2Th 1:7-10 | KingComments | STEP | . It must have done the Thessalonians good that Paul spoke proudly of them among other churches of God. They themselves were not displaying their great efforts for the Lord. That would of course be inappropriate ( ). They must have known their own weakness. You maybe know such people who always talk about their great life with the Lord. They tell impressive stories about their spiritual mind and the special things that the Lord shows them. That is pure arrogance. Paul wants to encourage the believers and not flatter them ( ). It is a good thing to encourage believers who are suffering, which was the case with the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians were persecuted and afflicted. With “persecutions” you should consider that those who were persecuted were being chased, that they were not given any place of rest. “Afflictions” is the physical and spiritual suffering which they experienced from their persecutors. At the moment that Paul is writing this they were facing this suffering. You can derive it from the word “endure”. That is written in the present tense. When I try to say something about this, I feel insignificant and therefore quite incapable. What do I, who live in a continent where this is not to be found (yet?) know of persecution and affliction? Paul on the contrary knew what he was talking about ( ). He could stand next to them as a “brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation” ( ). We will surely experience tribulation if we really want to live for the Lord ( ). He can talk about their “perseverance and faith”. These two belong together. On the one hand ‘perseverance’ is the result of the testing of the faith ( ). On the other hand ‘faith’ is needed to persevere. You also come across this combination in Revelation 13 ( ). There it is also about a time when faith is severely tested because of persecutions. Through this letter the proudly speaking about their perseverance and faith is also addressed to the churches of God of today. Therefore the perseverance and the faith of the Thessalonians are still an encouragement for you and me and for the local church where we are. You see that it is possible to keep on going, even if you are young in the faith. Although we are not dealing with the kind of violent persecution to which the Thessalonians were exposed, it is good and important to know why God allows it that His children are being persecuted. Indeed, wrong conclusions are possible that seriously damage the life of faith. You may have heard – even possibly you thought yourself – that when something terrible happens to a person, it must be God’s punishment for a certain sin. In such cases there is a wrong picture of the way God deals with His children. This is the idea that the friends of Job had when they saw his suffering. They thought that the suffering of Job was the consequence of sins that he must have done. At the end of the book of Job you can read how God judges their idea ( ). In this way I am not trying to say that suffering could never be a consequence of a sin that has been done. I only want to say that it is not up to us to explain the suffering that happens to a person. . The suffering that the Thessalonians were enduring was the contrary of God’s dissatisfaction. It was absolutely a proof of God’s pleasure in them. He considered them “worthy of” His kingdom. The kingdom is as it were the reward for them who faithfully serve God in a time that nothing was to be seen yet of His kingdom in public glory. The suffering was God’s tribute to them. The tribulations are the proof that God was standing on their side. Otherwise satan would surely not have considered them to be worthy of persecuting them. Persecution absolutely goes together with entering the kingdom ( ). It is always: first suffering and then glory ( ; ). . Now that Paul has explained the real meaning of tribulation to them, he points out the great difference between the afflicted and those who are afflicting now and in the future, at the coming of the Lord Jesus. God judges righteously. That refers to the fact that with Him there is no respect of persons as well as to the fact that God discerns in a perfectly righteous way between the afflicted and those who are afflicting. He perfectly knows everyone’s circumstances and responsibility. It looks like the ones who are afflicting can go ahead uninterrupted. But do not think that God doesn’t notice this. When He deals with the case, He will revenge those who have afflicted His children. That means that the day of the Lord cannot possibly have come yet. Do you think that there can still be mention of people who do evil to His children when God executes His rights? Where ungodly men are in control, there cannot possibly be mention of the day of the Lord. . When the Lord Jesus will be revealed, when He appears, with in His company “His mighty angels”, the roles will be reversed. Those who have afflicted will get the punishment according to their deeds and the afflicted will get rest. That rest begins when the Lord Jesus has defeated all opponents. ‘His mighty angels’ enlarge the majesty of His performance. It is the angels through whom He exercises His power ( ). Each of those who have afflicted will fade by that view. Each afflicted believer will breathe a sigh of relief. Then persecutions and afflictions will be over, without any chance of repetition. For the persecuted and afflicted believer a rest will begin which will never be interrupted. That’s because that rest is anchored in and assured by the Lord Jesus. Paul was looking forward to enjoy that rest together with his afflicted loved ones in Thessalonica. He and they and all believers who have fallen asleep have entered into the rest. That will also be the case with us when the Lord comes for the church. Paul has written to them about that in his first letter ( ). In a kind of parenthesis Paul has pointed the Thessalonians to the rest which is ahead for them. Then he continues with what the coming of the Lord Jesus would mean for those who have afflicted. That is the main subject, for the Thessalonians were wondering how they were supposed to consider the afflictions that they had to go through. Due to the wrong teachings that were circulating among them, the idea that the day of the Lord has come, has gained ground. For that day would be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, would it not? Is that not what they are going through now? Well, Paul says, when the Lord Jesus comes, it will certainly be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, but not for you! The revelation of the Lord Jesus will be a terror for those who are persecuting you now. The “flaming fire” that will accompany Him, is not meant for you, but for those who persecute and afflict you. The fire is the instrument of His judgment ( ; ). His consuming fire will strike them as His revenge. He has promised that He would do that when He told you not to take revenge yourself ( ). Let that also be an exhortation for you not to revenge the evil that is being done to you. You read in the Old Testament that “the LORD will come in fire” ( ). Here you read that again of the Lord Jesus. One more proof that the Lord Jesus is the same as the LORD (Yahweh) in the Old Testament. It also shows that God, Who is a consuming fire ( ), is executing His judgment by His Son ( ; ). Now read 2 Thessalonians 1:4-8 again. Reflection: How do you experience ‘the righteous judgment of God’?

