Apostle Paul clearly... gave Christ's faithful Church the ACTUAL order of Lord Jesus' future coming. Some brethren heed it as written (like me), and others deny it as written, following men's traditions instead. The chapter is not difficult, but it may require doing a bit more Bible study on some of its topics. I can only direct you on that part, not do it for you.
2 Thess 2:1-12
2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,
What's the subject Paul says there? About the 'coming' of Lord Jesus Christ AND our (His Church) being gathered together UNTO Him. That subject is what we are to keep in mind when reading this chapter.
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Paul had actually already covered about the order and type of events regarding Christ's future coming to gather the Church back in his 1st Epistle to the Thessalonians (1 Thess.4 & 5).
But evidently there were some false ones that crept in among the Thessalonian Church that passed off letters as if written by the Apostles, to create confusion. So Paul is giving this 2 Thess.2 order of events as a reminder to them.
(That "day of Christ" phrase is actually the phrase 'day of the Lord' in the Greek. The word Christos in the Greek is not there in the traditional manuscripts, but the Greek word 'kurios' is, which means 'lord'. By that in itself Paul here reveals the timing of our Lord Jesus' coming to gather His faithful Church, on the "day of the Lord", which means the last day of this present world, at the end of the "great tribulation".
My Strong's Exhaustive Concordance that is post-1990's era has an error having removed 'kurios'. Some crept in unawares have been busy editing Dr. Strong's work past the 1990's. Pastors have relied on the previous Strong's editions for many decades. So keep those old pre-1990's Strong's Exhaustive Concordances if you have one.)
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Both of those above 3-4 verses go together about the same subject. I've seen some preachers on the doctrines of men try to separate those two verses, and teach a different topic outside Paul's warning here.
Paul reveals several Biblical ideas in the above:
1. before that 'day' (of Christ's coming), that "man of sin" and that "falling away" (apostasy in the Greek), MUST occur first.
2. that "son of perdition" was a title Judas Iscariot was called by Lord Jesus, and Lord Jesus also said that Judas "is a devil" (John 6:70). That links that title to Satan himself, in case you have yet to notice. (see also Revelation 17:8 & Revelation 17:11 with that title pointing to the coming beast king at the end of this world.)
3. Paul shows that "man of sin" there MUST BE REVEALED prior to the "day" of Christ's coming.
4. Paul then shows HOW that false one will reveal himself, when he will exalt himself above God, and all that is called God, or that is worshipped, and even sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
(A WARNING: Paul is NOT talking about Christ's Church with that "temple of God" idea. He is pointing to a physical temple in Jerusalem that will exist for the end when that "man of sin" comes. The idea that "temple of God" is about Christ's Church is a false notion by the deceived and false teachers. Christ's Spiritual Temple can NEVER be corrupted. One is simply 'cut off' from it that becomes corrupt (see Ephesians 2 about the foundation). This is where one needs to be careful with listening to men, and do their own Bible research on this matter.
For example...
Per Zechariah 6:12-13, the orthodox unbelieving Jews realize that Messiah when He comes, is to build the temple. This is what Paul was pointing to. A standing Jewish temple in Jerusalem is required in order to fulfill Jesus' prophecy about the coming Antichrist setting up the "abomination of desolation" IDOL in the temple in Jerusalem for the end. The orthodox Jews in Jerusalem today have the materials ready to build it, and even have already made temple artifacts for worship in that future temple.)
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Paul points to something or someone who is holding back that coming "man of sin". If you read Daniel 10, you should begin to understand that one doing the holding is about the Archangel Michael. See Daniel 10:21. It's important to understand in that Dan.10 Chapter that names like the "prince of Persia" are being used symbolically, because Daniel is being given that whole Dan.10 chapter by vision in the heavenly order of things. Apparently there's a heavenly pattern happening along with actual physical earth events.
