2 Thessalonians 1:5 (KJV)

Passage

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

2 Thessalonians 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

2 Thessalonians 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "manifest", "token", "righteous", "judgment", "counted", "worthy", "kingdom", and "suffer". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "manifest" and "token", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "So that we ourselves glory in you..." into verse 6's "Seeing it is a righteous thing with...", so "manifest" and "token" belong inside that flow. In 2 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "manifest" and "token" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.