They who hope for this fail to see that "The end of all things being at hand" and "the end of the world" came to pass many centuries ago, and the end of all things and the end of the world was the end of the animal sacrifices, the end of the temple, the end of the priesthood, the end of the Jewish economy, and the end of the great city of Jerusalem. It was truly the end of that particular world! It was not the end of that religious belief; but it was the end of that religious belief system! It was the end of that religious age! It was the end of that aion! It marked the end of everything which pertained to the dispensation of the Law and the glory of that age. When Peter penned those words, the end of everything that had sustained and perpetuated the old order was literally at hand.

"And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you" Matt. 24:1-4. The Amplified makes it more clear: "...Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age?" Matthew 24:3.