Willingly Ignorant

[3 Peter 3:4-5] Where is the promise of his coming? For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of G-d….
Many of the most important doctrines respecting the kingdom of the Messiah are stated as clearly in the Old Testament as in the New, (comp. Isaiah 53.) The prophecies therefore deserve to be studied as an important part of Divine revelation, the canon of the New Testament was not then completed, and he could not make his appeal to that. The ignorance has usually more to do in the denial and rejection of the doctrines of the Bible than the understanding has.
That there were no signs or indications that those events were to take place; that there were no natural causes in operation which could lead to such results; and that the fact of the stability of the earth since the time of the creation, demonstrated that the predicted destruction of the world could not occur.
By which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The Bible clearly teaches that the active agent in creation was G-d's Word - He spoke, and creation came into being.
The scoffers presume upon the mercy and longsuffering of G-d, insisting that because they have never seen a widespread judgment of G-d, that there will never be one. But they willfully forget G-d's creation and the judgment G-d poured out on the earth in the days of Noah. With just as much plausibility, it might have been urged then that-the earth had stood for thousands of years, and that there were no natural causes at work to produce that change.
Every objection which could be urged to the destruction of the world by fire, could have been urged to its destruction by water; and as, in fact, those objections, as the event showed, would have had no real force, so they should be regarded as having no real force now.
No argument against this predicted event can be derived from the fact that hundreds and thousands of years are suffered to elapse before the fulfillment of the predictions. What seems long to men is not long to G-d. A thousand years with Him, in reference to this point, are as one day. He does not measure time as men do.
The L-rd is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the L-rd 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.
The day of the L-rd is, the day in which He will be manifested. It is called His day, because He will then be the grand and prominent object as the Judge of all.
Heavens pass away - as things appear to us; and the fair interpretation of the passage would demand only such a change as would occur by the destruction of this world by fire. If a conflagration should take place, embracing the earth and its surrounding atmosphere, all the phenomena would occur which are here described; and, if this would be so, then this is all that can be proved to be meant by the passage. Such a destruction of the elements could not occur without "a great noise."
Burn up - science has shown that all are capable of combustion. Water, in its component parts, is inflammable in a high degree; and even the diamond has been shown to be combustible. The idea contained in the word "dissolved," is, properly, only the change which heat produces. Heat changes the forms of things; dissolves them into their elements; dissipates those which were solid by driving them off into gases, and produces new compounds, but it annihilates nothing. It could not be demonstrated from this phrase that the world would be annihilated by fire; it could be proved only that it will undergo important changes. So far as the action of fire is concerned, the form of the earth may pass away, and its aspect be changed; but unless the direct power which created it interposes to annihilate it, the matter which now composes it will still be in existence.
Because of which the heavens will be dissolved: Peter tells us that the very elements of this world order will be dissolved.
The true Believer does not dread the coming of that day. He looks forward to it as the period of his redemption, and would welcome, at any time, the return of his L-rd and Savior.
A new earth in which righteousness dwells: The most glorious characteristic of this new heaven and new earth is that it is a place in which righteousness dwells. In G-d's plan of the ages, this happens after the millennial earth ruled by Y’Shua HaMashiach. It is the re-creation of this world order as described in Revelation 21:1: Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
The effect of such hopes and prospects should be to lead us to an earnest inquiry whether we are prepared to dwell in a holy world, and to make us diligent in performing the duties, and patient in bearing the trials of life. He who is so soon to come to an end of all weary toil, should be willing to labor diligently and faithfully while life lasts. He who is so soon to be relieved from all temptation and trial, should be willing to bear a little longer the sorrows of the present world. What are all these compared with the glory that awaits us?
It should be an object of earnest effort with us to have the last stain of sin and pollution removed from our souls. A deep feeling that we are soon to stand in the presence of a holy G-d, our final Judge, cannot but have a happy influence in making us pure.
Sadly, today it is many Believers who willfully ignorant of these things, putting themselves in the place of scoffers.
Men should read the Bible with the feeling that it is possible that they may fall into error, and be deceived at last. This apprehension will do much to make them diligent, and candid, and prayerful, in studying the word of G-d.
We should feel that there is nothing permanent on the earth; that this is not our abiding home; and that our great interests are in another world.