(NASB translation unless indicated otherwise)
2Ths. 1:1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church
of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Paul is writing to church age believers in Thessalonica.
They are undergoing great affliction at the present time from a group of
persecutors who are quite severe in their attacks on these believers. In
fact, the affliction is so great that it resembles very closely the quality
of persecution that will exist during the time of great affliction (tribulation)
that will be wielded by the man of lawlessness. The word for affliction
here and for tribulation in Matthew 24:9 and 21 is the same word in the
Greek, thlipsis. At the time of writing to the Thessalonians, the world
conditions are such that the events leading up to the Day-of-the-Lord return
of Jesus could begin to take place at any time. In other words, the time
of affliction that they are going through, could very easily escalate into
the great affliction. If that were to happen, then they need to know that
Jesus promised them deliverance from the severity of that time so that
the vast majority of His believing brethren (the elect, church age believers,
Hebrews 2:10-11) would not undergo the death blows from the beast. For
he will try to kill all believers in Jesus (Revelation 12:17; 13:7, 15;
Daniel 7:25), but will not totally succeed because the time of his oppression
will be cut short (Matthew 24:22) by the return of Jesus.
And that promise is exactly what Paul reaffirms to them
in this letter.
A very important point of introduction is to recognize
that there is only ONE second coming. That is, what Jesus taught about
His coming (the coming of the Son of Man) and what the apostles taught
about His coming all refer to the one and the same return of Jesus in the
clouds of the sky. At that time, the resurrection of ALL believers who
have died since Adam will occur, and the resurrection of all living believers
will occur; and all of these will meet with Jesus in the sky, and will
be escorted to heaven where they will begin preparation for their home
and function in God's plan for eternity. This passage before us is key
to understanding that when Jesus comes back to gather His saints to Himself,
as described at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, it will be a visible, physical
and glorious revelation of God's glory, accompanied by His angels, just
as Jesus taught at every recorded mention of the event.
This chapter is vital and pivotal for establishing the
UNITY of all the second coming passages that occur in the New Testament.
For amplification, see The Second Coming as taught
by Jesus.
2Ths. 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the standard greeting from the apostle and is
expressed in most of his letters. It indicates a desire for them to experience
all the resources of God's grace provision that He has made available to
them through His word. This desire can only be fulfilled through the believer's
diligence in spiritual growth as Peter detailed at 2 Peter 1:2-11, and
summarized at 2 Peter 3:18, "but grow in THE GRACE and the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." The apostle's desire for them
to experience peace is also conditional upon their response to God's word
in claiming the many promises that produce peace in the soul during the
midst of any kind of pressure (Philippians 4:6-7). Paul indicates that
Jesus is the source for this peace, just as He promised at John 14:27.
But He also made it clear that it was conditional upon their attitude of
not being afraid or intimidated. The Father too is the source of this quality
of inner peace as the promise at Philippians 4:6-7 indicates, "the
peace of God, which surpasses all human comprehension, will guard your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
2Ths. 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you,
brethren, as is {only} fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged,
and the love of each one of you toward one another grows {ever} greater;
Paul expresses his appreciation for their consistent faithfulness
in both Christian growth and in expressing the love of Christ towards one
another.
2Ths. 1:4 so that, we ourselves boast about you among
the churches of God for your endurance and faith in the midst of all your
persecutions and afflictions which you are tolerating;
He tells them that he actually brags on their behalf because
of their faithfulness in the face of severe persecution and pressure. The
word afflictions is thlipsis and simply means pressure. It can come from
a variety of sources, but the focus in this context seems to be on the
persecution pressure that they were enduring. This is not something new
or strange to the church. Paul taught at Acts 14:22, "it is necessary
that through many afflictions (thlipsis) we are to enter into the kingdom
of God," (BFT). And at Philippians 1:29, "For to you it has been
graciously provided on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but
also to suffer for Him," (BFT). And Peter too, at 1 Peter 4:12, "beloved,
do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you . . . as though some
strange thing were happening to you."
This experience of affliction from those who are rejecters
of God and of God's plan of salvation through Christ, is simply evidence
that God is JUST in judging them. It is their own actions that condemn
them, and at the same time vindicate your faithfulness because it is demonstrated
that you are walking worthy of your place in the family of God. As the
believer endures such persecution affliction, he testifies to the reality
of his salvation relationship with God.
