This last chapter of the book of 2 Peters is fixated upon the day of the Lord. The very first verse starts with Peter wanting to ‘refresh’ the mind of the believer for what’s to come. In the following verse he says to remember the words spoken by both the prophets AND apostles. Through this fixation we set our gaze on Christ’s presence. Through Christ’s presence we see that our mind being refreshed daily is what’s needed.

It says in verse three that people will fall away and follow their own desires. Peter is making a promise saying that humanity will reject God. Not only will they reject God, but they will ridicule Him. Peter continues to explain until verse seven, when he says that by God’s word, heaven and earth are to be burned. This might sound extreme, but it holds a dense reality.

The reality is that the earth is being held until the day of judgment when ungodly people fall.(v.7), This is not all that’s being said, for in the very next verse Peter shows us! He says ‘Dear friends, don’t ignore this fact: One day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord isn’t slow to do what He promised, as some people think. Rather, He is patient for your sake.’(v.9).

The Lord is patient with the believer on earth. He knows full well who mocks Him and His Word. He not only knows this, but He expects it! The complete brutalization that Jesus endured shows the magnitude of His love for the earth. It says that “He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Jesus wasn’t just handed to the cross, He sent Himself there. Christ died so that ‘whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.’

There are two themes I want to focus on:

1. One Day—A Thousand Years.
2. Eternal Weight in Gold.

These two themes are what the Lord spoke to me to write out in note form. Here are some questions that are important to ponder as we read this. The first one is ‘what is it like to live in the Lord’s presence?’ and the second is ‘how am I to exalt Him for a thousand years?’

1. One Day—A Thousand Years.

One day in His presence is like a thousand years in eternal value. What this means for us is the sheer fact that it all holds its pure weight in gold. I’m not talking about physical gold, but rather the gold tapestries interwoven in the throne room of God. The reality is that there are rubies lining the palaces in heaven set before us. There are gems of great, eternal value, that far exceeds the pleasures that this earth has to give. Now I’m not sure what type of food heaven will have, but I hope there are some decent burgers.

One in His presence holds infinitely more value to Him than a lifetime of business. Our pleasure is in Christ AND Christs pleasure is in us. He loves us so much that He not only lived to leave a legacy, but died to leave eternity. It was both legacy and eternity that He gave US!

2. Eternal Weight in Gold.

There was a concept I briefly mentioned above. It is this measurement of jewels that are embedded in eternal value. What is eternal value? You might ask, and I hope I can answer to the best of my knowledge. Eternal value is a forcible weight of measurement in life. This is why a person might ask themselves: what did my life come to? Was it all worth it? What am I leaving behind? Who will remember me? Well Christ is the answer.

It is through Christ that we hold everything in eternal value. This is precisely why in Revelations it talks about God’s people surrounding His throne room. (Ch.7.v.9). Through Christ the sacrifice is paid and the gift freely given. For the believer this isn’t just earthly joy, but eternal joy. A joy that lasts a lifetime, and an endurance that shows that a day is like a thousand years.

One day pursuing the Lord is like a thousand years in eternal weight in gold!

Yours Truly,

Destiny Rose Nielsen.