We find 2 Peter 3:12 translated ”As you look forward to the day of God, and speed its coming” (New International Version), where this last phrase is otherwise translated “hasting unto the coming” (King James). A technical translation such as the Marshall Diaglott renders this phrase “has­tening the presence (parousia) of the day of God.”

How should we understand this?

This word “hastening” in Greek is speudoo [Strong’s 4692, spyoo’-do], to “speed” or “urge on” diligently or earnestly. This word apparently is linked to the image of running by foot. It is constructed by taking the word for “foot,” Strong’s 4228, and intensifying it by adding the letter “s” in front. Colloquial expressions once used in English such as “hot-footing it” seem to capture this thought.

The phrase does not say we are “hastening the coming” (King James), but “hastening the presence of the Day of the Lord.” It refers to hastening the events within the day of the Lord. However, we cannot actually hasten the Lord’s time clock of events that occur within the Day of the Lord. But we can seemingly hasten it from two standpoints.

(1) We are to be so active in the events of the Day of the Lord – the harvest work, Kingdom work, helping the bride make herself ready or praying for those who can be active as if we were trying to hasten the events of the Day of the Lord onward. Of course, we know we cannot.

(2) But what happens when we are very active (“footing it”), doing the things we enjoy? We then find that the time just seems to fly quickly. Being enthusiastically active in the Lord’s work during the Day of the Lord is so rewarding that it feels like the events of the Day of the Lord are has­tening on.

– Discourse excerpt, Chicago May 2006 Convention

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