The doctrine of the second coming of Christ is one on which all
true Christians agree as to its reality, but one on which they disagree
on many other points. One of the causes for much confusion is the
fact that we are seldom content with reading the Bible from the
historical point of view. That is, we so seldom make a conscious
effort to see the letters of Paul as written to specific people under
specific circumstances, and for the purpose of conveying specific
information. It is my conviction that we can never rightly
understand the Bible until we study it historically, and that means
that we determine just what the author was conveying to the
original readers.
Any conclusions drawn apart from this consideration are
usually pre-conceived ideas read into the text. I have read dozens of
books on the second coming which prove all kinds of things by
simply ignoring the text and bringing in all kinds of passages from
the prophets to the book of Revelation to support their views. The
result is that each position links together a series of unrelated texts
arranged just to prove their point. Because there are so many
varied passages all through Scripture each view can compile a list
that, when woven together cleverly, will prove there's to be the most
biblical. The cults, of course, do the same thing. The end result is
that a person is convinced of any position he happens to read
because each of them is very convincing, and each has biblical basis
when the text are arranged to fit a system.
We all have preconceived ideas about certain systems of
interpretation, but none of these will be of much hindrance if we
study just the Bible text in front of us as of independent value. That
is we must first of all determine just what an author is saying in his
letter, and only then refer to other Scripture to support it. If we
treat Paul's letter just as a letter should be treated, and take it
without commentary and cross references, and seek to understand it
as he meant it for the persons to whom he wrote it, then we can go to
other texts for commentary. It must be considered as a distinct
message in itself, and not as a jumping off place to go roaming all
over Scripture for proof texts. By this method of roaming all over
the Bible can be made to teach anything, but when you stick strictly
to the text at hand, you are compelled to face its message, and any
false interpretation can be easily spotted.
We want to begin a study of II Thessalonians in a verse by verse
method, for not only will this help us to stay on the subject of the
text, but it will enable us to keep a closer check on our reasoning and
conclusions. Since I also have a bias, it is your obligation to follow
closely and correct that which you can see does not fit the text. The
first two verses are introduction, and they are the same as in the
first Epistle, and so we will skip them and go right to verse 3.
In verse 3 Paul expresses how grateful he is to God for their
spiritual growth. Their faith is growing, and that indicates they are
becoming stronger as individuals, and their love for one another is
growing and so they are becoming stronger as a body. In verse 4 he
says that because of this he boasts of them in other churches. They
are used by Paul as examples of how believers ought to grow, even in
the midst of trial. This was good psychology on the part of Paul,
because if they know he is boasting of them, they will be more
determined to go on enduring and not give up, which they might do
if they thought no one cared anyway.
Paul makes it clear that these Christians were going through
persecution and tribulation, but he also makes it clear that they
were standing fast, and were not wavering in faith. This is
important background to know about these Christians. He is not
writing to those at ease in Zion, or to those who live as we do with
little to fear by standing for Christ. They were suffering for Christ.
There was no promise to them of escape from trials, for they were
already in them, and they were to go through the persecution of
Nero. If Paul knew anything about the supposed rapture of the
church out of the world before tribulation, he kept it to himself, and
for good reason, for it would be of small comfort to the early
Christians who had to go through 10 waves of horrible persecution
by the Romans. If it is true that the church will escape some great
tribulation at the end of history, it would have been of no value to
the early church, or to the suffering church through the centuries. It
is not even of much comfort to us today since we can never be sure
we are the last generation of Christians.
This text does not say anything to prove or disprove the idea of
a rapture of the church to escape a tribulation. It does indicate that
if such a teaching is true it has been of little value in the history of
the church, and specifically in the lives of the Thessalonians. Paul
does not mention it, but speaks to meet their need rather than deal
with speculation about some future escape. In verse 5 he says that
the fact that they are standing fast in the persecution is a manifest
token, or is clear evidence, that God has judged them worthy of His
kingdom. He will right all the wrongs against them, but meanwhile
He will use the wrongs they suffer to make them worthy. Paul is
assuring them that they are God's own, and that they suffer because
they are, and are not of the world. Jesus said that just as the world
hated Him it will hate His followers. He promised that in the world
you shall have tribulation, but if we suffer with Him, we shall also
reign with Him. Paul wants them to see that their suffering is
evidence that they are on the right track to the eternal kingdom.
The Scripture places a high value on suffering for Christ, and
those who suffer for His sake are promised great reward in heaven.
