A Day Is As A Thousand Years For Wrath and Salvation
In our first installment of this topic, we demonstrated from the first half of Psalm 90:3-12, that Moses used a day is as a thousand years to speak of a short versus a long period of time. See that article where we pointed out the various comparisons, all of which pointed to brief periods. The context of Psalm 90 compels the careful reader to conclude the Bible application of the thousand years used by Moses and Peter is of short duration.
Futurists use a day is like a thousand years meaning a long time is inaccurate according to Scripture and logic. It is a destroys the context and twists the meaning of words. In this writing, we look further into the judgment wrath and salvation of this context and phrase.
Establishing the Day of Wrath in Psalm 90
Beginning in verse seven, Moses speaks of the anger of God. “For we have been consume by Your anger, and by Your wrath we are terrified. This is a direct reference to the time of the Exodus, after Israel had broken the covenant and sinned in making and worshiping the golden calf.
(7) And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. (8) They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ (9) And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! (10) Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” (Ex. 32:7-10)
Events such as the above and others resulted in the first generation who left Egypt falling under the wrath of God. Paul, writing to the Hebrews, said the fathers of Israel tested and tried God for forty years. As a result, he was always angry with that generation! He described the period as “the rebellion” and swore that generation (the unbelievers) would not enter into God’s rest.
This is why Moses wrote: “For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh. All that generation who were above twenty years of age, perished in the wilderness. They were “soon cut off”.
Establishing the Day of Salvation
After Moses expounded on the day of wrath, he then moves to the day of salvation for the remnant, i.e. those who survived the destruction in the wilderness. Moses plead with God saying,
“Return, O LORD! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. (vv. 13-17)
How long had God afflicted Israel. We’re told for forty years, the same amount of time they rebelled against him. This is how long they had seen evil. Moses is asking to see God’s salvation. He asks for the LORD’s glory to be spread upon them. This means he wanted them to see the land of Canaan and its blessings. He wanted them to become a nation, build their houses, plant their fields and enjoy the fruits of their labor. This they could not do if they perished in the wilderness under the anger and wrath of God.
Within that same period of time for Israel’s rebellion and God’s wrath, the LORD also saved the remnant and brought them into the land. He saved them from destruction and granted them the land within that same 40 years. It was a short time.
A Day Is As A Thousand Years For Wrath and Salvation in 2 Peter 3:8
Now that we have established the background and context for the statement, a day is as a thousand years for wrath and salvation we can understand how Peter used the term in the judgment context. Peter likewise spoke of a day of wrath and salvation upon Israel in their last days, 2 Peter 3. We will focus on this theme in our final installment, so stay tuned for that article.
