9<\/strong>. who shall be punished<\/em> with everlasting destruction<\/em> ] Rather, men who will pay the penalty of eternal destruction<\/strong>. In these awful words the Apostle describes the retribution designed for godless men and rejecters of the Gospel. His word for “penalty” ( dik<\/em>, the root of the words righteous<\/em> and righteousness<\/em> in Greek) brings to a climax the idea of justice<\/em> developed in 2Th 1:5-8<\/em><\/span>; see note on “vengeance.” But the clause while defining, qualifies the foregoing; for “who” is equal to such as, who with all like them<\/em>. The threatening applies to the impious and malignant opposers who were seeking to crush the infant Church. Their sin corresponded to that which our Lord denounced as the sin against the Holy Spirit, the “eternal sin,” the “blasphemy against the Spirit which shall not be forgiven” (Mat 12:31-32<\/span>; Mar 3:28-29<\/span>, R. V.).<\/p>\n “Destruction,” as applied to man and his destiny in the N.T., signifies perdition, ruin<\/em>, the utter loss of blessedness. It is opposed to “salvation” in Heb 10:39<\/span>; 2Co 2:15<\/span>, &c.; and “eternal destruction” is the antithesis of eternal life.” There is no sufficient reason for interpreting the destruction of the reprobate as signifying their annihilation<\/em>, or extinction of being; they will be lost<\/em> for ever lost to God and goodness. Nor can we limit the range of the word eternal<\/em> in its relation to this fearful doom; it removes all limits of time, and is the express opposite of temporary<\/em> (2Co 4:18<\/span>). Seventy-two times the Greek original of the adjective is found in the N.T.: forty-four of these examples are repetitions of the phrase “eternal life;” it is arbitrary to suppose that in the opposite combination “eternal” bears a restricted sense. Christ’s judicial words in Mat 25:46<\/span> bar all attempts to minimize the penal effect of the sentence of the Last Day; “eternal punishment,” He says, and “eternal life.” Comp. Php 3:19<\/span>, “whose end<\/em> is destruction.”<\/p>\n from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power<\/em> ] Better, as in R. V., and without the comma, from the face of the Lord and from the glory of His might<\/strong>. Language borrowed from Isaiah 2<\/span>, where it occurs thrice repeated, all but identically ( Isa 2:10<\/em><\/span> ; Isa 2:19<\/em><\/span><\/em> ; Isa 2:21<\/em><\/span><\/em>), in the prophet’s picture of Jehovah’s coming in judgement: “Enter into the rocks and hide yourselves in the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord and from the glory of His might<\/em>, when He ariseth to shake the earth.” The words of Rev 6:15-16<\/span> are based on the same original: “They say to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne<\/em>, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” The preposition here seems, however, after the word “destruction,” to signify coming from<\/em>, rather than shrinking from<\/em> the face of the Lord. The sight of their Judge and His Almightiness, robed in fire and attended by His host of angels, will drive these wretched men, terror-stricken, into ruin. Their destruction proceeds “from the face of the Lord;” in His look the evildoers read their fate. So we can imagine it will be with the murderers of Jesus, and with malicious persecutors of His people. Comp. Psa 34:16<\/span>; Psa 76:7<\/span>, “The face of the Lord is against them that do evil:” “Who may stand in Thy sight, when once Thou art angry?”<\/p>\n While the destruction of the persecutors and the deliverance of the persecuted are contrasted in themselves ( 2Th 1:6-7<\/em><\/span>), they are identified in point of time<\/em>. For justice will overtake the former <\/p>\n Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction; – <\/B>see the notes on Mat 25:41<\/span>, Mat 25:46<\/span>. The word which is here rendered destruction (<\/SPAN><\/span> olethron), is different from that which occurs in Mat 25:46<\/span>, and which is there rendered punishment – <\/SPAN><\/span> kolasis. The word <\/SPAN><\/span> olethron – olethron – occurs only here and in 1Co 5:5<\/U><\/span>; 1Th 5:3<\/span>; 1Ti 6:9<\/span>; in each of which places it is rendered destruction. It does not denote annihilation, but is used in the same sense in which we use the word when we say that a thing is destroyed. Thus, health is destroyed when it fails; property is destroyed when it is burned or sunk in the ocean; a limb is destroyed that is lost in battle; life is destroyed when one dies. In the case before us, the destruction, whatever it be, is:<\/P> (1) To be continued forever; and,<\/P> (2) Is to be of the nature of punishment.<\/P> The meaning then must be, that the soul is destroyed as to the great purposes of its being – its enjoyment, dignity, honor, holiness, happiness. It will not be annihilated, but will live and linger on in destruction. It seems difficult to conceive how anyone can profess to hold that this passage is a part of the Word of God, and yet deny the doctrine of future eternal punishment. It would not be possible to state that doctrine in clearer language than this. It is never is in clearer language in any creed or confession of faith, and if it is not true that the wicked will be punished forever, then it must be admitted that it would not have been possible to reveal the doctrine in human language!