2 Peter 3:7 (DRB)

Passage

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 the ungodly men.

Nearby Context

2 Peter 3:5 For this they are wilfully ignorant of: That the heavens were before, and the earth out of water and through water, consisting by the word of God:

2 Peter 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

2 Peter 3:7 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 the ungodly men.

2 Peter 3:8 But of this one thing be not ignorant, my beloved, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heavens", "earth", "same", "word", "kept", "store", "reserved", and "fire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heavens" and "earth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Whereby the world that then was being..." into verse 8's "But of this one thing be not...", so "heavens" and "earth" belong inside that flow. In 2 Peter context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "heavens" and "earth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.