Clarity and Confidence about Christ s Coming

Transcription

1 Week 2 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Clarity and Confidence about Christ s Coming 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. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV) In our day, we have seen the vision dimly, and we can only confess that we do not understand it all. I have said it before. Let us not get involved in trying to decipher all the minute details of God s plans. The great central truth is what matters: When God gets enough of this world s sin and violence and rebellion, He will do something about it! God intends to restore the unity of His creation. He will sort out good from bad. He will halt the infection of evil. He will balance the scales of justice. A. W. Tozer Note On Interpretation This week s Scripture deals completely with eschatology. It is important to understand the hermeneutical view of the commentator concerning eschatology. The editor holds to a pretribulational, premillennial view because he considers this view to most closely line up with a literal interpretation of Scripture. Consequently, the notes presented here will show (for the most part) this perspective of the end times. Chris Eller Focus of 2 Thessalonians 2 This second chapter focuses on the main reason for the writing of this epistle. Eschatology error was being taught in the church by enemies of the Gospel, and it was very upsetting to the believers. Paul counters this error by giving some important truths about the Lord's return to earth. "The second chapter of II Thessalonians is one of the great prophetic chapters of the Scripture" (Walvoord). 21 False Religion: The Devil s Work A hallmark of false doctrine is its attack on the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout history, mystics, rationalists, legalists, cultists, and other heretics have 21 John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor 1 Thessalonians-Philemon, (Clinton, Iowa: LBC Publications, 2009), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 279. Page 45 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

2 assaulted Christ s deity, humanity, and the singular efficacy and sufficiency of His saving work. The Reformation definition of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone was affirmed against the backdrop of attacks on biblical soteriology. Satan apparently devotes his personal efforts not to tempting individual Christians but to devising false systems of religion, which teach lies about Christ (1 John 2:22; 4:3; 2 John 7). He is disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). His demon doctrines deceive countless millions, keeping them from the life-giving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is coming a satanic false religion that will dominate the world like no other in history (cf. Rev. 17). Its object of worship will be the most powerful, evil, deceitful person to ever live: the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist. He will be the culmination of Satan s long war against God, the last and most malevolent manifestation of the antichrist spirit (1 John 4:3). Like his evil master, Antichrist will disguise himself as an angel of light and deceive the whole lost world (Rev. 12:9; 13:14). 22 The Coming of the Day of the Lord in Relation to the Rapture By John F. Walvoord In 1 Thessalonians 5, the apostle had pointed out to the Thessalonians that the Day of the Lord would begin at the time of the Rapture and that it would be a time period in which God deals in direct judgment in the world before the Second Coming and at the time of the Second Coming as well as in the millennial kingdom. In all this, God will deal directly with human sin in contrast to His withholding judgment in the present age. The false teachers had come to Thessalonica, however, and told them they were already in the Day of the Lord, contradicting Paul s teaching, unsettling and alarming the Thessalonian church because they had understood Paul to say that they would not be in this period. Accordingly, Paul attempted to correct this difficulty by pointing out that the major events of the Day of the Lord had not occurred and that there was no evidence that the day had already begun. The problem was stated in the opening verses of chapter 2, Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the Day of the Lord has already come. 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. He opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (vv. 1 4). In approaching the interpretation of these verses, distinction must be made between the concept of the Day of the Lord beginning at a specific moment and the major events of the Day of the Lord coming which will occur some time after it has begun. The parallel is the ordinary twenty-four-hour period. The day actually begins at midnight, but no 22 John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 & 2 Thessalonians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), 276. Page 46 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

3 activity marks the day until one is raised from sleep to greet the morning. Then as the events of the day unfold, it is evident that a new day has come. The time period, accordingly, begins before the major events of the period come. The same is true of the Day of the Lord. The time period begins at the Rapture of the church, but the major events do not come immediately. However, if the Day of the Lord has progressed very far, there will be unmistakable signs that they are in the Day of the Lord. Paul, accordingly, warned them not to be deceived by any report that is received from him, a forged letter or report, because he did not send it. His view was expressed in his first letter to them which dated the Day of the Lord as following the Rapture. The reasons why Paul was sure they were not in the Day of the Lord was that there were no signs of it. One of the major signs will be the emergence of a human leader, the man of lawlessness referred to as the little horn of Daniel 7:8, who, according to Daniel s prophecies, will bring together ten countries in a political confederacy that will be located in the Middle East. For a careful Bible student, he would be recognized at once when the event takes place seven years before the Second Coming because Daniel described him as first conquering three countries and then, apparently, all the remaining seven (vv. 8, 23 25). His prominence will be progressive. As there was no sign of his existence, it was proof that the Day of the Lord had not begun. As Daniel stated, in addition to conquering the ten countries, he eventually will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it (v. 23). Before he conquers the world, after he has gained control of these ten countries, he will make a covenant with Israel, apparently settling peacefully the problems that exist between Israel and her neighbors (9:27). Though the details of this covenant are not revealed, it is clear from verse 27 that it is planned to last for seven years, that it was observed for the first threeand-a-half years and then broken, making Israel the object of his persecution the second half of the seven years which culminates in the second coming of Christ. There will be unmistakable evidence then that they are in the Day of the Lord which comes by stages, first, when the ruler conquers three, then ten, then makes a seven-year covenant with Israel, observes it for three-and-a-half years, and then breaks it and desecrates the temple and persecutes the people of Israel. None of these events had occurred. Many Scriptures in the Old and New Testaments give further details on this process of fulfilled prophecy. Paul s argument, accordingly, is that the Thessalonians had no proof at all that they were in the Day of the Lord and, as a matter of fact, this was contrary to what he had taught them when he was with them. The key to the whole program of the Day of the Lord at its beginning is this man of lawlessness who may be identified with the little horn of Daniel 7:8 and the ruler who will come of 9:26 who prior to the second coming of Christ will desecrate the temple and become himself the object of terrible judgments from God as defined in Revelation The man of lawlessness may also be identified as the ruler mentioned in Daniel 11:36 39 and as the beast out of the sea (Rev. 13:1 10). The man of lawlessness will become a world conquerer for forty-two months (vv. 5 7), and he will be the persecutor of Israel in that last forty-two-month period with countless martyrs (7:9 17). Page 47 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

4 In addition to the appearance of this man in fulfilling prophecies related to him which had not yet occurred, Paul pointed also to the fact that the one who is helping to restrain sin in the world, most probably a reference to the Holy Spirit, has not been taken out of the way (2 Thes. 2:7). This will occur at the Rapture when the church indwelt by the Spirit will be removed. It is evident from Scripture that God uses various means to restrain sin in the world, one of them being the presence of the Holy Spirit. Though the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and cannot be removed from the earth in the sense of restricting His access to the world, His restraining ministry apparently will be limited during the end time, and God will allow the wickedness of the wicked to have full display. This will begin after the Rapture. As the man of lawlessness will be revealed at least seven years before the Second Coming, the Rapture which removes the Holy Spirit must occur before the seven years begin. Hence, the fact that the Rapture had not taken place was another evidence that the teachers who had told them they were already in the Day of the Lord were teaching false doctrine. At the time of the Second Coming the lawless one will be destroyed (v. 8; Rev. 19:20). Though his miraculous signs will deceive those who do not want to believe in Jesus as Saviour, the prophecy states that they will perish because they do not love the truth (2 Thes. 2:10). It is possible that some who are here worshiping the beast were unbelievers at the time of the Rapture of the church, and because of their settled unbelief against Jesus Christ, they were allowed to believe the lie rather than the truth and, of course, receive the judgment that this merits (vv ). It is quite illuminating that the Thessalonian church early in the Church Age experienced what today is called posttribulationism, the idea that the Rapture occurs after the Day of the Lord has begun. Posttribulationism usually makes the Rapture a phase of the second coming of Christ to set up His kingdom. It is clear that Paul denied this teaching and affirmed that the Day of the Lord, which includes the activities of the future world ruler, must follow rather than precede the Rapture of the church. Though it is a popular view that the Rapture will be a part of the Second Coming, those who hold this view, generally speaking, are not able to assign specific fulfillment of prophecy in the period which precedes the Second Coming in spite of the fact that there are so many detailed prophecies at the Second Coming that require fulfillment. Paul obviously wanted the Thessalonians to have the challenge of believing that Christ would come at any time for them and the assurance that this event had not already occurred. 23 Outline of 2 Thessalonians 2 SECTION OUTLINE TWO (2 THESSALONIANS 2) Paul writes about the Great Tribulation and gives thanks to God for the faithful believers at Thessalonica John F. Walvoord, The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1990), 491 Page 48 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