In Revelation 12:7-9, we are shown about the coming 'war in Heaven' between Michael and his angels, vs. Satan and his angels, with Satan and his being booted out of the Heavenly dimension, down to this earth. Some wrongly think that event was past history, but the references there to the time of Christ is unmistakeable that event is yet to happen, and is for the very end of this world when the "dragon" is to come and make war upon the saints. It's that event that the Archangel Michael will cause, which reveals he most likely is the one Paul is pointing to that is doing the withholding.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
That in red that Paul said reveals emphatically... that "man of sin", or "son of perdition", or Antichrist, or "dragon", or "little horn", or "king of fierce countenance", or "that old serpent", or "Satan", MUST COME FIRST before Christ's coming to gather His faithful Church. That is beyond all... doubt by what Paul says there in verse 8. On that day of Christ's coming to destroy "that Wicked" one, that is when that "man of sin" will be REVEALED for who he really is, i.e, the devil himself. If you do not yet realize this, then you definitely will when Jesus comes, if you are still alive then on this earth.
That working which "that Wicked" is to do, "with all power and signs and lying wonders", is what Lord Jesus also warned us about in Matthew 24:23-26 about a false one coming to work "great signs and wonders", that IF it were possible, would deceive even Christ's very elect. Christ also warning through His Apostle John in Revelation 13:11-14 also warned us about that coming "another beast" doing those signs and miracles to deceive the whole world. That's 3... warnings in God's Word about that miracle working. Revelation 16 & 19 even hints about those deceiving miracles at the end of this world too.
By those Scripture proofs, it reveals that coming "man of sin", or "son of perdition", or "that Wicked", is not simply going to be some flesh born man only claiming... to be Jesus Christ, and not able to do anything else. No, this coming pseudo-Christ (Jesus said) will actually make the whole world believe he is GOD having come (except Christ's elect will not fall for it).
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
KJV
Have you received that "love of the truth" brethren? or do you instead just rely on man to save you, telling you that you don't really need to study God's Word for yourself to progress to the "strong meat" of God's Word, but to just listen to men's doctrines and stay on the 'milk', and keep putting your money in the plate, and hoping they are right?
2 Thess 2:1-12
2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,
What's the subject Paul says there? About the 'coming' of Lord Jesus Christ AND our (His Church) being gathered together UNTO Him. That subject is what we are to keep in mind when reading this chapter.
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Paul had actually already covered about the order and type of events regarding Christ's future coming to gather the Church back in his 1st Epistle to the Thessalonians (1 Thess.4 & 5).
But evidently there were some false ones that crept in among the Thessalonian Church that passed off letters as if written by the Apostles, to create confusion. So Paul is giving this 2 Thess.2 order of events as a reminder to them.
(That "day of Christ" phrase is actually the phrase 'day of the Lord' in the Greek. The word Christos in the Greek is not there in the traditional manuscripts, but the Greek word 'kurios' is, which means 'lord'. By that in itself Paul here reveals the timing of our Lord Jesus' coming to gather His faithful Church, on the "day of the Lord", which means the last day of this present world, at the end of the "great tribulation".
My Strong's Exhaustive Concordance that is post-1990's era has an error having removed 'kurios'. Some crept in unawares have been busy editing Dr. Strong's work past the 1990's. Pastors have relied on the previous Strong's editions for many decades. So keep those old pre-1990's Strong's Exhaustive Concordances if you have one.)
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Both of those above 3-4 verses go together about the same subject. I've seen some preachers on the doctrines of men try to separate those two verses, and teach a different topic outside Paul's warning here.
Paul reveals several Biblical ideas in the above:
1. before that 'day' (of Christ's coming), that "man of sin" and that "falling away" (apostasy in the Greek), MUST occur first.
2. that "son of perdition" was a title Judas Iscariot was called by Lord Jesus, and Lord Jesus also said that Judas "is a devil" (John 6:70). That links that title to Satan himself, in case you have yet to notice. (see also Revelation 17:8 & Revelation 17:11 with that title pointing to the coming beast king at the end of this world.)
