2 Thessalonians 1:10

When Christ returns to earth His "saints" will accompany Him. Paul referred specifically to Christians (i.e., believers of the church age who previously experienced the Rapture), not all believers. Old Testament saints will not experience resurrection until the Second Coming (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2). However, one writer argued that the "saints" are Old Testament believers and "all who have believed" are church age believers. [Note: Bruce A. Baker, "The Two Peoples of God in 2 Thessalonians 1:10," Journal of Dispensational Theology 13 (April 2009):5-40.] Jesus Christ’s second coming will be a day of great glory and vindication for Him.

"The idea is that the glory of that day will far surpass anything of which we can have any idea before we behold it, and when we do behold it we shall be lost in amazement." [Note: Leon Morris, The Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians, p. 120.]

Paul’s readers would participate in this day because they had believed Paul’s testimony when he had preached the gospel among them. They would reflect Christ’s glory as will all other believers who will accompany Him at His second coming (i.e., all Christians).

"Just as Paul is elusive about the nature of the vengeance to be inflicted by the Lord Jesus, he is also elusive about the nature of the reward to be bestowed." [Note: Wanamaker, p. 230.]

"That day" is a clear reference to the day of the Lord (cf. Isaiah 2:11; Isaiah 2:17). It will include Jesus Christ’s return to the earth at His second coming (cf. Mark 13:32; Mark 14:25; Luke 21:34; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 4:8). [Note: Thomas, p. 314. Cf. George Milligan, St. Paul’s Epistles to the Thessalonians, p. 92.] Then He will be glorified "in the presence of" His saints (the locative use of the Greek preposition en). [Note: Wanamaker, pp. 230-31.] By using the Greek preposition en, Paul could have meant that Christ will be glorified both "among" them and "in" them.

At first reading it may appear that 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 offer hope that God would judge the Thessalonians’ persecutors very soon and that the Thessalonian Christians would find "relief" (2 Thessalonians 1:7) in the Rapture. However the return of Christ in "fire" (2 Thessalonians 1:7) dealing out punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) when He comes "with His saints" (2 Thessalonians 1:10) must refer to the Second Coming. Thus it appears that the Second Coming follows the Rapture immediately. This is what posttribulationists believe. It is also what amillennialists and postmillennialists believe. [Note: See Vern S. Poythress, "2 Thessalonians 1 Supports Amillennialism," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 37:4 (December 1994):529-38.] However the Tribulation will precede the Second Coming, as posttribulationists agree. Paul proceeded to explain that the Thessalonians were not in the Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Only if they were then in the Tribulation could the hope of relief by a posttribulational Rapture have been a comfort to them. Consequently it seems that in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Paul was seeking to comfort his readers by assuring them that ultimately they would experience relief by entering rest in the Millennium following Christ’s second coming. Ultimately God would punish their persecutors at the great white throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:11-15).

Thomas, a pretribulationist, understood the revelation of Jesus Christ spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 to be a general one that embraces the Rapture and the Second Coming.

"Many have chosen to limit apokalypsei (’revelation,’ ’appearance’) to a single event, identifying it with Christ’s return to earth at the close of the tribulation. The role of ’his powerful angels’ in the revelation favors this understanding in the light of Matthew 24:30-31; Matthew 25:31. It is more persuasive, however, to explain apokalypsei as a complex of events, including various phases of end-time happenings. The present context associates the word with Christ’s coming for his own as well as his coming to deal with opponents. Since the primary thrust of 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 is to encourage suffering Christians, the meaning of apokalypsei for them should receive the emphasis. God’s dealings with the rest of the world are included only to enhance the ’relief’ experienced by believers at the righteous judgment of God." [Note: Thomas, p. 312.]

It seems to me, as I have tried to explain above, that the references to what will happen at this appearing describe the Second Coming exclusively. Thomas admitted that enjoyment of the future glory of Christ’s coming-and only His second coming will be in glory-is the leading idea of this chapter. [Note: Ibid., p. 315. Cf. J. B. Lightfoot, Notes on the Epistles of Paul, p. 105.]