2 Thessalonians 1:7-God Will Repay with Rest the Thessalonians at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ

2 Thessalonians 1:3 Each of us is under obligation to always make it our habit of always giving thanks to the one and only God on behalf of each one of you brothers and sisters because it is appropriate for your faith is growing to an extraordinary degree. Correspondingly, the divine-love of each and every one of you is increasing to a considerable degree for one another. 4 Consequently, each one of us, we ourselves regularly expressed great pride in all of you in the congregations belonging to this one and only God, specifically about your perseverance as well as faith in the midst of all your persecutions as well as your adversities, which each of you are regularly enduring. 5 This is evidence of the exercise of this God’s righteous judgment so that each of you become worthy of this God’s kingdom for the benefit of which, each of you are regularly experiencing suffering. 6 Indeed, to repay with adversity for the detriment of those who regularly cause each of you to experience adversity is righteous in the judgment of this one and only God. 7 Correspondingly, to pay back rest for the benefit of each and every one of you who are regularly experiencing adversity along with each one of us at the revealing from heaven of our one and only Lord Jesus with His mighty angels. (My translation)

The apostle Paul asserts in 2 Thessalonians 1:7 that God the Father is righteous to pay back with rest each member of the Thessalonian Christian community who were regularly experiencing adversity in the form of persecution at the hands of unregenerate Gentiles in Thessalonica when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.

This revelation will take place at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s statement here in 2 Thessalonians 1:7 corresponds to his statement in 2 Thessalonians 1:6.

In the latter, the apostle Paul states that to repay with adversity for the detriment of those, who were regularly causing each member of the Thessalonian Christian community to experience adversity, is righteous in the judgment of the one and only God.

Those who were regularly causing the Thessalonians to experience adversity were unregenerate Gentiles in the city of Thessalonica and this adversity was in the form of persecution according to 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16.

Now, Paul asserts that God is righteous to give the Thessalonians rest at Jesus Christ’s Second Advent when He will establish His millennial reign on the earth.

2 Thessalonians 1:7 defines what Paul means when he asserts in 2 Thessalonians 1:5 that God is righteous to count the Thessalonians worthy of the kingdom of God.

They will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God at Jesus Christ’s Second Advent when He gives the Thessalonians their reward of reigning with Him for a thousand years on the earth in His millennial government.

So therefore, the correspondence between 2 Thessalonians 1:7 and 2 Thessalonians 1:6 is that in both instances God is rendering judgment.

In verse 6, He will render judgment against those who persecuted the Thessalonians while on the other hand, in verse 7, He will render judgment in favor of the Thessalonians who were persecuted.

Now, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7, the noun ouranos, “heaven” refers to the third heaven and the throne room of God since Jesus Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father waiting for His Father to make His enemies a footstool for His feet.

Therefore, when the apostle Paul asserts that the Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, he is speaking of the Lord descending from the right hand of the Father in the third heaven in the throne room of God.

When the apostle Paul speaks of the Lord Jesus being revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, he is speaking of the Second Advent and not the rapture, which is indicated by the contents of 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10.

In verse 8, Paul asserts that the Lord will mete out judgement on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In verse 9, he asserts that these individuals who do not know God and obey the gospel will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His strength.

In verse 10, Paul asserts that the Lord will come glorified among his saints and admired on that day among all who have believed and believe the apostles’ testimony about Jesus.

The New Testament does not teach that any of these things will take place at the rapture since at the rapture the Lord will not manifest His presence to the inhabitants of planet earth and judge unrepentant unregenerate human beings.

Rather, He comes to the earth to remove the church so that she will not experience His wrath which He will exercise during the seventieth week of Daniel and His Second Advent.

He comes to the earth at the rapture to give resurrection bodies to the members of the church and to take His bride to the Father’s house in heaven.

None of this is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10.

At His “Second Advent,” the Lord Jesus Christ will terminate the seventieth week and the Times of the Gentiles.

