Ans. The coming judgment of God at Christ’s return to the earth. The Thessalonians thought the “day of the Lord” had come. The Apostle here shows them that the sufferings they endured were not tribulation from Him, but were a token of His coming righteous judgment, which would deliver them, and punish their enemies. If saints suffer now, it is a token that God’s righteous judgments are being earned by others.
Ans. He has borne their iniquities, only according to Leviticus 16, they do not know it till the priest (Christ) comes out (Lev. 16:17-1817And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 18And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. (Leviticus 16:17‑18)) from God’s presence where He has sprinkled the blood. This will be when Christ comes forth before the Millennium, to Israel, and then they will know for the first time the value of Christ’s work on Calvary. We know it by faith now, for Christ has sent the Spirit down into our hearts for this purpose (Heb. 10); but a veil is still on their hearts as a nation.