(Chapter 1)
Vss. 1-2—As in the first epistle, Paul includes Silvanus and Timotheus in his opening salutation to “the church [assembly] of the Thessalonians.” And, as in the first epistle, “grace” and “peace” are sent from “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Thus, the Fatherhood of God and the Lordship of Christ are again stressed. This is because Paul understood that knowing God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Lord is essential for Christian growth and maturity. The Lordship of Christ is particularly emphasized in this second epistle. The title “Lord,” is used over 20 times in three short chapters.
Vs. 3—Paul saw spiritual progress among the Thessalonian saints and thanked God for it. Their “faith” was growing exceedingly, and their “love” for one another was flourishing. However, as was the case in his comments in the first epistle (chap. 3:6), he does not mention hope. Hope is the third item in the trio of virtues that go together in normal Christian living. Conspicuous by its absence here, it is evident that “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) had been tampered with in their minds, and that is likely why Paul did not commend them for holding it as they once had (1 Thess. 1:3). We learn from chapter 2, that bad teaching concerning “the day of the Lord” had infiltrated their ranks and had upset their hope. One of the main reasons for the writing of this second epistle was to straighten out this misunderstanding.
Vs. 4—Paul praises the Thessalonian believers for continuing in the path of faith despite “the persecutions and tribulations” they were facing. It proved the reality of their faith—and Paul rejoiced to see it. These things had upset them because they had been told (erroneously) that their trials were signs that the Church was passing through the judgments associated with the Day of the Lord. These persecutions, however, were not the trials of the Great Tribulation, but were sufferings connected with normal Christianity. Christians are passing through a world that hates Christ, and those who bear His name quite naturally will suffer persecution on account of it (John 15:18-20; 16:33).
Vss. 5-6—Paul assures them that their suffering at the hands of evil men who had rejected the gospel was a “manifest token of the righteous judgment of God” that is coming on this world. Their sufferings were a proof that all such unbelievers would be judged. It is a righteous thing to do; a God who does not judge evil is not a righteous God. Thus, God is justified in His execution of judgment. In that day, He will balance the scales of justice. For the Thessalonian saints who were suffering persecution from the unbelieving men of the world, it meant that “the tables would be turned;” judgment will be meted out on those who have rejected the grace of God and inflicted suffering upon the saints.
Paul tells them that their suffering for Christ also showed that they had been “counted worthy of the kingdom of God,” for it is a privilege given to the saints to suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29). Hence, he adds, “for which ye also suffer.” It is like he said, “Your steadfast endurance in persecution shows that you are truly part of that company that will share in the glory of Christ’s kingdom.” It is, therefore, “a righteous thing” for God to “recompense tribulation,” in the way of judgment, upon the rejecters of the gospel.
Two Sides to the Appearing of Christ
Vss. 7-10—These verses indicate that there are two sides to the Appearing of Christ. There will be:
• The execution of His judgment on the ungodly (vss. 7-9).
• The display of His glory in the saints before the world (vs. 10).
The first side of His Appearing ushers in “the day of the Lord” (1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10), which has to do with His Lordship authority being established on earth through judgment (Rev. 10:1-2).
The second side of His Appearing ushers in “the day of Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8; 3:13; 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:6, 10; 2:16) when He will be seen displayed in His kingdom glory.
The Execution of Judgment
Vs. 7—Paul says, “And to you who are troubled, rest [repose] with us.” They were to wait until “the revelation of the Lord Jesus” (the Appearing) when He will intervene to set this world right. At that time, “He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:31). In the meantime, Christians have not been called to set right the wrongs and injustices of the world by involving themselves in its affairs. We are merely passing through the world “as strangers and pilgrims” on our way to heaven (1 Peter 2:11), and thus, we are to “let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth” (Isa. 45:9). Our responsibility in this world is to witness for Christ through preaching the gospel with a view that some, by the grace of God, might be saved. The world will be set right when God’s “judgments are in the earth,” which will begin at the Appearing of Christ (Isa. 26:9); it will not be set right through the influence of godly Christians and their preaching the gospel.
Paul then elaborates on the judgment that will be executed at the Appearing of Christ. The Lord will come out of heaven “with His mighty angels” and with “flaming fire” to take vengeance on the sinners of this world. He will bring His angels with Him for two distinct works: one is to execute judgment on sinners in the kingdom of the heavens by casting them straight into Hell (the lake of fire) without seeing death (Matt. 13:38-42; 24:37-41), and the other is for the blessing of the ten tribes of Israel by gathering them back to their homeland (Matt. 24:31).
Paul speaks of two general classes of unbelievers who will be judged:
• “Those that know not God”—These are Gentiles who have lived in ignorance of God the Saviour having never heard the gospel of His grace (1 Thess. 4:5), but who have rejected the light He has given them of Himself through creation (Psa. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20).
• “Those who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”—These are enlightened persons who have heard the gospel and know the way of salvation, but have rejected it (1 Peter 4:17; 2 Peter 2:20-21).
