2 Thessalonians 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints… The context teaches two things concerning the final Advent of Christ. 1. The mode of His revelation to the world: "Revealed from heaven." He is now hidden within the veil; the veil will then be withdrawn and every eye shall see Him. But how will He be revealed "with the angels of His might." What are they, and how numerous? "In a fire of flame." Fire is often represented as the accompaniment of manifested Deity (Exodus 3:2-18; Exodus 19:18; Daniel 2:9, 10; Malachi 4:1; Revelation 19:12). 2. The purpose of His revelation to the world. What is it? (1) To deal out retribution on the ungodly, "Taking vengeance," etc. What will be the retribution? "Everlasting destruction." What is that? Ah, what! Whence comes it? "From the presence of the Lord." His presence makes the heaven of the blest, constitutes the hell of the damned. (2) To confer immortal blessedness on His faithful disciples, "To be glorified in His saints." As the sun's glory is reflected in a mirror, so will Christ's glorious image be seen in the assembled universe in the perfection of His saints. How will Christ be glorified in this revelation of Himself? I. THE MAGNIFICENCE OF HIS MORAL TRIUMPHS will be universally recognized. When the millions of His disciples shall appear from all ages and lands, redeemed from all evil and resplendent with goodness, the glory of Christ's triumphs over the worst superstitions, over the strongest prejudices, over the mightiest depravities, over the wicked and most hardened of the race. The Hottentot, the Esquimaux, the Hindoo, the Chinese, the Japanese — men of all races, will appear as His. How will this strike every soul with admiration and praise. He who conquers the errors, bad passions, corrupt principles and habits of our soul, achieves a sublimer conquest than he who lays thousands of the mere bodies of men dead on the field of battle. But Christ's conquest of millions and millions of souls will appear on that day. II. THE PERFECTION OF HIS CHARACTER will be universally recognized. 1. Will not His love be seen in all these conquests, His disinterested, compassionate, persevering, all-conquering love? 2. Will not His faithfulness be seen in all these conquests? Will not every redeemed soul say He is true; all He has promised He has performed. 3. Will not His holiness be seen in all these conquests? He cleansed them from all their spiritual pollutions, and they appear before Him without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. 4. Will not His power be seen in all these conquests? Who will not he struck with His might in accomplishing this great work of gathering them all together into His everlasting kingdom. (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. |
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