2Ths. 1:5 a plain indication of God's righteous judgment
with the result that you are considered worthy of the kingdom of God, on
behalf of which also you are suffering.
This faithful consistency in the face of thlipsis is a
testimonial beacon to the believer's status as a child of God, and to God's
grace provision for the believer, which is the basis for that believers
faithful devotion and endurance.
2Ths. 1:6 Since indeed, it is just for God to repay with
affliction those who are afflicting you,
The construction, "since indeed," is
eiper,
which is a particle of recognized reality. Paul states here the certainty
of God's repayment to those who are the persecutors of believers. The word,
repay, is antapodidomi, and means to give back to someone in recompense
for actions or service rendered. The verb has two objects and two indirect
objects (actually 3, including "us as well"). On the one hand
God is paying back something to the persecutors, and on the other hand,
he is paying back something to the believers. Both paybacks will be initiated
by the same event of Christ's glorious descent from heaven in the clouds
of the sky. At that time, He will give rest to the believers by removing
them out from the affliction, and he will give affliction to the unbelievers
by pouring out his wrath upon the world.
This truth is taught by language of principle rather than
a specific promise to the Thessalonians that it will indeed occur in their
lifetime. This language of principle is the same thing that Jesus used
when He gave the promise to the disciples at John 14:1-3, for the promise
that He would come again and receive them to Himself never occurred in
their lifetime. But it could have, and indeed will in the lifetime of a
future generation of believers.
The principle here, that "it is just for God to .
. ," applies to whatever group of believers are alive on the earth
at the time that Jesus returns. At the time of writing, the affliction
(tribulation, thlipsis) that is being endured by the Thessalonians, and
indeed, by other believers in other locations (including Paul, 2 Thes.
3:2; 1 Thes. 3:3-4) is not THE tribulation that Jesus taught about (Matthew
24:9-22), but it could easily escalate into that period of time if the
man of lawlessness were to be revealed. In such a case, the principle stated
in verses 6 and 7, would be applied and Jesus would return to both deliver
(give relief to) the believers out from the world, and to render affliction
on the unbelievers left in the world.
1. It is just with God: the adjective,
dikaios, and the
preposition, para, indicates something that is just, righteous, fair BESIDE
God, that is, in his presence or sight. This indicates that the absolute
standards of divine justice are in play and nothing can refute or discredit
the administration of that justice to those who are deserving of either
blessing or judgment. Although the translation, "just for God,"
is clear enough, it does not reflect for us the application of divine standards
that the preposition para does, but at the same time, I suggest that ANY
English translation will require additional explanation even while adequately
indicating that God is justified in what He does.
2. To repay with affliction: the thing that is being repaid
is thlipsis. That is, pressure and trouble, of an equal quality as what
these unbelievers were inflicting upon the believers. The recipients of
this affliction are "those who are afflicting you." This is a
present active participle of thlibo and indicates that Paul has in mind
the present persecution affliction that the Thessalonians are encountering.
It does not see these persecutors as ones who (once) afflicted them, but
those who RIGHT NOW are afflicting them.
However, because there is the possibility that THAT present
time frame for the church might progress unto the revealing and reign of
the man of lawlessness (the beast), the affliction that they are presently
encountering, might advance into the affliction administered by the beast.
In that case, the "repay with affliction" will be directed on
the beast and his kingdom through the trumpet and bowl judgments as the
book of the Revelation teaches. The possibility of this being the case
is indicated by the fact that Paul speaks of deliverance from this affliction
by the revelation of Jesus from heaven.
The possibility of this happening is not going to be a
matter of guesswork by any particular generation of the church, for both
Jesus and Paul taught that there would be indicators to portend the coming
of the Lord. Jesus taught that when the SIGNS of the tribulation period
occur, which would be evidenced by the abomination of desolation standing
in the Holy Place (Jewish sanctuary or temple), that His second coming
would be near - even though the exact day or hour would be unknown (Matthew
24:32-44).
And here at 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul teaches that
the COMING of the Lord would not occur until after the man of lawlessness
is revealed and the subsequent apostasy of many believers occurs in connection
with this man's persecution.
