The apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, wrote,
“3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 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. 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: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 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. (2 Peter 3:3–7)”
Because it has been so long since God supernaturally intervened in the affairs of man, many refuse to believe that He ever will—or that He even exists. They scoff (vv. 3-4) at those who believe the Bible and await the coming of Jesus to take His saints to Heaven in an event that we call the Rapture. With His saints safely by His side, the world will experience the wrath of God for seven years in what the Bible calls, “Tribulation.” At the end of the seven years, Jesus Christ will return to this earth with His saints and destroy His enemies in a military campaign known around the world as Armageddon. At that time He will establish His kingdom and reign for one thousand years with Jerusalem as His capital. At the end of time as we know it, Christ will resurrect and judge the ungodly from every generation; they will be cast into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and this earth will be destroyed by fire (v. 7). Finally, a new heaven and earth will be created for the eternal abode of believers from all ages. (Rev. 21-22)
For those who might be inclined to doubt, hindsight is 20/20. Peter suggests you look back and consider the flood (vv. 5-6).