When, oh Lord, does Your mighty hammer of Justice drop on all this world's dysfunction, persecution and sin? Paul recognizes the suffering of the 1st Century Thessalonian church and promises its members, on God's behalf, just such Divinely-ordained relief. But it's a relief that stands 2000 years distant from the suffering this church endures as Paul writes. WUWT? Get God's perspective on our suffering here!

1. XVIII: II Thessalonians 1
Relief For the Church

2. XVIII: II Thessalonians 1
Relief For the Church
Surprisingly, I find this chapter represents
the most difficult passage I’ve ever dealt with in prophecy!
I have prayed and labored over this presentation of–
and about your response to!–my reaction to Paul’s teaching
on relief for the Church.

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5. II Thessalonians 1
anks
ought always to give th
3. We
only
for you, brethren, as is
to God
reatly
because your faith is g
fitting,
ch one
ed, and the love of ea
enlarg
ws
toward one another gro
of you
ever greater;
4. therefore, we ourselves speak
proudly of you among the churches
of God for your perseverance and
faith in the midst of all your
persecutions and afflictions which
you endure.
5. This is a pla
in indication o
f
God’s righteo
us judgment s
o that
you will be co
nsidered wort
hy of
the kingdom o
f God, for whic
h
indeed you ar
e suffering.
Look at all the positives!
See how Paul throws a
spotlight on two elements:
God’s righteousness
Their persecution

6. This material begs the question:
S God allow His people
Will a RIGHTEOU
SECUTION without ever
to SUFFER PER
AVENGING them?
And when, if ever, does God
repay these persecutors and
bring relief to the Church?

7. Relief and Retribution Together:
after all it is only
6. For
for God to repay
just
liction those who
with aff
afflict you,
d to give relief to
7. an
u who are afflicted
yo
o us as well . . . .
and t
Paul tackles that question!
A just God does repay
those who afflict His people
Paul talks of God’s just
character:
In punishing the
persecutors AND
In giving relief to the
Thessalonians and to
Paul, as well.

8. Relief and Retribution Together:
Paul tackles that question!
A just God does repay
ly
For after all it is on
6.
Bud whrepay
those who afflict His people
t to en, P
just for Go
aul?!? W
Thiossaho se who
hen can
Paul talks of God’s just
lict e n t l onians e
t he
ith aff
w
xpect rel
pursecut
ief from
character:
afflict yoe ,
ion?
In punishing the
d to give relief to
7. an
persecutors AND
u who are afflicted
yo
o us as well . . . .
and t
In giving relief to the
Thessalonians and to
Paul, as well.

9. Paul’s Astounding Answer:
for God to
r after all it is only just
6. Fo
t yo u ,
liction those who afflic
repay with aff
u who are
and to give relief to yo
7.
ll . . . .
licted and to us as we
aff
. . . when
the Lord
be revea
Jesus w
ill
led from
heaven w
His migh
ty angels
ith
fire,
in flamin
g
8. dealin
g o u t re t
ribution t
those wh
o
o do not
know Go
and to th
d
ose who
do not o
the gosp
bey
el of our
L o rd Je s
us.
Here, Paul gets specific.
Relief and vengeance for First
Century AD Thessalonians
have a due date!
The day of reckoning for
their 1st Century suffering
comes at THE END OF THE
AGE!!!
What’s up with that??
What help is this to the
Thessalonians?!?

10. It’s a Matter of Spiritual Perspective:
10. when
He come
be glorifi
s to
ed in His
saints on
that day,
to be ma
and
rveled at
among a
ll who ha
ve
believed
—for our
testimon
y to you
was
believed
.
Paul doubles down and leaves
no doubt as to just when this
relief and retribution occur.
Paul spiritually connects his
historical Thessalonian
Christians to the entire Body of
Christ, to all who have believed.
The full identification of any
individual sufferer with the full
Church Body is the key to fully
understanding this passage.

