2 Thessalonians Chapter 2
2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, 1981 Study
Note: In the 1981 study, these four verses pertaining to the end of the age were treated in detail and only from the standpoint of the consecrated. The expanded explanation follows.
Some of this we have already considered, but nevertheless we can never be to settled as these things pertain to events shortly to take place and it is better to be overly prepared than under prepared. Once the trials and deceptions begin it’s going to be too late for further study and preparation.
Once again this study was based on the AV.
Verse 9 “Even him (our Lord Jesus), whose coming is after (or accompanied by) the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
This great energetic operation of delusion by Satan is to take place during the Lord’s Second Advent, not initially when Jesus first came but during his presence and yet future. This great deception will precede the destruction of the nominal systems and take place shortly before the epiphania stage of our Lord’s presence. Satan will control and manipulate the man of sin (the great Antichrist SYSTEM) so that it will be working very feverishly.
What is the difference between “power,” “signs,” and “lying wonders”?
1. POWER. Satan will use all the power he has ever had down through the ages. He is not being bound. In fact, he will get even more liberty and power during Jesus’ Second Presence. Stated another way, instead of being progressively bound, Satan is being loosed even more. He will work with all power to do what he wishes with only certain, hardly evident limitations. He will operate through the man of sin with all kinds of delusions and tremendous power.
That is to say, working through his great masterpiece, the Antichrist (system), both mother and daughters, the beast and the image of the beast he will deceive the entire professing church as well as for the most part all of the Great Company class (especially those “spiritual babes” still trapped within Babylon). One of his ploys (the first of many) may very well be to utilize his old tried an proven method of masquerading as an angel of light thoroughly convincing them that it is the Lord himself who is working in and through these systems, that it is he who is the one performing the various miracles, signs and wonders and as such they should heed the proclamations emanating from these systems (Compare Rev 16:13, 14). At least we believe this will be one of his deceptions. The Adversary has many arrows in his quiver with which to deceive.
Therefore, the future hour of great trial has to do with the power and deception of Satan. At the time of the Crucifixion, Jesus said, “The prince of this world [now] cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). Like Jesus their head, the feet members (the last members of the body of Christ this side of the vail) will have a similar experience and die at the hand of Satan.
2. SIGNS. The Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a sign from Jesus: a “sign from heaven” (Matt. 16:1). They did not want a healing miracle but a sign from heaven. Here at the end of the age, if Satan is going to manipulate great power to produce “signs,” the account is suggesting that something visual could occur—not just a bleeding icon (or healing miracle), for example, which is a localized sign, but visible signs that will have a worldwide effect. It could even seem as if something is happening in regard to the God of nature—something clearly supernatural and in heaven.
3. LYING WONDERS. These will be deceptive, false phenomena that teach falsehoods. Sometimes an untruth is taught without words, as when Satan had the serpent eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. However, these future lying wonders will probably be audible as well as visual. In the past there were visions of the Virgin Mary as well as voices and messages giving false instruction. Many do not believe the visions actually occur because they generally take place in a localized area, but what if such a thing happened on a worldwide scale—or even to a whole city or country? In a recent case in England, all television airwaves were jammed simultaneously by an unexplained message (Most likely instituted by a hacker), but nevertheless such possibilities are also open to Satan and his fallen angels.
Suppose a “sign” were accompanied by a TV message. Suppose angels were seen flying over the Vatican, or a UFO landed with seemingly friendly superior beings giving advice. The point is that there will be large-scale deceptions (small ones worked all down through history). However with Satan utilizing ALL power this time, future deceptions will be more demonstrative and widespread than anything to date. They will give a lie to all that is good and true through a frenzy of delusion (Greek: energeia, an energetic operation with all power, that is, a frenzy to do certain things in order to deceive).
Two adjustments should be made with regards to the AV: The supplied words “Even him” should be omitted, and “whose coming” refers to Jesus’ presence. Volume 2, under the sub caption “Antichrist’s Final End,” pages 358 and 359, translates 2 Thess 2:8–12 as follows:
“Whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and annihilate with the bright shining of his presence. Whose presence is with [accompanied by or during] an energetic operation of Satan [Satanic energy and action] with all power, and signs, and lying delusions, and with every iniquitous deception for those perishing; because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be preserved. And for this reason God will send to them a deluding power, that they might believe the error: so that all not believing the truth, but taking pleasure in iniquity (in error, in falsehood), may be judged” unworthy to share the Millennial Kingdom as joint heirs with Christ.
As stated in one of our former post, most translations incorrectly slant the “whose coming” of Verse 9 to refer to the Antichrist. The word “Coming” (parousia) should be rendered “presence,” nor can it refer to the Adversary as some suggest because he has been present all along, that is, throughout the Gospel Age. The thought is that during the Second Presence of the Master, Satan will be very active employing a very energetic operation of delusion.
We continue with Verse 10 in our next post.