5 I. THE DAY OF THE LORD (2:1 12): This is a reference to the coming Great Tribulation. A. The day of the Lord and the church (2:1 3) 1. The confusion (2:1 2): The church at Thessalonica has been falsely taught they are currently going through the Great Tribulation. 2. The clarification (2:3b, 3c): Paul reassures them this is not the case, for two events must occur prior to that terrible time. a. A worldwide religious apostasy (2:3b) b. The appearance of a satanic superman (2:3c) B. The day of the Lord and the Antichrist (2:3a 4, 8 9) 1. His titles (2:3a, 8a, 9a) a. The man of lawlessness (2:3a, 8a) b. This evil man (2:9a) 2. His travesty (2:4): He will sit in the Temple of God and claim that he is God. 3. His trickery (2:9b): He will deceive the world by his miracles, signs, and wonders. 4. His trampling (2:8b): He will be utterly crushed and consumed by Jesus at the Second Coming. C. The day of the Lord and the restrainer (2:5 7): The Holy Spirit will hold the Antichrist back until the appointed time. D. The day of the Lord and the unsaved (2:10 12): God will allow the unsaved to be totally deceived by the Antichrist for their sin of rejecting the truth. As we begin to consider the special line of truth that is the subject of this passage, we need to remind ourselves that the outstanding theme of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to receive His own before the onset of the awful period of judgment that is designated in the Old Testament as the day of the Lord, a time of trouble, or the time of Jacob's trouble. Our Lord Jesus spoke of the period as the great tribulation. The Thessalonian believers were looking forward to the appearing of the Lord. They were waiting for Him to return to earth to execute judgment on the wicked and set up His kingdom in this place where He had been rejected and crucified. It was this aspect of His coming that had made the deepest impression on their hearts even though Paul had explained that the Lord will first come in the air for His saints. Sometimes believers have very poor memories and these Thessalonians seemed to have forgotten this truth, which Paul had endeavored to make so clear in his first letter. So when they encountered bitter persecution and trouble, they began to wonder if the day of the Lord had begun; they thought they might already be in the midst of the great tribulation. They completely lost sight of the truth that had been revealed concerning the rapture of the church. It seems that someone had misled them into believing that they were experiencing the throes of the time of Jehovah's wrath. Presumably this person had asserted that he had been given a special revelation from God, and many of the brethren had been deceived. It seems too that someone had forged a letter in the name of the apostle Paul in which he Page 49 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

6 definitely declared that the day of the Lord really had begun and the church was going through the great tribulation. In order to correct these false beliefs, the apostle wrote his second Epistle to the Thessalonians. In the first chapter of his second letter he declared the truth concerning the Lord's judgment that will take place when He is "revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Before this time of vengeance, believers of this church age will have been caught up in the clouds "to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:17), but they will appear with Him in great glory when He descends as depicted in 2 Thessalonians 1. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 the apostle emphasized the fact that the day of the Lord cannot begin while the church is still on the earth. He wanted his readers to remember that the hope of believers is that they will be gathered together unto the Lord before judgment falls upon the earth. They were not to give heed to the theory that they were entering the great tribulation era even though someone had professed to have discovered such teaching in the Word, or to have spoken by the Spirit, or to have received a letter from Paul asserting the theory Thessalonians 2:1 12 The Day of the Lord and the Church (2:1-3) 1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, The return of the Lord. "The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The coming of Christ is twofold. It involves both the Rapture (when Christ comes for the church) and the Revelation (when Christ comes to earth to reign). The error being circulated in Thessalonica involved both of these aspects of Christ's return. The reunion with the Lord. "Our gathering together unto him." The coming of Christ involves the gathering of believers with Jesus Christ. This will happen at the Rapture after which the believers will always be with Christ (I Thessalonians 4:17). This was part of the eschatology involved in the error not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 24 H. A. Ironside, H. A. Ironside Commentary 1 & 2 Thessalonians, (San Diego, CA: Horizon Press, 1947), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor 1 Thessalonians-Philemon, (Clinton, Iowa: LBC Publications, 2009), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 279. Page 50 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

