2 PETER 3

3:1
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you- there is a sense in which chapter 2 was a necessary diversion, in order to warn believers about false teachers and their evil ways. He had written of the holy men of God, moved by the Holy Spirit, but had to warn of unholy men and their doctrines. The apostle can now resume his theme from the end of chapter 1, the inspired word of God.

In both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance- his main object in writing is to remind his readers of “present truth”, not introduce them to new and evil doctrines. In both epistles he did this (“in both which”), but in his first epistle his theme was suffering, whereas in this second epistle the theme is glory. They had pure minds, not having been contaminated with the impure doctrines of heretics. When a pure mind is stirred up, pure things come to the surface, but when polluted minds are stirred up, evil things come into view.

3:2
That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets- he had referred to the Mount of Transfiguration at the end of chaper 1, and although he did not mention the fact that Moses and Elijah were there, nonetheless his readers would have known this from past teaching given to them. They represented the the holy prophets of Old Testament times, whose words, being inspired, are still relevant, and we should be mindful of them.

And of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour- just as Moses and Elijah were on the Mount, so were Peter, James and John, representatives of the New Testament apostles. “Commandment” is in the singular, referring to the unanimous testimony of the apostle that we should be holy, as set out in 1 Peter 1:14-16. Note the description of God’s children there as being “obedient children”, as they will be if they obey the command. We obey because He is Lord, and we benefit from obeying, for He is Saviour, His commandment delivering us from pitfalls.

3:3
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers- it is as we are mindful of the holiness of God that we are able to avoid the dangers posed by scoffers, who have no interest in God. They treat God’s word with derision, in their ignorance.

Walking after their own lusts- because their lives are regulated from within themselves, and they walk or conduct their lives by what they themselves sinfully desire, they are not open to the facts of God’s revelation. They cover up their ignorance by scoffing. They have an interest in the idea that Christ’s coming to judge will not take place, for they know deep down they will then face judgement.

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.

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? Because they only think in relation to themselves, they misunderstand what God has foretold in His word about the future. The word promise is used in two senses, at least. For instance, Hebrews 6:15 says, referring to Abraham, “And so, after he had patiently endured, he received the promise”. But Hebrews 11:13 says of Abraham and the other men and women of faith mentioned in the passage, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises”. So we understand that Abraham received the promise as to God’s intention, but he did not receive the promise as to its realisation. So the scoffers in our verse are not asking where in the Scriptures is there any promise about Christ coming in relation to God’s intention, but rather, where is the realisation of the promise so often given in the Old Testament.

For since the fathers fell asleep- to the Jewish mind, the fathers were primarily the patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but in the wider sense the term included the Jewish ancestors throughout the whole Old Testament period, for Stephen asked, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?” Acts 7:52. And the Lord Jesus went further, saying, “Woe unto you! For ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them”, Luke 11:47.

All things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation- the use of the words “fathers”, “creation”, and “willingly ignorant”, (next verse), would lead us to think that the scoffers had a Jewish background, for they appeal to the fathers, they believe in creation, and they are ignorant because they will to be so, not because they have not been told.

By “the beginning of creation”, they mean “the beginning that is represented by the creation of all things in Genesis 1”. Creation was not a process, for it all took place on day one of the first week. What happened subsequently was the formation of the earth and the heavens out of what had already been created, described by God at the end of the week as “very good”. To say that since the last of the fathers of the Old Testament died, (in other words, since the time of Malachi), everything has continued as it was at the beginning, is obviously not true in absolute terms. But it is true in the sense that the judgement that Christ’s coming brings with it has not happened.

3:5
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:

For this they willingly are ignorant of- it is not that no-one has told them, or that they have not read the book of Genesis for themselves, but that they deliberately will to be ignorant. It suits them to blot out the idea. This willing to not know was true of the men before the flood as well, for the Lord Jesus said of them, “And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away”, Matthew 24:39.

