Although the
Thessalonian church members were “persecuted” and faced
“tribulation” for their faith in Jesus Christ, Paul the
apostle told them “God” will “recompense” those
who carry out these troubles. He promised the Lord would do so when
he is “revealed from heaven with his mighty angels”, and
in “flaming fire” will take “vengeance” upon
those who do not “know God” or disobey “the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ”. In chapter one and verse nine of his
second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul went on to declare that
these disobedient ones will be “punished with everlasting
destruction” from the Lord's presence where we read:
Who shall
be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord,
and from
the glory of his power;
The verse begins, “Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord,...” Paul
began with the phrase, “Who” which
refers to those who reject the gospel
“shall be punished”
or receive sentence of condemnation, justice, execution, judgment and
judicial decision“” “with
everlasting”
which means “without beginning and end, never ceases and has always
been and always will be” “destruction”
which is the Greek word “olethros”
and means “ruin and death” “from
the presence”
which in Greek is the word “prosōpon”and
literally means “the
face” and refers to the “countenance, external condition and
outward appearance” “of the Lord”
which refers to “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which
he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the
Messiah”. We cannot even begin to imagine how horrific it will be
to be banished and condemned from ever being in the “presence”
of God and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
The
verse goes on to say, “...and from the glory of his power;”
Paul added, “and from” which denotes “of separation,
distance and space” “the glory” which means “opinion,
judgment, view and estimate” “of his power” or “of
God's ability, force, strength and might”. Not only will those who
reject the “gospel of Jesus Christ” be “punished”
everlastingly, but they will be banished from “God's ability, might
and strength” as well.
When
we meditate upon these words from Paul, we are inclined to put
ourselves in the position of these who are “punished”
eternally from the “presence of the Lord”. Fear, awe and
internal torment are likely feelings to imagine such horror. The idea
of others facing this awful fate may come to our minds as well.
Perhaps loved ones, relatives, friends and people we do not know come
to our minds. As we think on these things, let us be reminded of what
the apostle Peter wrote in Second Peter chapter three and verse nine:
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The
fact that Paul wrote these words is a warning to those who reject
“God” and His “gospel”, and there continues to
be time to “repent” which means “turn from your ways”,
receive the Lord Jesus as Savior, and believe that God has paid the
ultimate price for the sins that have been, are and will be
committed. The rejection of such will be “endless” separation
from God and His ability, and for that there will be no remedy.
Next
time Paul shares how Jesus “shall come to be glorified in
his saints”, so read ahead,
and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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