Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians as they are going through persecution. He has said in v5 “God’s judgment is right” and continues with “God is just” v6.
Often we wonder why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. It appears that there is a global and historical miscarriage of justice. Why God? Why is this happening to us? Paul has said during this time of suffering God is counting them worthy but now he continues.
“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. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” (2 Thessalonians 1 v 6-10)
Those who have suffered, been persecuted and gone through trouble with all those who are followers and believers in God will be changed by His glory in a marvellous celebration of His presence. This will happen because Christ is returning. He is coming again. Paul believed and hoped Christ would come in his lifetime (v7). This is also how we should live our lives in the light of the Second Coming of Christ.
In contrast there will be payback to those who have caused trouble to God’s people. Paul uses terrifying words, “pay back trouble, punish and punished with everlasting destruction”. There has been so much debate on whether verse 9 means conscious torment or ultimate annihilation and in a sense everyone misses the main point. Those who have caused trouble to the people of God, those who do not know God and those who have not obeyed the gospel of Jesus will be “shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” This is the main point. They will pay. They will never know His eternal glorious presence and power. When Christ comes the tables will be turned. Today the world we live in looks a mess. There is cruelty all around. We do live at a time when everyone seems to be doing whatever they want. But it is only for a time. Pay back is coming.
Missions Paul 