"The path of suffering and that path alone leads to the land where
sorrow is unknown." The poet has probably overstated the case, for
certainly there will be some non-sufferers who will be saved, but the
Bible does lay great stress on suffering and being worthy of the
kingdom. We can pursue this, but it is enough to see that these
Christians are encouraged and comforted by being assured that God
will use what they suffer for their eternal good. They suffered by
giving their allegiance to a rejected king, but what is that when they
are assured that He will yet reign, and they will be His loyal subjects
forever. Paul goes on then to describe the judgment ahead. He first
assures them of their reward, and then of the judgment of their
enemies.
In verse 6 he tells them that God, being a righteous and just
God, will write all wrongs, and those who are now making
tribulation for them will suffer His tribulation. This is important
psychologically for the suffering believers. Injustice arouses the
emotions more than most anything, and even a Christian cannot
easily submit to it. Our very nature cries out for revenge when evil
men hurt and kill the righteous. Paul says not to let it get you down.
Justice will prevail, and evil men will not get by with it. They may
triumph for the day, but they will certainly lose the war, and all
their evil will be repaid with interest.
Here is the great tribulation that I see the Scripture teaching. It
is God's tribulation upon evil men. It is the greatest possible
tribulation, for it is God's wrath, and it leads to eternal damnation.
That Christians will escape this, no one has ever doubted. This
tribulation, however, comes after the second coming and not before.
The so called 7 year tribulation before the second coming is no
where to be found in this passage. He does not deal with how long it
lasts, but he does make it clear that it is after the second coming. He
makes it clear in the next two verses that the second coming is both a
day of joy and a day of judgment. There is joy for believers and
judgment for unbelievers. Believers will suffer tribulation before
the rapture, but unbelievers will suffer God's tribulation after the
rapture.
In verse 7 Paul says that on that day they will, with him and his
companions who have also suffered tribulation, experience rest. He
does not write of escape from tribulation, but of rest when it is all
over. That is the promise, and the second coming will end the battle
of good and evil forever. The believers will enter their eternal rest,
but until this they will suffer at the hands of evil forces. Not until the
second coming will all be changed and the final victory be won. It is
at the revelation of Christ, and this word means at His uncovering
or unveiling. The hidden Christ will be made manifest in all His
glory and power.
Some divide the second coming into two parts with the rapture
first and then 7 years later this revelation, with a great tribulation in
between. If Paul knew of this, he was again silent about it, for he
says here that it is at this revelation of Christ that their rest will
begin. This would be a strange thing to say if the church is to be
raptured 7 years earlier than this revelation he speaks of. It is my
conviction that the rapture and the revelation are the same event,
and that the New Testament clearly indicates this. To separate them
demands that you ignore the Greek, which makes it clear that this
revelation of Christ was the blessed hope. It is the day of reward,
and Peter says it is the day we receive the crown. This day of the
reveling of Christ is the day the believer is to wait for. The rapture
is going to happen on that day that Jesus is reveled.
We are going beyond the text, however, for Paul is silent about
the rapture here, and only indicates that the day of Christ's reveling
will be a day of rest for believers. It does not prove there could not
be rapture 7 years earlier, but it does show that those who separate
the rapture and revelation have a problem to explain, and that is,
what have the Christians been doing during that 7 years that makes
it needful that their rest does not begin until the 7 years have
passed? However this be answered, the fact is that the revelation of
Christ is the day of joy for believers.
Paul goes on in verse 8 to show that it is a day of judgment for
the unbeliever. The second coming will be dooms day for those who
know not God, and who have not obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Some feel since both Jews and Gentiles were persecuting the early
Christians, it could be those who know not God, which would be the
Gentiles, and those who knew Him but did not obey the Gospel,
which would be the Jews. This may be, but it is not certain. What is
certain is that it is the end of hope for all unbelievers. This being the
case has always puzzled me as to how there can be any evil people
left after this, for they are all judged and condemned. Verse 9 says
they will be punished with everlasting destruction, and verse 10 says
this will be on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people,
and that this included the Thessalonians. It is difficult to see where
so many unbelievers come from at the end of the thousand year
reign, if all have been judged at the second coming.
There are many questions about end times that are not easily
answered, and I am not convinced that any system of theology has
been developed that answers them all clearly. The problems arise
because we do not stick to expounding the text at hand, but bring in
information from many other sources. If we just stick to the verses
that Paul is writing to this church we will see that the second coming
is the beginning of heaven for believers and hell for unbelievers.
