II Thessalonians 2: 1-12
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
Here Paul puts Jesus' return and the Rapture of the church together.
That you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the Day of the Lord has come.
Some of their teachers were saying that the Lord had already returned. Paul is telling them not to worry, it hasn't happened yet, they didn't miss Him.
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
We are to look at what is going on around us to see when some powerful ruler acts as though he is above the law.
Okay, almost every government official of every Nation acts like they are not subject to the same laws we are.
So let's see what this particular one does:
Who opposes and exalts himself above every god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
This person will promote himself as the only one to be worshiped, in the middle of Daniel's seventieth week (Daniel 9:27), persecuting everyone who will not bow down to him.
Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
Paul had taught these believers as much as he understood would happen according to God's plan, but he wasn't in Thessalonica very long, being run out by the Jews who didn't believe him (Acts 17:5-10).
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
Okay, Paul told them, but he didn't tell us who this is who is restraining; and now we have several theories propounded by theologians, but no proof of any of them.
I will leave that to God to reveal or not what this is that restrains the evil and lawlessness to prevent the "man of sin" from being revealed. I suppose we will know after the fact.
When this person compels everyone to worship him by preventing anyone to buy or sell anything without giving him fealty, he will use the World's economic system to enforce his theology (see Revelation 13:15-18).
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the Appearance of His Coming;
That is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
This person is in direct opposition to God, wanting to be God, and trying to act like a god with miracles and deceptive wonders. So he also is in opposition to the people of God, both Jews and Christians.
Be watching who is anti-Semitic, for one indication. And for who doesn't approve of Christians proclaiming only One Way to God, through the Blood of Christ. This is the spirit of lawlessness at work today.
And with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the Truth so as to be saved.
For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
Paul is talking about the people now, who follow the World instead of following Christ. Since they refused to accept the Truth that we all deserve to die (The wages of sin is death; Romans 6:23), and will not accept Jesus as the Savior.
So God will let the man of sin make it impossible for these people to be saved, so they will elevate him instead of God.
What could be such a strong "deluding influence" but the new technology out of the Far East that puts emotion and thought control into implantable chips, along with medical and financial information. So don't get any chips implanted!
In order that they all may be judged who did not believe the Truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
God's judgment is absolutely righteous, and these people will show themselves deserving of God's wrath, that King Jesus will dispense with His Word--the sword that proceeds out of His mouth (Revelation 19:15).
O my Father, please prepare all of Your people, both Your children and the Israelites You have chosen, to survive the wrath You will be pouring out on the World, and to reach all of the rest of Your sheep who are still searching.
Thank you so much, my Father, for putting the wrath I deserve on Your own Son as He suffered as Lamb of God. Strengthen me to stand firm in the face of the enemy's minions when they confront, and protect me, to live to see and take part in the Glorious Appearing of my King.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
