I am 77 years old and this thought never occurred to me before.

So many tag this phrase to the rapture event “No man knoweth the day or hour” but it has nothing to do with the timing of the rapture … Jesus is talking about the prior verse in Matt 24:35 …. about heaven and earth shall pass away … aka judged by fire … cross reference is II Peter 3.

Matt 24:

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

II Peter 3

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

I don’t know what other feedback to give other than that scenario has good logic to it. The whole “day and hour” mystery has perplexed eschatologists from the beginning of its study even up to now and yet we have emperial evidence that seems to be pinpointing the Rapture within a weeks timeframe and even a specific day. It could still be wrong and we’ll know soon enough but it is very compelling and well thought out so I will actually be holding my breath this time. But your theory has credence and could very well be correct.

It is true this statement has haunted me as being so misquoted and misunderstood. I have had eloquent and heated discussions with fellow believers over the years as to the misunderstanding of this verse..  I have not thought about in this light but it makes a logical thought — as Yohanan said, we will know soon and I truly feel like I am holding my breath, I feel like I will hear that trumpet at any moment — I am excited within my spirit, I wake up at night and pray, I pray throughout the day. — my burden for those left is heavy.  The verse that comes to my mind often is  2 Corinthians 5:8 “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Let it be Lord Jesus, Come!!! :prayer-hands: :yahoo: :prayer-hands: :yahoo: :prayer-hands: 

Thank God were allowed to know the season 🙂

all very interesting....

i think i've heard that the actual daytime hours during the Trib may be cut short because if they weren't then the Remnant couldn't survive the scorching heat for that long...and that the verse may refer to this as cutting short the days...

i'm not familiar enough w/ Daniel's prophecies and the numbers given there to remember off the top of my head...but i do know God is always right and if He says He absolutely will do something and He doesn't leave it up to people to meet a condition for it to be done, then He will do it exactly as He said!  so very thankful for His Truth and Faithfulness!

i remember Jefress (pastor in TX) laid out a ton of events that will occur at Jesus' 2nd Coming (Return to the Earth)...maybe it could be that when we come with Him and are observing all He does - like Amir says we are behind Him thankfully at this point & don't want to be in front of Him- that it could still be during part of/at the very end of the Tribulation period...and people wouldn't have expected Him quite so soon?

reading the verses Geri posted makes me wonder if the the entire Millennium is The Day of the Lord?  since the New Heavens and New Earth are after that time period, then the old heavens and old earth are destroyed by fire right before that, and therefore the Millennium is before that...

and since "...one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." v8 is in context right after "7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." then maybe the entire Millennium (period of 1000 years) is like one day to the Lord...

so, maybe it could mean that that "day" (the Millennial period of 1000 years)

"10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

So, maybe the thief in the night is the gathering of the marked and unbelieving rebels still alive on the Earth at the end of the 7 year Trib. period, but the next day is the Day of the Lord that consists of 1000 years...so, maybe the Millennium begins- & therefore ends- at an unknown day and hour (Mt. 24:35-36) and the Millennium is "the day" in which the heavens and earth are destroyed by fire...maybe there is a gap between the very end of the Trib and what God determines is the beginning of the Millennium "day"...seems i've heard that -since Jesus will be doing a make over of this Earth and Jerusalem especially?

i haven't read/listened to any of the great pastors and teachers who study all of the end times stuff real recently in regard to the very end of the Trib and the whole Millenium and the new heavens and new earth afterwards...i think Jefress and LaHaye have tons of great Biblical info on all this...i'm probably remembering a few things and mixing them all up...pretty sure i've confused my own self! but kinda fun to think about...can't say i've prayed and had any particular wisdom from God on any of this stuff though

i'm just so thankful to live in the age of grace and can't wait to actually see all the rest God has in store for His Creation- He is so good- He truly is Faithful and True!

Per J. Vernon McGee

FAIR USE

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day [2Pe 3:8].

Now it is obvious that the destruction of the earth and heavens will take place during the Day of the Lord, which is an extended period of time including the seven years of tribulation and the one thousand years of the millennial Kingdom. When the Lord Jesus returns to the earth at the end of the Great Tribulation period and establishes His Kingdom here, He is going to renovate this earth—but that will not be a permanent renovation. Not until after the Tribulation and after the Millennium will the dissolution of the earth and the heavens (of which Peter speaks) occur. So you see, my friend, even if the Rapture should take place tomorrow, it still would be a thousand and seven years before this destruction.

Yep, if I’m not mistaken (mod, Thomas Maples)  I think holds to the view the earth will get judged twice with fire.  Before the millennium begins .. and after it ends.

Ok regarding the theory that the earth gets zapped twice with a fire judgment and then restored.

Check out this passage in Isaiah doesn’t  this sound like the new heaven and earth is done BEFORE the millennium period begins?   It kind of makes sense because this earth is already a mega toxic chemical dirt pit … just imagine what they are going to do during the tribulation period when all the nukes go off and whatever water is left to drink will be blood and wormwood tasting. 😵‍💫 And Jesus is going to have to dismantle all the satanic groves, idols, and doesn’t it seem like many of the ungodly rich have cities and monuments named after them and what about hollyweird walk of fame with the stars and their vain bragging accomplishments on the sidewalk?  There are verses that say the ungodly will not be remembered no more. So I can’t see all this still here in the millennium kingdom.

Isaiah 65
17. For, behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Then look down to the last verse of that same passage

25. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock; and dust shall be the serpent’s meat.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. 

———————————

Then check out Revelation 20 especially verse 8 & 9 “satan deceives the 4 corners of the earth .. not just those living in the Holy Land” and “they went up on the breath of the earth” doesn’t that say the whole earth and not just trying to attack the city of Jerusalem?  And rebellious people who make up the Gog/Magog army are as the sand of the sea … 🙃

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, 😉 and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

and then check out Revelation 21

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

————

What are your thoughts?  Is the earth destroyed twice with fire?

During the Trib the earth may not be completely annihilated but it will most certainly burn! And then at the end of the Millennial reign God will destroy the earth by fire.  J. Vernon McGee, if you haven't figured by now, is one of my favorite theologians and preachers. He makes these interesting comments:

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men [2Pe 3:7].

This says that this earth has been stored up for fire. This is a very interesting expression, by the way, and it not only means stored up for fire but also stored up with fire (that could easily be the translation of it). The suggestion is that there are resident forces present in the world which could destroy it. It is not that God is going to rain fire down from heaven but that this earth carries its own judgment. How well we know this today! You and I are living on a powder keg—or, more literally, on an atom bomb. There will never be another flood to destroy the world. That judgment is past; water destroyed the world that was. Now the world that is is reserved for another judgment, the judgment of fire. In other words, this present order of things in this world is temporary. It is moving toward another judgment, and Peter will give us more details in verse 2Pe 3:10.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [2Pe 3:10.}