Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18"
Once again, Paul was writing of events soon to take place, as is clear in II Thessalonians 1:
Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10
Paul is telling the Thessalonian church (not the modern church) that THEY will be avenged when Christ comes - not in our lifetime but THEIRS! Seriously, people need to understand this thing called "audience relevance" to understand the apostles' words in context!
And in a futurist understanding they are going to be resurrected to see this avenging... I thought you had a more complex argument than this.