WHEN GOD GETS THE LAST WORD
2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-12
NASB
6[a]For after all it is only just [b]for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted [a]and to us as well [b]when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with [c]His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified [a]in His [b]saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will [a]count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:6 [a]Lit If indeed [b]Or in the sight of 1:7 [a]Lit along with us [b]Lit at the revelation of the Lord Jesus [c]Lit the angels of His power 1:10 [a]Or in the persons of [b]Or holy ones 1:11 [a]Or make
NLT
6 In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.
7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. 10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.
11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.[*]
[1:12] Or of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The god of today is the god of the quick fix. When we need to know something, we want instant access to information. When we’re hungry, we want fast food. When pain hits, we want immediate relief. When wrongs occur, we want swift justice. When disease strikes, we want a speedy recovery.
And when God does something we don’t understand, we want answers . . . and we want them now!
This is particularly true when bad things happen to seemingly good people . . . or when bad people seem to go unpunished . . . or worse —when it looks like the wicked are rewarded for their wickedness. Instantly, our human sense of justice kicks in with a line of questions for God which sounds more like an interrogation than an inquiry: Why don’t You do something? Where are You? Aren’t You good? Aren’t You powerful? Can’t You see what’s going on down here?
The problems of pain, suffering, death, and injustice in a world created by a good, all-powerful, all-knowing God are like deep potholes in the path of many people’s walk with God. When believers suffer affliction, they often doubt the Father’s power or love. They find themselves striving with God intellectually and emotionally, wondering if something about their theology is wrong. Is God really all-powerful? Is He really loving? Is He really just?
In his classic work The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis addressed these issues by refocusing the discussion on God’s sovereign purposes revealed in the face of suffering. God’s present purpose in this world, Lewis argued, was not to prevent suffering, but to sanctify His people. God is both good and powerful, and one day He will rid this world of sin, evil, death, and pain. But in the meantime He allows these things to continue and uses them to draw His children back to himself. Lewis wrote, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”[50]
In 2 Thessalonians, Paul addresses the problem of pain by reminding believers that God uses suffering to accomplish His purposes in their lives. In 1:4 he already noted that his readers had been going through strenuous times of persecution and affliction. Having affirmed their faith and perseverance, Paul then turns their attention to the glorious kingdom of God: “This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering” (1:5).
As Paul continues, he adds further perspective on the problem of affliction, proving that pain, suffering, and death will not have the last word.
— 1:6-7 —
While our present pain marks the path of our initiation into the kingdom ushered in by Jesus Christ —the Suffering Servant of God —believers are also promised an ultimate victory and vindication through God’s righteous judgment. In these verses Paul reminds us that while there are afflictions upon God’s people who are unjustly treated, God will one day mete out justice on those who have afflicted God’s people.
In 1:6-7, Paul reveals two aspects of God’s righteous judgment. First, when the Lord Jesus is revealed, He will repay those who afflict (1:6). One day, God will have the last word. On that day, no one will wonder whether God is soft on wickedness or neglectful of His duties as Judge. Why? Because He is just. His justice requires that wickedness be accounted for. Without such a judgment, He would be unjust. Therefore, all those enemies —personal and impersonal —that afflict God’s people will be dealt with: sin, death, sickness, disease, disasters, wicked people, evil spirits, and even Satan himself (Rev. 20:10, 14-15; 21:4).
Second, when the Lord Jesus is revealed, He will relieve those who are afflicted (2 Thes. 1:7). The same One who will repay the wicked as Judge will rescue the afflicted as Savior and King. We’ve already seen in 1 Thessalonians how Paul addresses this difference between the wicked and the righteous —the children of darkness and the children of light (1 Thes. 5:1-11). The wicked are destined for wrath and judgment in the day of the Lord (1 Thes. 5:3); but the righteous are not destined for wrath, “but for obtaining salvation” (1 Thes. 5:9).
When will these things occur? In 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Paul describes the coming period of wrath on the earth with a few vivid apocalyptic images with Old Testament backgrounds.[51] In this description —extending through 1:9 —Paul isn’t playing a film reel with a step-by-step portrayal of events, like the visions we read about in John’s Apocalypse. Instead, Paul pulls a few carefully chosen snapshots of the coming judgment, tosses them on the table, and says, in effect, “Here’s what’s coming: the Lord Jesus from heaven . . . mighty angels . . . flaming fire . . . retribution . . . eternal destruction —got it?”
When the period of retribution and rescue comes upon the earth, the Lord Jesus “will be revealed” (1:7). The Greek phrase literally says, “in the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven.”[52] The term “revelation” is the Greek word apokalypsis [602], from which we get our English word “apocalypse.” It’s also the title of the book of Revelation (also known as “the Revelation of John,” “the Revelation of Jesus Christ,” or “the Apocalypse of John”), which is a blow-by-blow unveiling of the end-times judgments that lead to Christ’s revelation as King of kings and Lord of lords. What Revelation describes in twenty-two flame-filled chapters, Paul sums up in just a few verses with some select images, much like a movie preview that gives just a glimpse of the feature film that’s coming soon.
— 1:8-10 —
In 1:5, Paul mentions the reward for the believer’s afflictions —the coming kingdom of God. In 1:6 the scene cuts to the fate of those who afflict them: Christ will pay them back with judgment. Then he cuts back to the righteous, who will be given relief from affliction when the Lord begins dishing out judgment against the wicked (1:7). Wrath is for the unbeliever, not for believers (1 Thes. 1:9-10; 5:9). Now, in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, the scene shifts back to “those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (1:8), as Paul summarizes in a few strokes of his pen the doom of the wicked. They will be
- repaid with affliction (1:6);
- dealt out retribution (1:8);
- given the penalty of eternal destruction (1:9); and
- banished from the presence of the Lord (1:9).
