What’s your impression of movie sequels? Was Jaws 2 better than Jaws? The Empire Strikes Back an improvement on Star Wars? I usually find sequels to be quite disappointing. It seems to me that they are produced just to capitalize on the success of the first film, not because there is a meaningful follow-up story to be told.
I wonder if that isn’t what a lot of people think of the Apocalypse. Do you know what the Apocalypse is? The word “apocalypse” is Greek for “revealing.” Paul used that word to describe how Jesus would be revealed in all of his glory on the Last Day. Today we are going to see that the return of Jesus is not just another sequel for he will come to pay back God’s enemies, and take back God’s people. Since his return will be so brilliant all will say “Apocalypse Wow!”
We’re going to learn about the Apocalypse from Paul’s words to the Christians in Thessalonica. Paul stopped by this Greek city on his second missionary journey and through the work of the Holy Sprit, won a large number of converts. Unfortunately there were also many opposed to the faith forcing Paul and his companions to move on to the city of Berea.
As Paul left Thessalonica he was concerned for the Christians because it didn’t look like the persecution would stop with his departure. When Paul arrived in Corinth he sent a letter to the Thessalonians to encourage them in their faith. Upon hearing that they had withstood the devil’s attacks he quickly wrote another letter saying, “All this [persecution] 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 ” (2 Thess. 1:5).
The Thessalonians were not to think that suffering for the faith was a sign that God had forsaken them. No, it proved God’s interest in them. In his first epistle Peter explained why God let’s his children suffer. “...though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6b, 7).
When God allows a trial into our life he’s not challenging us to handle the situation on our own. He’s rousing us to hold on to his promises that will see us through the difficulty. Life’s trials are like a stiff winter wind. The harder it blows the more tightly it causes you to wrap your jacket around you, not throw it off. In the same way God allows blustery challenges into our life so that we will wrap ourselves more tightly in his love.
Although suffering and persecution strengthens faith Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that they wouldn’t have to put up with it forever. Paul said, “6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels” (2 Thess. 2:6, 7).
Paul promised that in time God would grant relief. The Greek word “relief” can be described as the loosening of a bowstring. Though there may be tension in our life now God promises to loosen that tension when Christ returns. He will provide that relief especially when he pays back God’s enemies for the hurt they have caused his children. Paul explains, “8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Thess. 2:8).
At the Apocalypse unbelievers will be heard to say, “Wow!” at the punishment God has in store for them. Paul tells us that God will not only shut out the unbelievers from his love, but also pay their evil back with everlasting destruction. Some think this means that God’s enemies will simply be annihilated so that they cease to exist. If only it were that painless. At the Apocalypse, God’s enemies will not cease to exist; their existence will cease to be appealing. The punishment God has in store for them is often described in the Bible as a constant burning with no hope of relief. When that becomes plain to God’s enemies this is how they will react. “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev. 6:15-17).
Since God doesn’t mess around you won’t want to be found his enemy at the Apocalypse. Just who are God’s enemies? It’s not just those who actively persecute God’s people; it’s all those who don’t believe in his Son, Jesus for salvation. That includes followers of other religions. Not all religions are the same, nor do they worship the same God. Just compare Christianity with other religions. They are totally different. Other religions teach that you can do something to save yourself while the Bible teaches that it’s impossible to save yourself. Instead it points us to Jesus who has provided salvation. If salvation can be found apart from Christ why then did he die? There were many religions in place already before Jesus was ever born in Bethlehem.
But now what about those people who didn’t ever have the opportunity to learn about Jesus? Will they too be punished like those who actively persecuted God’s people? The answer to that question is yes. Even if you lived out on a deserted island and never had the chance to read the Bible God will still judge you by what you could learn of him from nature. Through creation and our own conscience God has provided ample evidence of his power and justice so that everyone knows the basics of right and wrong. In spite of that knowledge no one has done what is right and kept from doing what is wrong. For that God is just in punishing.
Instead of being concerned with how God will deal with those who have never had the chance to hear about Jesus we need to be concerned about ourselves. We all have now heard that salvation is found only in Christ. What are we going to do with this knowledge? If we reject it we will find ourselves in worse shape than those who never read the Bible before. If, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we believe that Jesus is our Saviour this section will motivate us to tell more people about Christ so that all may know about the wonderful things God has done for them.
It’s not only going to be the unbelievers, however, who say, “Wow!” at the Apocalypse. Believers too will be astounded by what they see. Paul said, “on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you” (2 Thess. 1:10).
Our amazement will be one of joy and wonder, as we will see Jesus dressed in all of his glory attended with his fiery angels. Perhaps the best part of the Apocalypse is that we will be participants, not just spectators. Paul described the events of that day in more detail in his first letter to the Thessalonians. There he said, “16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thess 4:16, 17).
John adds that besides flying through the air to meet the Lord our bodies will be changed so that “...we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 Jn. 3:2b). To be like God means to be holy and righteous, without sin and its painful consequences of sickness and sadness. Like God we will be eternal. And all those questions that we had about him, what he was doing before the world was created, or how he can be three persons yet one God, won’t be questions any more for we will fully understand God.
The Apocalypse wow! What a wonderful day that will be for us believers! How can you be certain that you are one of those whom God will call his own? In the last verse of our text Paul assured the Thessalonians that they too would participate in this glorious day because they had believed Paul’s testimony (v. 10). In the same way if we believe Paul and the other Apostles’ witness about Jesus, we can be certain that we are God’s children. If you’re still not sure look to your baptism. There God made you his child and sealed his forgiveness for you in the water that was poured over your head.
Perhaps you don’t know enough about Jesus to discern whether or not he is the only way to salvation. If so why don’t you find out more? After all what you know and believe about Jesus will make the difference between an eternity in heaven, or in hell.
Friends, Jesus will return and his return won’t be like one of those lame sequels. His appearance will be much more glorious than his first coming when he was born in a barn, as a simple baby. When Jesus reappears he will present himself as he is, the King of kings and Lord of lords. “Wow!” That’s what you’ll be saying whether you’re a believer or unbeliever. May the Lord grant that for you it be an expression of joy. Amen.
