2.1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Here is a most explicit indication of the order in which we are to expect things: 1st suffering by Antichristian persecution, and 2nd ultimate vindication for Christians at the coming of Christ. Some Christians were apparently proposing the Kingdom of God was already on earth in some form. Paul made it clear that was wrong, just as Jesus had earlier said he is not going to bring his Kingdom to earth until after antichristian deception. Then the Kingdom will not come from misguided men on earth, but rather, from himself alone in a return from heaven.
Matthew 24.4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come... 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."
In the clearest possible way, Paul says that Christ will not come for his Church until after the Apostasy of Antichrist with his self-proclaimed revelation. Since he is the "man doomed to destruction," Paul implies that Christ is coming back with the specific mission of destroying him. This can also be seen in the book of Daniel, where the Son of Man is seen as coming from the clouds of heaven to establish the Kingdom of God and to end the terror of the Little Horn--the Antichrist.
Dan 7.11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire...
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
But of course, Antichrist is depicted as a deceiver, indicating that prior to Christ's return we must expect misleading deceptions. In a very practical way, Christians have been called upon in all generations to expose false claims of God's Kingdom, whether through political or religious leaders. These things have to be carefully scrutinized by the Christian so that in facing these ideologies we don't unconsciously allow sin into our lives.
Exodus 20.1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Paul continues:
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Some early Christians believed that the Roman Empire and its emperors temporarily held back a complete collapse of society into antichristianity. Paul is warning that even before Antichrist arrives, the antichristian spirit is already present in the world. And so, the life of a Christian is to expect deception and persecution by the world before we are ultimately vindicated at the return of Jesus.
Pretribulationists today claim that the Holy Spirit and the Church will be taken out of the world in order to let the Antichrist be revealed. This is a new interpretation in modern times, and was not even conceived of in the Early Church. The Church Fathers' thought went back to the book of Daniel, where the 10 political states united behind the Antichrist would be preceded by Roman order. When that order collapses, Antichrist will be revealed.
Those who say we can, by Faith Confession, defeat the world are wrong. And those who claim we can escape the troubles of this world, by a Pretribulational Rapture, are wrong. We must face these trials to our faith, by keeping our love, and by persevering in our belief in Christ. It is not my job to convert you to this position. It is only my job, I believe, to proclaim it. It is up to you to read your Bible, and not let yourself be unduly influenced by biased commentators. Don't read a theology into it. Just listen to Paul!
Don't follow a theology that relies on private revelation, and not on explicit biblical theology. Pretribulationism relies on symbols and revelation, but not explicit Scriptural theology. Pretribulationism has no historical depth, and is strictly a modern teaching. Clever theologians can read anything into the Bible they want to promote. And you are taught that your "opinions" trump what Paul explicitly teaches here in 2 Thessalonians.
But we are to listen to the Shepherd. God bless as you consider these things. My denomination does not allow me to promote these things in church freely. And so, for decades I've had to resort to this kind of communication. I do not wish to create controversy, but I do wish to obey God. I've experienced tribulation and opposition regularly. It only confirms what I'm here teaching.
Here is a most explicit indication of the order in which we are to expect things: 1st suffering by Antichristian persecution, and 2nd ultimate vindication for Christians at the coming of Christ. Some Christians were apparently proposing the Kingdom of God was already on earth in some form. Paul made it clear that was wrong, just as Jesus had earlier said he is not going to bring his Kingdom to earth until after antichristian deception. Then the Kingdom will not come from misguided men on earth, but rather, from himself alone in a return from heaven.
Matthew 24.4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come... 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."
In the clearest possible way, Paul says that Christ will not come for his Church until after the Apostasy of Antichrist with his self-proclaimed revelation. Since he is the "man doomed to destruction," Paul implies that Christ is coming back with the specific mission of destroying him. This can also be seen in the book of Daniel, where the Son of Man is seen as coming from the clouds of heaven to establish the Kingdom of God and to end the terror of the Little Horn--the Antichrist.
Dan 7.11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire...
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
But of course, Antichrist is depicted as a deceiver, indicating that prior to Christ's return we must expect misleading deceptions. In a very practical way, Christians have been called upon in all generations to expose false claims of God's Kingdom, whether through political or religious leaders. These things have to be carefully scrutinized by the Christian so that in facing these ideologies we don't unconsciously allow sin into our lives.
Exodus 20.1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Paul continues:
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Some early Christians believed that the Roman Empire and its emperors temporarily held back a complete collapse of society into antichristianity. Paul is warning that even before Antichrist arrives, the antichristian spirit is already present in the world. And so, the life of a Christian is to expect deception and persecution by the world before we are ultimately vindicated at the return of Jesus.
Pretribulationists today claim that the Holy Spirit and the Church will be taken out of the world in order to let the Antichrist be revealed. This is a new interpretation in modern times, and was not even conceived of in the Early Church. The Church Fathers' thought went back to the book of Daniel, where the 10 political states united behind the Antichrist would be preceded by Roman order. When that order collapses, Antichrist will be revealed.
Those who say we can, by Faith Confession, defeat the world are wrong. And those who claim we can escape the troubles of this world, by a Pretribulational Rapture, are wrong. We must face these trials to our faith, by keeping our love, and by persevering in our belief in Christ. It is not my job to convert you to this position. It is only my job, I believe, to proclaim it. It is up to you to read your Bible, and not let yourself be unduly influenced by biased commentators. Don't read a theology into it. Just listen to Paul!
Don't follow a theology that relies on private revelation, and not on explicit biblical theology. Pretribulationism relies on symbols and revelation, but not explicit Scriptural theology. Pretribulationism has no historical depth, and is strictly a modern teaching. Clever theologians can read anything into the Bible they want to promote. And you are taught that your "opinions" trump what Paul explicitly teaches here in 2 Thessalonians.
But we are to listen to the Shepherd. God bless as you consider these things. My denomination does not allow me to promote these things in church freely. And so, for decades I've had to resort to this kind of communication. I do not wish to create controversy, but I do wish to obey God. I've experienced tribulation and opposition regularly. It only confirms what I'm here teaching.
