2 Thessalonians 1:10a → Psalm 89:7

Paul declares that Christ will come "to be glorified in his saints" (endoxasthēnai en tois hagiois autou), echoing the theology of Psalm 89:7 (LXX 88:8) where God is described as "greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones" and "awesome above all who are around him." In the Psalm, God's glory is manifested among his heavenly court — the angelic "holy ones" who surround his throne. Paul transfers this scene to the eschatological parousia, where Christ's glory will be manifest not merely among angels but "in" (en) his saints — the believing community itself becomes the theater of divine glorification. The preposition en is significant: Christ is not merely glorified "by" or "before" his saints but "in" them, suggesting that the saints themselves reflect and participate in his glory. This represents an escalation from Psalm 89's heavenly council to the redeemed humanity who will display the glory of God in Christ. The connection underscores the corporate-solidarity principle: Christ's glory is not abstract but embodied in his people, who become the visible evidence of his saving power. What Psalm 89 attributes to God's awe-inspiring presence among heavenly beings, Paul attributes to Christ's return among his earthly saints.