when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.
At first reading it may appear that 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 offer hope that God would judge the Thessalonians’ persecutors very soon and that the Thessalonian Christians would find "relief" (2 Thessalonians 1:7) in the Rapture. However the return of Christ in "fire" (2 Thessalonians 1:7) dealing out punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) when He comes "with His saints" (2 Thessalonians 1:10) must refer to the Second Coming. Thus it appears that the Second Coming follows the Rapture immediately. This is what posttribulationists believe. It is also what amillennialists and postmillennialists believe. [Note: See Vern S. Poythress, "2 Thessalonians 1 Supports Amillennialism," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 37:4 (December 1994):529-38.] However the Tribulation will precede the Second Coming, as posttribulationists agree. Paul proceeded to explain that the Thessalonians were not in the Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Only if they were then in the Tribulation could the hope of relief by a posttribulational Rapture have been a comfort to them. Consequently it seems that in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Paul was seeking to comfort his readers by assuring them that ultimately they would experience relief by entering rest in the Millennium following Christ’s second coming. Ultimately God would punish their persecutors at the great white throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:11-15).