The Lord Jesus Himself portrayed this judgment of the wicked at His coming:
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. . . . Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ . . . Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’ . . . These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:31, 34, 41, 46)
This is the just condemnation of those who totally reject God by their wickedness and unbelief. As C. S. Lewis put it, they will be “repelled, exiled, estranged, finally and unspeakably ignored.”[53] Such is the fate of those who refuse the royal invitation of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
But as we know, not all have rejected “the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thes. 1:8). The Thessalonians had accepted the invitation; they had believed the apostles’ testimony (1:10). So have countless men and women throughout the history of the church. Some have testified of their loyalty to King Jesus with lives of service, and others with their deaths as martyrs.
It is to these —the recipients of salvation —that Paul finally ends his back-and-forth treatment of the afflicted and those who afflict them . . . the righteous and the wicked . . . the recipients of salvation and the objects of God’s wrath. For believers, Christ’s return will be their moment to shine with the King. His glory will bring an end to all suffering (Rom. 8:18). For believers, the coming day of the Lord isn’t the final slamming of the book on the world and its inhabitants; it’s the opening of a new book with a new story —a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1).
Christ will return not only as Judge of the lost, but as King of the saved. In that day, He will be glorified “in His saints,” marveled at by believers (2 Thes. 1:10). What a grand moment of glory and honor and worship! Yes, the persecutors will be judged because they have refused salvation, but the afflicted will be glorified because they have believed in the Savior!
— 1:11-12 —
So far in this second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul has expressed thanksgiving for their growing faith and love (1:3), affirmed them for their perseverance in the midst of affliction (1:4), and reassured them of God’s retribution toward the wicked and rescue of the righteous at the return of Christ (1:5-10). In the last two verses of this chapter, Paul intercedes for them with prayer. This is his practical response to their present endurance of suffering and affliction in light of the coming of Christ in the future.
Note that the Thessalonians were “always” on Paul’s heart and mind. For this reason he was always on his knees, lifting them up in prayer (1:11). In light of the Lord’s glorious return and His plans to vindicate them for the distress they have suffered, Paul prays three things for them:
- That God would count them worthy of their calling (1:11)
- That God would fulfill their desire for goodness and the work of faith with power (1:11)
- That the name of Jesus Christ would be glorified in them, and theirs in Him (1:12)
Paul’s first request reminds us of 1:5: “that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God.” Paul didn’t ask that they be removed from persecution. He asked that they would live up to the high calling of the subjects of the kingdom —“not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Phil. 1:29).
His second request for the Thessalonians is that the Lord would bring to pass their desire for goodness and their work of faith (2 Thes. 1:11). The word “goodness” points to “moral excellence.” It’s listed among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.[54] The “work of faith” for which Paul prayed reminds us of their “work of faith and labor of love” mentioned already in his previous letter (1 Thes. 1:3). These good works, inspired by faith and empowered by the Holy Spirit, would ultimately lead to the final part of Paul’s petition.
He prayed, finally, that the Thessalonians would fully live out their faith in the midst of their suffering so Christ’s name and fame would be manifested in and through them (2 Thes. 1:12). The word “name” in Scripture “stands for the person named, his character, conduct, reputation, and everything else about him.”[55] Christ’s reputation is impacted by how believers live their lives. When others see hypocrisy in the lives of those who claim to know Christ, “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles” (Rom. 2:24). But when the children of light shine in righteousness before all, people will see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).
APPLICATION: 2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-12
The Last Word
God —not wicked people —will get the last word. That’s Paul’s message to the Thessalonians . . . and to us. In light of this truth, Paul didn’t gloat about our future victory, bemoan the present circumstances, or try to tell God to hurry up! Instead, he prayed. In response to the powerful message of God’s triumph over affliction, let’s apply these truths in the same way.
When faced with pain or difficulty, our usual inclination is to try to pray it away: “God, take away this pain! Stop this suffering! End this trial!” Yet Paul didn’t ask the Lord to take away the Thessalonians’ afflictions. Did you notice that? How very different from our own typical prayer meetings where we beg God to make it stop and petition Him for relief from the stress and strain of our toilsome lives. Instead, Paul wanted the afflicted believers to grow in their kingdom perspective to be made more holy through their suffering.
In the same way, let’s make some adjustments to our own prayer patterns when we face affliction. Let’s spend more time asking God to grow us through our groaning, to purify us through our pain, and to sanctify us through our suffering. Yes, it’s perfectly legitimate to ask God to take it away (2 Cor. 12:8). But perhaps our focus should be on gradual growth through endurance rather than immediate relief through rescue.
To help us move out of the realm of spectator and into the role of active participants in the things of God, here are some suggestions on how to pray more perceptively and purposefully, in keeping with God’s will for us.
First, be specific. Specific prayers are answered in specific ways (2 Thes. 1:11-12; 2:17; 3:16). In the same way, offer up specific prayers to God. Pray His promises in Scripture back to Him. Work through passages of Scripture —from Genesis to Revelation, from the Psalms to the Prophets —prayerfully claiming the specific promises in His inspired Word.
Second, read God’s kingdom into the situations of others. Look at what others are experiencing through kingdom eyes. Remember, affliction is a part of kingdom life. It’s not abnormal, as if some strange thing were happening to them (1 Pet. 4:12). As you intercede for others, pray for them as fellow subjects of the King.
Third, remember the ultimate goal. For the believer, the ultimate goal in life is to glorify God. Keeping this in mind will give you objectivity. Effective intercessory prayer is not necessarily praying for relief for the afflicted or even for removal of the affliction. It’s praying purposefully in light of a kingdom perspective. It’s praying with an understanding that there is a purpose to the pain.