7 In 2 Thessalonians 2:2 Paul cautioned his readers not to believe "that the day of Christ is at hand" (King James version). Here "the day of Christ" is a faulty translation. The best manuscript authority renders the original as "the day of the Lord." The two phrases refer to two very different events. The day of Christ is the time when believers receive their rewards at the judgment seat of Christ immediately after the rapture. The day of the Lord, as we have seen, is the period when Jehovah's judgments will be poured out, culminating in the literal return of the Lord Jesus to this world, where He will set up the kingdom of God. The day of Christ is always imminent. There are no signs to be looked for; the Son may return from Heaven at any time. It is not to this precious and glorious event that 2 Thessalonians 2:2 refers, but to the next stage of Christ's second advent and the judgments immediately preceding it. Almost invariably when the church is called on to go through a time of great suffering, there are those who jump to the conclusion that it must be the beginning of "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Revelation 3:10). In our own generation we have passed through two world wars; in each of these awful conflicts, a large part of the professing church of Christ endured great suffering, and many teachers began to assert that we were entering the great tribulation. Some have taught that the church must go through the entire tribulation period which, according to the book of Daniel, is to take place in the last and unfulfilled seventieth week of the great prophecy of chapter 9. This seven-week period is all a time of tribulation, but it is divided in Scripture into two parts: the first three-andone-half years is a time of preliminary and largely providential judgment; the last three-and-one-half years cover the great tribulation proper when the wrath of the Lamb and the wrath of God will be poured out on the world, and Satan will be cast down from the heavens. Some who realize that the church is to be saved from the wrath, and therefore cannot agree with the idea that it will go through the entire seven-week period of judgment, have taught that the church will go through at least the first half of the week. If this teaching were true, two companies of saints would be on earth at the same time: the heavenly company (the church, which is the body of Christ) and the earthly company (the remnant of Israel, who are to be gathered out of the apostate nation at the beginning of the tribulation). To conclude that both companies will be on earth at the same time is unthinkable if one considers the Scriptures relating to each company. God has both a heavenly and an earthly election. In our Lord's great prophetic discourse recorded in Matthew 24, the elect to be gathered out of all nations when He descends to set up His kingdom are Israel and those Gentiles who, having "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14), will come out of great tribulation. The elect of the Epistles are a heavenly company, the "church of the firstborn" whose names are written in Heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Page 51 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

8 As Christians we ought to realize that ours is indeed a heavenly hope. We are not to be occupied with events and conditions down here; we should be looking for our blessed Lord to snatch us away from the wrath to come. The day of the Lord cannot begin until after this has taken place. 26 The Day of the Lord and the Antichrist (2:3a 4, 8 9) 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, Paul will later speak in more detail on the subject of the "day of the Lord" but here he gives a brief correction of the false doctrine that was being perpetrated in Thessalonica about the "day of the Lord." Here Paul states that two things must occur before the day of the Lord happens and obviously neither of them have occurred as yet. The great apostasy must occur. "That day shall not come, except there come a falling away (Greek "apostasia") first" (II Thessalonians 2:3). Apostasy occurs in every age, but this refers to the great apostasy predicted by Christ (Matthew 24:10-13) and previously taught by Paul to the Thessalonians (II Thessalonians 2:5). Our day gives scary evidence that the great apostasy is beginning. There is a great spiritual coldness and an abundance of vile wickedness that predicts extra severe Divine judgment if not the dawning of the beginning of the end times. With Israel in the land and apostasy increasing, Bible students cannot help but conclude that we are fast approaching climactic prophetic times. The coming of the Antichrist must occur. "And that man of sin be revealed" (II Thessalonians 2:3). Paul gives a brief description of the Antichrist to emphasize that he, the Antichrist, has not come as yet. First, the character of the man. "Man of sin." The Antichrist is no puritan or moralist. He is a very wicked man. Second, the condemnation of the man. "Son of perdition" (II Thessalonians 3:3). This term, because it was applied to Judas Iscariot (John 17:12), has caused some to think the Antichrist is Judas. But all this term does is show the predicted condemnation of the man. Third, the claims of the man. "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, showing himself that he is God" (II Thessalonians 2:4) He claimed to be God by adverseness opposing and thus replacing God, by arrogance exalting himself above God, by adoration worshiped as God, by appearance sitting in the Temple to show that he "is God." H. A. Ironside, H. A. Ironside Commentary 1 & 2 Thessalonians, (San Diego, CA: Horizon Press, 1947), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor 1 Thessalonians-Philemon, (Clinton, Iowa: LBC Publications, 2009), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Page 52 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

