave out of the market and free him. Even in paganism a payment was made to free someone from the supposed wrath of pagan gods. The Septuagint Greek Old Testament used the word to describe a payment made to release a hostage. It is always a person who is ransomed in the Old Testament (Ex. 21:30; 30:12; Nu 35:31-32; Prov. 6:35). When a payment is given the hostage is freed, or redeemed.

The early church father Polycarp (who was martyred) uses luo writing...

because your firmly rooted faith, renowned from the earliest times, still perseveres and bears fruit to our Lord Jesus Christ, who endured for our sins, facing even death, “whom God raised up, having loosed (luo) the pangs of Hades (Polycarp references Acts 2:24). (Holmes, M. W. The Apostolic Fathers : Greek texts and English translations. Page 207. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books)

Josephus uses luo writing...

(140) But some time afterward there came some persons to him, and brought an accusation against certain of the multitude, and of the priests and Levites, who had transgressed their settlement, and dissolved the laws of their country, by marrying strange wives, and had brought the family of the priests into confusion. (Ant 11.139-140) (cp uses in Mt 5:19, Jn 5:18)

A Greek inscription reads "God brought the pangs of death to an end (luo)"

Here are the 42 uses of luo in the NT...

Matthew 5:19-note "Whoever then annuls (idea of making it void by "loosing" oneself from its requirements and standards - compare Jesus use of the stronger derivative kataluo = to abolish in Mt 5:17-note) one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (here luo may mean to declare as not a part of the individual anymore such as his sins, cp this use of luo in Re 1:5-note)

Matthew 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 21:2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them, and bring them to Me.

Mark 1:7 And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.

Mark 7:35 And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.

Mark 11:2 and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here...4 And they went away and found a colt tied at the door outside in the street; and they untied it. 5 And some of the bystanders were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"

Luke 3:16 John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luke 13:15 But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead him away to water him? 16 "And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

Luke 19:30 saying, "Go into the village opposite you, in which as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it, and bring it here. 31 "And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' thus shall you speak, 'The Lord has need of it.'"... 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

John 1:27 "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."

John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

John 5:18 For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 7:23 "If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath that the Law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?

John 10:35 "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

John 11:44 He who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings; and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Acts 2:24 "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Acts 7:33 "But the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

Acts 13:25 "And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'

Acts 13:43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 22:30  But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

Acts 27:41 But striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to be broken up by the force of the waves.

1Co 7:27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

Eph 2:14-note For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

2Pe 3:10-note But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11-note  Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,12-note looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

1John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Revelation 1:5-note  and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,

Revelation 5:2-note And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"

Revelation 9:14-note one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they might kill a third of mankind.

Revelation 20:3-note and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

Revelation 20:7-note And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,

Luo is used 32x in the Septuagint - Ge 42:27; Ex 3:5; Jos. 5:15; Job 5:20; 39:2, 5; 42:9; Ps. 102:20; 105:20; 146:7; Isa. 5:27; 14:17; 40:2; 58:6; Jer. 40:4; Dan. 3:25; 5:12. Here are some uses...

Exodus 3:5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove (Luo = loose, untie) your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." (cp similar use in Josh 5:15)

Job 39:2 "Can you count the months they fulfill, Or do you know the time they give birth (luo = set free, released as from labor pains)?

Psalm 105:20 The king sent and released (Heb = natar = undo, release, set free, Luo = release) him, The ruler of peoples, and set him free.

Ps 146:7 Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free.

Isaiah 40:2 "Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed (Heb = ratsah = to accept favorably, Luo = released), That she has received of the LORD's hand Double for all her sins."

Isaiah 58:6 "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen (Heb = pathach = to open; luo = loose) the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke?

Intense heat (2741)(kausoo [word study] from kausos = burning heat, fever) (2Pe 3:12-note = only other Biblical use) means to be consumed by heat, to be intensely hot, to suffer from feverish burning, to be parched with fever and thus denotes a violent consuming heat. Kausoo was medical term Greek physicians used to describe the burning heat of fever. Here kausoo describes how the destruction of the universe will occur -- it will be with intense, furious heat, beyond anything we can imagine...all going up in flames one day in the future!

That day of wrath, that dreadful day,
When Heav’n and earth shall pass away!
What pow’r shall be the sinner’s stay?
How shall he meet that dreadful day?

When, shriveling like a parchèd scroll,
The flaming heav’ns together roll;
When louder yet, and yet more dread;
Swells the high trump that wakes the dead.

O on that day, that wrathful day
When man to judgment wakes from clay,
Be Thou the trembling sinner’s stay,
Though Heav’n and earth shall pass away.
Play "The Day of Wrath"

AND THE EARTH AND ITS WORKS WILL BE BURNED UP: heurethesetai (3SFPI) or katakaesetai (PPPMPN) kai ge kai ta en aute erga:

The works (2041) (ergon) seems to suggest the varied achievements of men in this present temporal world.