These sinners will be “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” through the judgments that begin at the Appearing of Christ. Paul does not go into the details here, as to how and when these two classes of sinners with be dealt with, which a careful study of prophecy will reveal. Suffice it to say that the Appearing of Christ initiates “the judgment of the quick [living]” (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). This is an “umbrella” term that covers three distinct judgments of living persons:
• The Harvest Judgment (Matt. 13:37-43; Rev. 14:14-16; Isa. 24:1-23).
• The Winepress (Vintage) Judgment (Rev. 14:17-20; Isa. 63:1-6; Joel 3:9-17).
• The Sessional Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46).
Some think that “everlasting destruction” (2 Thess. 1:9; Phil. 3:19; Matt. 7:13; 2 Peter 2:1, 12; 3:16, etc.) means that unbelievers are consumed by the fire of God’s judgment and will cease to exist. This false doctrine is called Annihilationism. God’s Word indicates that everlasting destruction does not have to do with the loss of a person’s being, but with the loss of a person’s eternal well-being under the judgment of God.
Job 14:22 and Job 30:24, indicate that unbelievers still exist after they die. These verses say that they “cry” out and “mourn” even after they have been destroyed in death.
Revelation 19:20, tells us that the Beast and the false prophet were cast alive into the lake of fire. Then, in chapter 20, we are told that after the devil leads a brief rebellion against the Lord at the end of the Millennium, he will be taken and cast into the lake of fire; and then it says—“where the beast and the false prophet are” (Rev. 20:10). The Beast and the false prophet are still there suffering in the lake of fire after the thousand-year reign of Christ! They did not cease to exist.
Revelation 14:10-11, says that the worshippers of the Beast will be “tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night.” And again, Revelation 20:10, says that those in a lost eternity are “tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Torment is a condition that requires an existing person to endure. You cannot torment what does not exist.
In Mark 9:48, the Lord said, “Their worm dieth not.” This also indicates that the torments of a guilty conscience will not die in the lost under eternal punishment.
Furthermore, a number of Scriptures tell us that the fire of God’s judgment “never shall be quenched” (Matt. 3:12; Mark 9:43, 45; Luke 3:17). What need would there be for it to continue on forever if those who are cast into it are immediately annihilated by it? Some tell us that death itself is the judgment. But Scripture says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this (death) the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).
Even in ordinary language “destruction” doesn’t mean the cessation of existence. For instance, if we took an axe and chopped a beautiful wooden table into pieces, we could be accused of destroying the table. Yet there would be just as much material lying in a useless heap on the floor as when it existed as a beautiful table. Destroyed simply means that the table can no longer be used for the purpose for which it was made—but the material out of which it was constructed still exists. It is the same with the destruction of human beings. Man was made for the glory of God (Isa. 43:21; Rev. 4:11); if he goes into everlasting destruction, he can no longer be fitted through salvation for the purpose for which he was created.
The Display of Christ’s Glory With the Saints
Vs. 10—As mentioned, the second side of the Appearing of Christ has to do with the display of His glory with the saints. The Lord will not only bring His mighty angels with Him when He comes (vs. 7), but He will also bring “His saints” (Zech. 14:5; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14; Rev. 19:14). At that time He will be “glorified in His saints, and to be admired [wondered at] in all them that believe.” The saints in that coming day of manifestation will shine forth in His likeness, and men and angels will look with wonder on them and will praise the glory of God’s grace (Eph. 1:6, 12). This display, of course, will include the Thessalonian saints. Paul, therefore, adds in a parenthesis: “For our testimony to you has been believed” (vs. 10). Thus, God will use the saints to bring glory to Christ (John 17:22-23).
Sad to say, in these days of weakness and failure among Christians, it is often the reverse. The world looks at us and finds justification (so they think) for not believing the gospel. Like the Jews who caused the name of God to be blasphemed among the Gentiles by their bad behavior (Rom 2:24), the Church has caused many in this world to turn away from receiving Christ. But in the coming day of which Paul is speaking here, it will be quite the opposite; many will flock to the Lord when they see what His grace has wrought in the Church (Eph. 1:6, 12) and with Israel (Psa. 47:9; Isa. 60:1-22; Zech. 2:10-11; 8:22-23).
Paul’s Prayer for the Thessalonian Saints
Vss. 11-12—Paul then tells the Thessalonians the substance of his prayers for them. His main burden was that since they were going to be used to glorify Christ in a coming day, that they would be exercised about glorifying Him now while they were still here on earth. We can see from this prayer that he understood that all growth in God’s people that results in testimony for Christ is really produced by His grace working in their hearts. Therefore, he prayed that God might be pleased to “count” them “worthy of this calling” of suffering for Christ, and that He would “fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness” by a “work of faith with power” in them. And as a result, that they would behave rightly under persecution so that “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified.” This, he acknowledges, could only be effected by “the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” All praise, therefore, should go to Him who has called Christians to this testimony.