9 Paul said, "That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The "man of sin" is undoubtedly the same as the personal antichrist of whom the apostle John spoke in his Epistles and the king who "shall do according to his own will" in Daniel's great prophecy. The day of the Lord cannot come until the "man of sin" has been revealed and he will not be revealed prior to the rapture. We therefore are never instructed to look for the rising up of this sinister personage who occupies such a large place in prophecies that relate to the last days. After the church has been caught up, the apostasy of Christendom and Judaism will be complete. Among the vast throng of people left on earth will be many who, though unconverted, have professed faith; these will throw off all pretension of allegiance to Christ and to God. That complete "falling away," or apostasy, will be the preparation for the reception of the antichrist. When the Jews are gathered back to their own land in unbelief, these words of the Lord Jesus will be fulfilled: "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive" (John 5:43). The one who will "come in his own name" is the "man of sin... the son of perdition." 28 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. The "man of sin" will proclaim himself to be the incarnation of God; he will exalt himself "above all that is called God, or that is worshipped" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). This antichrist will sit in the temple that the returning Jews will build in the land of Palestine and to him will be rendered the worship that belongs to God alone. As Daniel prophesied in 11:36-37: The king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. We know that this mysterious king will be a Jew because he is said not to "regard the God of his fathers." In Scripture "the God of his fathers" refers invariably to the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. "The desire of women" undoubtedly refers to the Messiah, since every Jewish woman hoped to be the mother of the Deliverer of Israel. So the "man of sin" will be the son of Jewish parents and he will present himself to Israel as God manifest in the flesh, the Messiah for whom they have waited Ironside, Ironside, Page 53 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

10 The Day of the Lord and the Restrainer (2:5-7) 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? It is evident that Paul had taught his readers about the antichrist when he was in Thessalonica, for he said, "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?" (2 Thessalonians 2:5) Of course in the short time that he was in that city he could not have made everything clear, and even if he had, much would have been forgotten. So when circumstances arose that filled the Thessalonians with fear and dread, they became so focused on these conditions that they lost the hope of the return of Christ to take His people away before the judgments begin And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. As the phrase and you know indicates, the Thessalonians understood what force currently restrains Antichrist because Paul had told them when he was with them. Therefore, he did not repeat it here a fact that has led to endless speculation as to what it is. The Greek verb translated restrains (katechō; to hold back, to hold down, to suppress ) appears in this text as a neuter participle, prompting commentators to suggest numerous options as to the identity of that restraining force. Some believe that the preaching of the gospel keeps Antichrist in check. Eventually, they argue, the gospel will be fully proclaimed (cf. Matt. 24:14) and the restraint will be removed. Other suggestions for the restrainer include the nation of Israel, the alleged binding of Satan by believers, the church s influence as salt and light in the world (cf. Matt. 5:13 14), human government (cf. Rom. 13:1 4), the general principle of law and morality in the world, the Roman Empire, and even Michael the archangel (cf. Dan. 10:21). But none of those opinions is satisfactory. The most significant problem with all of them (except the last) is that they are human forces. Humans preach the gospel; humans make up the nation of Israel; humans attempt to bind Satan; humans comprise the church; humans run the world s governments; humans agree on principles of law and morality; and humans made up the Roman Empire. But human power, ingenuity, and institutions cannot restrain the supernatural power of Satan that seeks to release Antichrist. And the one supernatural person in the list, Michael, does not have the power to restrain Satan (Jude 9). The most logical of those choices, the church, has never been able to restrain even human evil. It may do so to some extent in the lives of its members, but the outside world continues to grow worse and worse a situation that will especially characterize the end times (2 30 Ironside, 95. Page 54 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