That by the word of God the heavens were of old- since they appeal to creation, Peter will remind them of what happened.in the very beginning, when “God created the heaven and the earth”, Genesis 1:1. Note that heaven is in the singular, referring to the matter that would subsequently be made into the atmospheric heavens, and the stellar heavens. It was not until the second day that He made the atmospheric heavens, in the sense that He divided the water by means of a firmament, meaning the atmosphere. (The word firmament means “a stretched out thing”, a very appropriate term both for the atmosphere the birds fly in, and outer space where the sun and the stars are. Scripture says that God stretched out the heavens, Isaiah 42:5, and the psalmist wrote that God “stretchest out the heavens like a curtain”, Psalm 104:2). Then in Genesis 1:14,15 and 17 we read of the firmament of the heaven, in which the sun, moon and stars are set. This is the stellar heaven. Both these heavens were made as a result of God speaking, hence the apostle’s statement here, “by the word of God”.

And the earth standing out of the water- on the second day the waters above the firmament were divided from the waters under the firmament. Then on the third day the waters under the firmament were further altered, so that dry land appeared. At this point the earth was standing out of the water, as the apostle states, whereas before the deep covered it.

And in the water- Scripture speaks of the waters that are below the sea. Consider the following statements:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof…for he hath founded it upon the sea, and established it upon the floods”, Psalm 24:1,2.

“He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depths in storehouses”, Psalm 33:7.

“To him that stretched out the earth above the waters”, Psalm 136:6.

“For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”, Isaiah 11:9.

So much for the waters below the sea. Now references to the pillars of the earth:

“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them”, 1 Samuel 2:8.

“Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble”, Job 9:6.

“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth…whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof??” Job 38:4,6.

“The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah”, Psalm 75:3.

So the pillars of the earth are within the earth, supporting the earth. This has nothing to do with myths about Atla holding up the world from outside. We may see from this that there were underground chambers of water, and the pillars which rose up out of the water supported the earth above, together with the upper seas. It was this arrangement that was broken up at the time of the flood, thus releasing the underground waters, (“the fountains of the great deep”, Gensis 7:11), and combining with water coming down from above to overwhelm the earth.

3:6
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

Whereby the world that then was- it was this arrangement, brought into being and maintained by God’s word, and its disturbance just before the flood, that resulted in the earth being overflowed with water. So all things do not continue as they were; so much so, that the apostle speaks of the former state as the world that then was ,for it is not like that now.

Being overflowed with water, perished- so all trace of the former world was erased, such was God’s displeasure at their sin. To perish means to ruin utterly, such was the thoroughness with which God acted.

3:7
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.

But the heavens and the earth, which are now- note that the apostle now includes the heavens, for they shall be affected the next time God acts in this way. This would also suggest that the heavens which are now are different to the heavens which were before. Certainly, some suggest that the force of the eruption of water from the underground chambers, (with pressure and temperature having built up in them by tidal forces during the centuries after creation), resulted in the propelling of earth-material into the stratosphere and beyond, where they may have escaped the earth’s gravitational pull, and formed the craters on the moon and the planets, plus the asteroids and comets. So when scientists get excited over microorganisms that they find inside asteroids, they are getting excited about organisms that came from earth in the first place.

By the same word are kept in store- so just as God spake to form the arrangement we have thought of, and just as by His word He held it in place, and then caused it to be destroyed, that same word keeps the current situation in place and in reserve for a more dramatic intervention still.

Reserved unto fire- the scoffers are wrong twice over, for not only does the Flood show that all things do not continue as they were, but in the future God will intervene again, this time with fire. The earth was reserved unto water in the past, but is now reserved unto fire. He intervened by water so as to allow the earth to remain, and the heavens were largely unaffected. In the future, however, both the earth and the heavens will be affected, and they will not survive in their current form.

Notice it is “unto fire”, and not “with fire”. The fire is not that which is within the earth, but will be produced when the elements melt, as verse 10 will explain.

Against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men- the day of judgement in view is the “judgement of the great day”, Jude, Jude 6, as detailed by John in Revelation 20:11-15. This will take place at the end of the thousand-year reign of the Lord Jesus on the earth. The wicked dead of all the centuries shall be raised to what the Lord Jesus called “the resurrection of damnation”, John 5:29. That He called it that shows that those raised at that time shall all be damned; they have refused to repent in their lifetime, and so are past being saved. They will know the judgement of the one who sits on the throne, and they will know the perdition as they are sentenced to be cast into the lake of fire.