‏ 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

The Afflicted and Those Who Afflict

2Thes 1:4. It must have done the Thessalonians good that Paul spoke proudly of them among other churches of God. They themselves were not displaying their great efforts for the Lord. That would of course be inappropriate (Pro 27:2). They must have known their own weakness. You maybe know such people who always talk about their great life with the Lord. They tell impressive stories about their spiritual mind and the special things that the Lord shows them. That is pure arrogance.

Paul wants to encourage the believers and not flatter them (1Thes 2:5). It is a good thing to encourage believers who are suffering, which was the case with the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians were persecuted and afflicted. With “persecutions” you should consider that those who were persecuted were being chased, that they were not given any place of rest. “Afflictions” is the physical and spiritual suffering which they experienced from their persecutors. At the moment that Paul is writing this they were facing this suffering. You can derive it from the word “endure”. That is written in the present tense.

When I try to say something about this, I feel insignificant and therefore quite incapable. What do I, who live in a continent where this is not to be found (yet?) know of persecution and affliction? Paul on the contrary knew what he was talking about (1Cor 4:12). He could stand next to them as a “brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation” (Rev 1:9). We will surely experience tribulation if we really want to live for the Lord (2Tim 2:12).

He can talk about their “perseverance and faith”. These two belong together. On the one hand ‘perseverance’ is the result of the testing of the faith (Jam 1:3). On the other hand ‘faith’ is needed to persevere. You also come across this combination in Revelation 13 (Rev 13:10). There it is also about a time when faith is severely tested because of persecutions.

Through this letter the proudly speaking about their perseverance and faith is also addressed to the churches of God of today. Therefore the perseverance and the faith of the Thessalonians are still an encouragement for you and me and for the local church where we are. You see that it is possible to keep on going, even if you are young in the faith.

Although we are not dealing with the kind of violent persecution to which the Thessalonians were exposed, it is good and important to know why God allows it that His children are being persecuted. Indeed, wrong conclusions are possible that seriously damage the life of faith. You may have heard – even possibly you thought yourself – that when something terrible happens to a person, it must be God’s punishment for a certain sin.

In such cases there is a wrong picture of the way God deals with His children. This is the idea that the friends of Job had when they saw his suffering. They thought that the suffering of Job was the consequence of sins that he must have done. At the end of the book of Job you can read how God judges their idea (Job 42:7-8). In this way I am not trying to say that suffering could never be a consequence of a sin that has been done. I only want to say that it is not up to us to explain the suffering that happens to a person.

2Thes 1:5. The suffering that the Thessalonians were enduring was the contrary of God’s dissatisfaction. It was absolutely a proof of God’s pleasure in them. He considered them “worthy of” His kingdom. The kingdom is as it were the reward for them who faithfully serve God in a time that nothing was to be seen yet of His kingdom in public glory.

The suffering was God’s tribute to them. The tribulations are the proof that God was standing on their side. Otherwise satan would surely not have considered them to be worthy of persecuting them. Persecution absolutely goes together with entering the kingdom (Acts 14:22). It is always: first suffering and then glory (Lk 24:26; 1Pet 1:11).

2Thes 1:6. Now that Paul has explained the real meaning of tribulation to them, he points out the great difference between the afflicted and those who are afflicting now and in the future, at the coming of the Lord Jesus. God judges righteously. That refers to the fact that with Him there is no respect of persons as well as to the fact that God discerns in a perfectly righteous way between the afflicted and those who are afflicting. He perfectly knows everyone’s circumstances and responsibility.