11 Tim. 3:13). If no human or angelic power restrains, that leaves only the power of God to hold back the purpose of Satan for his Antichrist. And God does the restraining so that in his time he will be revealed. Satan, of course, does not want to operate on God s timetable. If he could, he would have revealed Antichrist long before now. He longs for the false messiah, through whom he will rule the earth, to appear. But nothing not even the purposes of hell operates independently of God s sovereign timetable. Job confessed, I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2). In Isaiah 46:10 God declares, My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure. Therefore, the man of lawlessness will not appear until the time predetermined by God. God will not allow Antichrist to be revealed until all the redeemed, whom He chose for salvation in eternity past (2:13; cf. Matt. 25:34; Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9; Rev. 13:8; 17:8), are gathered into the kingdom (cf. Rom. 11:25). Evil will not overstep its divinely ordained bounds. The true Messiah was revealed when the fullness of the time came, [and] God sent forth His Son (Gal. 4:4); the ultimate false messiah will likewise be revealed in God s perfect time For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. "Withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time... he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way" (II Thessalonians 2:6,7). Paul enlightens as to why the Antichrist had not yet been manifested, and this also shows why the great apostasy has not taken place yet. Paul reports that there has been some restraining work going on that has kept the Antichrist from being manifested and the work of sin from coming to fruition in the Antichrist's evil. We note here both the influence of the Restrainer and also His identity. His influence. The Restrainer's influence is very large but it is limited. First, it is large. "Withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time." The Restrainer prevents the work of sin from its culmination in the Antichrist until it is God's time for it to occur. God is running the show and is in control of events. Satan wants to oppose God and bring sin upon the earth in a very powerful way. But as God restrained Satan in his dealing with Job, so Satan is restrained in his work of bringing about the Antichrist. This restraining is very powerful, for it is a restraining of the forces of evil. "The mystery of iniquity doth already work" (II Thessalonians 2:7) but it cannot climax until the Restrainer stops restraining. The "mystery of iniquity" especially involves the work of the Antichrist. Second, it is limited. "Until he be taken out of the way" (II Thessalonians 2:7). The Restrainer will one day be removed and then the manifestation of sin will take place. It reminds of Genesis 6:3 "My 31 John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 & 2 Thessalonians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), Page 55 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

12 spirit shall not always strive with man." The day will come when God will allow men to have their wicked way and what an awful time that will be. His identity. "He who now letteth [restrains] will let [restrains]" (II Thessalonians 2:7). Who is the Restrainer? The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit. His removal will occur at the Rapture. "If the Spirit of God indwells the church and the church is taken out of the world, then the Spirit of God will also be taken out of the world... it will mean a reversal of Pentecost" (Walvoord). When the Holy Spirit is removed, it will "release the world to sin as it never has before" (Walvoord). 32 In 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 the apostle explained something that every believer ought to understand and many students and teachers of prophecy have misunderstood: "Ye know what withholdeth that he [the antichrist] might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." Some of the words in these verses have changed their meaning in the course of the centuries. For example when the King James version of the Bible was published, the word "let" meant "hinder"; now it means "permit." What the apostle was really saying in these verses is this: "Ye know what restraineth that he might be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is One who now hindereth, until He be taken out of the way." Observe that Paul suggested that his readers should know what "hindereth." Some have supposed that the apostle was referring to the Roman empire, whose downfall he had told the Thessalonians privately would take place before the second coming of Christ. It has been said that he spoke in a cryptic way because if he had spoken more clearly, he would have endangered both himself and other Christians and subjected them to the suspicions of the ruling powers. Others have thought that Paul was referring to orderly government. In other words, a state of anarchy must prevail throughout the world before the antichrist is revealed and the Lord returns from Heaven. But all such speculation seems needless in view of the fact that Paul was writing not merely for the Thessalonians or other believers living at that time, but also for future generations of Christians; his words would be read until the end of the dispensation. He spoke to us all when he said, "Ye know what restraineth." My reader, if you are a Christian, you ought to know what restrains the full demonstration of evil. Do you know? I have asked Christian audiences this question many times, and they have never failed to answer correctly. Yes, it is the Holy Spirit who restrains. Isaiah 59:19 tells us, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the 32 John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor 1 Thessalonians-Philemon, (Clinton, Iowa: LBC Publications, 2009), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 283. Page 56 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

