2:21). Paul teaches elsewhere that the rise of deceitful spirits and teachings of demons and also times of difficulty will be indicative of the last days (1 Tim. 2:3 have proven difficult for biblical interpreters because of their historical and literary contexts. The only other use of the Greek word for exalts himself (hyperair) in Paul bears connotations of conceit (2 Cor. 3:1; cf. Doesn't he. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10, the "man of sin" is described as one who will be revealed before the Day of the Lord comes. 3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, Tell us, when will these things happen? 21. But I don't want to take any chances! As in 1 Thessalonians, Pauls instruction on such matters is likely informed by Jesus own eschatological teaching (cf. would, and casteth them out of the church. children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of We are again reminded of Jesus Olivet Discourse, in which he warns of coming false messiahs and prophets who perform signs and wonders in order to lead others astray (Matt. And these things I said not Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Some people say "No, this means that Christ will return really, really soon, and that's a predictor." "Deception" is something we should associate with the Day of the Lord --. 4:1516; 5:1). Whoever the restrainer is . Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. 2 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters,[ a] 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Messiah, and they will deceive many. In response to this complex question, we should distinguish between what we can know with some certainty and what we can only suspect. The children of the devil will be manifested that they are not of Godshowing that they know not the Father nor the Son. Rev. David Chapman (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of New Testament and Archaeology at Covenant Theological Seminary. mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will People who try to predict it are deliberately countering Jesus' direct statement. The more fundamental goal of this commentary on such matters, however, is to encourage humility with regard to all such speculation. Rev. 22-28 apply both to this example and the entire age), 24:29-31 Signs of the end (as a parenthetical aside), When these things (vv. We are to pay attention to what's happening around us. (Namely) in those which have not the name written, and in the words of my father Amos, and of Hosea the prophet, and of Micah and Joel and Nahum and Jonah and Obadiah and Habakkuk and Haggai and Malachi, and in the words of Joseph the Just and in the words of Daniel. The passage has been historically noted for its exceptional difficulty. 9. Paul returns to the revelation of the lawless one (cf. He then reasons that the day of the Lord has not yet begun, since the world has not yet experienced the rebellion and the man of lawlessness, both of which must precede the day of the Lord. [It was either this or "the man of lawlessness" (don't worry - I'll talk about him later).]. Matthew 24 is such a helpful resource here. God is the One with the power over the "powers and authorities". 2:7). Write the term that best matches the definition given below. 2 Thess. It's hard work. In those book, angels have physical sword fights with demons, but if the Christians aren't praying, they can't win the fight. 2 not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of . In this week's lesson, we cover Paul's scolding -- describing the things that the people had already been told and should have remembered. He later revised it to 1658, or 7000 years after its creation in 5343 BC. This article is adapted from ESV Expository Commentary: EphesiansPhilemon (Volume 11) edited Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar. John states simultaneously that the antichrist is coming and that now many antichrists have come (1 John 2:18; cf. And he shall bear sway three years and seven months and twenty-seven days. This became known as "The Great Disappointment", and his followers later retconned it to mean that Christ had begun his atoning work in heaven on that day. said 2000. What is God teaching us about his faithfulness in the story of Hosea and Gomer? will of my Father which is in heaven. (11) Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. stand firm Who is Jesus in 2 Thessalonians? comment on 2 Thess. (7) For the Realize the difference between "antichrist" and "The Antichrist". The word "antichrist" simply means "against Christ" or "in the place of Christ", so that's the name that has caught on. or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?. In particular, the emperor Gaius Caligula ordered soldiers to erect a cult image of himself in the Jerusalem temple, despite widespread Jewish opposition (AD 4041; Josephus, Antiquities 18.261309). What Does It Mean That Women Should Remain Quiet in Church? The first set constitutes all power, along with false signs and wonders; the second set consists of all wicked deception. Concerning the first set, power and signs and wonders often serve as evidence of Gods work in the gospel of Christ (for power, cf. David Berg (!) apokalypt; 2:3, 8), just as Paul elsewhere speaks of the revelation of Jesus and his gospel (cf. An apple never fell on Isaac Newton's head. You look at a Bible text on the screen. 2 Thess 2:1-2 - what is the timing relationship between the rapture and the day of the Lord? of God. The boat is unsinkable" - Philip Franklin. Paul tells us that this secret power is "already at work." (v. 7). Paul and Jesus give us two protections from deception here: Anyone who claims they can predict when Jesus will return is lying. Name the three main themes of 2 Thessalonians. So it's a great mercy that God restrains the power of this man of lawlessness. Paul's quick response is "You should have remembered that big things happen when Jesus returns. ", 36 Now concerning that day and hour no one knowsneither the angels of heaven nor the Sonexcept the Father alone. Empowered by Satan, the lawless one will arrive accompanied by false wonders and signs, thus deceiving unbelievers; but even this is under Gods sovereign control (2 Thess. (12) Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth Quietly does not mean that women are never to utter a word when the church gathers for worship. God may then be the restrainer (perhaps specifically as the Holy Spirit) or may act through the agency of an angelic restrainer. true. They should have remembered all of this. Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the What predictions have you made that were completely wrong? As we said last week, they didn't have the tools that we have to detect "fake news". He considers himself absolutely above law. Making Disciples. (Revelation 13). shewing himself that he is God. Why Did God Command Hosea to Marry a Prostitute? There is controversy here because people disagree on what Jesus meant. Remember when Moses performed God's wonders in Egypt and the magicians were able to replicate-ish those miracles? The church members were understandably distraught! October 1, 2021 By Peter Krol Perhaps you've heard of the Man of Lawlessness, otherwise known as the lawless one, who "opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God" ( 2 Thess 2:4 ). 11. The Antichrist will fool many people into believing that he is the Second Coming of Christ. Paul is careful to say every so-called god, indicating the false deities of pagan worship. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. Paul does not appear to know the precise circumstances that have brought about the Thessalonians erroneous beliefs about the day of the Lord, but in verse 3 he does suspect nefarious activity. 28:110). Clearly the lawlessness of Satan seeks to mimic the good work of God in Christ. Jim Jones (!) The Man of Lawlessness -- Paul's Reminder in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming. 51 AD False rumours and prophecies had led the church there to become "shaken in mind and excited," and several supposed that the return of Christ was imminent. They will be taken out of the way so as not to share in the judgment that comes upon those who think they are doing God service for killing you with false accusations and putting you out of their gatherings because you will receive the Word of Truth.the revealed Word of God. He's been practicing this since Adam and Eve, and he's very good at it. The extent of our "power" over Satan is to resist him. Why, because many people want to be deceived. 3Let no one deceive you in any way. The vast preponderance of the evidence shows that the death penalty is no more effective than imprisonment in deterring murder and that it may even be an incitement to criminal violence. predicted a nuclear holocaust in 1967. At least, he never mentioned it. First, let's look at how Paul describes the man of lawlessness in verse 4: a man who opposes God and proclaims himself to be God. (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from So, when Paul says that this man of lawlessness will be able to perform. "Nina" was actually the "Santa Clara" and we don't know about the "Pinta". All the Antichrist will do is harness the lawlessness and rebellion already in the hearts of the ungodly. That was my main point with the "False Predictions of the Apocalypse" section above. But make sure to emphasize the real reason Paul mentions the man of lawnessness in the first place: Jesus will destroy him. We will talk about this more in verses 9-11. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. This could be metaphorical for a group of people, but it seems likely Paul has a single individual in mind. Remember Satan likes to mimic God and the antichrist will mimic everything Jesus did. So it's a, [You might remember the Peretti books. Where does this (supposedly) Gibson quote come from? What is the and who is the at 2 Thess 2:6-7? Paul draws on this tradition as he discusses the man of lawlessness, who is the son of destruction in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and the lawless one in 2 Thess. But it should not surprise us. You watch his pen draw out meaning. Because Jesus' audience wants to know exactly when Jesus will return (which they can't know), and Paul's audience is worried that Jesus has already returned (which they should have known better). Finally, the word mystery is here applied to lawlessness (for similar evil mysteries, cf. Witches weren't burned at the stake in Salem. How many times have you said that you one of your children? Consider Matthew 24:33. name have cast out devils? By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. And the descent of the Beloved into Sheol, behold, it is written in the section, where the Lord says: "Behold my Son will understand." Paul says that God has dealt with every generation in this way: The Bible Project video tapped into this idea: non-Christians want a life without God, and so God lets them live their life their way (with all of the consequences that come with it). 6 And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. But Paul tells them that they, I rarely like Lifeway's outline titles. We are to resist their influence 4,6,8 and look to Jesus' triumphant return 1,3,6 when He defeats Satan once and for all 3. Don't These Signs Help Us Predict the Second Coming? What beliefs have you held that turned out to be false? doeth God service. What is going to happen in the end times? John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Jesus as a killer According to the lecture, 2 Thessalonians is the only document in the Pauline corpus to refer to (or depict) three things. The man of lawlessness both opposes and exalts himself over every "so-called god or object of worship." Paul elsewhere employs the Greek word for "opposes" as a title for Satan, the "adversary" ( 1 Tim. Those people want to reject the truth; God will allow them to. prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, Um, no. Van Gogh didn't cut off his ear, just the bottom of it. William Miller, whose followers became the Seventh Day Adventists, predicted an apocalypse date of March 21, 1844, then revised it to October 22, 1844. Rasputin predicted that Jesus would return in 2013. It was later revised to 1941. 4:16-17; 5:2). He thus seeks to instill confidence regarding his present argument. How would you be able to tell the difference (if the Antichrist appeared tomorrow)? Thus, though it seems best to assume that the man of lawlessness is still to be revealed, the specifics of how that might look (including what is meant by his session in the temple) will likely surprise the best of interpreters. Paul lists two sets of means through which Satan deceives the masses. What can be stated clearly is that the appearance of the lawless one is entirely in keeping with Gods sovereignty (cf. And he will set up his image before him in every city. They will be revealed that they do not know God nor the Son by their evil deeds. Paul encourages believers to be diligent in ministering to others because Jesus hasn't returned yet. Further descriptors are applied to this lawless one. The signs and wonders of the antichrist will draw people to him. It's not a mystery. 