Burned up up (2618) (katakaio  from kata = intensifies meaning of verb + kaio = to burn) means to burn up, to consume or destroy by fire. The word denotes a violent consuming heat. It means to burn utterly as of chaff (Mt 3:17, Lk 3:17), tares (Mt 13:30,40), magic paraphernalia after citizens of Ephesus had been saved (Ac 19:19), works believers do in their own strength, for their own glory (1Cor 3:15), earth (here in 2Pe 3:10), trees and grass (Rev 8:7), the rebuilt city of Babylon (Re 17:16-note, Re 18:8-note)

Moulton and Milligan note that katakaio

is found in the Calendar of B.C. 301–240, with reference to the parching power of a strong south wind

There are 83 uses of katakaio in the Septuagint (LXX) (Gen. 38:24; Exod. 3:2f; 12:10; 29:14, 34; 32:20; 34:13; Lev. 4:12, 21; 6:30; 7:17, 19; 8:17, 32; 9:11; 13:52, 55, 57; 16:27f; 19:6; 20:14; 21:9; Num. 16:37, 39; 19:5, 8, 17; Deut. 7:5, 25; 9:21; 12:3, 31; 29:23; Jos. 7:15; 11:6; Jdg. 14:15; 1 Sam. 31:12; 2 Ki. 17:31; 23:4, 6, 11, 15f, 20; 1 Chr. 14:12; 2 Chr. 15:16; 34:5; Job 1:16; Ps. 46:9; 74:8; 83:14; Prov. 6:27f; Isa. 1:31; 9:19; 27:4; 33:12; 43:2; 44:16, 19; 47:14; 64:2; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 21:10; 32:29; 34:22; 36:25, 27, 28, 29, 32; 38:17, 23; 43:13; 49:2; Ezek. 5:2, 4; 20:47; 39:10; 43:21; Dan. 3:27; Amos 2:1) Note the frequent uses in Leviticus thus associating fire with being holy, which is fitting as the final fire of the earth will bring about the perfect state of holiness in the Day of God. In other OT uses of katakaio we see the burning associated with things associated with idolatry (see especially the reform under Josiah - 2Ki 23:4, 6, 11, 15, 16, 20) or with sin in a variety of forms. Here are a few representative uses of katakaio in the Septuagint (LXX)...

Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed (Lxx = katakaio).

Leviticus 6:30 'But no sin offering of which any of the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place shall be eaten; it shall be burned (Lxx = katakaio) with fire.

Deuteronomy 7:5 "But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn  (Lxx = katakaio) their graven images with fire.

Deuteronomy 7:25 "The graven images of their gods you are to burn  (Lxx = katakaio) with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.

Isaiah 1:31 And the strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn (Lxx = katakaio) together, And there will be none to quench them.

Isaiah 33:12 "And the peoples will be burned (Lxx = katakaio) to lime, Like cut thorns which are burned (Lxx = katakaio) in the fire.

Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn (Lxx = katakaio) you.

There are 12 uses of katakaio in the NT...

Matthew 3:12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Matthew 13:30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."

Matthew 13:40 "Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

Luke 3:17 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Acts 19:19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

Hebrews 13:11 (note) For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Revelation 8:7 (note) And the first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

Revelation 17:16 (note) "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.

Revelation 18:8 (note) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

This last half of the verse is referred to by the Greek scholars as one of the most difficult textual problems in the NT and hence can be confusing if you are comparing English translations.  The earliest and best supported manuscript, the Nestle-Aland text has the future tense of the verb heurisko which means "to find" or "to lay bare". Although the Nestle text is generally felt to be more reliable, in this particular case even Greek scholars like A. T. Robertson favor the reading from the Textus Receptus manuscript because katakaio meaning  “burn up” appears to make much better sense from the context. Thus you will see wide differences in the way this portion of the verse is translated. 

Versions that favor heurisko include the

NIV = "will be laid bare" 

NAB = "it will be found out"

NRSV = "will be disclosed"

By far most of the translations (including NASB, KJV, NKJV, etc) favor katakaio "to burn up". If one favors heurisko (to lay bare), this would convey the sense that God will lay bare the worthlessness of all human achievements apart from Him.

The Day of the Lord will have a surprise, sudden, unexpected, and disastrous arrival for unprepared unbelievers. Peter has painted us an astonishing picture -- the final act of God to purge the universe of sin and sinners. At the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the "Great Tribulation God first destroys the ungodly on the earth, including the Antichrist, the armies of the world, etc. (Re 19:19, 20, 21-see notes Re 19:19; 20; 21)

Those who are left alive on earth (both saved Jews and Gentiles) will enter the Millennial kingdom after they are judged by the King as worthy (as those who have placed their faith in Christ). There will be a separate judgment for the Gentiles and the Jews.
 

After the end of the golden Messianic age Scripture records the amazing fact that there are still many ("as many as the sand of the seashore") of those born during this 1000 years who have chosen to reject Christ and join Satan's final rebellion against the Lord at the end of the 1000 years. God will come in ultimate final judgment for the last time and destroy the whole universe and set up a new heaven and a new earth (see notes Revelation 20:7;  20:8; 20:9; 20:10) bringing down the curtain on the Day of the Lord and ushering in the Day of God, in which only righteousness dwells. All rebellious, ungodly men and rebellious angels (demons) will be consigned to eternal separation and unspeakable torment in the Lake of fire away from the presence of the glory of God.

