What does "hastening the coming of the day of God" mean in 2 Peter 3:12? Full Text and Immediate Context “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look for and hasten the coming of the day of God. In that day the heavens will be dissolved by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:11-13) Peter links three ideas in one breath: (1) inevitable cosmic judgment, (2) the believer’s pursuit of holiness, and (3) an astonishing claim that believers may “hasten” (Greek: σπεύδω, speudō) the very day when God ushers in the new creation. The Day of God Defined • Old Testament: “the day of the LORD” (Isaiah 13; Joel 2) signals judgment and restoration. • New Testament: “day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10), “day of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:2), and here uniquely “day of God.” All converge on the climactic return of Christ and the renewal of creation (cf. Revelation 21:1). Divine Sovereignty versus Human Participation Scripture affirms both fixed foreknowledge (Acts 17:31; Isaiah 46:9-10) and genuine creaturely involvement (Exodus 32:14; James 5:16). The apparent paradox is resolved by recognizing secondary causation: God ordains ends and means. Believers’ obedience, prayer, and mission are among the foreordained means. Biblical Precedent for Hastening Divine Action 1. Repentance: Nineveh’s turning “from their evil way” moved God to delay judgment (Jonah 3:10). 2. Intercession: Moses’ pleas preserved Israel (Exodus 32:11-14). 3. Evangelism and Missions: “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached… and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14). 4. Israel’s Salvation: “Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25-26) suggests a threshold which, once reached, triggers eschatological fulfillment. Primary Means by Which Believers Hasten the Day 1. Holy Conduct (2 Peter 3:11): Personal purity displays God’s transformative power and readies the Church as Christ’s bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). 2. Fervent Prayer: “Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10) is an appeal for God’s decisive intervention. Church history records concerted prayer preluding awakenings, e.g., the 1857-58 Layman’s Revival in North America, during which evangelistic momentum reached millions. 3. Proclamation of the Gospel: The explosive global spread from a handful of Galilean fishermen to nearly every language group fulfills the missional predicate for the end (Matthew 24:14). 4. Patient Endurance amid Suffering: Martyr witness “fills up what is lacking” (Colossians 1:24) and becomes the seed of the Church (Tertullian, Apology 50). 5. Corporate Repentance and Justice: “If My people… humble themselves… then I will hear” (2 Chron 7:14). Societal righteousness prompts divine blessing and restrains wrath (Proverbs 14:34). Common Misinterpretations Addressed • Fatalism: “God will act when He will, so our effort is irrelevant.” Peter explicitly links effort (“hasten”) with outcome. • Autonomy: “Human action forces God’s hand.” Scripture never depicts God as coerced; rather, He graciously incorporates our actions into His pre-appointed plan. • Date-Setting: No text authorizes predicting the calendar day (Matthew 24:36). The verb calls for readiness, not calculation. Eschatological Frameworks and “Hastening” • Premillennialists see holiness and evangelism as prerequisites to Christ’s pre-millennial return. • Amillennialists view “hastening” as intensifying longing for the final consummation without a temporal millennium. • Postmillennialists integrate it with societal transformation, anticipating gospel-driven cultural renewal before Christ’s appearing. Despite differences, all agree that believers’ obedience and witness are ordained means leading to the culmination. Practical Implications for Today 1. Personal Holiness: Daily repentance and Spirit-empowered obedience are not optional extras but eschatological accelerants. 2. Evangelistic Urgency: Every unreached people group engaged, every neighbor loved, shortens the runway to Christ’s return. 3. Corporate Prayer Movements: Night-and-day intercession ministries echo the widow of Luke 18, pressing the judge for justice “speedily.” 4. Kingdom-Centered Vocation: Whether scientist, tradesman, or homemaker, integrating work with gospel witness contributes to the redemptive tally. 5. Hope-Filled Perseverance: Suffering believers interpret hardship not as divine absence but as labor pains heralding new creation (Romans 8:22-25). Conclusion “Hastening the coming of the day of God” is a summons to active partnership with the Sovereign Lord. By holy living, fervent prayer, relentless proclamation, and persevering hope, the Church becomes both signpost and catalyst of the climactic renewal of all things. God’s timetable is certain; the Church’s obedience is instrumental; together they converge in the promised new heavens and new earth where righteousness finally and forever dwells. |
    |