Bible prophecy is being fulfilled as I write this commentary. While many professing Christians ignore the connection between current events and portions of the Bible that were written thousands of years ago, my advice is that it would be wise for these scoffers to wake-up.
The very fact there are scoffers today fulfills Bible prophecy. With regard to the last days, Peter declared:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [1]
Peter clarifies the statement he made was for a last-days generation who makes the choice to be willingly ignorant of biblical truth. Instead, these rebellious people are influenced by mere humans who make claims about the past and the future that are based on speculation. Peter continued:
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.[2]
Obviously, Peter is referring to two separate judgements. One is the great flood of Noah which took place in the past and judged the world that then was. The other judgement is still in the future - the near future. Rather than a global flood, the judgment will be a global fiery catastrophe, also against ungodly humans, just as it was in Noah’s day. It is apparent that Peter was making reference to the fact this latter judgement will take place at a time when the “scoffers” will be the ones who deny that Bible prophecy has any validity. Earlier in 2nd Peter, in the first chapter, another statement was made explaining the importance of Bible prophecy and puts this into perspective. He stated:
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:[3]
From my perspective, this appears to be his first warning to the scoffers he addressed later who refuse to accept the Bible’s prophetic warnings. God’s Word is like a light shining into a dark place. It is a fact that a small amount of light in a dark place makes a very big difference. The Bible describes Satan’s kingdom as darkness and God’s Word as light.
Sadly, some Christians have twisted the meaning of these biblical warnings about scoffers in the last days. They are saying that the true scoffers in these days are those who are warning about spiritual deception and rejecting a world-wide movement of unity that will supposedly include great signs and wonders. But the Bible clearly tells us that the earmarks of the last days will be spiritual delusion, a falling away, and lying signs and wonders.
Photo taken from a 2 second still of the YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4CYqHhCwsE. Used in accordance with
the U.S. Fair Use Act.
And just as in the days of the Old Testament prophets whose warnings were ignored and scoffed at, so too shall be the warnings by God’s people in these present days, [4]
The purpose of this commentary is to reach out to scoffers— those who reject the Bible in its entirety professing to be followers of Christ but are doubtful about what the Bible states about the last days—and to remind all believers that just as God judged the world in the past by water (as the fossil record shows), He will do what He said He would do in the near future. Jesus will soon be returning. Will you be ready?