2 Thessalonians 1:10 describes the day Jesus returns, when He will be honored among the people who belong to Him and admired by everyone who has believed. The verse says the believers’ acceptance of the message Paul and his companions preached is part of why that day will bring Him such honor. Paul wrote this to the church in Thessalonica, a young congregation facing persecution, to encourage them that their suffering will not have the last word.
When he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
2 Thessalonians 1:10 (WEB)
What 2 Thessalonians 1:10 Means
The verse looks ahead to a specific moment, “that day,” which refers to the day of the Lord’s return that Paul has been describing in the surrounding verses. On that day Jesus is said to be “glorified,” meaning His true greatness and worth are made fully visible. The word “saints” refers to God’s people, those set apart to belong to Him, so the verse pictures Christ shining brightly in and through the lives of His followers.
The verse also speaks of Jesus being “admired” among all who have believed. This is not admiration in a casual sense, but a deep wonder at who He is and what He has done. Paul connects this to the message that was accepted: the believers in Thessalonica received the good news, and that reception is part of the story that brings glory to Christ.
What the verse does not do is give a detailed timeline or describe exactly how the saints will appear. It does not promise an easy path in the present, either. It focuses on the honor Christ will receive and the assurance that the faith of His people will be vindicated in the end.
The Context of 2 Thessalonians 1:10
Second Thessalonians is traditionally attributed to Paul, written to the church he had founded in Thessalonica, probably not long after his first letter to them. The believers were under real pressure from opponents, and some had come to think the day of the Lord had already arrived or that they had been left behind. Paul writes to steady them and to remind them that God is just.
Just before verse 10, Paul speaks of relief for those who are afflicted and of the Lord Jesus being revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, bringing justice to those who reject Him. Verse 10 then turns from judgment to glory, showing that the same day that brings punishment for the wicked also brings honor to Christ among His people. Read this way, the verse is part of a comfort, not only a warning.
Key Phrases in 2 Thessalonians 1:10
Philippians 2:10-11
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(WEB)
This passage also looks ahead to the day when every knee bows and every tongue confesses Jesus as Lord. It shares the same vision of Christ receiving the honor He deserves, showing that the glory of Jesus is the goal toward which all of history moves.
Romans 8:17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
(WEB)
Paul writes here that believers are heirs with Christ, and that suffering with Him is connected to sharing in His glory. This helps explain how the saints in 2 Thessalonians 1:10 can be glorified, since their glory flows from their union with Jesus.
A Short Prayer From 2 Thessalonians 1:10
Lord, thank You that there is a day coming when You will be honored and seen for who You truly are. When I feel unnoticed or when my faith seems small, remind me that You are at work in and through Your people. Help me to live in a way that reflects Your glory, trusting that my testimony is held in Your hands. Strengthen me to keep believing, even when the path is hard. Amen.