2Ths. 1:7 and relief to you who are afflicted and to us
as well at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty
angels in flaming fire,
1. AND: This introduces the 2nd object and direct object
governed by the verb, repay.
2. relief: This indicates that the Thessalonian believers
are going to receive something that is directly opposite to what they were
presently encountering.
There is a surprising number of commentators who see in
this passage, the idea of a future "just satisfaction" to be
experienced by believers when at the last judgment, the unbelievers, and
specifically, those who persecuted them while on the earth, will be judged
and assigned to the lake of fire. However, the context strongly suggests
that the relief is to be experienced immediately, while still in the midst
of the affliction, and is not something that would be experienced at some
distant time in the future. In other words, this relief is immediate and
personal and does not refer to any idea of "just satisfaction"
at the future last judgment. The Greek noun is anesis and only occurs 4
other times in the New Testament.
(1) Acts 24:23
And he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept
in custody and {yet} have {some} freedom (relief), and not to prevent any
of his friends from ministering to him.
This refers to immediate RELIEF from the pressure of confinement
by allowing him to have visits from friends. There is no idea of "just
satisfaction" in view here.
(2) 2 Corinthians 2:13
I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother;
but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia.
This certainly refers to turmoil and worry in the soul.
The REST would be immediate relief from such worry.
(3) 2 Corinthians 7:5
For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no
rest,
but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.
Again, the word is used to indicate the absence of affliction.
Ie, they had no relief from the pressures of persecution.
At 2 Thessalonians 1:7, those for whom the Lord comes
at the Day of the Lord, will be given relief from the affliction that they
are experiencing at that time. There is no idea of "just satisfaction"
in view here.
(4) 2 Corinthians 8:12-14
For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according
to what {a man} has, not according to what he does not have. For {this}
is not for the ease (RELIEF) of others {and} for your affliction, but by
way of equality - at this present time your abundance {being a} {supply}
for their want, that their abundance also may become {a supply} for your
want, that there may be equality;
Here, the idea is that ease or relief from material need
is provided by the generous giving of more prosperous believers.
But this is not advocated by Paul in order to cause an
affliction upon the prosperous believers while at the same time providing
RELIEF to the needy, but simply to set up a system by which some kind of
mutual aid and assistance can be practiced so that there will be a certain
degree of
equality between the believers involved. But what is clear
here, is that the word is used to indicate an immediate relief from the
affliction of material need, and there is certainly no idea of "just
satisfaction" that would be experienced at some later date.
There is no contextual basis, no hermeneutical basis and
no reasonable basis for seeing in the word, anesis (relief) any idea of
some future "just satisfaction" that would be experienced long
after the martyrs in view (the Thessalonians) had died and gone into the
presence of Jesus in heaven.
The claim for such an idea rises out of the corner that
the pretrib view backs theologians into and their inability to reconcile
this passage with that view.
3. To you who are being afflicted: This is a present active
participle of the verb, thlibo, and is used to indicate the present and
immediate affliction that they are enduring. It is not an aorist tense
which would suggest the translation, "to you who WERE afflicted"
and could possibly justify then, the idea of a future "just satisfaction"
for what had happened to them while they lived on the earth. But no, this
is clearly affliction that they are PRESENTLY experiencing and from which
they will be given relief while they are in the midst of it. This of course,
confirms what was already established by the present active participle
of the verb at the end of verse 6.
4. And to us as well: Paul includes himself here, and
by way of application, all believers who are alive at that time. This indicates
that the deliverance that Paul has in mind when Jesus returns, is something
that will be universal for all believers who are alive on the earth. This
of course is what the other rapture passages teach, and there is perfect
consistency between all of them.
5. The time when this deliverance or RELIEF will be given
to the afflicted believers is at the revelation of the Lord Jesus.
A. At the revelation of the Lord Jesus: The word is
apokalupsis,
and is used by the apostles four other times for the 2nd coming of Jesus
to gather the church to Himself, and the verb (apokalupto) is used one
time by Jesus as is recorded at Luke 17:30.
