2 Thessalonians 1:8

Contextual Overview

⁵All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁵ All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁵ This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. ⁵This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. ⁵And God is going to use these hard times y'all been experiencing to show his judgment on this world and that y'all are worthy of the great things he has planned for your eternity on a thousand hills. ⁵ Which is a clear sign of the decision which God in his righteousness has made; to give you a part in his kingdom, for which you have undergone this pain; ⁵ a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that ye should be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for the sake of which ye also suffer; ⁵ It is a clear evidence of God's righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God's kingdom, for which you also are suffering, ⁵ This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. ⁵ A manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted, worthy of the kingdom of God; for which also ye suffer.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

flaming: Genesis 3:24, Deuteronomy 4:11, Deuteronomy 5:5, Psalms 21:8, Psalms 21:9, Psalms 50:2-6, Daniel 7:10, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Hebrews 10:27, Hebrews 12:29, 2 Peter 3:7, 2 Peter 3:10-12, Revelation 20:10, Revelation 20:14, Revelation 20:15, Revelation 21:8

taking: or, yielding vengeance, Deuteronomy 32:35, Deuteronomy 32:41, Deuteronomy 32:42, Psalms 2:9-12, Psalms 94:1, Isaiah 61:2, Isaiah 63:4-6, Hebrews 10:30, Revelation 6:10, Revelation 6:16, Revelation 6:17

that know: Exodus 5:2, 1 Samuel 2:12, Psalms 9:10, Psalms 79:6, Isaiah 27:11, Jeremiah 9:6, Zephaniah 1:6, John 3:19, John 8:19, Romans 1:28, 1 Corinthians 15:34, 1 Thessalonians 4:5

and that: Deuteronomy 4:30, Psalms 18:44, Isaiah 1:19, Acts 6:7, Romans 1:5, Romans 2:7, Romans 2:8, Romans 6:16, Romans 10:16, Romans 15:18, Romans 16:26, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Galatians 3:1, Hebrews 2:3, Hebrews 5:9, Hebrews 11:8, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 3:6, 1 Peter 4:17

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:18 - in fire Deuteronomy 9:3 - a consuming fire Deuteronomy 32:22 - For a fire Judges 2:2 - but ye have Judges 2:10 - knew not 2 Samuel 22:41 - I might 2 Samuel 23:7 - and they shall 2 Kings 18:12 - they obeyed not 1 Chronicles 16:33 - because Job 15:30 - the flame Job 18:21 - knoweth Psalms 2:12 - when Psalms 18:8 - went Psalms 36:12 - There Psalms 37:38 - General Psalms 45:4 - right Psalms 50:3 - a fire Psalms 68:2 - as wax Psalms 89:46 - thy wrath Psalms 94:13 - mayest Psalms 97:3 - General Psalms 103:21 - ministers Isaiah 1:28 - the destruction Isaiah 9:5 - burning Isaiah 26:11 - fire Isaiah 30:30 - the flame Isaiah 33:14 - everlasting Isaiah 50:11 - ye shall Isaiah 55:4 - a leader Isaiah 59:17 - the garments Jeremiah 10:25 - that know Jeremiah 12:17 - if Jeremiah 50:15 - for it Lamentations 1:13 - above Ezekiel 1:27 - the appearance of fire Ezekiel 3:19 - he shall Ezekiel 24:9 - I will Daniel 7:9 - his throne Micah 5:15 - General Malachi 4:1 - shall burn Matthew 7:13 - that Matthew 10:28 - able Matthew 11:29 - my Matthew 18:8 - everlasting Matthew 18:34 - and delivered Matthew 25:31 - the Son Matthew 25:42 - General Mark 16:16 - but Luke 9:26 - when Luke 16:24 - for John 12:48 - the word John 15:21 - because John 16:3 - because John 17:3 - this John 17:25 - the world 1 Corinthians 10:10 - destroyer 1 Corinthians 16:22 - Anathema Galatians 4:8 - when Galatians 5:7 - obey Ephesians 1:6 - praise Philippians 3:20 - from 1 Thessalonians 4:6 - the Lord 2 Thessalonians 2:8 - with the brightness 1 Peter 3:1 - obey 1 John 4:6 - he that knoweth Revelation 14:10 - in the Revelation 20:9 - and fire

Cross-References

Genesis 1:5
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day.

Genesis 1:5
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:5
God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light day, and the darknes night: and the euenyng & the mornyng were the first day.

Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day," and he named the darkness "night." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the first day.

