2 Thessalonians Chapter 2
A word of Warning, continued
VERSE 8 continued, “And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
Comment: This verse shows that the epiphania is future. If the epiphania had started, there would be enough information to destroy the man of sin right now.
Reply: Yes, the epiphania and the apokalupsis portions of the parousia are for the world. The parousia extends for the entire thousand years.
The Second Advent, the “Day of the Lord”, the day of his parousia or presence is no more one particular day, than was the first advent one particular day. Both compose a period of time, the first lasting but a few short years, the latter the entire millennial age.
What is the “spirit” of Jesus’ mouth?
Jesus will consume the Wicked One with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the epiphania of his parousia.
“Consume” means destroy—they are synonymous terms here. The technique of couplets and dual expression is often used for emphasis, especially in the Psalms. The same thing is said two different ways to reaffirm and strengthen a statement. (Of course sometimes a difference in meaning is intended. Only with the help of God’s Holy Spirit can we determine the sense correctly.) Verse 8 is emphasizing the destruction of the man of sin. Jesus will consume, he will destroy; that is, there will be complete eradication. In the first epistle, Paul said the trouble would come suddenly, as the birth pang (1 Thess. 5:3). Now, in this second epistle, Paul was again stressing the destruction, and was not indicating a gradual process.
In a paraphrase of Verse 8, the truth that is revealed at the time of the epiphania will destroy Papacy. The destruction will be sudden as in the smiting of the image—within a few weeks or months.
The clue here is that when the time comes for Papacy’s fall, something will happen to expose that system and incur the wrath of the people. In the past, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, Papacy suffered a wound unto death, from which it revived and survived, but it will not survive this future wound (Rev. 13:3). Such anger will be directed against Papacy that the people and her own eunuchs (from within) will tear down the system. The Church will be with the Lord before Papacy’s destruction. The Christ will come forth and ensure the Day of Jehovah’s wrath and Papacy’s permanent destruction. The destruction is stated twice in verse 8 lest we get the thought that the deception at the end of the Millennium might be religious. No, the deception at that time will be along the lines of a civil insurrection.
When Luther and others exposed Papacy, they were trying to reform and reconcile the system. Only a relative few saw the iniquity of the system. Moreover, it was not destroyed, only wounded. Thus we know that Paul was talking about something different here. When the majority of the people see the evils in the near future, the system will be everlastingly torn down. In former days the Reformers were persecuted rather than Papacy.
Verses 7 and 8 cover a very long period of time, spanning from the time when Imperial (or Pagan) Rome was taken out of the way to Papacy rise and development to the Protestant Reformation and revealing of the Lawless One to the time when Papacy will be destroyed during the epiphania stage of our Lord’s parousia (presence)” (Excerpts taken from The Book of Thessalonians)
We move on to Verse 9 and our word of warning in our next post.
A word of Warning, continued
VERSE 8 continued, “And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
Comment: This verse shows that the epiphania is future. If the epiphania had started, there would be enough information to destroy the man of sin right now.
Reply: Yes, the epiphania and the apokalupsis portions of the parousia are for the world. The parousia extends for the entire thousand years.
The Second Advent, the “Day of the Lord”, the day of his parousia or presence is no more one particular day, than was the first advent one particular day. Both compose a period of time, the first lasting but a few short years, the latter the entire millennial age.
What is the “spirit” of Jesus’ mouth?
Jesus will consume the Wicked One with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the epiphania of his parousia.
“Consume” means destroy—they are synonymous terms here. The technique of couplets and dual expression is often used for emphasis, especially in the Psalms. The same thing is said two different ways to reaffirm and strengthen a statement. (Of course sometimes a difference in meaning is intended. Only with the help of God’s Holy Spirit can we determine the sense correctly.) Verse 8 is emphasizing the destruction of the man of sin. Jesus will consume, he will destroy; that is, there will be complete eradication. In the first epistle, Paul said the trouble would come suddenly, as the birth pang (1 Thess. 5:3). Now, in this second epistle, Paul was again stressing the destruction, and was not indicating a gradual process.
In a paraphrase of Verse 8, the truth that is revealed at the time of the epiphania will destroy Papacy. The destruction will be sudden as in the smiting of the image—within a few weeks or months.
The clue here is that when the time comes for Papacy’s fall, something will happen to expose that system and incur the wrath of the people. In the past, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, Papacy suffered a wound unto death, from which it revived and survived, but it will not survive this future wound (Rev. 13:3). Such anger will be directed against Papacy that the people and her own eunuchs (from within) will tear down the system. The Church will be with the Lord before Papacy’s destruction. The Christ will come forth and ensure the Day of Jehovah’s wrath and Papacy’s permanent destruction. The destruction is stated twice in verse 8 lest we get the thought that the deception at the end of the Millennium might be religious. No, the deception at that time will be along the lines of a civil insurrection.
When Luther and others exposed Papacy, they were trying to reform and reconcile the system. Only a relative few saw the iniquity of the system. Moreover, it was not destroyed, only wounded. Thus we know that Paul was talking about something different here. When the majority of the people see the evils in the near future, the system will be everlastingly torn down. In former days the Reformers were persecuted rather than Papacy.
Verses 7 and 8 cover a very long period of time, spanning from the time when Imperial (or Pagan) Rome was taken out of the way to Papacy rise and development to the Protestant Reformation and revealing of the Lawless One to the time when Papacy will be destroyed during the epiphania stage of our Lord’s parousia (presence)” (Excerpts taken from The Book of Thessalonians)
We move on to Verse 9 and our word of warning in our next post.
