2 Thessalonians 2:1 (NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,

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Gerald Knight
6 years ago
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1 Introduction The Church in Thessaloniki was under intense persecution (1:4-7). Apparently enough believers were convinced that the Rapture had already taken place and the Day of the Lord and the Great Tribulation were already upon the World. Paul began the letter with a series of encouragements; suffering helps us grow (1:3-5); suffering prepares us for glory (1:6-10); suffering glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ and serves as an opportunity for growth and example (1:11-12). Paul will now move from encouragement to enlightenment about the Day of the Lord. In a series of startling revelations Paul reminds the reader that a progression of events must take place; the apostasy must begin (2:1-3); a Satanic man of sin must be revealed (2:3-9); a temple must be built (vv. 2:4-5); a restrainer must be removed (2:6-12); and an unfinished church must come to full and final completion (2:13-17). Encouragement (chapter 1); enlightenment (chapter 2) and Paul will conclude the letter with a series of absolute priorities to establish the saints in Christian living (chapter 3). In the two thousand years since Paul has written this letter; each generation has had to wrestle with the question; what does it mean that Jesus Christ will return? People have always been vulnerable to the Apocalyptic Alarm Clock. Some of us have an image of a clock counting down; to that final year, that will lead to a final month, to a terminal week, to an concluding day; an ultimate, closing, concluding hour, minute and second. The movie 2012 captures the angst of a world where men see only a hopeless end; but Paul reminds the Christian we can rejoice in an endless hope. People in every generation have been vulnerable to urgent warnings, announcements and pronouncements about the future. In fact certain false teachers in Paul s day pandered to people s hopes and dreams, fears and insecurities. Paul s response was an appeal to reason and sound thinking; and a careful commitment to what Jesus had taught and revealed to the Apostles. Paul calls for careful and critical thinking based on the instructions he has already given to the saints who were in Thesssaloniki ( see the whole book of 1 Thessalonians). We want with Paul and the other Bible authors; to stand fast and hold the traditions which we were taught; the truth revealed in the Bible. We must suppress the desire to engage in guesswork and speculation; but in the end we will try to be faithful to represent those events outlined in the Scriptures. Paul warns the believers to guard against doomsday prognosticators and judgment day jugglers. The Christian does not have to fear the Coming of our King. We do not have to fall prey to those who announce that Jesus is in the Desert or that Jesus has established his invisible Kingdom in Brooklyn or Salt Lake City. The Day Of The Lord And The Church (v.1) 2 Thessalonians 2:1 (NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 1

2 The subject at hand is the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (the rapture). The KJV has; Now we beseech you and the NKJV we ask you. The original meaning of erotao (we ask you) mean in the sense of ask a question; In ancient Greek writings (Homer) and the Septuagint; but often it means to make a request; sometimes a humble or courteous request; Clearly Paul is trying to correct a misunderstanding (the belief they were already in the Great Tribulation). The believers in Thessalonica were being mislead by false teachers who were confusing the believers with erroneous ideas about the Second Coming. Paul is attempting to correct those false ideas. The expression our gathering together is found only here in the Greek New Testament and in Hebrews 10:25 ( not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together); where it is a reference to the local congregation; but here it is in the context of the whole church; this will be the first instance where the whole church--every single congregation will be gathered together before the Lord to worship Him. The expression by my reading seems to bring back Paul s previous instructions from 1 Thessalonians 4:17; where Paul speaks of meeting the Lord in the air. The false teaching was that the Day of the Lord here called the day of Christ (v.2) had already come. Some of the Believers were under the false impression that Christ had come and gone and that Jesus had passed them by! Paul makes it clear they are not to believe that nonsense. Are there people who believe Jesus has already come? The Jehovah s Witness believe Jesus secretly returned; others concoct a coming that captures the spirit of Christ s teaching, or Christ consciousness, or reincarnation. If the day of Christ had come they have missed the Rapture or they have misunderstood Paul s meaning or Paul was somehow incomplete or inaccurate in his earlier statements. Paul knew they needed further instruction to calm their hearts and relieve their fears. The Church s Confusion (v.2a) 2 Thessalonians 2:2 (NKJV) not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. What is the Apostle requesting?...not to be soon shaken in mind. The word means to be agitated, as when a ship is tossed at sea or thrown off course; Paul uses strong language which speaks of a sudden jolt (like an earthquake) and troubled (an ongoing state of agitation). Their fears centered on the idea that the day of Christ had already come (Guzik). Some older manuscripts use the term the day of the LORD rather than the day of Christ. The Day of the Lord is the term Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians and has a rich Old Testament usage. 2

