Deeper Reflection
THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL BE A DAY OF DIVINE VENGEANCE: “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven…inflicting vengeance” (v.7b). This divine vengeance is particularly on those who persecute God’s people: “to repay with affliction those who afflict you” (v.6). This provides great comfort and strong encouragement to God’s faithful people who suffer persecution to endure with “steadfastness and faith” (v.4). God will vindicate them in His righteousness (vv.5, 6).But this divine vengeance is also on unbelievers in general, “who do not know God” and “do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (v.8). “Do not know God” and “do not obey the gospel” are parallel ideas. It is not “do not know God” out of ignorance, but wilful rejection of the knowledge of God: “they did not see fit to acknowledge God” and the result is “God gave them up to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done” (Rom 1:28). It is an act of disobedience and rebellion.The divine vengeance is depicted as “the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (v.9). It will be an “unending suffering” – “eternal destruction” – “in the afterlife”¹³. What is most painful and tormenting in this unending suffering? It is being “away from the presence of the Lord” – to be “banned from ever existing in His presence”, in “continued existence separate from Christ and lasting forever”¹⁴. This is in contrast to God’s redeemed people who “will see His face” “forever and ever” (Rev 22:4-5).

---

¹³ G. K. Beale, 188 ¹⁴ G. K. Beale, 188-89