<\/P> From the presence of the Lord – <\/B>That is, a part of their punishment will consist in being banished from the immediate presence of the Lord. There is a sense in which God is everywhere present, and in that sense he will be in the world where the wicked will dwell, to punish them. But the phrase is also used to denote his more immediate presence; the place where are the symbols of his majesty and glory; the home of the holy and the blessed. It is in that sense that the word is used here, and the idea is, that it will be one of the circumstances contributing to the deeper woe of the place of punishment, that those who dwell there will be banished from that holy abode, and will never be permitted to enter there.<\/P> And from the glory of his power – <\/B>The meaning seems to be, that they will not be able to endure the manifestation of his power and majesty when he shall appear, but will be driven away by it into outer darkness; see 2Th 2:8<\/span>. The Saviour, in describing his second coming, uses this language: They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory; Mat 24:30<\/span>. There will be a great exhibition of both. The power will be seen in the convulsions of nature which will precede or attend him; in the resurrection of the dead; and in the bringing of all to judgment: and the glory will be seen in his own person; the dignity and number of his attendants; and the honor that shall then be conferred on him as the final Judge of all mankind. By the manifestation of that power and glory the wicked will be driven away into eternal ruin. They will not be able to stand before it, and though, in common with the righteous, they may see the majesty of the Redeemer in the last day, yet they will be driven away to witness it no more.<\/P> <\/p>\n 2Th 1:9<\/span><\/p>\n Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The punishment of the wicked<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>The estate destruction (1Th 5:3<\/span>; Mat 7:13<\/span>; Rom 9:22<\/span>; Php 3:19<\/span>), meaning thereby not an abolition of their being but of their well-being. Annihilation would be no loss. It is a destruction–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> Of their carnal happiness, their glory, pleasure, gain, wherein they placed their contentment–<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> Of the true happiness which lies in the favour of God.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>The duration everlasting (Mat 25:41<\/span>; Mat 25:46<\/span>).<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>The reasons–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> The majesty of God against whom the sin is committed.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> The nature of sin which is a preference of short sensitive good before that which is spiritual and eternal.<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> The will of the sinner. Their impenitence is endless, so is their punishment.<\/p>\n (4)<\/strong> There is no change of state in the other world (Luk 13:25<\/span>; Luk 16:26<\/span>).<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>The punishment of loss From the presence of the Lord. Concerning this note–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> That all are equal in this. There may be degrees of pain, but all are equally excluded from the Divine presence.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> That the punishment of the wicked is the opposite of the reward of the righteous. All our refreshment comes from the Divine presence (Act 3:19<\/span>).<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> That it is fitting. They have forsaken God, and now God has forsaken them (Rom 1:28<\/span>; Job 21:14<\/span>).<\/p>\n (4)<\/strong> That it is this greatest part of future punishment–<\/p>\n (a) <\/strong>In itself, it is to be deprived of an infinite good (Psa 16:11<\/span>; Exo 33:15<\/span>).<\/p>\n (b) <\/strong>In the deep sense of it. Here the wicked are insensible of it.<\/p>\n (c) <\/strong>In its irreparableness.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>The punishment of sense: From the glory of His power (Rev 6:15-16<\/span>). This is the greatness of His goodness, and to be deprived of that is to feel the might of His justice.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>To the unconverted. These considerations should–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> Rouse them out of their security.<\/p>\n (a) <\/strong>Many disbelieve.<\/p>\n (b) <\/strong>Others think neither one way nor the other (Amo 6:3<\/span>).<\/p>\n (c) <\/strong>Others do not closely apply what they believe and think.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> Check their boldness in sinning against light and conscience.<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> Cause them to shake off all delays in the business of religion (Mat 3:7<\/span>; Heb 11:18<\/span>; Luk 14:32<\/span>).<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>To the godly–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> Bless God for your deliverance through Christ (1Th 2:13<\/span>; Rom 5:9<\/span>).