The Revelation of the Lord

Introduction

Paul has praised the Thessalonians for their obedience.

He has expressed his obligation to thank God for their endurance.

In 2 Thess. 1:5, he framed their obedience toward the thought of God’s righteous judgment.

Now, we will see what the implications are as we think about the significance of Jesus’ coming.

In this message, we will pay attention to what Paul says about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In doing so, we will also see Paul’s high Christology.

God’s Righteousness on Display

Paul explained that with God, it is righteous to repay.

To the ones troubling = trouble

To you all who are being troubled = rest.

God’s righteousness can be seen through equality.

Paul assures the Thessalonians that they will rest with Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

This implies that Paul too awaits this day.

It also implies that God does not have ranks.

Rest means a cessation from tribulation, but it also means to live in the state man was intended to live before the Fall.

This should become clearer in 2 Thess. 1:9.

This will happen “ἐν τῇ ἀποκαλύψει τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ μετʼ ἀγγέλων δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ.”

Jesus’ Coming: 5 Things We Can Know - And a 6th to Come

His coming is an unveiling of the truth.

1 Corinthians 1:7 “ὥστε ὑμᾶς μὴ ὑστερεῖσθαι ἐν μηδενὶ χαρίσματι ἀπεκδεχομένους τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·”

1 Peter 1:7 “ἵνα τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως πολυτιμότερον χρυσίου τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου, διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου εὑρεθῇ εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ”

1 Peter 1:13 “Διὸ ἀναζωσάμενοι τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν νήφοντες τελείως ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ τὴν φερομένην ὑμῖν χάριν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.”

1 Peter 4:13 “ἀλλὰ καθὸ κοινωνεῖτε τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθήμασιν, χαίρετε, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀποκαλύψει τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ χαρῆτε ἀγαλλιώμενοι.”

Revelation 1:1 “Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς δεῖξαι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει, καὶ ἐσήμανεν ἀποστείλας διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου αὐτοῦ τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννῃ,”

HIs coming is “from heaven.”

Jesus taught this.

Heaven, we are assured from the scriptures, is where he currently sits at the right hand of the Father.

He will come with “angels of his power.”

Angels will accompany him as a further demonstration of his power, or they will come with him as he executes his power.

He will come “in fire of a flame.” - Isaiah 66:15 .

Introduction: Part 2

Tonight, we will spend the majority of our time looking at how Paul is providing an exposition of scripture, or at least, he is framing his ideas in light of the scriptures.

We might ask: what were the Thessalonians supposed to gain from these words:

Paul shared with them the anticipation of the coming of Jesus.

Assurance of what they can expect in the future: this has not happened yet.

Based upon that assurance, a reminder to continue to live for the glory of Christ until he comes. Their lives are properly oriented for the right reasons. Their sufferings have not gone unnoticed, nor will God ignore their vindication.

The Old Testament in Greek according to the Septuagint (Chapter 66)

15 ἰδοὺ γὰρ κύριος ὡς πῦρ ἥξει, καὶ ὡς καταιγὶς τὰ ἅρματα αὐτοῦ, ἀποδοῦναι ἐν θυμῷ ἐκδίκησιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποσκορακισμὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν φλογὶ πυρός

Paul expects his readers to be familiar with the LXX of Isaiah here.

Isaiah features three important terms for Paul:

ἀποδοῦναι

ἐκδίκησιν αὐτοῦ: he will use this term in the next phrase.

ἐν φλογὶ πυρός

The LXX makes the parallels more obvious.

Is. 66:4: καὶ ἐγὼ ἐκδέξομαι τὰ ἐμπαίγματα αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἀνταποδώσω αὐτοῖς·

God called, but οὐχ ὑπήκουσάν μου (Is. 66:4).

Is. 66:5 establishes a dichotomy/division between those who tremble at His word and those who hate those who do.

The name of Jehovah will be glorified, those (others) will be ashamed.

Is. 66:6: 6 φωνὴ κραυγῆς ἐκ πόλεως, φωνὴ ἐκ ναοῦ, φωνὴ Κυρίου ἀνταποδιδόντος ἀνταπόδοσιν τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις.

Is. 66:14: καὶ ὄψεσθε, καὶ χαρήσεται ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ ὑμῶν ὡς βοτάνη ἀνατελεῖ· καὶ γνωσθήσεται ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν, καὶ ἀπειλήσει τοῖς ἀπειθοῦσιν.

Jesus is one giving vengeance (This is actually #5 renumbered).

We are reminded, again, that living in the truth has consequences.

Punishment awaits those who refuse to live in the truth.

Jesus Coming: The 6th thing we know

Those who do not know God and who are not obeying the Gospel will receive righteous, eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his strength.

Paul borrows the context from Is. 2:10.