Fire Will Melt the Elements

Prayer – Lord, will those of us in Heaven already be able to see and hear of the destruction of the earth? I’m looking forward to the “day of the Lord” or the “day of God”—but are those the same day? I don’t think so. Since I’m a little confused on that…I think I’ll dig into God’s word a little more in the next few days and try to discover what You, Lord God, have planned. We just don’t know the hour or the day—and I’m OK with that. Please reveal to me Your truth—but build up our relationship that it would not be destroyed by fire.

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. 2 Peter 3:10-14

 

Meditate. Consider the promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth.

 

Fire
Purifies

That fire that melts away the elements is going to be extremely hot. It will be so hot that it will melt the heavens. Does that include the sun? I think so. The temperature of the surface of the Sun—as once memorized in a science class and more recently Googled—is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 5,500 degrees Celsius. That alone is scorching—and God’s fire will be far above that to be able to destroy the sun. Nothing—even sin—will be able to survive, except purity. This fiery day of destruction and deserved judgment, as I understand it, is the wrath of God…the day of God. The day of the Lord is actually His second coming when He comes to redeem Israel. His first appearance was as a servant—His second coming will reveal Him as a ruler and King of kings, the long awaited Messiah, and the ultimate judge. All this terminology is challenging—so read Revelation and other prophesy scripture passages and see what you think.

In the meantime, follow Peter’s good advice… dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. Personally, I am determined to do what is expected of me…and more…as long as I possibly can. As Jesus taught…don’t be deceived by following false teachers. If you do you might just experience that fire that will melt the elements.

 

Verses of Salvation ~ And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 2 Peter 3:15-16

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Disappearing elements. Disappearing food? Heaven and earth will disappear—but the words of Jesus will never disappear—or disappoint us. What food disappears, but doesn’t disappoint? Most foods do disappear as we eat them—but that is the key…someone has to eat them. Lots of people, including kids, just don’t seem to like vegetable very much, although they are found to be some of the healthiest foods that God created.

 

What do the words cruciferous, solanacae, umbelliferous, cucurbitaceous, and allium have in common? You guessed it! They are all types of vegetables. Each group has different varieties of veggies—but all are loaded with vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to maintain our health and fight off diseases like cancer. Vegetables—preferable grown locally—along with other plant centered foods including fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes, and nuts are the basis of the Mediterranean diet. It is a way of eating that is healthy—and does include weekly and monthly portions of fish, poultry, eggs, and meat. It even does allow sweets. I’m not sure that would include disappearing brownies, but that is one food that I’m sure would disappear at my kitchen table quickly—just as fast as the disappearing elements in the day of God.

© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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