3:8
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years,

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing- the apostle now turns from the scoffers, having answered their objection about the Lord’s coming, The scoffers were willingly ignorant; the believers should be willingly knowledgeable. He is anxious lest their suggestions should trouble them, so moves to strengthen their faith by explaining God’s plan for the future. Just one truth will solve the problem of God’s apparent delay.

That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years- this is the apostle’s inspired statement before he alludes to the inspired statement of the psalmist. The latter will tell us that a thousand years to God is like a day, but the apostle puts the other proposition to us, that a day is like a thousand years to God. He can accomplish in a day what it would take a man a thousand years to achieve. In verse 7 he has spoken of the day when God will judge all men, verse 7. It will only take God one day to judge all the individual sins of all the individual people that will have lived by the time that day comes. In verse 10 he will speak of the day of the Lord, which, measured by earthly time, will last a thousand years, and then will merge into eternity, the timeless state.

And a thousand years as one day- this is an allusion to Psalm 90:4, which reads, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night”. In that psalm, which according to the title is “A prayer of Moses the man of God”, the contrast is between the eternity of God, (“from everlasting to everlasting thou art God”, verse 2), and the shortness of the life of man upon the earth, (“In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up: in the evening it is cut down, and withereth”, verse 6, where “it” refers to grass which is like man).

Verse 3 says, “Return, ye children of men”, meaning “Return to the dust in death” in accordance with God’s word to Adam, ‘In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return’, Genesis 3:19. Verse 4 begins with “for”, so is giving an explanation of the way God relates to time in the context of the way man’s life is in respect of time. So when verse 6 speaks of a morning and an evening as being like man’s life-span, referring to man’s life, then the meaning of yesterday in verse 4 becomes clearer; it is the day as representing the length of the life of a man who has died, and whose day is past. Even if he lived for a thousand years, as Jared and Methuselah nearly did, Genesis 5:20,27, man’s life would seem to God as but a day. God, however, lives on. To God, the thousand years are also like a watch in the night, which for man, passes without thought, for he is asleep.

3:9
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.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise- we find in this verse the application of the principles set out in verse 8. The first part of verse 9, (“the Lord is not slack”), corresponds to the second part of verse 8, (“and a thousand years as one day”). The second part of verse 9, (“but is longsuffering”), corresponds to the first part of verse 8, (“one day is with the Lord as a thousand years”). The apostle assures the scoffers that God is not lax in His keeping of His promises.

As some men count slackness- the scoffers were not anxious that the promise be fulfilled. Rather, they were anxious to criticize God for apparently not keeping the promise. But they made the mistake of thinking in terms of how men count time, and the apostle has just corrected that view by saying, in effect, that time does not govern God. By His reckoning, He acts exactly on time.

But is longsuffering to us-ward- God is longsuffering even towards scoffers. They find fault because he has not acted, but the apostle here gives the reason. It is not that He is behind time, but that He suffers long, and waits patiently for men to repent. The apostle has already said in his first epistle that in the days of Noah “the longsuffering of God waited”, 1 Peter 3:20 To be longsuffering is to wait, but God does more, and waits to wait.

Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance- this does not mean simply that God does not want men to perish, although that is true. It is that God is not deliberately willing or resolving that men should perish; this is the reason for Him suffering long. What He is resolving and willing is that they should all come to repentance. Note it is “all should”, as a possibility, not “all shall” as a reality. He, by His longsuffering, creates conditions whereby they have opportunity to repent. He is not resolving that all in fact shall repent, but that all could repent.

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.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night- just as a thief comes when he is least expected, so those scoffers who settle down, foolishly comforting themselves that God will never fulfil His promise to intervene in the earth, will find that the day of the Lord surprises them.

Note that the apostle has defined “His coming”, verse 4, as being “the day of the Lord”, thus indicating that the day of the Lord begins with His coming to earth to reign. The day of man will have climaxed with the reign of the Antichrist, and then shall follow the day of the Lord. That day is not one of twenty-four hours, but of no less than a thousand years, for the Coming takes place at its beginning, and the passing away of the heaven happens at the end of Christ’s one thousand-years rule on the earth, as a reading of Revelation 20 will show. We have been prepared for this idea by the reference to one day with the Lord as a thousand years.

