2 Thessalonians 1:4-8 “so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, (5) which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; (6) since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, (7) and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, (8) in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Just as our sufferings in this life will result in our receiving of eternal rewards in the life to come, so it is that those who inflict suffering on the people of God in this life will incur eternal punishment in the ages to come. For the above-quoted passage of scripture states that it is a righteous thing with God, to repay with tribulation those who trouble His saints. And so we see that God will use the suffering of His saints to take vengeance on the unbelievers on their day of judgement.
Luke 11:49-51 “Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ (50) that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, (51) from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.”
In the above-quoted passage of scripture our Lord Jesus confirms the truth that God will hold this generation accountable for the suffering they inflict upon His saints. When our Lord speaks of this generation He is referring to all of mankind that have ever lived on the earth, from the time of Adam until the end of the age.
Matthew 25:41-46 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (42) for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; (43) I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' (44) "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' (45) Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' (46) And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
It is not however, only for active persecution of the Lord’s saints that the world will suffer wrath on their day of judgement, for they will also suffer wrath on that day for their indifference toward and ill treatment of the Lord’s saints. For in the above-quoted passage of scripture our Lord speaks of those who chose not to minister to His saints, that were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison. Our Lord says that these too will go away into everlasting punishment.
Michael E.B. Maher
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