3. Paul shows that "man of sin" there MUST BE REVEALED prior to the "day" of Christ's coming.
4. Paul then shows HOW that false one will reveal himself, when he will exalt himself above God, and all that is called God, or that is worshipped, and even sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
(A WARNING: Paul is NOT talking about Christ's Church with that "temple of God" idea. He is pointing to a physical temple in Jerusalem that will exist for the end when that "man of sin" comes. The idea that "temple of God" is about Christ's Church is a false notion by the deceived and false teachers. Christ's Spiritual Temple can NEVER be corrupted. One is simply 'cut off' from it that becomes corrupt (see Ephesians 2 about the foundation). This is where one needs to be careful with listening to men, and do their own Bible research on this matter.
For example...
Per Zechariah 6:12-13, the orthodox unbelieving Jews realize that Messiah when He comes, is to build the temple. This is what Paul was pointing to. A standing Jewish temple in Jerusalem is required in order to fulfill Jesus' prophecy about the coming Antichrist setting up the "abomination of desolation" IDOL in the temple in Jerusalem for the end. The orthodox Jews in Jerusalem today have the materials ready to build it, and even have already made temple artifacts for worship in that future temple.)
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Paul points to something or someone who is holding back that coming "man of sin". If you read Daniel 10, you should begin to understand that one doing the holding is about the Archangel Michael. See Daniel 10:21. It's important to understand in that Dan.10 Chapter that names like the "prince of Persia" are being used symbolically, because Daniel is being given that whole Dan.10 chapter by vision in the heavenly order of things. Apparently there's a heavenly pattern happening along with actual physical earth events.
In Revelation 12:7-9, we are shown about the coming 'war in Heaven' between Michael and his angels, vs. Satan and his angels, with Satan and his being booted out of the Heavenly dimension, down to this earth. Some wrongly think that event was past history, but the references there to the time of Christ is unmistakeable that event is yet to happen, and is for the very end of this world when the "dragon" is to come and make war upon the saints. It's that event that the Archangel Michael will cause, which reveals he most likely is the one Paul is pointing to that is doing the withholding.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
That in red that Paul said reveals emphatically... that "man of sin", or "son of perdition", or Antichrist, or "dragon", or "little horn", or "king of fierce countenance", or "that old serpent", or "Satan", MUST COME FIRST before Christ's coming to gather His faithful Church. That is beyond all... doubt by what Paul says there in verse 8. On that day of Christ's coming to destroy "that Wicked" one, that is when that "man of sin" will be REVEALED for who he really is, i.e, the devil himself. If you do not yet realize this, then you definitely will when Jesus comes, if you are still alive then on this earth.
That working which "that Wicked" is to do, "with all power and signs and lying wonders", is what Lord Jesus also warned us about in Matthew 24:23-26 about a false one coming to work "great signs and wonders", that IF it were possible, would deceive even Christ's very elect. Christ also warning through His Apostle John in Revelation 13:11-14 also warned us about that coming "another beast" doing those signs and miracles to deceive the whole world. That's 3... warnings in God's Word about that miracle working. Revelation 16 & 19 even hints about those deceiving miracles at the end of this world too.
By those Scripture proofs, it reveals that coming "man of sin", or "son of perdition", or "that Wicked", is not simply going to be some flesh born man only claiming... to be Jesus Christ, and not able to do anything else. No, this coming pseudo-Christ (Jesus said) will actually make the whole world believe he is GOD having come (except Christ's elect will not fall for it).
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
KJV
Have you received that "love of the truth" brethren? or do you instead just rely on man to save you, telling you that you don't really need to study God's Word for yourself to progress to the "strong meat" of God's Word, but to just listen to men's doctrines and stay on the 'milk', and keep putting your money in the plate, and hoping they are right?
Last edited:
