Our age seems especially characterized by forgetting the expectation of the Second Coming. This thought may...
Our age seems especially characterized by forgetting the expectation of the Second Coming. This thought may seem strange, for people constantly speak of the end of the world; everyone waits, trembles, and is afraid. But is anyone waiting for Him, for God? In this respect, fellowship with Jews who genuinely and sincerely believe is very useful for Christians. They remember that things will not always remain as they are today. They wait intently for the coming of the Messiah, and they wait not only with awe but also with joy.
Yet in principle we are waiting too... Only our lives show none of that intense and joyful expectation with which one awaits a beloved person, constantly running to the door and listening for footsteps... and also checking the mobile phone for a message explaining the delay.
We live as life carries us along. Sometimes we remember either that our world is finite or that we ourselves are finite. We become frightened. For a while, this fear may even move us to pray more often and do something for our salvation. Then we forget again. We forget that we are waiting not for the End but for the Beginning, that we are waiting for Someone who can change everything and make it new. We do not remember that in reality we “await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” Truth is frightening.
And it is also frightening simply to place everything in the hands of God, the God for whom “one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” Therefore, to be with Him, we must forget about time and live as though eternity lay before us, yet we might die in the next moment.
If only for a minute we realize that each of our thoughts, every word, and every deed may be the last, while eternity nevertheless lies before us, then truth ceases to be a scarecrow and becomes reality. This very moment, this thought, this word, and this deed become truth. For God is the truth that illuminates every moment and all eternity.
At the same time, out of love for us the Lord humbled Himself so greatly that He was born, became man, and lived in time. More than that, He was “long-suffering” and saved us by His patience. Such a God does not inspire fear, and one longs to express gratitude to Him for salvation at least through the same patient waiting at the threshold, waiting for His Coming, for the coming of His Light and His truth that transforms the world.
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3:8 But be not ye ignorant - Whatever they are. Of this one thing - Which casts much light on the point in hand. That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day - Moses had said, Psa 90:4, "A thousand years in thy sight are as one day;"which St. Peter applies with regard to the last day, so as to denote both his eternity, whereby he exceeds all measure of time in his essence and in his operation; his knowledge, to which all things past or to come are present every moment; his power, which needs no long delay, in order to bring its work to perfection; and his longsuffering, which excludes all impatience of expectation, and desire of making haste. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years - That is, in one day, in one moment he can do the work of a thousand years. Therefore he "is not slow:" he is always equally ready to fulfil his promise. And a thousand years are as one day - That is, no delay is long to God. A thousand years are as one day to the eternal God.Therefore "he is longsuffering:" he gives us space for repentance, without any inconvenience to himself. In a word, with God time passes neither slower nor swifter than is suitable to him and his economy; nor can there be any reason why it should be necessary for him either to delay or hasten the end of all things. How can we comprehend this? If we could comprehend it, St. Peter needed not to have added, with the Lord.