2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, 1981 Study
Note: In the 1981 study, these four verses pertaining to the end of the age were treated in detail and only from the standpoint of the consecrated. The expanded explanation follows.
Some of this we have already considered, but nevertheless we can never be to settled as these things pertain to events shortly to take place and it is better to be overly prepared than under prepared. Once the trials and deceptions begin it’s going to be too late for further study and preparation.
Once again this study was based on the AV.
Verse 9 “Even him (our Lord Jesus), whose coming is after (or accompanied by) the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
This great energetic operation of delusion by Satan is to take place during the Lord’s Second Advent, not initially when Jesus first came but during his presence and yet future. This great deception will precede the destruction of the nominal systems and take place shortly before the epiphania stage of our Lord’s presence. Satan will control and manipulate the man of sin (the great Antichrist SYSTEM) so that it will be working very feverishly.
What is the difference between “power,” “signs,” and “lying wonders”?
1. POWER. Satan will use all the power he has ever had down through the ages. He is not being bound. In fact, he will get even more liberty and power during Jesus’ Second Presence. Stated another way, instead of being progressively bound, Satan is being loosed even more. He will work with all power to do what he wishes with only certain, hardly evident limitations. He will operate through the man of sin with all kinds of delusions and tremendous power.
That is to say, working through his great masterpiece, the Antichrist (system), both mother and daughters, the beast and the image of the beast he will deceive the entire professing church as well as for the most part all of the Great Company class (especially those “spiritual babes” still trapped within Babylon). One of his ploys (the first of many) may very well be to utilize his old tried an proven method of masquerading as an angel of light thoroughly convincing them that it is the Lord himself who is working in and through these systems, that it is he who is the one performing the various miracles, signs and wonders and as such they should heed the proclamations emanating from these systems (Compare Rev 16:13, 14). At least we believe this will be one of his deceptions. The Adversary has many arrows in his quiver with which to deceive.
Therefore, the future hour of great trial has to do with the power and deception of Satan. At the time of the Crucifixion, Jesus said, “The prince of this world [now] cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). Like Jesus their head, the feet members (the last members of the body of Christ this side of the vail) will have a similar experience and die at the hand of Satan.
2. SIGNS. The Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a sign from Jesus: a “sign from heaven” (Matt. 16:1). They did not want a healing miracle but a sign from heaven. Here at the end of the age, if Satan is going to manipulate great power to produce “signs,” the account is suggesting that something visual could occur—not just a bleeding icon (or healing miracle), for example, which is a localized sign, but visible signs that will have a worldwide effect. It could even seem as if something is happening in regard to the God of nature—something clearly supernatural and in heaven.
3. LYING WONDERS. These will be deceptive, false phenomena that teach falsehoods. Sometimes an untruth is taught without words, as when Satan had the serpent eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. However, these future lying wonders will probably be audible as well as visual. In the past there were visions of the Virgin Mary as well as voices and messages giving false instruction. Many do not believe the visions actually occur because they generally take place in a localized area, but what if such a thing happened on a worldwide scale—or even to a whole city or country? In a recent case in England, all television airwaves were jammed simultaneously by an unexplained message (Most likely instituted by a hacker), but nevertheless such possibilities are also open to Satan and his fallen angels.
Suppose a “sign” were accompanied by a TV message. Suppose angels were seen flying over the Vatican, or a UFO landed with seemingly friendly superior beings giving advice. The point is that there will be large-scale deceptions (small ones worked all down through history). However with Satan utilizing ALL power this time, future deceptions will be more demonstrative and widespread than anything to date. They will give a lie to all that is good and true through a frenzy of delusion (Greek: energeia, an energetic operation with all power, that is, a frenzy to do certain things in order to deceive).
Two adjustments should be made with regards to the AV: The supplied words “Even him” should be omitted, and “whose coming” refers to Jesus’ presence. Volume 2, under the sub caption “Antichrist’s Final End,” pages 358 and 359, translates 2 Thess 2:8–12 as follows:
“Whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and annihilate with the bright shining of his presence. Whose presence is with [accompanied by or during] an energetic operation of Satan [Satanic energy and action] with all power, and signs, and lying delusions, and with every iniquitous deception for those perishing; because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be preserved. And for this reason God will send to them a deluding power, that they might believe the error: so that all not believing the truth, but taking pleasure in iniquity (in error, in falsehood), may be judged” unworthy to share the Millennial Kingdom as joint heirs with Christ.
As stated in one of our former post, most translations incorrectly slant the “whose coming” of Verse 9 to refer to the Antichrist. The word “Coming” (parousia) should be rendered “presence,” nor can it refer to the Adversary as some suggest because he has been present all along, that is, throughout the Gospel Age. The thought is that during the Second Presence of the Master, Satan will be very active employing a very energetic operation of delusion.
We continue with Verse 10 in our next post.