24:413, 2328; Mark 13:513, 2123; Luke 21:819). Others have specifically considered his sitting in the temple (2:4) to refer to the destruction of the Jerusalem temple at the hand of Titus (AD 70), but the specifics of that event do not align with an individuals calling himself God while seated in the temple precincts. And to all who because of (their) faith in Him have execrated Beliar and his kings. 17:5, 7), but elsewhere Paul speaks of God as the author of the mysteries of the gospel (e.g., Rom. parousia) of the lawless one in verse 9 is placed immediately alongside the parousia of Jesus (2 Thess. He even bought billboards. The region and polygon don't match. Jesus will defeat the Antichrist and his armies and cast them into the lake of fire (remember the "everlasting destruction" we talked about last week). Let me say that the point of the books -- that spiritual warfare is real and that Christians need to pray -- is great. He says so explicitly. gospel-centered, Bible-centered content. It's, Discussion question: the world seems to be getting more and more "lawless". But even that will be a mercy because people will still have the chance to realize their foolishness and return to God. 3. I have no idea how he came up with this. I believe that "these things" refers to the signs Jesus talked about in Matthew 24. Healing the sick? with you, I told you these things? Paul talked about it with them when he was in Thessalonica, and they asked him questions about it via courier. What does it mean that husbands are the head of their wives and that they should love them as Christ loved the church? How do we know that this antichrist won't be granted supernaturally long life? True Paul had never told the Thessalonians these things about the "man of lawlessness" before? apokalypt; also 2 Thess. Do you recognize these books by Edgar Whisenant, Lester Sumrall, or Ed Dobson? These statementsthat the day of the Lord could begin soon, but it could not begin immediatelymay seem contradictory, but they are not. All people have a "God-shaped hole" that only God can fill, but they are determined to fill it with anything but God. But make sure to emphasize the real reason Paul mentions the man of lawnessness in the first place: Do catch the "mystery of lawlessness" comment. Since there's only one person who's above law namely, God, who writes it the man of lawlessness claims to be God. 4 The "Man of Lawlessness" is the Future Satanic Zionist Jewish Messiah. They will follow the pattern of Diotrephes who also loved to have the preeminence (love to be first) among men and did not receive the brothers sent to speak His words. God has to enable the delusion for people to reject Him. That makes him extremely dangerous, don't you think? But Paul tells them that they should have known better. Thus we live in an age when simultaneously the Spirit enables the church to proceed with its mission and lawlessness is at work. But here's the really interesting consequence of verse 11: 37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. But God doesn't allow Satan to "empower" a currently existing man of lawlessness; God has a restraint on Satan. Satan mimics Gods work by causing a lawless one to appear, though ultimately Satans designs will fail (cf. 4. being deceived by false signs of the Day of the Lord. 7:2427; 8:2326; 11:2045; esp. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 who is holding back the "secret power of lawlessness"? And, if you made more than $400, you need to pay self-employment tax. 2:6, 8), employing terminology Paul reserves most often for the activity of God in making known something hidden (e.g., Rom. They will want many to follow after them in their deeds. Jesus is greater.). But here's the really interesting consequence of verse 11: it takes more effort not to believe in God than to believe in God. What is the point of Thrower's Bandolier? Deu 13:18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God. Can airtags be tracked from an iMac desktop, with no iPhone? You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. That's not as much "fun" as predicting the end of the world. And the rest of the words of the vision is written in the vision of Babylon. 16. Preterists might identify him as Nero or some other first century person. Um, no. Jerry Falwell (and Tim LaHaye!) In a similar way, Jesus taught that one of the signs prior to his return would be the advent of the abomination of desolation in the holy place of the temple (Matt. Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel) said 1981. 2:4. 14. They will prate against them with malicious words (killing them with false accusations.labeling them as devils, evildoers, etc)and will not receive the brothers who are sent by Him. Paul insists that his teaching remains consistent with the message they knew from the beginning. The Septuagint Greek translation of Isaiah 57:34 similarly speaks of the sons of lawlessness who are children of destruction (cf. The way I create an outline is to outline the passage. They will put us out of their gatherings and kill us and all the while think that they are doing God service in His namein His authority. Satan plays a role on earth that God allows him to play. In this regard, this passage is linked with the portrayal of the beasts and the false prophet in the book of Revelation (Rev. 11:31). 1 About the times and the seasons: Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. This connects well with the lawless ones action in the templeproclaiming himself to be God. The man of lawlessness promotes himself in place of God Almighty as the central deity to be worshiped. 1:11, 20; 3:20; Phil. He is the antichrist (1 John 2:18; 4:3) who is under the control of the devil. Both Jesus and Paul warn us about this. Christian Truth, the 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth. Think about it this way: what miraculous sign would get your attention, Stay connected to God in Word and Spirit (Bible study and prayer), and we won't be deceived. Those events point to a more-and-more eminent return of Christ. 3 "Man of Lawlessness" also called the "Son of Destruction" sets up the "Abomination of Desolation" starting the Great Tribulation!