“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13 NIV).
In Matthew 5:6, Jesus offered the following assurance: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (ESV). Those who will inhabit the new heavens and earth referenced here in 2 Peter 3:13 can thus look forward to the fulfillment of that promise from the Gospel of Matthew. However, our text from 2 Peter also presents us with a contemporary application as well.
When this world is eventually replaced by “…a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells,” the wisdom that characterizes our world is destined to crumble alongside it. For instance, our world places great value on the things we possess. If a person has great athletic ability, physical attractiveness, or financial wealth (to name a few examples), then society often views that person as someone who possesses worth.
However, 2 Peter 3:13 tells us that the value system of the new heavens and earth will be very different. There, the focus will be on who we are and not on what we possess. Those who choose to build their lives on the moral philosophies of this “adulterous and sinful generation” (to use Jesus’ terminology from Mark 8:38) will thus be left with no recourse.
As long as this world remains in its current state, there are sure to be many who view its wisdom as something practical, sensible, and expedient. But when this world is succeeded by “…a world filled with God’s righteousness” (NLT), the wisdom that reflects the priorities of our world will collapse as well. Therefore, those who live for Christ and follow His example today will be blessed and satisfied with the world He will establish then.
While the reasoning of this world presents a semblance of wisdom, that type of wisdom often fails to account for the eternal consequences of our decisions. One commentary addresses this shortcoming in the context of our passage from 2 Peter 3:13…
“The old cosmic system will then give way to a new heaven and a new earth and this is what believers are looking forward to (cf. 2Pe_3:12, 2Pe_3:14), not to the earth’s destruction. The new heaven and new earth, given by the promise of God, will finally be the home or dwelling place of righteousness (lit., ‘in which righteousness dwells permanently’). It will be the home of righteousness because the Righteous One will be there (Jer_23:5-7; Jer_33:16; Dan_9:24; Rev_21:1, Rev_21:8, Rev_21:27). What a contrast this will be to the world’s unrighteousness.” (2)
(1) John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Bible Knowledge Commentary, note on 2 Peter 3:13