11. It’s na Matter of Spiritual Perspective:
I d
ividualit
y in the p
us huma
hysical b
ns.
od y
makes se
ns leaves
Paul doubles down ande to
Member
no doubt as to just when this
10. when ship of the in
makes se He com
divirelief and retribution occur.
dual in a
nse, too.es to
be glorifi
social gr
ed in His
ou p
saenns on
B i i t g in th
cluateday, a
tspbr ma d in thedcor Paul spiritually connects his
o ie
n
itualrented a
porate ex Thessalonian
vel it t
historicalperie
y like the
among a
nce of a
presses tll who
Bride or
ChristiansB the entire Body of
the to dy
believed oo harhavn
d o e eve
o of C
—for our
n acChrist, to all who haverbelieved.
h ist
tive imag
tLeti’mlon
es s e t y
inations.
soo you b
t me bi w
lias l exam
believed
ca
.
The he
ples fulllidentification of any
p, sufferer with the full
if they ca
individual
n.
Church Body is the key to fully
understanding this passage.

12. Here’s Evil’s Spiritual Reality:
Daniel’s Image of Gold showed the
progression of SEPARATE gentile
empires that swallowed Israel-from
Babylon at the head down to the
AntiChrist’s kingdom at the feet.
The Stone Cut Without Hands
(Jesus) strikes at the END OF TIMEat the empire of the AntiChrist-an
event at a point in our future.
Yet the WHOLE structure falls as if a
single living entity, whose life span
began with Nebuchadnezzar, had
been slain at the time of the end.
Thus we have a full identification of
INDIVIDUAL world empires with a
WHOLE spiritual body of evil.

13. Here’s A Believer’s Spiritual Reality:
For just as we have many members in
one body and all the members do not
have the same function,, so we, who are
many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members one of another.
(Romans 12:4-5)
Christians are “Members of one
another”, across aisles and sanctuaries,
continents and centuries . . .
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your
sake, and in my flesh I do my share on
behalf of His body, which is the Church,
in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s
afflictions. (Col 1:24)
Our individual experiences of affliction
affect a spiritual Body of unimaginable
proportions and mystical significance.

14. Homework for the Weak
(A Group of Nested References)
Read 2 Timothy 3: 1 and
2 Timothy 4: 1-5 and
1 Timothy 4:1 and
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-7!

15. Surviving Individual Affliction
The Thessalonians–and each Christian in every place and every age must
See themselves as organically part of a living and eternal spiritual entity:
The Body and Bride of Christ
See themselves as spiritual warriors engaged in spiritual warfare-with
all its grim physical realities!
See physical historical oppressors as representatives of a real spiritual
entity: The kingdom of Satan
Anticipate the permanent relief Paul promises ALL persecuted believersat the end of the age.
Let God bring just retribution on the kingdom of Satan when it’s time- at
the end of the age.
Prepare–if called–to face your share of Christ’s affliction- as joy!

16. The Beginning The Afflictions–
Christ at Gethsemane
42. . . . saying, “Father, if You are
willing, remove this cup from Me; yet
not My will, but Yours be done.”
43. Now an angel from heaven
appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
44. And being in agony He was praying
very fervently; and His sweat became
like drops of blood, falling down upon
the ground.
Luke 22:42-44

17. At the Start of Filling Up What Is
Lacking in Christ’s Afflictions–
Martyrdom of Stephen
58. When they had driven him out of
the city, they began stoning him; and
the witnesses laid aside their robes
at the feet of a young man named
Saul. 59. They went on stoning
Stephen as he called on the Lord
and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit!” 60. Then falling on his knees,
he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord,
do not hold this sin against them!”
Having said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:58-60

18. Filling Up What Is Lacking in
Christ’s Afflictions Continues–
Paul and Silas at Philippi
22. The crowd rose up together
against them, and the chief
magistrates tore their robes off them
and proceeded to order them to be
beaten with rods. 23. When they
had struck them with many blows,
they threw them into prison,
commanding the jailer to guard
them securely; 24. and he, having
received such a command, threw
them into the inner prison and
fastened their feet in the stocks.
25. But about midnight Paul and
Silas were praying and singing
hymns of praise to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them . . .
Acts 16:22-25

19. Filling Up What Is Lacking in
Christ’s Afflictions Reaches Us–
Carl Lundberg
“Now the soldiers have come and are
going to attack us today. The
Catholics are going to defend
themselves but it seems of no use,
we do not want to die with weapons
in our hands.”
“If God permits, they may take our
lives. . . . God bless you all. We will
meet with Jesus.”
Diary, 19th century
American missionary to China during Boxer
Rebellion.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_boiJ7l3Cxt0/SiBdW4XYtEI/AAAAAAAAHnM/kcWoeCW16Tw/s400/Martyr_Carl_Lundberg.jpg