3 The Day does not single out a specific day but rather a period of time; a period associated with God s judgment and deliverance of His People. Not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled ;The word troubled (throeo) means to cause an outcry or to cry aloud or to sound the alarm. One Greek scholar (Thayer) suggests to be troubled in mind, to be frightened, alarmed (p.292).did Paul teach the Thessalonians they would in fact be raptured and miss the Great Tribulation? I think so! Why else would they be shaken in mind and troubled or shocked if Paul had in fact taught them to expect to be in the Great Tribulation? If they in fact expected to be in The Great Tribulation why weren t they rejoicing in the fact that things were happening just as Paul taught; the tribulation has come; we are in the tribulation; just as Paul taught! My view is that Paul did in fact teach them that they would escape God s judgment on this earth known as the Day of the Lord or the Day of Christ. Paul wrote earlier; For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:9). Titus 2:12-13 (NKJV) teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,13looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Paul lists three possible sources for the misunderstanding; by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us ; that is a written letter claiming apostolic authority. By spirit probably means that someone claimed to have received a special revelation through a spirit (angel or vision), perhaps even the Holy Spirit that the Tribulation had begun. Paul gave instructions; do not despise prophecy; allow prophecy; but also test the spirits; to see what is from God and what is not from God. John the Apostle also wrote; Test the spirits (1 John 4:1). By word almost certainly means some oral communication given by some so called teacher or prophet. By letter means a posting or communication in written form claiming to have Apostolic authority; none of which were to be trusted....as though the day of Christ had come. The Revised Version is better; as that the day of the Lord is now present. They were afraid that the day of God s wrath had begun. Don t be fooled. There have been over 1100 religious leaders in different parts of the world who have claimed to be Christ or the Savior; in India, Africa and China. In November of 1970 a then 12 year old Guru Maraj Ji stood up and made this pledge; I declare I will establish peace in this world. In 1973 thousands gathered in Houston for a save the world festival. In 1975 FW Franz leader of the Jehovah s Witnesses calculated September 1975 as the date Armageddon would begin; and then recalculated the date to include the number of days it would have taken Adam to name the animals and for God to create Eve; according to the Witness chronology Adam was created in 4026 BC making autumn of 1975 the 6000th anniversary of his creation. 3

4 The Apostle s Clarification (v.2b) as though the day of Christ (or the Day of the Lord) had come. What is the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming? A Global Apostasy (v.3a) 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NKJV) Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, In 1 Thessalonians the believers were in danger of losing hope in the Second Coming. Now an equal and opposite danger faced the new church; the false belief that the Second Coming had already taken place and they missed it! Let no one deceive you by any means (that is don t be shaken or troubled or deceived--is based on the truth of the rapture! Jesus is coming that is the blessed hope; don t let anyone take this from you either by spirit (a supposed gift of prophecy) or by a word (i.e. argument) or by letter from us (people sometimes pretend to be something they are not. Paul seeks to correct or explain why they could not possibly be in the Day of the Lord ; that is that time when God pours His wrath on a World that rejects God and rejects Jesus and the Gospel. Certain events must precede that great day of Judgement. After the rapture these events must take place. Certain signs would be present if in fact the Day has come. Again--note; Paul does not focus on events leading up to the rapture; but rather on events that lead up to that Day; and that Day will not come unless......the falling away comes first he apostasia; the Apostasy or the departure. The noun only appears here and in Acts 21:21. Acts 21:21 (NKJV) but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. to forsake Moses--; defection, apostasy, revolt. This is a revolt that springs from within rather than from without or outside. It must arise either from apostate Jews or apostate Christians; either who are said to fall away from God. In the ancient world it was a word often used to describe a military revolt; when a government implodes and collapses from within. It is one thing for the Church to be attacked by critics, skeptics and unbelievers. But it is another thing for the attack to come from inside the Church. It is like a theological AIDS virus. The rebellion is a rebellion against God by what looks like the Church. Some have interpreted this to mean a wholesale departure from the Truth; the Gospel Truth. When leading Seminary Professors from 4