It looks like the ones who are afflicting can go ahead uninterrupted. But do not think that God doesn’t notice this. When He deals with the case, He will revenge those who have afflicted His children. That means that the day of the Lord cannot possibly have come yet. Do you think that there can still be mention of people who do evil to His children when God executes His rights? Where ungodly men are in control, there cannot possibly be mention of the day of the Lord.

2Thes 1:7. When the Lord Jesus will be revealed, when He appears, with in His company “His mighty angels”, the roles will be reversed. Those who have afflicted will get the punishment according to their deeds and the afflicted will get rest. That rest begins when the Lord Jesus has defeated all opponents. ‘His mighty angels’ enlarge the majesty of His performance. It is the angels through whom He exercises His power (Psa 103:20).

Each of those who have afflicted will fade by that view. Each afflicted believer will breathe a sigh of relief. Then persecutions and afflictions will be over, without any chance of repetition. For the persecuted and afflicted believer a rest will begin which will never be interrupted. That’s because that rest is anchored in and assured by the Lord Jesus.

Paul was looking forward to enjoy that rest together with his afflicted loved ones in Thessalonica. He and they and all believers who have fallen asleep have entered into the rest. That will also be the case with us when the Lord comes for the church. Paul has written to them about that in his first letter (1Thes 4:15-17).

In a kind of parenthesis Paul has pointed the Thessalonians to the rest which is ahead for them. Then he continues with what the coming of the Lord Jesus would mean for those who have afflicted. That is the main subject, for the Thessalonians were wondering how they were supposed to consider the afflictions that they had to go through. Due to the wrong teachings that were circulating among them, the idea that the day of the Lord has come, has gained ground. For that day would be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, would it not? Is that not what they are going through now?

Well, Paul says, when the Lord Jesus comes, it will certainly be accompanied by tribulation and oppressiveness, but not for you! The revelation of the Lord Jesus will be a terror for those who are persecuting you now. The “flaming fire” that will accompany Him, is not meant for you, but for those who persecute and afflict you.

The fire is the instrument of His judgment (Lev 10:2; Psa 97:3). His consuming fire will strike them as His revenge. He has promised that He would do that when He told you not to take revenge yourself (Rom 12:19). Let that also be an exhortation for you not to revenge the evil that is being done to you.

You read in the Old Testament that “the LORD will come in fire” (Isa 66:15). Here you read that again of the Lord Jesus. One more proof that the Lord Jesus is the same as the LORD (Yahweh) in the Old Testament. It also shows that God, Who is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29), is executing His judgment by His Son (Acts 17:31; Jn 5:27).

Now read 2 Thessalonians 1:4-8 again.

Reflection: How do you experience ‘the righteous judgment of God’?

Eternal Destruction and Glory

2Thes 1:8. When the Lord Jesus appeared on earth the first time, He did that as a helpless Baby. He was also not accompanied by an impressive army. Yes, there was surely a crowd of angels present, but they were not standing there with a sword ready to protect the Child. They did something else: they praised God (Lk 2:13-14). When the Lord Jesus will appear on earth for the second time, there will be no weakness and vulnerability to be seen. On the contrary: the manger will then be changed into a flaming fire; the praising crowd of angels will be changed into an army in order to deal out retribution.

The Lord Jesus will then not come to look for and save the lost. He did that when He came the first time (Lk 19:10). And this is how He is still to be presented to sinners around you. But when He comes the second time, it will be to deal out retribution. And that’s the way He is supposed to be presented too.

The objects of His retribution are falling apart into two groups. The repeated words “to those” indicate that it is about two categories. Of the one group is said that they “do not know God”. Of the other group is said that they “do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus”. The indication of each of both groups includes at the same time the reason why the dealing out of retribution will come over them. The first reason is general and applies to each sinner. The second reason regards a special category of sinners and particularly those to whom the gospel came, but who rejected it. The retribution will be dealt out to the unbelievers and those who are disobedient.

Not knowing God is a guilty unfamiliarity with God. Even if no one has told them about God, they still could have seen in the nature around them that there is a Creator (Rom 1:18-20). But they refuse to. They do not want to know Him. They do not want to have anything to do with God. The main reason of the punishment they will have to face, is their denial of God. That’s the reason why they go beyond all kinds of violence, lies and destruction, and they persecute and afflict the believers.

By speaking out this judgment, Paul relates to the call of the God-fearing ones from the Old Testament (Psa 79:6; Jer 10:25). It is not that Paul himself is asking for it, but this dealing out of retribution by the Lord Jesus will meet the desire of the God-fearing afflicted ones who will live after the rapture of the church.