You may have seen the bumper sticker that says...

Jesus is coming back
and
He is on schedule!

Are you prepared to meet your Maker?

or

Are you a mocker of the Master?

If you are not prepared let Paul's words guide you into the way of truth and eternal life...

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Ro 10:9, 10-See notes Ro 10:9; 10)

Since Peter teaches that material things are transient, believers should be reminded to continually...

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Col 3:2-note).

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Illustration - During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.  Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.” Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we’re to be lights as we watch and wait. (H Heintz)

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A Storm Is Coming! - Several years ago in Florida, I watched the ominously black sky as a howling wind drove the rain in stinging sheets across angrily churning baywaters. A hurricane was approaching! All day long, radio and TV stations gave urgent instructions on how to guard against the destructive winds and surging tides of the impending storm.

As residents were frantically preparing for the storm, I asked myself, "Why do people take the warnings issued by the weather bureau so seriously, yet stubbornly refuse to hear God's warnings?" In His Word, God has told us that a much greater disaster will come upon the entire world. The Bible says, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2Pe 3:10).

Yes, that dreadful day is coming. But there is a sure way of escaping God's judgment. It's found in Christ. Those who have placed their faith in Him enjoy His peace here on earth and are assured of spending eternity with Him in heaven.

Are you prepared? If not, accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior today (Romans 10:9, 10, 11, 12, 13). —Richard De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

To reject God's deliverance is to invite destruction

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Bad News - Some scientists tell us that in less than 10 million years the earth will be unable to sustain life because the sun will be too hot. This is depressing news for those who put all their hope in this world. It means that all of humankind's accomplishments will one day be wiped out.

For those who believe the Bible, though, this information is not surprising. We know that the earth in its present form will one day be destroyed "with fervent heat" (2Peter 3:10). But that's not depressing news. On the contrary, we gladly anticipate the day when our sin-marred planet will be replaced by a world "in which righteousness dwells" (v.13).

This expectation becomes for us a powerful incentive for "holy conduct and godliness" (2Pe 3:11).

We also realize that our earthly lives have great significance, because through our prayers, our behavior, and our Christian witness we become partners with God as He works in the world. And one day, when He replaces our present cosmos with the perfect world, we will be given a place in our eternal home (Jn 14:2).

Because of our faith in Christ, we can be filled with joy and hope. The Lord wants to use our life in this world and He promises us a perfect world to come. —Herbert Vander Lugt (Ibid) (Bolding and color added for emphasis)

Our earthly sight is limited,
The future we can't see;
Let come what may, one thing we know:
Our God will faithful be. —Hess

The future is bright if Christ is your hope

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Junior wanted a dump truck, and he let everyone in the store know it. When his mother said no, the little boy threw a temper tantrum. He howled louder and louder until the embarrassed mother bought the toy. As I watched, I thought of what my mother told me when I was young. "Don't hang your heart on things!" she said. At times I rebelled against that idea, but today I'm deeply grateful for her advice. And I think it should be displayed as a motto in every home.
The apostle Paul warned that the earth and all "the works that are in it will be burned up" (2Pe 3:10-note). With this truth in mind, he went on to say, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? (2Pe 3:11-note). Because material things are transient, we ought to set our affection on "things above" (Col 3:2-note).

In a day when we're bombarded as never before by appeals to buy and have, it's difficult, even for believers, to stand firm against an excessive desire for things. Beautiful full-color spreads in magazines, scintillating radio commercials, and persuasive television ads combine to make us feel that we can't get along without certain products.

We need to guard ourselves against the tendency to want more and more material possessions. They can become heart hang-ups that draw us away from the Lord. Material values pass away; spiritual values last forever. —R. W. De Haan. (Ibid)

Hold lightly to the things of earth
but tightly to the things of heaven.

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Frozen Snowball - Baseball pitcher Tug McGraw had a wonderful philosophy of pitching. He called it his “frozen snowball” theory.“ If I come in to pitch with the bases loaded, ”Tug explained, “and heavy hitter Willie Stargell is at bat, there’s no reason I want to throw the ball. But eventually I have to pitch. So I remind myself that in a few billion years the earth will become a frozen snowball hurtling through space, and nobody’s going to care what Willie Stargell did with the bases loaded!”

The Bible tells us the earth will someday “melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up”(2Pe 3:10). Yet McGraw’s point is valid: We need to keep life in perspective. Most of the things we worry about have no eternal significance.

The writer of Hebrews was concerned about our perspective. Throughout the book, he keeps our eyes focused on heaven and away from earth. Unless our minds are on heaven, we will have little eternal influence on earth.

There will come a time when the earth will be shaken, and things that once seemed permanent will be gone (He 12:27-note). What you fear most today will be forgotten like yesterday’s headlines. What really matters is what you do today that has a touch of eternity about it.—Haddon W. Robinson (Ibid)