<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> Let your love to Christ be quickened, and grow in His likeness (1Jn 4:17-18<\/span>).<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> Be courageous (Luk 12:4-5<\/span>; Heb 11:35<\/span>).<\/p>\n (4)<\/strong> Warn your friends in time (Luk 16:1-31<\/span>).<\/p>\n Banishment from Gods presence<\/strong><\/p>\n 1<\/strong>. <\/em><\/strong>Of all the ways in which Scripture describes the future blessedness of the elect none has less attraction for the wicked than that which places it in the full enjoyment of Gods presence. On all occasions direct reference to Him as near is painful.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Yet you would think it very strange and hard if whilst every day you were heaping marks of love on a child he regarded you simply as a mere machine operating beneficently because you could not help it. This is the treatment, however, to which men subject their Maker.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>One main reason of this treatment is the constant flow of good gifts from God whether they make any return or not; and so, having never discerned the invisible God in His works and gifts here, they see no reason why in another world it should not be the same. Where can the bliss be of seeing Gods countenance shine full on the soul, no beam of which has been ever sought or wished for by them here.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>But when it comes the punishment will be dreadful enough for–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> All good things come from God.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> But having rejected Him it is but equitable that we should be left to our own resources to find what happiness we may. Banishment from God means–<\/p>\n Hell, a necessary truth<\/strong><\/p>\n Assuming <\/em>the general impression of readers of the New Testament in relation to this doctrine to be correct; that we are there taught that there is a hell, that a human being of certain character may come and must come into a state of everlasting punishment; we are prepared to accept it as truth. The doctrine is as really required as the immense vertebra of some unknown animal require that the undiscovered ribs should be immense and of a certain character. An astronomer observes in a planet a slower or quicker rate of motion at one point of its orbit: he argues that there must be a world beyond it, not yet seen; and Neptune is presently discovered. A hell is the full harvest of self-indulgence, evil, sin. (J. Christen, D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The reality of perdition<\/strong><\/p>\n A dying man of large means said: I would give thirty thousand pounds to have it proved to me satisfactorily that there is no hell. Such proof cannot be presented. But suppose you throw overboard most of the testimony on this subject–is there not some slight possibility that there may be such a place? If there should be, and you have no preparation to escape it, what then? A young woman, dying, said to her father: Father, why did you not tell me there was such a place? What place? A hell! He said: Jenny, there is no such place. God is merciful. There will be no future suffering! She said: I know better! I feel it now I I know there is such a place! My feet are slipping into it this moment! I am lost! Why did you not tell me there was such a place? It is the awful, stupendous, consuming, incontrovertible fact of the universe. (T. De Witt Talmage.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Punishment irremediable<\/strong><\/p>\n The law which binds the earth in its orbital path finds expression in the being of a flower; the being of a flower and the life of a human soul are governed by one and the same law. Given, then, a flower with every capacity for strength, beauty, and sweetness; put it beyond the range of the mighty suns hand of blessing, put it in the outer darkness of a cellar, whence the celestial sheen is excluded, into which no showers can come, and through which no breeze can sweep: the flower will live for a time, even will propagate life; but what life! Its stalk and branches will become poor, weak, spongy, nerveless things; its leaves will grow more yellow and diminutive, its flower less and less like the God-purposed thing it might have been, and its smell will degenerate into a tainting impurity; why? Because by a mysterious chemical communion with the sun, alone could the glory and goodness that were in it be brought to blossom and fruitage. Light, not the mere need of light, quickens strong life and paints the beautiful. The presence of the true, not its felt absence, corrects the false. Communion with the grand, good, strong, and loving, alone can recover and transform. If, therefore, the language of Christ and His apostles will not admit of the interpretation that hell is the theatre of a more effective moral discipline than earth, that future punishment is really disciplinary;–and will the general mind admit the words outer darkness–unquenchable fire–everlasting punishment–place of torment–and depart, ye cursed, capable of the interpretation?