1Corinthians 1:7, so that you are not lacking in any gift,
awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Peter 1:7, that the proof of your faith, {being} more
precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may
be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus
Christ;
1Peter 1:13, Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep
sober {in spirit,} fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought
to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1Peter 4:13, but to the degree that you share the sufferings
of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory,
you may rejoice with exultation.
B. These passages taken together and compared with 2 Thessalonians
1:7, make it irrefutable that they all refer to the very same arrival of
Jesus at which time He will be revealed IN GLORY to the world of unbelievers,
and will gather to Himself all the living believers at that time. And surely
there is no basis for making this REVELATION of Jesus any different than
the one He talks about at Luke 17:30, where the verb,
apokalupto is used.
"It will be just the same on the day that the Son
of Man is revealed."
C. Furthermore, Luke 17:34-35 makes a direct correlation
between this revelation in glory and the supernatural removal of believers
from the earth, who will then be gathered (paralambano, taken) to the side
of Jesus, just as He promised would happen at John 14:1-3.
"I tell you, on that night there will be two men
in one bed;
one will be taken, and the other will be left.
There will be two women grinding at the same place;
one will be taken, and the other will be left."
D. The translation in the NASB, KJV, NRSV, and the
NIV,
"when the Lord Jesus is revealed," is inaccurate and does not
represent the literal Greek, which makes a significant difference. Regardless
of the reasoning and rationale of these so called experts who insist on
translating this as a temporal clause (when . . . revealed), it does not
change the fact that the literal translation is clear and precise, and
points significantly back to the four other places where the noun occurs,
as noted above. William Hendriksen at least acknowledges the correct literal
translation before he goes on to rationalize agreement with the usual rendering
(New Testament Commentary, page 158). A. T. Robertson translates it correctly
and describes it as the "unveiling of the Messiah," and identifies
it with the same revelation as is mentioned at 1 Corinthians 1:7 and 1
Peter 1:7. (Word Pictures, Vol. IV, page 43).
What is quite interesting to me is how John Walvoord seems
to arbitrarily assign the use of this noun (revelation), now to the rapture
and now to a subsequent second coming, with which Dwight Pentecost agrees
as he quotes on page 159 in Things to Come:
A survey of those passages in which the word is used in
relation to Christ demonstrates that in a number of instances it is used
of the second coming of Christ (1 Peter 4:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Luke
17:30). . .
In other passages, however, it is clearly used in reference
to the coming of Christ in the air for His church
(1 Cor. 1:7; Col. 3:4; 1 Peter 1:7, 13).
An objective analysis of this noun produces only one second
coming at which time, not only will Jesus deliver His elect (give relief
to you who are being afflicted), but also begin a judgment on those who
are left on the earth. This is confirmed by this passage if by none other,
for the promise proclaimed here is clearly given to church age believers
concerning an immediate relief from ongoing affliction at the revelation
of Jesus from heaven.
6. From heaven: Of course Jesus comes down from heaven,
where he is presently located, sitting at the right hand of the Father.
This is perfectly consistent with all of the other second coming passages
and does not require any amplification. Phlip. 3:20-21; 1 Thes. 1:10; 4:16;
7. with His mighty angels: This, of course, is what poses
such a problem for the pre-trib rapture position, for they cannot harmonize
this coming with angels in power and glory with the arrival of Jesus to
rapture His church. They are thus, required to take this very vivid church
promise away from the church and make the relief that is in view, totally
meaningless to those who are going through the afflictions, and the revelation
that is mentioned, to apply to Christ's descent to the earth at Armageddon.
However, since it is contextually obvious that this promise
is for church age believers, then it is just as obvious that when Jesus
comes back to rescue the living believers from the earth, He will come
with His mighty angels. And this is exactly what several other passages
teach.
In fact, the rapture passage at 1 Thessalonians 4:16,
clearly indicates the presence of at least one angel, with the phrase,
"the voice of the archangel," who is Michael. Earlier at 1 Thessalonians
3:13, we see the return of the Lord as "coming . . . with all His
holy ones." The word hagios means one who is set apart as unique and
special in God's plan, and who reflects God's glory. Thus, it is used of
God himself (God is holy, 1 Pet. 1:16), and of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter
1:21); of Jesus (Acts 4:30); of believers in the Messiah, both Old Testament
(Matthew 27:52) and New Testament (Romans 1:7); of Jerusalem (Matthew 4:5);
the Jewish temple (Acts 6:13); and of angels (Mark 8:38).
