And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:7,8
Today’s text is a terrifying description of the coming judgment for all who oppose the Christians and the Gospel that we proclaim. It is so terrifying that it is difficult to imagine. All of Heaven’s mightiest angels will arrive on this earth to accompany the Lord Jesus at His return. Those angels, with all of their power, will use flames of unimaginable heat to pour out judgment on those who deserve it. Who will receive that judgment? The previous verse tells us that it will include all who trouble the Christians. But our text tells us that it includes many more.
In his description of this terrible judgment, Paul includes two important, and huge, classes of people. The first group – them that know not God – includes all of humanity that took no interest in knowing God and those who refused to acknowledge Him and their responsibility to Him. The second group – that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ – is also huge. It includes all who have come into contact with the Gospel, whether they sat under powerful preaching or passed a John 3:16 billboard beside the highway, all neglecters, rejecters, and despisers. Their doom is terrible to consider.
But the opposite is true for us. Paul tells troubled saints that they can rest, knowing that the terrible judgment in these two verses is forever obliterated from our future. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/XWjlB5MXRXU