–then the doctrine of an irremediable state of punishment in the life to come is in harmony with the law which we recognize in the utter falling off from fruitage, beauty, and trueness of uncultivated plants, and in the fearful degradation and mere animalism into which isolated and neglected tribes of our race have fallen Destruction–death–perish–devour, forever and ever:–do these Scripture terms become more intelligible in the light of this law? <\/em>(J. Christien, D. D.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The glory of His power<\/strong><\/p>\n Not from His power,–this is impossible. Whither can I go from His power? If I ascend up to heaven it is there: if I go down to hell, it is there also. Nay, nay, it is only from the glory of His power. I beseech thee, said Moses, show me Thy glory. And He said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. Well, then, the glory of God is the goodness of God. So the glory of His power in that day will be the goodness of His power in the revelation of the resources of His almighty will, as seen in the new heaven and the new earth, in the righteousness that shall dwell therein, and in the blessedness of His saints therein. To be banished from the glory of His power is to be given over to the fury of His power. It is not only to forfeit the enjoyment of the resources of His power administering goodness, but it is to come under the rigour of His power, administer ing justice. It is to feel Almightiness taking vengeance on body and soul without limit to, or possible escape from it–vengeance, we are told by One who knew, which is as a worm that never dies, and a fire that never shall be quenched. Oh, one of old did indeed well say, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! <\/em>(C. J. P. Eyro, M. A.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Verse 9. Who shall be punished<\/B><\/I>] What this everlasting<\/I> destruction<\/I> consists in we cannot tell. It is not annihilation<\/I>, for their being<\/I> continues; and as the destruction is everlasting<\/I>, it is an eternal continuance<\/I> and presence<\/I> of substantial evil<\/I>, and absence of all good<\/I>; for a part of this punishment consists in being banished from the presence of the Lord<\/I>-excluded from his approbation<\/I>, for ever; so that the light of his countenance can be no more enjoyed, as there will be an eternal impossibility of ever being reconciled to him.<\/P> <\/P> The glory of his power<\/B><\/I>] Never to see the face of God throughout eternity is a heart-rending, soul-appalling thought; and to be banished<\/I> from the glory of his power<\/I>, that power the glory<\/I> of which is peculiarly manifested in saving the lost<\/I> and glorifying the faithful<\/I>, is what cannot be reflected on without confusion and dismay. But this must be the lot of all who<\/I> acknowledge not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus<\/I> Christ<\/I>.<\/P><\/p>\n This is the vengeance before spoken of; it is here called <\/P> destruction, <\/B>not an annihilation, and cessation of being, but of all well-being: and elsewhere called death, <\/I>Rom 6:23<\/I><\/span>, and the second death, <\/I>Rev 20:6<\/I><\/span>, which imports also not all ceasing of life, but all comfort of life. And it is not the body alone, nor the soul alone, but their persons, <\/P> who, <\/B>& c.; and as fire is a great destroyer, so Christs coming in flaming fire brings their destruction. And this destruction is <\/P> everlasting:<\/B> the fire that destroys them is never quenched, Mar 9:43<\/span>,44<\/span>. As the fire of the altar, which was a fire of mercy, was not to go out, so the fire of Tophet burns for ever, Isa 30:33<\/span>, which is the fire of justice; and God living for ever, and his justice never satisfied, their destruction is for ever. They sinned in their eternity, and will be punished in Gods eternity. There was a remedy provided in the gospel for men, but rejecting the gospel, and not obeying it, there remains no hope; their destruction is everlasting. And this destruction is called punishment, <\/span> poenam luent; <\/I>not the chastisement of a Father, as the temporal affliction of Gods people. It proceeds from vindictive justice; it is taking vengeance. And this punishment is twofold, punishment of loss and sense, and from both together proceed perfect destruction. <\/P> From the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; <\/B>the preposition from<\/I> in the first expression noting separation, in the second noting efficiency. Others conceive efficiency to be meant in both, their destruction proceeding from the face of Christ frowning on them, frowning them into hell, (which smiling upon others, will bring their salvation), as well as from his glorious power manifested against them to destroy them, Rom 9:22<\/span>. And yet others interpret the preposition in both places to note separation, both from the face of Christ, which the saints shall behold and rejoice in for ever, and from his glorious power; which will work in some for their complete salvation in the day of his appearing, as it had done before in their first conversion, and sanctification. The destruction of the wicked will be from or by the power of Christ; but by this <\/P> glory of power<\/B> may be meant only that power which will bring glory both to the bodies and souls of the saints, and this the wicked shall have no experience of in that day. <\/P> <\/p>\n 9. Who<\/B>Greek,<\/I> “personswho,” c. <\/P> destruction from the presenceof the Lord<\/B>driven far from<\/I> His presence [ALFORD].The sentence emanating from Him<\/I> in person, sitting as Judge[BENGEL], and drivingthem far from<\/I> Him (Mat 25:41<\/span>Rev 6:16<\/span>; Rev 12:14<\/span>;compare 1Pe 3:12<\/span>; Isa 2:10<\/span>;Isa 2:19<\/span>). “The presence ofthe Lord” is the source whence the sentence goes forth; “theglory of His power” is the instrument whereby the sentence iscarried into execution [EDMUNDS].But ALFORD betterinterprets the latter clause (see 2Th1:10<\/span>), driven “from the manifestation of His power in theglorification of His saints.