Now since this promise is clearly given to LIVING believers
who will be delivered (given rest) from a present experience of affliction,
and since this will occur at the Revelation of Jesus WITH His mighty angels,
then there is perfect harmony with the other 2nd coming passages such as:
Matthew 16:27
"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory
of His Father with His angels; and WILL THEN RECOMPENSE EVERY MAN ACCORDING
TO HIS DEEDS."
Matthew 24:31
"And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET
and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end
of the sky to the other."
Matthew 25:31
But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne."
Mark 8:38
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will
also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the
holy angels."
Jude 14-15
"And about these also Enoch, {in} the seventh {generation}
from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands
of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the
ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way,
and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
And then 1 Thessalonians 3:13
"so that He may establish your hearts
blameless
in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with
all His holy ones."
Here, of course, the pretrib view needs to make these
HOLY ONES, to be the believers whom Jesus brings with Him when he comes
back, as per 1 Thessalonians 4:14. However, it seems to me in that case,
the designation ALL his holy ones would need to include every believer
of all ages, which would include the Old Testament holy ones. I understand
that the use of "all" does not always mean all, however, there
is no basis for restricting this "all" only to those believers
who have died since the resurrection of Jesus. According to 1 Thessalonians
4:14, Jesus brings with him "those who have died (fallen asleep) THROUGH
Jesus (dia + genitive case), not IN Jesus. This certainly does not rule
out Old Testament believers. But then again, when we get to 1 Thessalonians
4:16, we find that "the dead IN Christ will rise first," and
this seems to restrict the ones in view to only those who are in union
with Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 Corinthians 12:13. But I have
a problem with that restriction since 1 Corinthians 15:23 does not provide
for a separate resurrection of Old Testament holy ones, but seems to include
all believers of all previous ages as "those who are Christ's at His
coming." The reason is because, after this, the next point of focus
is the end of the thousand year earthly kingdom. Furthermore, it seems
that the Old Testament believers are included in Christ's new body by being
joined with Him in heaven at His resurrection. For more details, see the
article, THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN. There is no dispensational compromise as
that article develops, and there is nothing that prevents these Old Testament
believers from being placed into union with Christ because dispensational
distinctions are only for function here on earth, and not in the afterlife.
However, as we have seen, the idea that Jesus comes back
with His holy and mighty angels is totally consistent with what the Bible
teaches elsewhere for the Day of the Lord arrival of the Messiah.
Further evidence that these "holy ones" are
angels rather than people is seen at verse 10, "when He comes to be
glorified in His holy ones on that day, and to be marveled at among all
who have believed - for our testimony to you was believed," (NASB).
Here there seems to be a distinction between "holy
ones" (angels) and "all who have believed" (the elect).
If holy ones refers to believers, then there is a very awkward redundancy
by referring to the believers directly, in the next phrase.
Yes, it is true according to Colossians 3:4 that, "when
Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with
Him in glory," but that does not change the fact that the passage
before us has a group of holy ones (angels) in view that is different from
those who have believed in Jesus.
When Jesus comes back, arriving in the clouds of the sky,
He first uses the angels who attend Him to gather together His elect ones
from all over the world (Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27). These join with Jesus
in the clouds of the sky (1 Thess. 4:17), sharing the MANIFESTATION of
His glory (Colossians 3:4) and then, eventually end up in heaven for the
evaluation of their works. The exact timing for the arrival of these believers
into heaven after the initial gathering of the elect needs to be discussed.
A. Does the language at John 14:1-3 require that these
believers go immediately into the Father's house, and that they then, be
physically WITH Jesus every single minute of eternity? I suggest that it
indicates instead, the ultimate destiny of the believers after the evaluation
of their works, and a STATUS of being associated with Jesus for all eternity
in the peace and happiness of divine service.
B. However, there is reason to think that the believers
DO go immediately into heaven.
1. There is no revealed need for the believers to remain
with Jesus as He administrates judgment on the world.
2. There is need to undergo "cleansing" through
the evaluation and reward of each believer's works, and this occurs in
heaven BEFORE the physical descent into Palestine.