He will destroy the Tribulational armies, have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-19), will imprison Satan for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3) and will establish His millennial reign on planet earth (Rev. 20:4-6).

At that time, the Lord and His armies will orbit the earth before landing on the Mount of Olives, which was the site of His Ascension (Acts. 1:9-11).

There will be a great earthquake when our Lord’s foot touches the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:1-8) and will be a unique day having neither day nor night (Zech. 14:7).

The Lord Jesus Christ describes the Tribulation period in detail and His Second Advent in Matthew 24:29-31 and Luke 21:25-28.

The “Second Advent” of Jesus Christ is taught in both the Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 30:3; Psalm 2:1-9; 24:7-10; 96:10-13; 110; Isaiah 9:6-7; 63:1-6; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Daniel 2:44-45; 7:18-27; Zechariah 12; 14:1-9; Matthew 19:28; 24:27-31; Mark 13:24-30; Luke 12:35-40; 17:24-37; 18:8; 21:25-28; Acts 1:10-11; 15:16-18; Romans 11:25-27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8; 2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 14-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 2:25-28; 16:15; 19:11-21).

Now, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7, the reference to the Lord’s “mighty angels” refers to the elect angels who will accompany Him from the throne room of God to planet earth.

Zechariah 14:5 and Revelation 19:11-14 make clear that processions of elect angels will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth at His Second Advent.

Habakkuk 3:6 prophecies that processions of elect angels will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth at His Second Advent.

Habakkuk 3:6 He will stand while He causes the earth to shake. He will look while He causes the citizens of the nations to tremble in fear while the ancient mountains will disintegrate. The primeval hills will be flattened. Ancient processions assist Him. (My translation)

The interpretation of the expression hălîkôt ʿôlām lô (הֲלִיכ֥וֹת עוֹלָ֖ם לוֹֽ), “He travels on the ancient roads” (NET), “His were everlasting ways” (ESV), which constitutes the final prophetic statement in Habakkuk 3:6, has proven to be very difficult for expositors to interpret.

I believe that the plural form of this noun hǎlî·ḵā(h) (הֲלִיכָה) here in Habakkuk 3:6 means “processions” a group of individuals moving along in an orderly often ceremonial way.

Specifically, I believe that this word refers to the processions of elect angels.

This interpretation is indicated by several factors.

The first is that this word is modified by the masculine singular absolute noun ʿô·lām (עוֹלָם), which in this context as it did earlier in the verse means “ancient” since it pertains to something or someone which has existed for a long time in the relative past.

The elect angels of course are ancient because they existed before the creation of mankind.

This interpretation is also supported by the fact that this use of the word here in Habakkuk 3:6, which appears only seven times in the Old Testament (cf. Neh. 2:6; Job 6:19; 29:6; Prov. 31:27), also appears in Psalm 68:25 for the processions of angels, which serve God.

Psalm 68:24 They see your processions, O God—the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. (NET)

Furthermore, Zechariah 14:5 and Revelation 19:11-14 make clear that processions of elect angels will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth at His Second Advent.

Therefore, since Habakkuk 3:6 is prophetic describing several of the events, which will take place at Jesus Christ’s Second Advent and Zechariah 14:5 and Revelation 19:14 reveal that processions of elect angels will accompany Him to planet earth at that time and the noun hǎlî·ḵā(h) (הֲלִיכָה) refers to processions of angels in Psalm 68:24, I am of the conviction that the plural form of the noun hǎlî·ḵā(h) (הֲלִיכָה) here in Habakkuk 3:6 speaks of processions of elect angels who will accompany the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth at His Second Advent.

They will assist Him in imprisoning Satan and the fallen angels for a thousand years.

They will also remove every unregenerate person from the earth and put them in Torments in Hades until they are to appear at the Great White Throne Judgment (cf. Rev. 20:11-15).

They will also bring regenerate Jews back to Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 24:31).