13 Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." This verse has also been translated, "The Spirit of the Lord shall restrain him." The Holy Spirit is in the world, where He is working in and through the church of God. He indwells every believer individually and the church collectively; therefore as long as the church is in the world, the antichrist will not be revealed. Of course as 1 John 2:18 tells us, "Even now are there many antichrists." Everyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. But we are speaking here of the "man of sin," "the son of perdition," the one who will "come in his own name," the archdeceiver who will appear at the end of the age. This antichrist will not be revealed as long as the Spirit of God is in the world. 33 Accordingly, the sense of the entire passage (verses 6 and 7) seems to be this: Satan, while perfectly aware of the fact that he cannot himself become incarnate, nevertheless would like to imitate the second person of the Trinity also in this respect as far as possible. He yearns for a man over whom he will have complete control, and who will perform his will as thoroughly as Jesus performed the will of the Father. It will have to be a man of outstanding talents. But as yet the devil is being frustrated in his attempt to put this plan into operation. Someone and something is always holding back the deceiver s man of lawlessness. This, of course, happens under God s direction. Hence, for the time being, the worst Satan can do is to promote the spirit of lawlessness. But this does not satisfy him. It is as if he and his man of sin bide their time. At the divinely decreed moment ( the appropriate season ) when, as a punishment for man s willingness to cooperate with this spirit, the some one and something that now holds back is removed, Satan will begin to carry out his plans. (New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981], Emphasis in the original.) 34 Romans 1:18 25 gives a clear and oft-repeated historical example of the removal of restraint so that sin is unleashed: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and 33 Ironside, John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 & 2 Thessalonians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), Page 57 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

14 exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. Word Study: by the appearance of his coming (parousia). parousia Greek Pronunciation [pah roo SEE ah] HCSB Translation coming, presence Uses in 2 Thessalonians 3 Uses in the NT 24 Focus passage 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Parousia means presence or coming. In the sense of presence, it refers to physical proximity. Paul speaks of the obedience of the Philippian church during both his presence and absence (Php 2:12) and of the presence of his fellow laborers (1Co 16:17). Elsewhere, parousia refers to the coming or arrival of men or events. Paul mentions the coming of Titus (2Co 7:6-7), and he hopes to come again to the Philippians (Php 1:26). Parousia occurs most often in relation to the coming of the Lord Jesus as human history moves to closure. His coming will be preceded by the coming of the "lawless one," the antichrist (2Th 2:8-9). The glorious coming of Jesus will be accompanied by the destruction of all His enemies, a resurrection of the dead in Christ, and a gathering of the saints still living (1Co 15:23-25; 1Th 4:15-16; 2Th 2:1). 35 The Holy Spirit came to abide with the church forever, so as long as the church is here, He will be here. But when the church is caught up to be with the Lord, the Spirit of God will no longer be in the world in the sense in which He has been here during the Christian era. We sometimes sing, "The Holy Ghost is leading / Home to the Lamb His Bride." Like Abraham's servant, the Spirit of God has come down to this far country to find a bride for the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts of men and women, leading them to Christ. When His work is completed, He will go up with the church "and then shall that Wicked be revealed" (2 Thessalonians 2:8). 35 Jeremy Royal Howard, ed., HCSB Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2010), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "2 Thessalonians 2". Page 58 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

15 This lawless one, who will set himself up as God incarnate, will be the special object of divine judgment; he will be destroyed by the Lord Himself when He returns in power and glory. We learn from Revelation 19:20 that he will be cast alive into the lake of fire The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, During his brief time of power on earth the antichrist will deceive the nations with all kinds of false miracles and "lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:9). Jesus said that if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived by him (Matthew 24:24). But, thank God, it is not possible, "for they know not the voice of strangers" (John 10:5); they will hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. 37 The Day of the Lord and the Unsaved (2:10-12) 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. The propaganda of the antichrist will carry away those who "received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thessalonians 2:10) Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. In fact it is God Himself who in righteous judgment will give them up to be deluded. We read in 2:11, "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." Instead of "a lie," we might read, "the lie": the lie that the "man of sin" is the Christ of God. This is a solemn word indeed for those who hear the gospel in our day and definitely reject it. If they are still rejecting the truth when the rapture of the church takes place, there will be no hope of their turning to Christ during the period of tribulation. Having believed the lie, they will be judged with all those who have apostatized from the truth. If you have not yet received Christ, the following words are for you. No doubt many of you who are unsaved are children of Christian parents. You have heard the name of Christ all your lives, yet you have never definitely accepted Him. If Jesus should come today, you would be among the number who will receive the 36 Ironside, Ironside, Ironside, 98. Page 59 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