3. According to a comparison of all the passages involved,
it is suggested that immediately after the arrival of Jesus at the Day
of the Lord, which occurs at the 6th seal of Revelation 6, the living believers
who were gathered out from the earth are seen in heaven (Revelation 7:9ff).
C. There is no need for Jesus to escort these believers
back to heaven.
It is true that the ultimate destiny for them is to dwell in the many "dwelling
places" within the Father's house (John 14:1-3), and within that context,
to "forever be with the Lord." But, do they need to go there
immediately, and if so, does the presence of Jesus in the clouds above
the earth after the gathering violate "be with you forever?"
Does this "destiny" of sharing time and space with Jesus require
that all believers remain AT HIS SIDE every minute of eternity? I suggest
not.
2Ths. 1:8 dealing out retribution to those who do not
know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
This clause indicates that when Jesus returns and delivers
His people out from the tribulation (the affliction), He will begin to
administer judgment upon the unbelievers who are left on the earth.
This "judgment" or retribution is the Greek
word, ekdik@sis. It occurs 9 times and means an administration of justice,
coming from the word group, dikaios, which means just or righteous. But
it is only used here in reference to the second coming of Jesus. This administration
of justice is described as an expression of God's anger (org@) and wrath (thumos) in a variety of passages, and refers to the DAY-OF-THE-LORD judgments
via the trumpets and bowls.
This passage then establishes the fact that the second
coming of Jesus is both visible and spectacular, and is attended by events
which are elsewhere identified with the term, "Day of the LORD,"
which occurs in both testaments. The key to making this identification
is based primarily on two passages, and then secondarily on comparison
with all the "day of the Lord" passages.
First then, we observe at 2 Peter 3:10-12, that the believers
in Jesus are to be looking for the coming of the Day of the Lord, which
is also identified as the day of God. That day will come like a thief in
the night for those who are unprepared for it. The issue with this image,
"thief in the night," is unexpectedness, un-preparedness, and
timing. It was first used by Jesus in reference to His second coming (Matthew
24:43-44), and the apostles have adopted it to refer to the very same event.
The unbeliever is unprepared for the arrival of Jesus
by virtue of his condition of having rejected Jesus as Savior. Accordingly,
when Jesus arrives and removes believers out from this world, the unbelievers
will remain behind to either trust in Jesus at that time, or undergo the
experience of divine wrath through the administration of divine justice.
The believer however, can also be unprepared by being
out of fellowship with God, and not walking in the light of His word. Warning
about this is given by Paul at 1 Thesalonnians 5:1-11. In this passage,
the same IMAGE is expressed of a thief in the night. He then encourages
the believers, "But you brethren are not in darkness, that the day
should overtake you like a thief," and this is based on their salvation
relationship with God of being "sons of light and sons of day."
But the believers still needed to be warned about not walking in the darkness
because if they are out of fellowship with God when Jesus comes back, they
will be shamed and embarrassed, just as John teaches at 1 John 2:28, "And
now little children, be abiding in Him so that whenever He appears, we
may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."
So Paul writes,
"Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let
us be alert and under control."
The danger is that the believer might be caught off guard,
even with the many signs that will be pointing to Christ's "at any
moment" return.
He could get so involved with the normal routines of life,
for both survival and pleasure, that the "day come on you suddenly
like a trap," and he be embarrassed and shamed in Christ's presence.
Jesus taught about this at Luke 21:34-36.
"Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted
down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that
day come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who
dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times,
praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things
that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Although this sounds like rejection by Jesus, in that
the person does not "stand before the Son of Man," it is best
to take it in conjunction with 1 John 2:28 as we saw above. Thus, there
is the possibility that the believer could be so embarrassed and convicted,
that he does not stand before Him in confidence, but in shame.
Strength to escape, refers to endurance during the specific
time of tribulation which will begin at the mid-point of the 70th week.
There will be intense pressure facing every Christian during this time,
when the beast will be attempting to enforce his economic policies all
over the world. Revelation 13:7, 17 describes the extent and nature of
the beast's oppression of Christians.
