THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

The Hope of Israel: What Is It? 193
not in perfect harmony with what Peter declares in
the passage we have been considering. And let it be
recalled at this point that, as has been already shown,
Paul also, in his foretelling of the second coming of
Christ, gives prominence to the fact that it will be attended
by the destruction of the world by fire, and
the judgment and perdition of ungodly men. For Paul
too looks on to the end of the present order of things ;
to the time when God will recompense tribulation to
them who now trouble His people, and to those who
now are troubled rest with His apostles ;
and according
to Paul, that will be "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming
fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall be punished with with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of His power." And once more we are told that this
will be "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" (2 Thess. 1 :6-10)
. Thus we see that, as in Peter's
account, so likewise in Paul's the conspicuous features
of the events that will attend the coming again of the
Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, are the flaming fire,
and the everlasting punishment of the ungodly.
Paul
identifies these as they "that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" ; which
words make it evident that the events he describes
that is, the awarding of "rest" to God's people and
"tribulation" to their enemies will take place at
the end of this day of GOSPEL salvation. "That day"
of vengeance will follow next after this day of the
gospel.