I have yet to see any Premillennialist give an interpretation of 2 Peter 3:10-13 that makes any sense whatsoever. Would any Premills here like to give it a shot? The passage clearly supports Amillennialism.
2 Peter 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. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 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? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Can any Premillennialist give a coherent interpretation of this passage to show how it can possibly support Premillennialism?
I've seen some Premills who deny that 2 Peter 3:10-13 is about what will happen at the second coming of Christ and at the same time they believe the following passage is about the second coming of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
How can the day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night be a different event than the day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night? There is no basis for thinking that these two passages are not related to the same event.
So, what can you learn from these passages then? We know that Jesus is going to come as a thief in the night (Matt 24:42-44, Rev 16:15), so it makes no sense to deny that these passages are about the day of His second coming. What does it say will happen when the day of the Lord arrives unexpected as a thief in the night? According to Paul, the arrival of the day of the Lord will be accompanied by "sudden destruction" from which those in spiritual darkness "shall not escape". But, those of us who are not in spiritual darkness will not have sudden destruction unexpectedly come upon as a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:4) because we will instead be changed to have immortal bodies and be caught up to meet Christ in the air (1 Thess 4:14-17).
So, what will cause this "sudden destruction" from which those in spiritual darkness "shall not escape"? According to Peter, it will be fire that comes down upon the earth. What else? No wonder Paul said "they shall not escape". No mortal could escape fire coming down upon the entire earth. That it's talking about literal fire there can be confirmed by looking at 2 Peter 3:6-7 where Peter compares this future fiery event directly to what happened with the flood in Noah's day that destroyed the world. He indicated that the scope of this future event will be the same as that one except this time it will be by fire.
Other passages which teach that Christ will destroy all unbelievers when He returns are these:
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Compare this passage to 2 Peter 3:10-12 and note the similiarities. Both speak of Jesus coming unexpectedly (no one knows the day and hour), resulting in heaven and earth (as we know them) passing away. Just as all unbelievers were killed in the flood Jesus said "so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.".
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Here, we again see fire being associated with the return of Christ. He will "in flaming fire" take "vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ". Keeping in mind that believers will all be changed to have immortal bodies at this time, what mortals does this leave to populate a supposed earthly millennial kingdom? None. Believers will all have immortal bodies and unbelievers will all be killed.
We can again see fire being associated with Christ's second coming in Luke 17:26-30 where He again compares His coming to what happened with the flood in Noah's day, but also compared His coming to what happened to Sodom in Lot's day when fire came down and destroyed Sodom.
People wrongly think that the reference to Armageddon in Revelation 19 is referring to a literal place on earth, but then they somehow don't take the following passage literally in terms of who will be destroyed when Jesus returns.
Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”
Of those who will still be on the earth at this point (believers will not be as they will be caught up to Christ just before this) who is excepted from "all people, free and slave, great and small"? That wording shows that it's all-inclusive. No one is excepted. Literally all people left on the earth after the church is caught up to Christ on the day He returns will be destroyed. That's what this text indicates.
2 Peter 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. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 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? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Can any Premillennialist give a coherent interpretation of this passage to show how it can possibly support Premillennialism?
I've seen some Premills who deny that 2 Peter 3:10-13 is about what will happen at the second coming of Christ and at the same time they believe the following passage is about the second coming of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
How can the day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night be a different event than the day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night? There is no basis for thinking that these two passages are not related to the same event.
So, what can you learn from these passages then? We know that Jesus is going to come as a thief in the night (Matt 24:42-44, Rev 16:15), so it makes no sense to deny that these passages are about the day of His second coming. What does it say will happen when the day of the Lord arrives unexpected as a thief in the night? According to Paul, the arrival of the day of the Lord will be accompanied by "sudden destruction" from which those in spiritual darkness "shall not escape". But, those of us who are not in spiritual darkness will not have sudden destruction unexpectedly come upon as a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:4) because we will instead be changed to have immortal bodies and be caught up to meet Christ in the air (1 Thess 4:14-17).
So, what will cause this "sudden destruction" from which those in spiritual darkness "shall not escape"? According to Peter, it will be fire that comes down upon the earth. What else? No wonder Paul said "they shall not escape". No mortal could escape fire coming down upon the entire earth. That it's talking about literal fire there can be confirmed by looking at 2 Peter 3:6-7 where Peter compares this future fiery event directly to what happened with the flood in Noah's day that destroyed the world. He indicated that the scope of this future event will be the same as that one except this time it will be by fire.
Other passages which teach that Christ will destroy all unbelievers when He returns are these:
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Compare this passage to 2 Peter 3:10-12 and note the similiarities. Both speak of Jesus coming unexpectedly (no one knows the day and hour), resulting in heaven and earth (as we know them) passing away. Just as all unbelievers were killed in the flood Jesus said "so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.".
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Here, we again see fire being associated with the return of Christ. He will "in flaming fire" take "vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ". Keeping in mind that believers will all be changed to have immortal bodies at this time, what mortals does this leave to populate a supposed earthly millennial kingdom? None. Believers will all have immortal bodies and unbelievers will all be killed.
We can again see fire being associated with Christ's second coming in Luke 17:26-30 where He again compares His coming to what happened with the flood in Noah's day, but also compared His coming to what happened to Sodom in Lot's day when fire came down and destroyed Sodom.
People wrongly think that the reference to Armageddon in Revelation 19 is referring to a literal place on earth, but then they somehow don't take the following passage literally in terms of who will be destroyed when Jesus returns.
Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”
Of those who will still be on the earth at this point (believers will not be as they will be caught up to Christ just before this) who is excepted from "all people, free and slave, great and small"? That wording shows that it's all-inclusive. No one is excepted. Literally all people left on the earth after the church is caught up to Christ on the day He returns will be destroyed. That's what this text indicates.