The Finished Word

The arrival of Jesus will mean vindication and rest for the righteous, but everlasting loss for the wicked - 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10. The “ Revelation ” of Jesus from Heaven will mean vindication and reward to the faithful but loss and punishment for men and women who reject the Gospel. This will be especially so for those who have persecuted the saints. Christ’s return will result in “ just judgment ” for the righteous and the unrighteous.

The arrival of Jesus will mark the end of the present order, the resurrection of the dead, and the start of the New Creation . Jesus will return from Heaven on a day punctuated by power and glory. Christ’s “ arrival ” or ‘ Parousia ’ will mean the consummation of God’s Kingdom, the judgment of the ungodly, the vindication and resurrection of the faithful, the unveiling of the New Creation, and the termination of death - The reversal of Death’s sentence on humanity. The coming of the “ Son of Man on the Clouds ” will be a glorious event of absolute finality.

Writing to the Assembly in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul refuted false claims about the coming of Jesus, arguing that the “ Day of the Lord ” would not come until the “ Apostasy ” and the “ revelation of the Man of Lawlessness ” occurred “ first .” Moreover, that day would be when Jesus “ gathered ” Paul and his fellow believers to himself.

The coming of Jesus is not a major topic in Paul's letters to the Corinthians though it is in his Thessalonian correspondence. However, he does touch on several aspects of the event, including its identification as the “ Day of the Lord ,” the consummation of God’s kingdom, the resurrection of the righteous, the judgment of the wicked, and the cessation of death.

Paul expressed his goal of going on to completion, a process that would culminate in bodily resurrection when Jesus arrived in glory . Paul instructed the congregation of Philippi to “ completion ” in Jesus. Bodily resurrection must take place for the consummation of this process and the completion of our salvation. This will occur when Jesus appears “ on the clouds of Heaven .” God will continue to perform what He began with our conversion until “ the Day of Christ .”

When Jesus is revealed from Heaven, the saints will experience glory, but the wicked will receive everlasting destruction . In his introduction to  First Corinthians , the Apostle Paul describes the members of the congregation as those who are “ eagerly waiting for the Revelation of our Lord Jesus .” The Apostle connects this event to the “ Day of the Lord .”

Paul warned of the coming Apostasy and linked it to the unveiling of the Man of Anarchy when he seats himself in the Assembly . Paul responded to false reports about the “ Day of the Lord ” by pointing to the expected Apostasy and the “ Man of Lawlessness .” Jesus will not “ arrive ” until the “ Apostasy ” occurs and the “ Lawless One ” is revealed. Rumors claiming that the “ Day of the Lord had set in ” were circulating in Thessalonica, disrupting the Assembly – (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

Rumors about the Day of the Lord caused alarm and confusion in the Thessalonian congregation  – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. The Apostle Paul addressed rumors and false claims about the “ Day of the Lord " in his second letter to the Thessalonians. Incorrect information concerning Christ’s return had disrupted the congregation. The disinformation was attributed either to a “ spirit ,” word (' logos ' ), or a letter “ as if from ” Paul and his coworkers.

In his second epistle, Peter addresses the growing weariness of some believers due to the apparent delay in or even the failure of the “ arrival ” of Jesus to materialize, an open door for false teachers and outside critics to exploit. Instead of the predicted terrestrial and cosmic upheaval, daily life was continuing as it always had. The Apostle’s explanation is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.

In Chapter 5 of  1 Thessalonians , Paul continues his discussion about the “ coming ” or ‘ parousia ’ of Jesus. But now, he addresses the question of its timing, as well as the different ways it will impact believers and nonbelievers. But rather than provide chronological information, he reminds the Thessalonians that the “ DAY OF THE LORD ” will come like a “ THIEF IN THE NIGHT .” No one except God knows its timing, therefore, believers must remain ever vigilant and prepared for its sudden and unexpected arrival.

“Wrath” consistently refers to the final judicial sentence of God on His enemies in the Book of Revelation . The “ wrath of God ” is not synonymous with the plagues unleashed by the series of Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls of Fury. Despite the devastation they inflict, impenitent men refuse to repent. The Greek term translated as “ wrath ” refers to the judicial sentence of God on His enemies on the day of judgment, the everlasting punishment men earn because of their sins, failure to repent, and allegiance to the Beast.