KJV, 2 Peter 3:3- "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fall asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they are willingly 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; Whereby the world was then, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, the same word is kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But beloved, be not ignorant of one thing, that one day is to the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
The reason it is ALWAYS been that way is because of God's patience to maximize the chances that people will repent and follow Jesus. Technically, 2 days have passed in God's time (i.e. if a day is like a thousand years to him) since that was written. To us, 2000 years have passed, and since the last flood, Date of Flood is estimated to be at 2304 B.C.
https://creation.com/the-date-of-noahs-flood . Since the date of the last Flood that wiped out everyone is just over 4310 years or so. There has been no mass extinctions in 4000 years. This verse is suggesting in simple terms, the next one is a fire storm where everything is melted out. We are seeing the temperature of the world is getting warmer due to global warming and forest fires are increasing all over the place and Yellowstone could erupt at anytime, plus the sun is a wildcard (i.e. the movie "Knowing" 2009 with Nicolas Cage comes to mind) that could all see a prophecy like that be fulfilled. While I have a more elaborate view of the end-time time-line that what I may depict to know here, it just the principle that people think one way, and mis-interpret God's intention concerning a delay of time, take it easy, and then it happens like a "thief in the night" unexpected as being lulled in a false sense of security because of all the time that has passed since the prophecy. He is giving you a chance to repent, but He's not slack or doesn't care attitude, concerning these "delays" you are perceiving.
