It is difficult to find a single picture for a heading that carries the idea of the destruction of our world, the passing away of the present heavens and earth, as prophesied about in holy scripture, because there are so many scenes and happenings involved in that destruction. Nor can a single line of verse be a suitable title to a write up on the end time destruction of our world. The above is what I finally settled upon. I am sure it is another old testament prophecy of the day of judgment when the world and the present heavens and earth suffer the calamities described in the Book of Revelation as occurring when the seven sealed scroll is opened by breaking its seven seals, covering chapters six through nineteen. In those chapters we see lots of destruction by fire and the raining down of fiery hail, meteors, etc., from the heavens, as we have seen.
Question #2 - How will they be destroyed?
According to Peter, the present heavens and earth will be destroyed "by fire," and by "fervent heat," in the same way the old world, with its heavens and earth, was destroyed by a flood of waters. Recall too these words:
"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?"
This seems to be a description of a conflagration that makes the earth a molten sea of lava, burning up everything on land, including everything that has been built on the earth by humans. But, more on that later.
Pass Away With Great Noise
"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." (II Peter 3: 10 kjv)
The words "a great noise" are the translation of a single Greek word, ῥοιζηδόν (rhoizēdón). It is only used here in the new testament. Strong says it means "adverb from a derivative of ῥοῖζος rhoîzos (a whir); whizzingly, i.e. with a crash:—with a great noise." Vine says: "from rhoizos, "the whistling of an arrow," signifies "with rushing sound," as of roaring flames, and is used in 2Pe 3:10, of the future passing away of the heavens."
There are two affirmations to make on the meaning and ramifications of the heavens and earth passing away or being destroyed by "a great noise." First, the noise is continuous over years spanning the great tribulation and day of wrath. Second, the noise is the noise of war, for God is viewed as at war with the last generation of this evil age.
In more than one place we read of the "noise (or "sound") of war" or "noise of battle" (Exo. 32: 17-18; etc.) Another example is in Jeremiah where he says - "The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction!" (Jer. 50: 22 niv) This is the noise that will attend the destruction of the present heavens and earth and of the last wicked occupants of it. Consider also that the book of Revelation, which records the various noises of the day of destruction, is in a military context. Christ is pictured as a warrior on a white horse (Rev. 6: 1; 19: 11-16). In the latter passage this is said of Christ as military commander in the day of destruction:
"11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords." (11-16)
Also, Christ, in Revelation 6: 1 is pictured as a conqueror on a white horse and he has a bow in his hands with poisoned arrows (which I write about extensively in my series on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse) and during the years of the coming day of wrath and tribulation, each judgment, plague, disaster, etc. are the effects of his invisible arrows of destruction. Strong and other Greek scholars say the word for "great noise" was used to describe the whizzing sound that arrows make when traveling through the air (the same with modern rockets which you hear coming, as did soldiers in wars with cannons and missiles). So, each arrow of the Almighty (each calamity or each scene of destruction) intensifies and continues the noise of battle.
Some translations translate rhoizēdón as "roar" rather than "great noise." It is also used of the whistling or roaring of mighty rushing wind, as a whirlwind, tornado, or hurricane might make, or the roaring and crackling fire of things burning.
The heavens and earth will pass away with a whizzing, a whistling, or a crackling sound of objects being consumed by flames.
Other verses also speak of sounds that will occur when Christ returns and when the heavens and earth are passing away. Said Jesus about the time of the end:
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matt. 24: 31)
There is also lots of noise in the book of Revelation. For instance, there are the sounds of the seven trumpets by seven special angels. There is also the "sound" (Greek "phone") of demonic locusts. So we read the text: "And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle." (Rev. 9: 9) The book of Revelation is filled with noise in describing the days of earth's destruction. There is frequent mention of numerous sounds, voices, noises, thunderings, etc. The destruction of our world will be a noisy affair.
Remember the verse from Hebrews twelve that we cited in the previous chapter about the shaking of the heavens and earth and how such text occurs as a result of Lord God causing his voice to be heard. Notice this companion verse:
"The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel." (Joel 3: 16)
Recall how some translate the Greek word for "a great noise" as "roar." There are several kinds of "roaring," of course. The roaring of a lion is not the same as the roaring of the wind (as in a tornado) nor of the roaring of great fires.
The kind of sound or noise that is heard when the heavens and earth are being destroyed or passing away is what we literally see when God came to meet with the Hebrew people on Mt. Sinai. In the following text we are given a narrative description of the effects of the the Lord's coming face to face with mankind. Notice how the noise or sounds associated with LORD God's arrival on earth are both loud and long.
"11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.” (Exodus 19: 11-13 nkjv)
"6 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them." (6-22)
We see the same picture in the prophecy of Peter concerning the perishing of the present heavens and earth, or the end of the age. The Book of Revelation details, chronologically, the events connected with the day of the Lord, when he comes again, and governs the day of wrath, vengeance, judgment, and tribulation. When God comes down in the person of the Son of God, who is also Jesus Christ the Lord, we see heavens and earth dramatically affected, and many people killed dramatically (though with a spared remnant). Notice that the text highlighted in red letters above speaks of the noise or sound of the trumpet being increasingly loud and for a prolonged period. This is the same kind of "great noise" wherein the present heavens and earth will pass away. So, let us not think that the heavens and earth are to pass away instantly with a whizzing sound that last only for a few seconds.
Also, there is a difference in writing "with a great noise" and "with great noise." There is no indefinite article "a" in the Greek language and it ought not to be always supposed or implied in the absence of the definite article. The heavens and earth will be destroyed with prolonged noise of battle, fires, earth quakes and shakes, etc.
Notice how the descent of the Lord on Mt. Sinai (on earth) was in fire, smoke, and great quaking, the very things we see literally attending the return of the Lord and with his initiating the day of wrath and retribution, things which have been previously shown.
Notice also this prophecy of David: "The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth." (Psa. 97: 5)
Notice the mountains melting like wax as a result of the coming of the "Lord of the whole earth." This is the same melting of the elements that Peter spoke about in conjunction with the coming of the day of the Lord and "the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
In the next chapter we will talk about the end time melting and dissolving of the heavens and earth, of the cosmos, that Peter describes.
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