A valid question needs to be asked at this point. If the
church is undergoing the oppressive persecution from the beast during the
tribulation, how is it possible for any of them to be in an economic environment
that could bring about the scenario described as hearts being "weighted
down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life?" This
is possible because the campaign of the beast, the man of lawlessness,
will begin in Jerusalem, and although having both the divine permission
to control all the world (Revelation 13:7), and the personal intent (Revelation
13:16-17), he will not actually reach that far. Accordingly, there will
be believers scattered throughout various places in the world, who will
be untouched by the oppression of the beast, and will be tempted through
over participation in these normal human life activities.
2Ths. 1:9 And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction,
away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
This describes the 2nd aspect of divine judgment that
will be administered upon the unbelievers. This judgment is the result
of the last judgment which is described at Revelation 20:11-15, and which
will occur at the end of the millennial reign of the Messiah.
1. Paying the penalty refers to experiencing the right
and proper expression of divine justice. The word for penalty, is dik@,
and refers to the perpetuation of spiritual death (Romans 6:23a; Ephesians
2:1) beyond physical death and into the lake of fire for all eternity.
2. It is described as eternal destruction. The word, eternal,
is aionios, and indicates a perpetual or "everlasting" experience.
However, the word, "destruction," is misleading and has led to
the false doctrine of the annihilation of souls. The word is olethros,
and means destruction only in the sense of RUIN; that is, a total ruination
of one's existence.
This is what existence in the lake of fire amounts to.
Proof that there is no annihilation of the souls is found at Revelation
14:10-11.
1. And the smoke: the visible sign of the fire. Although
it does not consume, it produces smoke as indication of the effects it
is producing.
2. Of their torment: basanismos indicates an actual experience.
3. goes up: present active indicative of anabainō.
4. Forever: unto ages of ages (eis + accusative plural
of aiōn + genitive plural of aiōn). Cf. Hebrews 1:8 for the extent
of time involved (unto the age of the age, singular).
5. And they do not have: echō, present active indicative
+ negative
6. Rest: anapausis = cessation (of torment in this case).
7. Day or night: idiom for perpetual. This indicates the
duration of the pain. This idiom is more personal than "unto the ages
of ages."
2Ths. 1:10 when He comes to be glorified in His holy ones
on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed -for our
testimony to you was believed.
The WHEN of this verse refers to the inception of these
events, and not the casting into the lake of fire. The occasion for the
inception of these expressions of justice will be the visible and physical
return of Jesus as already clarified in verse 7. When He comes back at
the Day of the Lord -
1. He will bring RELIEF to the living believers by removing
them out of the world via the rapture.
2. He will begin to pour out His judgments via the trumpets
and bowls upon the unbelievers who remain behind.
3. The ultimate destiny of these unbelievers who are judged
will be the lake of fire, which will not be meted out to them until after
the millennial reign of Jesus.
When He comes there will be two classes of creatures involved.
He will come with His angels (holy ones) and be glorified "in"
and "by" them. At the same time, the believers who see Him coming
will marvel at His presence. It seems most reasonable that the "holy
ones" are different from "those who believe."
2Ths. 1:11-12, To this end also we pray for you always
that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire
for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of
our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the
grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a prayer that the Thessalonian believers would
be consistent in their growth and service so that they might fulfill the
reason for being left here on earth, which is to glorify the name of our
Lord Jesus.
At Ephesians 4:1, Paul expresses it with emphasis on the
believer's personal responsibility. Here, he focuses on God's attitude
when the believer is faithful. Ie, God "may count you worthy."
In the very next verse (2:1), Paul exhorts the Thessalonians
concerning this promised REVELATION of Jesus, that they not be shaken by
false teaching that it has already occurred. He then explains to them that
it will not occur until some time after the tribulation that they are encountering
turns into the great tribulation through the revealing of the man of lawlessness.
He also clarifies that there will be a time of apostasy in association
with this revealing, just as Jesus taught (Matthew 24:9-12), and that the
REVELATION of Jesus will not occur until that apostasy takes place.
2Ths. 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to
the COMING (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together
to Him,
Notice how Paul smoothly moves into the identification
of the REVELATION of Jesus mentioned at 1:7, 10, as "the COMING or
PRESENCE (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ; and how he identifies the
RELIEF mentioned at 1:7 with "our GATHERING together to Him."