<\/I>” Cast out from the presenceof the Lord<\/I> is the idea at the root of eternal death, the law ofevil left to its unrestricted working, without one counteractinginfluence of the presence of God, who is the source of all light andholiness (Isa 66:24<\/span>; Mar 9:44<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction<\/strong>,…. With destruction both of soul and body, though not with the annihilation of either; their gnawing worm of conscience will never die, and the fire of divine wrath will never be quenched; the smoke of their torment will ascend for ever. Sin being committed against an infinite and eternal Being, will be infinite in its duration; nor will it cease to be in the persons punished, who will not be in the least reformed or purged from sin by punishment; which will make the continuance of it just and necessary. And these will be driven<\/p>\n from the presence of the Lord<\/strong>; as the former clause may express the punishment of sense the wicked will feel in their own breasts, this may intend the punishment of loss; or what they will be deprived of, the presence of the Lord, in which the happiness of angels, and of glorified saints lies; and may also signify how sudden and terrible their destruction will be. As soon as the Lord appears, they will perish at his presence like wax before the fire; and so awful will be his appearance, they will flee from it with the utmost terror, and call to the rocks and mountains to hide them from the face of the Lord, and to screen them from his wrath:<\/p>\n and from the glory of his power<\/strong>; or his glorious power, in which he shall come, and which will be exerted, and shown in raising the dead, and gathering all nations before him, in passing sentence on them, and in executing it. For he has power, as to save, so to destroy, as to glorify the bodies and souls of his saints, so to destroy the wicked, both body and soul, in hell; and the glory of his power will be seen in the one, as well as in the other. And now it will be, that tribulation will be rendered to the troublers of the Lord’s people.<\/p>\n Who <\/B> (<\/SPAN><\/span>). Qualitative use, such as. Vanishing in papyri though surviving in Paul (1Cor 3:17<\/span>; Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I. <\/strong>Generally. We have here–<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>Particularly.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>The lessons–<\/p>\n
I. <\/strong>Exclusion from this material world with all its natural sources of pleasure, every particle of which is Gods.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>Deprivation of all that can satisfy a sinners lusts. Think of the misery of a never satisfied hunger and an always raging thirst. The good creatures of God which were once abused are now beyond the reach.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>The withdrawal of the godly who are taken to God. No one knows how much the world owes to the intermixture of the righteous with sinners, leavening the corrupting mass and shaming evil into dark corners. But the angels will sever the two, and so precisely that no one true servant of God shall be left in the crowd. There is something unspeakably dreadful in the thought of a society which is one mass of sin.<\/p>\n
IV. <\/strong>Love will be extinguished. Very sweet is kindness which God has shed in our hearts as a solace for earthly ills, but there can be no love at all when God is withdrawn, for that means the withdrawal of love as effectually as light at sunset.<\/p>\n
V. <\/strong>The Holy Spirit will have departed. Now, ever striving within, that Spirit does now and then give out a spark of goodness, and overrule here and there that utter wickedness which otherwise would prevail. And even in wicked men we see scattered up and down remainders of something better and higher, just as among the ruin of a great building you see here and there a beautiful fragment unbroken, to remind you of what the whole once was; or as you may sometimes see, when the sun is shining, beauty in things ugly, and when the sun is withdrawn the beauty goes. So it will be with the soul in eternity. At present strive as he will man cannot utterly unstamp his soul of the seal of God. But when God removes His presence the spirit of man becomes wholly evil. Conclusion: The sure Word of God teaches us much else about hell; but the teaching of the text should be sufficient to warn us against it. (J. Garbett, M. A.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n