20. Even On The Edge Of The End: Filling Up
What Is Lacking in Christ’s Afflictions–
Revelation 6:9-11–The Martyrs Under The Throne:
9. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar
the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God,
and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
10. and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O
Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and
avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
11. And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they
were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the
number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be
killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

21. What’s Old Is New Again . . .
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
William Faulkner
Any persecutionof believers in 1st Century Thessalonica,
of the saints in 9th Century Persia
of Christians in 20th Century China
or of saints in the Great Tribulation
is ALL THE SAME in so many ways!
Same purpose–thwart God’s promises
Same Antagonist–Satan
Same promise for relief and retribution
Same faith sustaining similar believers
Same triumph of the Church over evil
http://pixdaus.com/index.php?
pageno=14&sort=comments

22. What’s Old Is New Again . . .
ce of
p e ri e n
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
any ex
hrist
William Faulknere
at
esus C
separ
uickly
ke of J
the sa
Great
NOT q
Any persecutionDo
in the
ion for
ict
t afflThessalonica, tion saints
of believers inesen
pr 1st Centuryuture afflic
he f
of the saints int9th Century Persia
from
of Christians la20th Century China
in tion.
ibu
Trsaints in the Great Tribulation
or of
s
milaritie
si
o many
To
is ALL THE SAME in so manyibulation:
ways!
intensity
in
reat Tr
crease
n
The G
s
HUGE i
to a
the age
f
leads
climax o
eat God
e
th
ob
Same purpose–thwart God’s tpromises
nd their
re se n s
h a n ce t
a
c
rep
t to last
ttle plan
Same Antagonist–Satanatan’s nex
eless ba
tim
is S
e ve rs a
i
Same promise for relief es ALL bel
and retribution y.
giv
or
e of vict
ho
Same faith sustaining rsimilar p
http://pixdaus.com/index.php?
ce tain believers
pageno=14&sort=comments
Same triumph of the Church over evil

24. As I see it, the Holy Spirit, through Paul and Daniel, asks something
of believers who suffer persecution as individuals at specific points
incredible
in history:

25. As I Holy Spirit, thro Spirit, through Paul and Daniel, asks incredible
The see it, the Holy ugh Paul and Daniel, asks somethingsomething
of bel ers who suffer persecution as individuals at at spe c points in
believievers who suffer persecution as individuals specificific points
of redible
inc
hishistory:
in tory:
ody
ntity called the B
ual e
rt in a living spirit
ur pa
y
an, remember yo
“Christi
tan would destro
d Sa
iritual being calle
er sp
rt of
hrist which anoth
of C
battle is really pa
rical
could! Your histo
he
rnal
al by individual, if
individu
al realms with ete
iritu
, conducted in sp
attle
a
a larger eternal b
ce more to bring
ry on
t break into histo
ill ye
y.
uences. Jesus w
conseq
t relief to the Bod
wee
ishment, a final s
pun
sure and certain
in
’s sure and certa
God
r triumph rests in
you
endure and know
ide.”
Christian,
eturns for His Br
er
the Body when H
f to
promises of relie

26. od will count you
our G
you always, that
for
work
end also we pray
11. To this
oodness and the
for g
lfill every desire
nd fu
be
of your calling, a
worthy
r Lord Jesus will
of ou
o that the name
12. s
d
faith with power,
ce of our God an
of
gra
, according to the
Him
in you, and you in
glorified
)
alonians 1:11-12
hess
esus Christ. (2 T
the Lord J
Thus, Paul closes this passage with a call for Thessalonians-and
all who suffer
as believers in Christ: anticipate relief when Christ returns for his
Bride.
Meanwhile:
Endure and abide. We serve as soldiers in the battle of the age
s.

27. All Through Christian History– Filling Up
What Is Lacking In Christ’s Afflictions–
very day,
wn to this
century do
h ask “The
the 1st
From
r their fait
rsecuted fo
ividuals pe
ind
uestion”:
ssalonian Q
The
When will Go
d repay these
persecutors a
nd bring relie
Paul
f
says,
to me?
‘Whe
n will “Ask rath
er,
God b
to the
ri n g r
elief
Churc
h?’”

28. Search the
Table of Contents
for Other Offerings In
This Series
NEXT:
XIX: THE MAN OF SIN:
II Thessalonians 2
The Man of Lawlessness Revealed
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