Genesis 1:5
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:5
dai, and the derknessis, nyyt. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, o daie.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light, Day, and the darknesse he called Night: and the euening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

In flaming fire,.... Which may either refer to Christ, who will be revealed from heaven in such a manner; and whose coming will be as the lightning, not only sudden, but glorious, illustrious, and visible; he will be seen and easily discerned; there will be such a light and flaming fire about him, which, as it will serve to make him visible, will greatly add to the majesty of his appearance, and strike terror to his enemies, and burn them up round about; see Daniel 7:7 or else it may refer to the angels, who shall descend in fiery forms, which is agreeably to their nature, Psalms 104:4 and so they appeared in the forms of horses of fire, and chariots of fire, when Elijah was carried up to heaven. And it is a tradition of the Jews z, that the angel Gabriel descended

בשלהובא דאשא, "in a flame of fire", to burn Moses, as he was in the inn, when upon his journey from Midian to Egypt: or this clause may be read in construction with the following, as it is in the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, "in flaming fire taking vengeance"; and so expresses the manner in which vengeance will be taken on the wicked by Christ, the Judge of all, to whom it belongs: and the punishment of ungodly men is often signified by fire, and flames of fire, by the fire of hell, and a lake which burns with fire and brimstone, by a furnace of fire, everlasting fire, and fire that cannot be quenched, to set forth the endless torture and inconceivable misery of the damned; and it may be, some regard is had to the general conflagration, which will be at the coming of Christ, when the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and all that is in it, shall be burnt up, when the bodies of the wicked, then living, will be consumed in flames of fire, and their souls feel the wrath of the Almighty. The persons who will then be punished, and on whom vengeance will be taken, are described as follows,

on them that know not God; which is a periphrasis, or common character of the Gentiles, 1 Thessalonians 4:5 who know not the one, true, and living God; or know him not so as to glorify him as God, and be thankful to him for the mercies they receive from him, and still less know him in Christ Jesus; which ignorance of theirs is not without sin, nor will it excuse from punishment; for though vengeance will not be taken on them, because they have not a spiritual saving knowledge of God, in the Mediator Jesus Christ, who never was revealed to them; yet forasmuch as they had the light and law of nature, by which the being of God, and the invisible perfections of his nature might be seen and understood, and much of his will, with respect to moral good and evil, be known, against both which they have rebelled, and having sinned, will perish without law: though it may also include all such persons, who having been favoured with an external revelation, have professed to know God, and yet in works have denied him:

and that obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; of which Christ is the author, was the preacher, and is the sum and substance; which is good news and glad tidings of the grace of, God, of peace, pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation by Christ; which may be said to be obeyed, when it is received and embraced by faith, with and from the heart, and confession is made of it with the mouth, and the ordinances of it are submitted to; and which is called the obedience of faith, because faith without obedience is not right, and obedience without faith is of no avail: but all that hear the Gospel do not obey it; there are some that disbelieve and reject the doctrines and ordinances of it, and others that, do profess it, and do not yield a cordial and cheerful obedience to it; both may be reckoned among the disobeyers of it: and though the unbelieving Jews may be chiefly designed here, yet deists of every age and place, where the Gospel revelation has come, and carnal professors, and profane despisers everywhere, may be included; whose condemnation will be aggravated by the external light which has shone around them, and they have hated; the severest punishment will be inflicted on them; it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah, than for such persons; see 1 Peter 4:17.

z Zohar in Gen. fol. 63. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In flaming fire - This is a circumstance which is not noticed in the account of his appearing in the parallel place in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The object of the apostle here seems to be to represent him as coming amidst vivid flashes of lightning. He is commonly described as coming in clouds, and to that common description there is here added the image of incessant lightnings, as if the whole heavens were illuminated with a continued blaze.

Taking vengeance - Margin, “yielding.” Greek, “giving. The word “vengeance” is used in the sense of punishment, for there cannot be in God what literally corresponds with the passion of revenge; compare the notes on Romans 12:19.

On them that know not God. - On all who are strangers to him; that is, who are living in pagan darkness, or who, having heard of him, have no practical acquaintance with him.

And that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Who do not embrace it, and practice its precepts in their lives; compare the notes on Romans 2:9.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. In flaming fire — εν φλογι πυρος. In thunder and lightning, taking vengeance-inflicting just punishment on them that know not God-the heathen who do not worship the true God, and will not acknowledge him, but worship idols; and on them that obey not the Gospel-the Jews, particularly who have rejected the Gospel, and persecuted Christ and his messengers; and all nominal Christians who, though they believe the Gospel as a revelation from God, yet do not obey it as a rule of life.