In 2Peter chapter two Peter warns his readers that, just as there were false prophets among the people of God in the past, so there would be false teachers among God’s people in Peter’s day. They would introduce destructive doctrines that would divide the people of God into sects, thus rejecting the Lord who bought them and made them one (cp. Ephesians 2:15). Moreover, many (not the few) would imitate them for the sake of the one who defames the way of Christ. In other words, these teachers would be the popular teachers, educated in the ways of abusing others for the sake of greed, and they will exploit the people of God for profit (2Peter 2:1-3). Moreover, in chapter three Peter once again mentions them, calling them scoffers and tells his readers that the prophets foretold their coming (2Peter 3:3-4).
Where did Peter get his understanding that false teachers or scoffers would come in the last days? One of the prophets who mentions them is Isaiah. He prophesies of the drunkards of Ephraim, saying Ephraim’s beauty is now a fading flower, or in other words he is in his last days (Isaiah 28:1). The priest and the prophet have sinned through drink, and they have erred in their words and stumble in their judgment (verse-7). Isaiah goes on to say the Lord showed them his rest (cp. Matthew 11:28-30), but they wouldn’t listen (Isaiah 28:12). Therefore, all the tables (viz. the shewbread in the Temple) are full of vomit, and nothing is clean and fit to eat (viz. their teaching; cp. Isaiah 28:8).
The scoffers of Peter’s day don’t believe the judgment of the Lord could touch them, because they have made a covenant with death and made lies their refuge (Isaiah 28:14-15). In other words, if, as Peter claimed, they were able to seduce the many (2Peter 2:2), which according to Jesus was the majority of the Jews (Matthew 24:12), the Lord couldn’t judge them. Otherwise, he would have to destroy the whole nation, but such a thing (according to their understanding) couldn’t be done, because that would mean God would contradict himself in that he would end his covenant with the people, whom he had chosen forever (Leviticus 26:24; Jeremiah 33:20-21).
How could the Lord do such a thing? Therefore, the scoffers believed they could escape any judgment the Lord could hand down against them. Nevertheless, the Lord did, indeed, decide to end the Old Covenant he made with Moses, and chose to make a New Covenant with the Prophet who was like Moses (cp Deuteronomy 18:15-19), so he would begin with a new foundation like Moses was the foundation of the first covenant: “therefore so says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I place in Zion a Stone for a foundation, a tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone, a sure Foundation; he who believes shall not hurry” (Isaiah 28:16). Thus, their ‘covenant with death’ (verse-15) would be annulled and wouldn’t stand, and they (i.e. the scoffers) would be trodden down (verse-18) under the feet of the Romans.
The plowman doesn’t plow the fields forever, neither does he plant seed forever (Isaiah 28:23-25). The Lord expects fruit from his labor, because his word is not like that of man. Neither will he continue to thresh his harvest, for there will come a time when the good is separated from the chaff (cp. Matthew 24:30-31). The word of God will not return to him void (Isaiah 55:11), whether for good or for evil, for blessing or for cursing, reward or judgment. The word of God will bear fruit, and man is powerless to prevent the Lord from doing his will.
Therefore, at the end of the day, or the last days as the case may be, the word of the Lord is fulfilled in the his work in bringing forth its fruit. The proof of the pudding is its taste; the proof of the tree is in its fruit (Matthew 7:17-18), and the proof of the word of God is its fulfillment (Matthew 26:54; Mark 14:49; Luke 24:44), and compare this with the challenge of Christ (John 10:37-38).
Smoodock's Blog 