2 Thessalonians 1:9

Contextual Overview

⁵ This is proof that God is right in his judgment. He wants you to be worthy of his kingdom. Your suffering is for that kingdom. ⁵ This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering-- ⁵ which is a token of ye ryghtewes iudgemet of god that ye are counted worthy of the kyngdom of god for which ye also suffre. 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 This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed are suffering. ⁵ This is proof that God is right in his judgment. He wants you to be counted worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering. ⁵ [which is] a manifest token 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 [Which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: ⁵ This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

be: Isaiah 33:14, Isaiah 66:24, Daniel 12:2, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Matthew 26:24, Mark 9:43-49, Luke 16:25, Luke 16:26, John 5:14, Philippians 3:19, Hebrews 10:29, 2 Peter 2:17, 2 Peter 3:7, Jude 1:13, Revelation 14:10, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 20:14, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 22:15

from the presence: Genesis 3:8, Genesis 4:16, Job 21:14, Job 22:17, Psalms 16:11, Psalms 51:11, Matthew 7:23, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 25:41, Luke 13:27

the glory: 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Deuteronomy 33:2, Isaiah 2:10, Isaiah 2:19, Isaiah 2:21, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 24:30, Titus 2:13,*Gr: Revelation 20:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:14 - from thy Leviticus 22:3 - from my Deuteronomy 7:23 - shall destroy 2 Samuel 22:41 - I might 2 Kings 13:23 - neither cast he 2 Kings 17:20 - until he had cast 2 Chronicles 14:13 - before the Lord Job 15:30 - the flame Job 31:3 - destruction Psalms 2:12 - when Psalms 9:3 - they shall Psalms 34:21 - they Psalms 36:12 - There Psalms 37:38 - General Psalms 45:4 - right Psalms 50:3 - a fire Psalms 68:2 - as wax Psalms 73:18 - thou castedst Psalms 80:16 - perish Psalms 138:6 - afar off Isaiah 1:28 - the destruction Isaiah 27:11 - therefore Isaiah 50:11 - ye shall Jeremiah 4:20 - upon destruction Jeremiah 23:39 - cast Ezekiel 3:19 - he shall Jonah 1:3 - from Matthew 3:7 - flee Matthew 5:26 - Thou Matthew 7:13 - that Matthew 18:8 - everlasting Matthew 18:34 - and delivered Mark 3:29 - but is Mark 9:44 - the fire 1 Corinthians 16:22 - Anathema Ephesians 2:8 - by 1 Thessalonians 5:3 - then Revelation 15:8 - from the

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the bigynnyng God made of nouyt heuene and erthe.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth --

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction,.... With destruction both of soul and body, though not with the annihilation of either; their gnawing worm of conscience will never die, and the fire of divine wrath will never be quenched; the smoke of their torment will ascend for ever. Sin being committed against an infinite and eternal Being, will be infinite in its duration; nor will it cease to be in the persons punished, who will not be in the least reformed or purged from sin by punishment; which will make the continuance of it just and necessary. And these will be driven

from the presence of the Lord; as the former clause may express the punishment of sense the wicked will feel in their own breasts, this may intend the punishment of loss; or what they will be deprived of, the presence of the Lord, in which the happiness of angels, and of glorified saints lies; and may also signify how sudden and terrible their destruction will be. As soon as the Lord appears, they will perish at his presence like wax before the fire; and so awful will be his appearance, they will flee from it with the utmost terror, and call to the rocks and mountains to hide them from the face of the Lord, and to screen them from his wrath:

and from the glory of his power; or his glorious power, in which he shall come, and which will be exerted, and shown in raising the dead, and gathering all nations before him, in passing sentence on them, and in executing it. For he has power, as to save, so to destroy, as to glorify the bodies and souls of his saints, so to destroy the wicked, both body and soul, in hell; and the glory of his power will be seen in the one, as well as in the other. And now it will be, that tribulation will be rendered to the troublers of the Lord's people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction; - see the notes on Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46. The word which is here rendered “destruction” (ὄλεθρον olethron), is different from that which occurs in Matthew 25:46, and which is there rendered “punishment” - κόλασις kolasis. The word ὄλεθρον olethron - “olethron” - occurs only here and in 1Co 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; 1 Timothy 6:9; in each of which places it is rendered destruction. It does not denote annihilation, but is used in the same sense in which we use the word when we say that a thing is destroyed. Thus, health is destroyed when it fails; property is destroyed when it is burned or sunk in the ocean; a limb is destroyed that is lost in battle; life is destroyed when one dies. In the case before us, the destruction, whatever it be, is:

(1) To be continued forever; and,

(2) Is to be of the nature of punishment.

The meaning then must be, that the soul is destroyed as to the great purposes of its being - its enjoyment, dignity, honor, holiness, happiness. It will not be annihilated, but will live and linger on in destruction. It seems difficult to conceive how anyone can profess to hold that this passage is a part of the Word of God, and yet deny the doctrine of future eternal punishment. It would not be possible to state that doctrine in clearer language than this. It is never is in clearer language in any creed or confession of faith, and if it is not true that the wicked will be punished forever, then it must be admitted that it would not have been possible to reveal the doctrine in human language!

From the presence of the Lord - That is, a part of their punishment will consist in being banished from the immediate presence of the Lord. There is a sense in which God is everywhere present, and in that sense he will be in the world where the wicked will dwell, to punish them. But the phrase is also used to denote his more immediate presence; the place where are the symbols of his majesty and glory; the home of the holy and the blessed. It is in that sense that the word is used here, and the idea is, that it will be one of the circumstances contributing to the deeper woe of the place of punishment, that those who dwell there will be banished from that holy abode, and will never be permitted to enter there.

And from the glory of his power - The meaning seems to be, that they will not be able to endure the manifestation of his power and majesty when he shall appear, but will be driven away by it into outer darkness; see 2 Thessalonians 2:8. The Saviour, in describing his second coming, uses this language: “They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory;” Matthew 24:30. There will be a great exhibition of both. The power will be seen in the convulsions of nature which will precede or attend him; in the resurrection of the dead; and in the bringing of all to judgment: and the glory will be seen in his own person; the dignity and number of his attendants; and the honor that shall then be conferred on him as the final Judge of all mankind. By the manifestation of that power and glory the wicked will be driven away into eternal ruin. They will not be able to stand before it, and though, in common with the righteous, they may see the majesty of the Redeemer in the last day, yet they will be driven away to witness it no more.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 9. Who shall be punished — What this everlasting destruction consists in we cannot tell. It is not annihilation, for their being continues; and as the destruction is everlasting, it is an eternal continuance and presence of substantial evil, and absence of all good; for a part of this punishment consists in being banished from the presence of the Lord-excluded from his approbation, for ever; so that the light of his countenance can be no more enjoyed, as there will be an eternal impossibility of ever being reconciled to him.

The glory of his power — Never to see the face of God throughout eternity is a heart-rending, soul-appalling thought; and to be banished from the glory of his power, that power the glory of which is peculiarly manifested in saving the lost and glorifying the faithful, is what cannot be reflected on without confusion and dismay. But this must be the lot of all who acknowledge not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.