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?

2 PETER 3:12KJV
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2 Peter 3:12 (KJV)

What does 2 Peter 3:12 mean?

2 Peter 3:12 describes believers looking forward to and even eagerly desiring the arrival of God's day, a time when the heavens will be set ablaze and destroyed, and the basic elements of the world will melt from intense heat. The verse paints a vivid picture of a future, dramatic transformation of creation as part of God's plan.

Peter is writing to Christians, urging them to live with expectation and urgency about God's coming day of judgment and renewal. The verse uses strong imagery to show that the current world order will not last forever, and it encourages readers to think about what it means to wait for and even "hasten" such a day.

The Greek behind 2 Peter 3:12

  • "looking for" (προσδοκῶντες, prosdokōntes): This word means to wait for or expect something, suggesting an active anticipation rather than passive waiting.
  • "hasting" (σπεύδοντας, speudontas): The Greek here carries the sense of eagerly desiring or even helping to bring about the coming day, not just waiting for it to happen.
  • "elements" (στοιχεῖα, stoicheia): This word often refers to the basic components or building blocks of the physical world, which in this context are said to "melt" away, emphasizing the total transformation being described.
  • "melt" (τήκεται, tēketai): The Greek word means to dissolve or melt down completely, reinforcing the idea of everything being undone by intense heat.

Why 2 Peter 3:12 matters

  • 2 Peter 3:12 clarifies that the Christian hope is not just about personal salvation but also about the complete renewal of creation, which involves dramatic change.
  • The verse emphasizes both anticipation and urgency, showing that believers are not just passive observers but are called to live in a way that reflects their hope for God's coming day.
  • By describing the heavens and elements melting, Peter connects this verse to the wider passage about God's judgment and the promise of a new heavens and new earth, helping readers see the big picture of God's plan.

Where else these words appear

“heat” Greek G2741 · used in 2 verses

  • 2 Peter 3:10 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.

“hasting” Greek G4692 · used in 6 verses

  • Luke 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
  • Luke 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
  • Acts 20:16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

“fire” Greek G4448 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Corinthians 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
  • 2 Corinthians 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
  • Revelation 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

“elements” Greek G4747 · used in 7 verses

  • Galatians 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
  • Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  • Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.