16 antichrist. You will probably say, "Impossible! I have been too well-taught for that; I have heard the gospel too many times. I have learned the great outlines of prophecy, and I know something of the divine program. I would not be deceived in that way. I would turn immediately to the Lord after He had taken His church out of the world, and thus I would be prepared to welcome Him at His glorious appearing." But according to the Word of God, that will not happen. If you reject Christ now, you will have no desire to accept Him in the coming day of tribulation. You are in the most dangerous position anyone could be in. The Word of the Lord says, "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1). Some of the saddest funerals I have had to conduct have been for unsaved young people who were members of Christian families. These young men and women had often been urged to come to Christ, but they had gone on in carelessness, hoping that everything would come out all right in the end. Then suddenly they were struck down, perhaps by accident, and they went out into eternity leaving no testimony. If you are unsaved, I plead with you not to allow another day to pass without coming to Christ, lest the near future find you forever beyond all hope of mercy. God has given you the opportunity to believe the truth; He has presented His Word. But if you turn away from that truth and refuse to believe the gospel, then God Himself may give you up to delusion so that you will believe the lie of the "man of sin" and so be eternally lost H. A. Ironside, H. A. Ironside Commentary 1 & 2 Thessalonians, (San Diego, CA: Horizon Press, 1947), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 100. Page 60 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at

17 The Coming Man of Sin, Part 4 By John MacArthur 2 Thessalonians 2:6 10 Let s take our Bibles this morning for our time in God s Word and look at 2 Thessalonians 2, our continuing study of the coming man of sin the coming man of lawlessness, or as we ve subtitled it, how to avoid fear regarding the Lord s return how to avoid fear regarding the Lord s return. You know, of course, that the return of Jesus Christ is set. The only thing we don t know is when. He said it s not for us to know the times and the seasons. He said no man knows the hour when the Son of Man comes. God knows. The plan is set. Jesus will return. And we should live not in fear of that but in anticipation of it. In 2 Timothy 4 the Apostle Paul says these familiar words, he says, There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing. We should so greatly anticipate the return of Jesus Christ that actually it could be said we love His appearing. It is our greatest hope, it is our greatest and most joyous anticipation. We are to live in hope. We are to long for the return of Christ. We are to say with John, Even so, come Lord Jesus. And yet there are some people in the church who claim to be Christians who are for one reason or another afraid of the return of Christ. Apparently the Thessalonians had such a fear. Notice verses 1 and 2, just by way of review. Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him that you may 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. Now Paul says I would like to write you about the Rapture. I would like to write you about the Lord coming for you, about our gathering together, as he calls it in verse 1. I want to talk to you about the coming of Christ and about the Rapture and about the day when we re going to be gathered together but you have been distressed and you have been disturbed and you have been shaken from your composure because somebody has created fear in you. How? Well somebody told you you are in the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is a technical term for the time of final judgment on the ungodly. Somebody had come along, according to verse 2, and said that a Spirit and a message and even a letter from Paul stated that the day of the Lord had arrived. And that means that they missed the Rapture or there was no Rapture. There was no catching away of the church in to the presence of Jesus Christ. They were now in the day of the Lord. You say, Why would they believe that? Because they were being severely persecuted. And so they had been told that they had missed the Rapture or that there was no Rapture we don t know which. And they were deeply concerned because this supposedly came from a Spirit, maybe even the Holy Spirit through a message and a letter from Paul, it was claimed. Now there s one thing then obvious in this text and I ve pointed it out and I m just briefly reviewing, and that is this, Paul must have taught them that they would be raptured before the day of the Lord. He must have taught them that they would be caught Page 61 These study notes are produced to coordinate with the weekly teaching series by First Family Church, Ankeny, IA. More resources on this series are available at