And to you who are troubled, rest with us
This is another branch of the justice of God, in rendering to
them who are afflicted and persecuted for righteousness sake,
"rest"; a relaxation or rest from persecutions, for a while at
least; as the churches of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had, from
that persecution raised at the death of Stephen, ( Acts 9:31 ) and as the
Christians had at the destruction of Jerusalem; which though it
was a day of vengeance to the unbelieving Jews, were times of
refreshing to the saints, who were now delivered from their
persecutors: or rather this designs a rest which remains for the
saints after death in the grave, and at the coming of the Lord,
and to all eternity; when they shall rest from all their toil and
labour, and be freed from sin, and all disquietude by it, and
from the temptations of Satan, and likewise from the persecutions
of men; see ( Job 3:17 ) . And this will
be enjoyed in company with the apostles, and other believers; and
as it is some alleviation to the sufferings and afflictions of
saints now, that the same are accomplished in others, so it will
enhance the heavenly glory, rest, and felicity, that they will be
partners and sharers in it with the apostles of Christ Jesus, and
have the same crown of glory they have; and indeed their company
and conversation will be a part of their happiness.
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven;
then will the justice of God take place in both the above
branches and instances of it, rendering tribulation to
persecutors, and rest to the persecuted. Christ, ever since a
cloud received him out of the sight of the apostles up to heaven,
has been, as it were, hid, and has not been seen with corporeal
eyes by men on earth ever since, but by a very few, as Stephen,
and the Apostle Paul; he has only been seen by an eye of faith;
at his second coming there will be a revelation of him, and every
eye shall see him: and this revelation of him will be "from
heaven": thither he was received at his ascension, and there he
now is; and here he is received, and will be retained until the
end of all things; and from hence the saints expect him, and from
hence will he descend in person, and then he will be revealed,
and appear to the view of everyone: and that
with his mighty angels;
which will add to the glory, majesty, and solemnity of that
appearance: these are called his angels, because he is the
Creator of them, and the object of their worship and adoration,
and he is the Lord and head of them, and they are ministering
spirits to him and his; and "mighty" angels, because they excel
all other creatures in strength; a remarkable instance of the
might and strength of angels is in ( 2 Kings
19:35 ) . The words from the original text may be rendered,
"with the angels of his power"; as they are by the Vulgate Latin,
Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, for they will be the ministers of
the power of Christ in gathering the elect from the four winds,
and all nations, before Christ; and in taking out of his kingdom
all that offend, and do iniquity; and in severing the righteous
from the wicked; and in casting the latter into the furnace of
fire. The Syriac version reads the words, "with the power of his
angels".