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Scoffers to the End



By Ron Graham

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“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 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.” 2 Peter 3:3-4. It’s interesting to hear the words of scoffers today as their voices sound hauntingly familiar to Peter’s description of those who will surface in the last days. What do we think about when we think of scoffers? Initially when we consider the scoffer, people who have either given up on God ever returning to earth or those who don’t believe in God at all come to mind. There are others though who fall into this arena, but all have one thing in common, they don’t trust God.



In this age of “Hurry up with my Big Mac and fries”, we have discovered that humanity has a serious problem when it comes to patiently waiting the arrival of anything. This is also true among of the followers of Jesus Christ. The presumption that we, the Ekklesia of Christ, should be out of here by now has caused much controversy in regards to Biblical truth. Some professing Christians were so obsessed with Christ’s imminent return that when He didn’t return as they predicted they grew weary of waiting. Many people who professed Christ now reject Him as they have become scoffers. Some have resorted back to their previous ungodly lifestyles saying “Where is the promise of his coming?” Peter tells us that scoffers will come not only walking after their own lusts, but intentionally professing ignorance of earth’s past.



The word in the Greek for “last” in “last days” is “eschatos”, and when we read the definition of that Greek word, the explanation is headed up with the word “extreme or uttermost”. Therefore we are obliged to understand that Peter here is writing about the “extreme/uttermost end of days” on planet earth. Many believe as I do that planet earth is currently somewhere in that particular time frame. This is especially true since scoffers have become not only more vocal, but prolific as well.



Jude gives us one more detail of these scoffers “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers [scoffers] in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” Jude 1:17-19. Jude tells us they are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit. He compares them to those who the Apostles of our Lord Jesus had spoken of previously. Peter and Jude are referring to the same lot of people, so we know that the scoffers Peter mentions are also without the Holy Spirit.



The Greek word used by both Peter and Jude for scoffer as well as mocker is “empaiktēs”, and this Greek word comes from a root word that means - to deceive. Once again we are confronted with another attempt by Satan to deceive the masses. By encouraging the scoffers to promote his lies and deceit he gains ground among the biblically illiterate while mocking God’s promises and attempting to destroy the faith of the people who make up the true body of Christ.



The Rapture of the Ekklesia is a bone of contention that always brings out the scoffers and mockers. There are many who just can’t, or won’t, grasp the concept of the biblical reality of an imminent Rapture. Frankly, those who believe the Bible clearly indicates an imminent Rapture are in the minority among professing Christians. Many Christians believe that because the actual word “Rapture” isn’t in the English versions of our Bible that it is not biblical. The truth is, hints and indications of the Rapture are clearly seen throughout the Old and New Testaments, beginning with Enoch. Another very interesting fact is that the Bible was translated into Latin some 1400 years prior to being translated into English. The Latin word “rapiemur” was translated from the Greek word “harpazō”, which is translated into English as “caught up”. So for fourteen hundred years the word Rapture was in the Bible – in Latin. It’s significant to note that we derive our English word Rapture from the Latin word “rapiemur”.



“…walking after their own lusts…” 2 Peter 3:3. The Greek word “epithymia” is translated into English as “lust”, which means desire, craving, longing for. The Greek word also indicates there is a desire for what is forbidden. These scoffers are overcome with their own lustful desires which produce uncontrolled longings. As a result they are the scoffers and mockers Peter writes about. They begin to seek after that which is forbidden by God. They turn away from a desire to know God and they begin again to follow the enemy, finally doing everything they can to corrupt those remaining faithful to God. Yes, there’s more to these scoffers than ridicule. According to Peter and Jude they are not born again.



“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:18-19. Many who at one time professed to be Christian now mock Christ and deny His deity; this seems a common occurrence in these extreme last days. Are these not those who John writes of who went out from us, but they were not of us? What became of them? Are they now those who John proclaims as antichrists? They are the scoffers and mockers of God and the brethren, and as many of us who believe in an imminent Rapture can attest to scoffers have begun to proliferate in great numbers in these “extreme” last days.



Their mockingly scornful attitude towards God is clearly seen in the second segment of those two verses from 2 Peter 3. “Where is the promise of his coming?” Can we not hear the sneering and see the twisted lips and rolling eyes of those who doubt God? There is surely a sense of distain in and among the scoffers of the last days. The statement “Where is the promise of his coming?” surely must be an affront to God. Will God’s children question Him as to His timing, or His purpose for that matter? Placing our faith in God means we trust Him to be perfect in His ways, and that includes trusting His promises as well. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen” 2 Corinthians 1:20.



Peter describes quite well those lust seeking scoffers “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: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 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.” 2 Peter 3:5-7. With the scoffers statement “all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” we see that their ignorance was intentional; they have a purpose. Therefore we understand from the words above that their agenda was to deny God’s word thus deny earth’s past history in order to appease themselves while remaining in their lusts. I’m sure we’ve all heard from these folks in more recent times.



Those of us who believe God’s word concerning the worldwide deluge know that there was nothing that remained the same on earth after that which occurred during the antediluvian times. But the willingly ignorant Peter speaks of are those who are wrapped up in their own desire and lusts, so much so that they are blinded from the truth. They deliberately give inaccurate accounts of the varying degrees of changes the earth has made over the last 6,000 years. Just like so many scientists today who are blinded by their god of mammon, acknowledging God’s truth has become a foreign concept to them.



Peter goes on to explain to the brethren a very special attribute of God. “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.” 2 Peter 3:9. Is God tarrying on purpose? Peter says God is not slack in His promises, not as some men view slackness. The Greek word “bradynō” is translated as slack and it also means to delay or be slow. God has such a love for mankind that He is not willing to pull the plug ahead of the appointed time. He wishes that everyone should have ample opportunity to go through a change of mind in regards to their seeing the truth and seeking Him. He does not delay the end. It will come at God’s appropriate time.



Satan knows that his time is limited and he must convince people that there is no such thing as God. Flawed and evil as Satan is, many already believe his lie. Satan is feverishly working to create doubt in people’s minds about the existence of an all powerful God. Over the past six millennia, many have believed Satan’s lies and perished as a result. To be sure, there are many more willful scoffers who have taken the baton of their father the devil and began their steep decent down a very slippery and destructive path.



For the born again believers in Christ there is no doubting the promises of God. He’s coming back, first to remove His Ekklesia (the saints) and then to put an end to the Great Tribulation and establish His millennial Kingdom. My brethren, humanity is currently teetering on the precipice of the extreme end of the last days. How do I know? Peter’s scoffers are increasing and becoming incredibly antagonistic.



God bless you all,



Ron Graham


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Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.


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