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  2 PETER 3:4
  by John Gill
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Summary: The sermon explores the skepticism surrounding the promise of
Christ's return and affirms the certainty of His coming despite doubts.

Topics: "The Second Coming of Christ", "Faith in God's Promises"
Scripture References: Matthew 24:36, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, Acts 10:42, Philippians 4:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Hebrews 10:37, 1 Peter 4:5, 2 Peter 3:4, Revelation 22:12

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DESCRIPTION
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John Gill addresses the skepticism surrounding the promise of Christ's
return, as expressed in 2 Peter 3:4. He highlights the mockery of those
questioning the fulfillment of this promise, pointing out that the
prophets, Jesus, and the apostles all affirmed His second coming. Gill
emphasizes that despite the apparent continuity of the world since the
time of the patriarchs, this does not negate the truth of God's
promises. He encourages believers to remain steadfast in their faith,
trusting in the eventual fulfillment of Christ's return, despite the
doubts of the world.

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CONTENT
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Ver. 4. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?.... That is, of
the coming of the Lord and Saviour, 2Pe 3:2; the object of their scorn
and derision, and whom they name not, through contempt; and the meaning
is, what is become of the promise of his coming? where the
accomplishment of it? The prophets foretold he would come; he himself
said he would come again, Joh 14:3; the angels, at his ascension,
declared he would come from heaven in like manner as he went up, Ac
1:11; and all his apostles gave out that he would appear a second time
to judge both quick and dead, Ac 10:42 1Pe 4:5, and that his coming was
at hand, Php 4:5; but where is the fulfilment of all this? he is not
come, nor is there any sign or likelihood of it:

for since the fathers fell asleep; or "died": which is the language of
the Scriptures, and here sneered at by these men, who believe them so
fast asleep as never to be awaked or raised more; and by "the fathers"
they mean the first inhabitants of the world, as Adam, Abel, Seth, &c.
and all the patriarchs and prophets in all ages; the Ethiopic version
renders it, "our first fathers":

all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation;
reasoning from the settled order of things, the constant revolution of
the sun, moon, and stars, the permanency of the earth, and the
succession of the inhabitants of it, to the future continuance of
things, without any alteration; and consequently, that Christ would not
come, as was promised, to raise the dead, judge mankind destroy the
world, and set up a new state of things: the fallacy of which reasoning
is exposed by the apostle in the following words.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/john-gill/2-peter-34/
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