In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise- men speculate wildly that the cosmos came into being with a Big Bang. The truth is that it came into being through the word of God, and will be ended by God speaking again, as verse 7 has already set out. This great noise is a rushing sound, for the word was used in classical literature for the sound of an arrow; the roar of water, and the scream of a lash. It was also used of the hiss of a serpent, and it is as if we hear in the rushing away of the universe the despairing and final hiss of the Ancient Serpent himself, as his schemes are finally destroyed. John 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”, Revelation 20:11. so the primary reason why the universe shall be dissolved is because it flees from the presence of God. Job said that God “holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it”, Job 26:9. In other words, He protects men from the full glory of His throne; but in the day we are thinking of it will be otherwise.

That there was found no place for them shows that the purpose for their creation has been realised, and there is no place for them any more in God’s scheme of things, for He will create new heavens and a new earth. There will not even be a place in His memory for them, for God said through Isaiah, “For behold I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind”, Isaiah 65:17.

And the elements shall melt with fervent heat- two words are translated melt in this verse and verse 12. this word is simply to be loosed. So the idea that the forces that hold the elements together shall be loosened, so that the constituent parts of matter are separated. This is basically what happens in a nuclear reactor, releasing immense amounts of heat. Christ holds everything together, Colossians 1:17, “By him all things consist”, or hold together.

The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up- as a result of the great heat generated by nuclear fission, the earth shall be burnt up. This does not mean that the atoms that comprise it are annihilated, but that they are changed into a different form. Whan a substance burns, it turns into its constituent parts but continues to exist.

3:11
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved- the apostle is drawing a moral lesson from the dissolving, or loosening of the elements of all things, even though it will take place at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ. It has great relevance now. Peter had a house and a boat, and they are part of the “works that are therein” the earth, and shall be dissolved. But he used them for the Lord, so what they represented in terms of dedication to the Lord’s interests and cause will live on for all eternity, surviving the end-time conflagration.

What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness- not only will the remembrance of what was done with legitimately held material things continue, but the behaviour and character of believers will live on for ever to God’s glory as well. The lesson from the two ideas in this verse is as simple as it is important; we should live now as those who will live in God’s presence for ever, bearing in mind that all material things are only placed at our disposal to use for His glory.

3:12
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?

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God- sometimes the impression is given that the day of God is a completely different entity to the day of the Lord, and follows on from the latter. We should remember, however, that it was said by the angel to Mary about the child she would have, that “of his kingdom there shall be no end”, Luke 1:33. Daniel explained to Nebuchadnzzar that after Gentile rule had been destroyed, the Son of man would come and set up a kingdom that shall “stand for ever”, Daniel 2:44. And in Revelation 11:15 John heard great voices in heaven which said, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”.

So the Scripture teaches that the reign of Christ during the day of the Lord will extend into eternity as the day of God. So what causes the change of name? We learn from the apostle Paul that “when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son be subject unto him that put all things under him; that God may be all in all”, 1 Corinthians 15:28. So when Christ’s mediatorial kingdom has reached its climax, and everything that opposes God has been subjugated, Christ as Son will subject Himself to God afresh. This assures us that there will be no Lucifer-like revolt against the rule of God in eternity.

The simple title of Son always indicates “Son of God”, not “Son of Man”. So the subjection of Christ, stretching forward into eternity as it does, takes account of the fact that He is the Son of the Father. He had come into the subject place when He became man, so that the head of Christ is God, 1 Corinthians 11:3, but what will He do now that all is subject unto Him- will His supremacy represent a threat to God His Father? The answer is a resounding negative, for He will deliberately affirm His subjection at the moment of His highest supremacy, and will do it, moreover, as the Son, so that subjection becomes a permanent feature of Him in His Deity. In this way, the last question over the supremacy of the Godhead is settled, for the only one of the Persons of the Godhead who could conceivably rival the Father, has deliberately subjected Himself to Him afresh. Note the change from “Him that put all things under Him”, meaning God the Father, to “God”, meaning the Triune God. The way is clear, therefore, for the Triune God to be all things in all places, everywhere and in all things supreme. The Son does not claim any part of the universe or of the outworking of Divine purpose as His own exclusive domain- the Godhead is manifestly united.

