A -- Well then, out of your own mouth you condemn yourself, for if

these two passages refer to the same event, the day of the Lord and the day

of God are the same, and your so -called `rightly dividing' would be better

called `hair splitting'.

B -- Had we better not be sure that we have understood the double

reference first?  Here is the Revised Version: perhaps if you had consulted

that your criticism might have been spared.  Please read the passage again.

A -- (Reads from the R.V.).

`But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens

shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be destroyed

with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall

be burned up ... the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being

on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent

What difference is there?  I see none, `melt' is the same as

`dissolve', and only makes the two references the more alike.

B -- Well, I would much rather you discovered the difference for

yourself.  Many problems that unsettle the children of God are the result of

inability to `read and see' for themselves.  Look again.  I will help you so

far as to ask a question.  Does it say in the A.V. that this great fire takes

place `in' the day of the Lord and `in' the day of God?

A -- (Reading from A.V.).

`In the which' (referring to the day of the Lord).

(referring to the day of God).

B -- Now read the same passages again in the R.V.:

`In the which' (referring to the day of the Lord).

`By reason of

which' (referring to the day of God).

A -- I see it.

How sorry I am that I have spoken so rudely!

B -- Let that pass.  You see the difference now?  The fire that

dissolves the elements and the heavens takes place In the day of the Lord as

to time, and takes place By Reason Of the character and necessity of the day

of God for which the day of the Lord is a preparation.  The book of the

Revelation is occupied largely with the day of the Lord, and in chapter 20 we

have the lake of fire which destroys all things that offend, and ushers in

the new heavens and new earth of chapter 21.

Just as an additional note, there is one further item wherein the

record concerning the day of the Lord indicates a difference from that of the

day of God.  You will observe in the R.V. margin of 2 Peter 3:10 that the

best manuscripts read `discovered' instead of `burned up'.  The actual

burning takes place after the close of the millennium.