⁷But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

The Lord gives His word about this—there is a final judgment coming. It will differ from the judgment during Noah’s time, which was by a world-wide flood. As incredible and catastrophic as that was, destruction by fire will be as bad, if not worse. Both water and fire are often used in Scripture to depict God’s judgment. Peter pulls no punches in connecting the two. The water judgment of Noah portends the coming destruction by fire.

Peter does not detail what that final judgment will be like, but fire invokes a sense of extreme pain and comprehensive destruction. Just as nothing was left unaffected by Noah’s flood, so nothing will be left untouched by the coming judgment.

Things as we know them now, “the present heavens and earth,” will be changed. Life as usual will no longer be as it is now. Complacency has no place in the Christian life or mindset. Remember, Peter is writing to Christians, warning his readers about the destructive heresies of false teachers (see 2 Peter 2:1–2). He is preparing his readers for the coming time when he and the other apostles will no longer be around, so he brings them back to what they already know. Judgment is coming, even though it has now been more than thirty years since Christ left with the promise that He would return (Acts 1:11).

About thirty years after this, the apostle John would give more detail about the judgment to come. In cryptic language, he writes of the future apocalyptic events:

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. Then 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 . . . Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:9-11, 14–15)

That time is coming, though not yet here. It is no wonder that Peter is so passionate that we Christians keep these things in mind. The consequences of false teaching are just too disastrous to ignore or minimize.

Lord, help me not succumb to the false notion that Your final judgment is so far in the future that I can be complacent now.