Given the glory of the prospects opening up in eternity, no wonder the apostle Peter exhorts us to have our eye fixed on them, and not on the transient things of earth. But we are not to casually look into the future, but should hasten unto it, our spirits longing for its realisation. The solemn warning about Lot’s wife is relevant here, for she looked longingly back to Sodom, just before it was overthrown by fire from heaven. We need to “Remember Lot’s wife”, Luke 17:32; Genesis 19:24-26.

Wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Again he reminds us of the end of all things. Note the wherein, which, whilst it could have been translated “by reason of which”, (thus making the burning up of all things the preparation for the day of God, and therefore the day of God being separate to the day of the Lord), but is found as “wherein”, making the final dissolution of all things part of the day of God, and therefore, in turn, making the day of God the continuation of the day of the Lord, as we have seen.

3:13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Nevertheless we, according to his promise- despite the attitude of the scoffers, who say His promise will never be fulfilled, the believer is undeterred, (hence the “nevertheless”), but presses on to the climax of all things.

Look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness- the look of faith sees the realisation of all God’s purpose, with a new heavns and earth which can never be disturbed or spoiled, for righteousness will be perfectly at home there. Righteousness will have to rule in the millenial reign of Christ, because there will still be hostile persons around. But in eternity things will be different.

3:14
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things- what our eye is fixed on will affect what our heart is occupied with. The look of faith is not just out of curiosity, but should have a profound effect upon our behaviour now.

Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace- all behaviour and attitudes which could cause our conscience to be troubled should be done with, so that when the Lord comes we shall be found by Him in a right state. The apostle John wrote in the same vein, for he said, in connection with the Lord’s coming, “and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, as he is pure”, 1 John 3:3.

Without spot, and blameless- as those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, who is Himself without blemish and without spot, 1 Peter 1:19, we should cultivate likeness to Him. The apostle wants us to be found in practice what we have been made in principle, so that our state may correspond to our standing.

3:15
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation- the apostle has used these words in connection with the unsaved, and it is so here. But there is more, for in the context we need, as believers, salvation from failure to be in peace and without spot and blameless. Not only does the longsuffering of God give sinners opportunity to repent, it gives believers the opportunity to adjust their lives in the light of His coming.

Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you- this epistle is written to believers in Galatia, amongst others, 3:1; 1 Peter 1:1, but it was also written to Asia, and Ephesus and Colossi were in the province of Asia. In all those epistle the apostle Paul encouraged believers to be Christ-like, as Peter does here.

3:16
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood- many of the things the apostle Paul wrote in Galatians, Ephesians and Colossians would have been counter to the natural thinking of the Jews to whom Peter writes. Even Peter himself had to be corrected by Paul about refusing to eat with the Gentiles, Galatians 2:11-13. It is not peter who finds things hard to understand, for he was an apostle. They are hard to be understood by those who cling to Judaism.

Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction- whether these unlearned and unstable ones are believers or not does not affect the meaning. If they are not believers, to not accept the doctrines of the apostles is to head for destruction. If they are believers, they miss out on the saving effect of doctrine whilst they are arguing about the truth. This is true in relation to all inspired scripture, and not just those written by Paul. Note that the apostle Peter is happy to class the writings of Paul amongst the scriptures; he does not think of his writings as being on a lower level.

3:17
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before- reverting back to the subject of the future climax to all things and its consequences, we have a great responsibility, since we have been informed of these things in good time, so that we may be in harmony with God’s mind.

Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness- this would suggest that the ones who wrest the scriptures are unbelievers. Being unstable themselves, as pervious verse describes them, they deprive the believers who are foolish enough to listen to them of the steadfastness and stability that the scruiptures bring. To be steadfast is high ground, to listen to eroor is to be on a lower level of response to God.

3:18
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

But grow in grace- do not allow the evil doctrines of Judaisers to influence you, but rather, mature in the things of the grace of God brought in the gospel.

And in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ- having resolved to not be under law, the believer is free to develop in the knowledge of Christ the grace-bringer. This knowledge will inform and fashion us, so that we become like Him.

To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. He will be glorified if believers are increasingly like Him now. He will be glorified for ever, for all Christ-like features will be carried over into eternity, to His eternal praise. Every true believer would say “Amen” to that.