The second group of people has an even greater responsibility. God has offered them the gospel with the urgent request to accept it, but they refused to listen to it. To believe and obey the gospel is a command (Rom 10:16; 1Pet 4:17). Therefore there is mention of “the obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5 ; Rom 16:26). Not believing is disobedience, which is a fatal disobedience. For actually in the gospel the Son of God has been presented to them. To be disobedient to Him means partaking of the wrath of God (Jn 3:36).

You hear the great love of the apostle for the Lord Jesus when he writes about “our Lord Jesus”. It hurts him that He is being rejected like that. Although he could see much fruit of his work, he also had often experienced that the Lord was haughtily and contemptuously rejected. He has experienced himself the hatred against that Name. He has suffered a lot for that Name’s sake (Acts 9:16). He knows that everything that was done to him, was against the Lord Jesus. But the haters and despisers will surely not escape their retribution.

2Thes 1:9. Although the two groups are different in their denial of God, they will suffer the same terrible fate. The penalty for both is the eternal destruction. This is the only fitting, completely righteous penalty which is in full accordance with the guilt that they have. “Eternal” is opposed to temporary and it means without end, everlasting. “Destruction” does not mean elimination in the sense of ceasing to exist, but the end of the meaning of existence. If something is destructed it cannot be used anymore and it is thrown away.

Destruction implies that a person has been removed from the Lord. Everyone who has been thrown away, will end up into “the outer darkness” (Mt 8:12 ; Mt 22:13 ; Mt 25:30). The Lord is the source of all light, life and blessing. To be eternally outside of that source will be an unprecedented torture in the darkness, death and curse. Man has been created to be in relationship with God. Once all connection has been broken, man will be completely lost. What a contrast with seeing the face of God, which is the highest joy of the believer (Psa 17:15; Rev 22:4).

To the unbelievers that glory means terror (Isa 2:10 ; 19 ; 21). When the Lord will come in that majesty, they will be removed by it. They also will not see anything of the outer and visible display of the glory of His strength which will be noticeable all over the earth when He will be reigning. You get an impression of that already in the transfiguration on the mountain (Mt 17:2; 2Pet 1:16-18).

2Thes 1:10. The terrible day for the unconverted is the great day for the believers. They are “His saints”, the ones who have been set apart for Him. “In” (not: by) them He will “be glorified”, which means in the glorified body which they have and in which they will be like Him.

He will also ”be marveled at among those who have believed”. That reminds us of the time when they were on earth and went their way in the confidence of faith in Him. That delivered them misunderstanding and mockery back then, even persecution and martyr’s death. Then it will become clear in Whom they have believed and trusted, right through everything and Whom they have held on to.

What they have then displayed of the power of faith will openly be seen in their relation to Him. Then there will be admiration for Him Who had so much power of attraction for the ones who were despised then, that they were willing to suffer anything for Him.

The testimony that the apostle bore in Thessalonica was believed by them, while many of their fellow citizens had rejected it. Because they had believed it, they will partake of that great day of the Lord, while such a terrible judgment will come over their fellow citizens. Do you see what part you have obtained due to the faith and what you will escape? Isn’t that a great grace?

2Thes 1:11. But there is still a way to go. You are still not there yet. That time has not come yet. That’s the reason for the prayer of the apostle. His prayer is that they – in order to contribute to the glorification of the Lord in that day – will be “worthy of” their “calling”. In order to do that, they will have to be faithfully going their way until the end, with full commitment.

Note that it is not about you to be made worthy. You are already worthy. But therefore it can be expected of you that you respond to that dignity. You do that by persevering until the end. Don’t you think that it is worth all the trouble if you consider that end?

You may possibly be overwhelmed now by a feeling of weakness, maybe even powerlessness. Then Paul is telling you also about the other side, which is God’s side, about what He is doing. You do not need to achieve the end by your own power. He works in you the desire to do the good. He also empowers your faith, so that you may do the works of faith. He will make sure that you will continue to trust in Him up to the end (cf. Lk 22:32).

2Thes 1:12. His work in you is related to the honor of His Son. If you live like that, the Name of the Lord Jesus will be glorified in you now already and you will be glorified in Him. You will be radiating a glory which is not yours, but His (cf. Jn 17:22-23).

You absolutely do not owe it to yourself. Nothing other than “the grace of our God and [the] Lord Jesus” can cause something like that to happen.

Now read 2 Thessalonians 1:8-12 again.

Reflection: Pray that God may count you and others (mention them by name) worthy of the calling. Allow Him to do His work in you and in those others. Consider that it is all about the glory of the Name of the Lord Jesus in your life and theirs.