02 - A Day Of Revenge Is Coming 2011

Last time we closed with Paul addressing the certainty of God “repaying with tribulation those who trouble you” (vs.6). We also saw that Scripture discusses five major judgments of God—some already accomplished and others yet to come.

Now Paul speaks some advice for his converts:

1:7 “…and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,”

The word “rest” is from a Greek word meaning “loosening” or “relaxing,” as for instance a watch spring wound tightly. It is not just referring to labor. But it has to do with relaxation from endurance and from expectation. In other words, we would say “chill,” “take it easy,” “don’t worry.”

The enemy may be having his little moment now, but another day is coming, and is already on the way: “The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels!”

Keep your eyes on the Lord, Paul advises, and realize that though weeping may endure for a night, joy comes in the morning when Christ returns! And what an awesome day that will be.

1:8 “…In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The word for “vengeance” means literally “that which issues out of justice.” It has to do with the execution of justice. It is not mere revenge or vindictiveness. It is not personal rage or striking back in passion. This is righteous retribution. Those who will face this terrible vengeance are those who are willfully ignorant of God (Rom. 11:30) and who have willfully rejected the gospel of Christ. This and this alone is the unpardonable sin.

As to God “taking vengeance in flaming fire,” the Bible reminds us elsewhere that “our God is a consuming fire” (Heb.12:29). Throughout Scripture, God is revealed judging with fire. When Nadab and Abihu offered “strange fire” at the altar, Scripture records that “there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died there before the Lord” (Lev.10:2).

When Elijah demonstrated God’s power before backslidden Israel, “The fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38).

And of course, when God judged the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Scripture records that, “…the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens…and…(Lot) saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace” (Gen.19:24,28).

And so it goes. God judges with fire, and thus shall it be when Christ returns. At His coming again, Christ Jesus shall be covered in the Shechinah cloud of fire (Exod.14:24) and accompanied by the armies of heaven.

Though just one of the angels could smite the earth at that time, Christ Jesus shall do it Himself. The angels are there as witnesses and to demonstrate man’s utter inability to stand against God and His Christ.

This will be the time of His vengeance. He will execute His own judgment upon a world that spat in His face, whipped His back, crowned Him with thorns, nailed Him to a cross, and has blasphemed Him ever since.

Jude also spoke of this awesome judgment when he wrote, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” (Jude 1: 14-15).

Next, Paul makes it very clear that Hell is real and people are going there. He describes both the reality of the coming judgment and also its eternal nature.

1:9 “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

The dreadful consequences are eternal. The day of Christ’s glory will come at last. The wicked will catch but one glimpse of it and then be banished from it. It will haunt them forever.

I have to say here that the prospect of hell is too terrible for my mind to begin to grasp. The word “eternal” is aionios. It is used often in the N.T. In sixty-seven occurrences of the word, it is used to signify something endless.

For instance, it is used of God, who is eternal in His nature (Ro.16:26). It is used to describe our redemption in Christ (Heb.9:12) and to describe the resurrection body of the believer (1 Cor. 15:53). The use of the word here shows that the punishment in view is not temporary but forever.

Paul also used the word “destruction.” It means literally “ruin.” The wicked, then, at the return of Christ, will be handed over to eternal ruin. Commentator J.B. Phillips asks:

“Who can imagine the horrors that will accompany the dissolution of their personality, the gnawing of conscience, the torments of memory, the anguish of guilt, and the terrible knowledge that their doom is deserved, hopeless, and unending?”

The Bible is a sobering book. It speaks of sobering things. Consider this: The Lord’s living foes will be assembled before Him when He comes. Many of them will be at Megiddo. More will be arraigned in the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

As, at the Rapture, living saints are gloriously changed and caught up to be with Christ, so now living sinners will be grievously changed and hurled headlong from His presence.

As the dead in Christ will rise to be bathed in the glory of the Rapture, so the wicked dead, when their time comes, will be raised only to be convicted, sentenced, and hurled into eternal ruin in what the Bible calls “the lake of fire”—a horror which defies description.

A SIDE NOTE: You’re likely thinking, “This is too hard. I can’t imagine such an awesome judgment.” I understand. But a cardinal rule of Bible interpretation is, “If the plain text makes perfect sense, seek no other sense.”

The text in verse 8-9 couldn’t be more plain. “…In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”

But now there is a happy flip side to the Bible’s message:

1:10 “…when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

Paul says, “Christ’s return will be horrifying to the lost, but glorious for the found!” It will be a day of “splendor unimaginable.” In contrast to their sufferings, God’s people will one day be paraded before the universe to hear the cheers and hosannas of the angels!

As Paul told the Corinthians, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17).

The angelic hosts of God have long wondered about the mystery of God’s interest in, love for, and dealings with the human race generally and the church particularly. Peter told us of their curiosity when he wrote,

“The Holy Spirit Who was sent from heaven gave them (the O.T. saints) power and they told of things that even the angels would like to know about” (1Pet.1:12).

One day they will understand the work of redemption. The church will be God’s object lesson to the universe of His grace, kindness, and wisdom (Eph.1:7).

Next, we find Paul doing what he always did—praying. He seems to have been overwhelmed at the magnificence of what he has just told the Thessalonians as to future events. “Wherefore,” he says, “we always pray for you.”

Paul prayed not just when he was in a tight corner, but when he was in a bright corner. He prayer for two things. He prayer about the nature of their calling:

“That our God would cont you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power” (1:11).

What an incredible calling we have indeed! To be the vehicle through which the universe of created beings will give glory to God and admiration to Jesus Christ!

Then secondly, he prayed about the name of the Christ. “That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:12).

Paul has already assured them and us that Jesus is going to be glorified in His saints. We shall come with Him, straight from the Rapture, with the judgment seat behind us and the apocalypse before us. Every spot, wrinkle, and every such thing shall be gone.

We will be like His bride, fit indeed to sit with Him in heavenly places, able to bask in the fierce light that beats upon His throne. And one way to hasten that glorious day is for His name to be glorified in us here and now! Twice, Paul gives His full name—Lord Jesus Christ.

LORD is His sovereign name. It carries the idea of ownership. Jesus said, “You call me Master and Lord: and you say well; for so I am” (John 13:13).

JESUS is His saving name. It is derived from Jehoshua (Joshua) and means “Jehovah the Savior.” The angel instructed Joseph, “You shall call His name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matt.1:21).

Lord is his sovereign name. Jesus is His saving name, and:

CHRIST is the sufficient name. Christ is simply the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Mashiah (Messiah). Christos has the same meaning, deriving from chrio (kree-o), meaning “to anoint.”

The name CHRIST embraces all of our needs. In the O.T., three people were anointed for their office—the prophet, the priest, and the king. AS the Christ, He is the Lord’s Anointed One. As such, the Holy Spirit came upon Him and anointed Him at His baptism (Matt.3:16).

The three offices of the O.T. era that were associated with anointing were climaxed in Him. He was a revealing prophet—“Never man spoke like this man” (John 7:46). He was a righteous priest, a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb.7:1-8). And He is a returning prince (John 14:1-3).

Lord Jesus Christ! Lord—that emphasizes His power; Jesus—that emphasizes His person; and Christ—that emphasizes His position. No wonder that Paul saw in this name the guarantee that all of God’s purposes concerning Him and us will be fulfilled!

NEXT TIME: The Apostasy and the Apocalypse