5 Evangelical Schools tell us God is dead; the Bible isn t true, the Gospel is a myth projection; when Bible Teachers abandon essential Biblical Doctrine; The Apostasy is on... What will a global apostasy look like? Will it be a wholesale abandonment of any and all religions? Will it be a global denial of a supernatural being that is represented in the Bible as the God of the Bible? Will it be the outright denial of the existence of God and the exaltation of Man? The debate among Bible teachers is--does this apostasy refer to a falling away by people who claim to be followers of God; or a general worldwide rebellion? Some would argue that Paul includes elements of both groups (see 1 Timothy 4:1-3; and 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and 4:3-4). The apostasy prepares the world for what Daniel called the little horn (Daniel 7:8) and the willful king (Daniel 11:36). Paul calls him the man of sin (2:3); the son of perdition (2:3); the wicked one (2:8) and the Apostle John calls him the beast (Revelation 11:7). The presence of the definite article makes the phrase even more important; the falling away. Clearly there has been a wholesale falling away from the faith in every generation. Yet in every generation a remnant remains. The gates of hell have not prevailed against the Church. And what of Jesus statement; When the Son of Man returns to the earth will he find faith? (see Luke 18:18). Some have even interpreted this verse to mean a departure in the sense of a rapture. But the idea of departure carries with it the idea that a person participates in making the choice of leaving or staying; and this is not the case in the catching away of the Church. This falling away seems to carry with it the idea of a willful and deliberate rebellion. The book of Revelation describes a great rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation (see Revelation 9:20-21; 17:2-6); and a great acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 7:9-14). Which is it? Will there be a great revival that signals the end of days or a great apostasy? Apparently there can be both. A Satanic Superman (v.3b)...and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition Again Paul points out--that Day--that Day cannot be identified with certainty; until a particular person, known as the man of sin is revealed. Paul s point couldn t be more clear; you are upset and afraid because you think you missed the rapture and we have now entered the tribulation period; but that can t be--because the man of sin has not yet been revealed (see David Guzik; Blue Letter Notes and Outlines on this passage). David Guzik points out that one historical interpretation by the Church has been the man of sin is not in fact a man or an individual but a religious system or a religious office. Protestant 5

6 interpreters thought it may refer to the succession of popes; Calvin represented that kind of thinking; Paul, however, is not speaking of one individual, but of a kingdom that was to be seized by Satan for the purpose of setting up a seat of abomination in the midst of God s temple. This we see accomplished in popery. One of the first rules of the science and art of Biblical Interpretation is; The text can never mean what it never meant. Does Paul really have the Pope in mind? Do the Thessalonians? What if the meaning is the simple meaning; a person, a man comes to prominence in the World towards the end of human history; an intellectual genius (Dan. 8:23); an oratorical genius (Dan. 11:36); a political genius (Rev. 17:11-12); a commercial genius (Dan. 11:43; Rev. 13:16-17). Jesus described him as a person; the one who comes in his own name (John 5:43). Whoever he is and whatever he is; speculations have run rampant in every generation. In this brief introduction we are given a great deal of information; a great world figure will come on the scene; Paul begins by giving a description of his character; he is the man of sin; the lawless one; the one who is the sum and substance; the embodiment of sin; and Paul gives us a hint as to this man s destiny; he is the son of perdition. Character is linked to destiny. Who you are will ultimately decide where you will go. The Son of Perdition is a title of destination. He is the one doomed to eternal judgment. Two ancient manuscripts have this man of lawlessness --anomias rather than hamartias. It is the same word that is translated iniquity in verse 7 or the mystery of iniquity. Furthermore that Wicked in verse 8 is in the Greek the Lawless One ho anomos. The Satanic Superman brings his own law; apostasy in the Church; lawlessness in the Land. The man of sin is called the Son of Perdition--apoleias. It comes from the verb apolumi which means perish; ho huios apoleias (the son of perdition) equals ho apollumenos (literally, the perishing one. That expression is found in verse 10; tois apollumenois ( in those who are perishing ). Perhaps the best translation is the son of perishing or the son of destruction. What does that mean? In the Hebrew language and in the Hebrew culture it was a designation that belonged to a person or place or thing that was destined for ruination, destruction; as opposed to something that was set aside to be rescued or saved. One very competent ancient language scholar (Oepke TDNT, 1:387) has What is meant here is not a simple extinction of existence, but an everlasting state of torment and death. Pay close attention. This is the exact phrase used to describe Judas Iscariot in John 17:12. Both Judas and the Antichrist can rightly be called hopelessly lost. Conclusion 6

7 Neils Bohr the famous Danish physicist; sounding more like Yogi Berra the Yankees catcher; said; Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. The man will be alive in the generation that precedes the DAY OF CHRIST or THE Day of The LORD. But he will only be revealed during that period. Jesus will indeed return. For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are 8 about Christ s second coming. Paul tells us Jesus will return personally--1 Thess. 4:16 Literally and visibly--acts 1:11; 1 John 3:2; and Rev. 1:1; he will come in glory, (Matt. 16:27) in power, with angels; unexpectedly. It was the Orison Marden who said; There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow. John Wesley White; The world hopes for the best, but Jesus Christ offers the best hope. Grandma used to say; no patient should have to leave the hospital until he s strong enough to face the cashier. But what do you do if you have a bill so large it can never be paid? Jesus paid our debt. Hopeless end; or endless hope. 7

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Sunday, April 7, 2019 Lesson: II Thessalonians 2:1-12; Time of Action: 51 A.D.; Place of Action: Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica from Corinth Golden Text: And then shall that Wicked be revealed,