And then at verse 2:2, he clearly connects it all together with the term,
"the day of the Lord."
2Ths. 2:2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your
composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as
if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
The day of the Lord is the time when Jesus COMES back,
is PRESENT in the clouds of the sky so that He is REVEALED in glory, brings
relief to His believers by gathering them together to Him through rapture
and resurrection, and begins to afflict the remaining unbelievers and the
oppressive man of lawlessness with judgment. At verse 2:8, this is called
"the appearance (epiphaneia) of His presence (parousia)."
The word epiphaneia is used five other times and always
in reference to the coming of Jesus to His church. 1
Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13.
The word parousia occurs 12 times in the epistles and
always in reference to the PRESENCE of Jesus at His second coming to the
church. (1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19;
3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8; James 5:7-8; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4;
1 John 2:28; at 2 Peter 3:12, the coming of the Day of God, but it refers
to His coming.)
This word is used four times by Jesus at Matthew 24 (verses
3, 27, 37, 39) to refer to this very same presence or COMING of the Son
of Man, at which time He will gather His elect out from the earth (verse
31).
Paul had to address this same false teaching later (c.
68 AD) when he wrote to Timothy about those "who have gone astray
from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place,"
(2 Timothy 2:18).
But the day of the Lord, at which time the resurrection
will occur through the translation of the saints, will not take place until
after THE apostasy comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed. There
will be many attempts at deception as with Hymenaeus and Philetus above,
but the informed believer will not heed such strange doctrines, knowing
that certain things must take place first just as they had been taught
as per verse 5, "Do you not remember that while I was still with you,
I was telling you these things?"
Jesus Himself taught that the coming of the Son of Man
would not occur until after the tribulation, which would begin with the
abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place (Matthew 24:15-31);
the same thing taught here by Paul about the "man of lawlessness"
who "takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being
God."
2Ths. 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for {it will
not come} unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is
revealed, the son of destruction,
The exhortation not to be deceived is an aorist active
subjunctive plus the negative, of exapatao. The 3rd person singular is
the basis for "let no one deceive," and indicates that the threat
of deception comes primarily from those who are teaching things contrary
to what has been previously taught to them by the apostles. Jesus said
specifically, that there would be deceivers both BEFORE (Matthew 24:4)
and DURING the tribulation (Matthew 24:11, "many false prophets will
arise and will mislead many"). Because of this, "many will fall
away, (Matthew 24:10), and "the love (for God) of many will grow cold,"
(Matthew 24:12) and Paul wrote that, "in the latter times, some will
fall away from THE faith," (1 Timothy 4:1). Accordingly, the warning
to be on your guard is urgent in order to avoid a very real and potential
danger.
The words, "it will not come," in the NASB is
UNDERSTOOD by the context although all we have is a negative conditional
clause to indicate what must occur BEFORE the day of the Lord can arrive.
The condition, "unless the apostasy comes first,"
indicates not that the apostasy is the FIRST thing that occurs, but that
first, that is, BEFORE, the day arrives, the apostasy must occur. Actually,
the man of lawlessness will be revealed at the inception of the tribulation
BEFORE the apostasy that Jesus taught about will occur, because He said
that it will occur within the time frame of the tribulation (Matthew 24:9ff).
The revealing of the man of lawlessness is then the subject
of the next nine verses, and culminates with the statement that he will
be destroyed by the appearance of the Lord's coming. This does not mean
that AT THE VERY INSTANT of the Lord's coming, but rather BY MEANS OF.
That is, it is through and because of the Lord's return at the Day of the
Lord, that the man of lawlessness will be destroyed several months later
when Jesus descends physically to the earth at Armageddon.
Paul's writing about the second coming of Jesus is perfectly
consistent with what Jesus taught when He said that "immediately after
the tribulation of those days . . . they will see the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory," (Matthew 24:29-30).
And this of course, is consistent with what Paul just
wrote a few verse earlier that God would "repay with affliction those
who afflict you . . . when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels in flaming fire," (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7).
It should be clear that Paul understood that the church
would be present on the earth during the time of tribulation and be delivered
out from the earth through the glorious return of Jesus in the clouds of
the sky.
