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Okay, I will try one last time to make myself clear. The original manuscripts that make up the books of the Bible were written in three different languages; Hebrew, Greek, and some Aramaic. Sometimes when you translate from one language to another, there are no words that directly correspond. (See my previous example of instructions from say, a ready made furniture kit that is made in a foreign country). Then there is the problem of different dialects of languages that have different vocabularies. For instance, the U.S., Great Britian, and Australia. We all speak English, but with different dialects and vocabularies. It is difficult sometimes to express certain thoughts from one culture to another. For example, if I talked to a person in France, and told him someone "kicked the bucket" they would probably not know what I was talking about.

Therefore, you have to look at the original word, not the word that is written in your English translation of the Bible to find the original meaning. I will do some research with my Bible Concordance and try to find which Hebrew word was used, and how it is used in other places. However, I would like to point out that I looked up "day" in Webster's New World College Dictionary, and found 9 definitions. In fact one of the definition, #4 says, "a period of time; eraa; age [the best writer of her day]". So even in modern english we use the word "day" sometimes when we mean other than a literal 24 hour day.

I will now give other scripture references which use the words "die" or "dead" while no speaking of immediate physical death. 1 Timothy 5:6 when talking about widows who qualify for assistance from the church says, "She who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead while she lives." Luke 15:24 is conveying the thoughts of the prodigal son's father, "For this son of mine was dead and has come to life again, he was lost and has been found." 1 Corinthians 15:31 has Paul talking about his everyday struggle in this world, "I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." Revelation 3:1 records the words of Jesus to the church in Sardis, "I know your deeds, that you are alive, but you are dead." These examples all use our English words for death or dying, but none of them are speaking of immediate or current physical death. The prodigal son was not physically dead, he was spiritually and relationally dead, because he had forsaken his family and was seperated from them. I don't think anyone would say that the Apostle Paul actually meant that every day he died physically. He was meaning that everyday he seperates himself from the things of this world that would distract him from serving God. I looked up the word die in Webster's New World College dictionary. There are 9 different definitions for it as well!

So when you combine the alternative meanings, given in Webster's Dictionary, which can hardly be cast as a religious work, you can keep the sentence exactly as God spoke it and have it be true without distorting the entire rest of the Bible.

I don't think that it is wise to pull two verses out of context, especially when Peter is probably quoting the verse in Psalms, and apply a "figure of speech" as the standard of measure for all of time in the Bible. Think of it like this. Days, Weeks, Months, and Years are manmade scales of time. God never said in the Bible, "you shall call one rotation of the earth 'day' and you shall call one cycle of the moon 'month' and you shall call one cycle of the seasons 'year'." They are terms that we as humans have made to help us track the passage of time. What the passage is saying is that a day is too short, compared to God, for Him to track. If you don't belief what the Bible says that is fine, but don't try to make it say something that it doesn't just because it is easier for you to believe it.

Regards,

"I don't think that it is wise to pull two verses out of context, especially when Peter is probably quoting the verse in Psalms, and apply a "figure of speech" as the standard of measure for all of time in the Bible. Think of it like this. Days, Weeks, Months, and Years are manmade scales of time."

"probably quoting" Now let's go to what the subject matter that Peter was telling us.

IIPeter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your "pure minds" by way of remembrance;

2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the LORD and Saviour:

This is the introduction of the subject matter requiring "pure minds" and remembrance of the words spoken by the "holy prophets" and commandment of us the apostles.

Peter is sending us back to the words of the "holy prophets" and that starts in Genesis, yes Moses was a prophet.

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lust.

This establishes the TIME frame for which this remembrance is given. So to us this day we are to have "pure minds" by way of "remembrance" of what the words are spoken by the "holy prophets".

4 And saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?

for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."

Now that word "beginning" is one and the same as the word GENESIS.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of OLD, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Now most try and connect this OLD as being Noah's flood but they ignore verse 6.

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

Now there is no other meaning to that word perished than destruction, and that will not fit Noah's flood as we know full well that not all perished. You check out that word perished, where it is use and who it is used about.

Jeremiah 4 talks about a flood where all was destroyed, and all perished and how those words "willingly ignorant" come into play.

Jeremiah 4:22 For My people is foolish, they have not known ME: The are sottish children, and they have none understanding: They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge....

Sounds just like Peter talking about people today.

23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had not light.

Where exactly are these words "without form and void" used???? What exactly do these words mean in the original????

24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

Jeremiah is not talking about Noah's flood and Peter by using the words "willingly ignorant" and that word "perished" is bringing into the "pure mind" remembrance of the words of the holy prophets.

IIPeter3:6 Whereby the world that then WAS....

what exactly does "WAS" mean??? You might check out what the Heavenly Father asked Job about after Job was "elected" to be persecuted by that one that was allowed to "go to and fro".

Read Job 38 thru the end and get a glimpse into the "pure mind" required to get a glimpse.

IIPeter3: 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 ungodly men.

What does "NOW" mean. I am counting 1 age that WAS and 1 age that is NOW and a future AGE to come, cause we sure have not had that "fire against the DAY of judgment in which that one of "perdition" (check out that word, where it is used and who is the son of "perdition")

8 But, beloved, be NOT ignorant of this one thing, that one DAY is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one DAY.

So you really think Peter was not aware of the DAYS of creation.

Finally, how is it that Chinese history pre-dates 6,000 years...?????