2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Notes
Transcript
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4
Bible Reading: Bill Niemi
Happy Veterans day
Election
When I was in college Bill Clinton was elected president
Coincidentally, REM came out with a song entitled “It’s the end of the world as we know it.”
Looking back that song was prophetic
Politics were never the same after that election
It became more partisan and radical and is a direct reason we are in the situation today
For some this week has been elation
For others the sky is falling
To some, right has been restored
To others, Hitler has been elected
To be honest both are a bunch of hyperbole and rhetoric
All wrongs aren’t going to be righted and all rights aren’t going to be removed
Whether we are happy with who is in the White House or not, we need to remember that Jesus is coming back
It’s gonna get worse before it gets better
The Thessalonians were feeling similar feelings
It felt like their world was crashing in
People were saying that Jesus had left them out of the rapture and they were going to endure the Day of the Lord
Paul has to set them straight
He tells them “Don’t be fooled”
In this passage, Paul addresses the Thessalonians concerning the Day of the Lord, warning them not to be easily unsettled or deceived.
He describes the revealing of the man of lawlessness and the delusion that will come upon those who reject the truth.
Warning Against Deception vs. 1-3a
Warning Against Deception vs. 1-3a
Jesus warns against deception
There was a lot of confusion and misinformation in the church
This produced a lot of anxiety
Paul reassures them that Christ hasn’t come yet
Christ is Coming to Gather His Church
Paul clearly wrote of the return of Jesus, but the wording here implies a difference between the coming and our gathering.
This strongly suggests that there are essentially two comings of Jesus.
One coming is for His church, and the other coming is with His church, to judge a rebellious world.
There is a lot of debate about this issue
Some people call the Rapture a lie
Others say it happened in 70 AD
One day the heavens will open up and Jesus will descend in the clouds and the church will ascend to meet him there
Don’t be Shaken
Apparently, a misunderstanding of Paul’s teaching had caused the Thessalonians to be shaken in mind and troubled.
Here Paul used a strong wording, speaking of both a sudden jolt (shaken in mind) and a continuing state of upset (troubled).
Their fears centered on the idea that the day of Christ had [already] come.
The day of the Lord is a concept with a rich Old Testament background, and was mentioned in Paul’s previous letter to the Thessalonians.
It is not a single day, but a period associated with God’s outpouring of judgment and the deliverance of God’s people.
A significant aspect of the day of the Lord is the Great Tribulation described in Matthew 24:1-31
It is important to notice that the Thessalonians would be shaken or troubled by the thought of being in the Great Tribulation only if they had been taught by Paul that they would escape that period through the rapture.
Otherwise they would, in a sense, welcome the Great Tribulation as a necessary prelude to the Second Coming.
But Paul had clearly taught them that they would escape God’s judgment on this earth during the period known as the day of the Lord or the day of Christ
Spirit, Word, Or Letter
A lot of the strife was stirred up by deliberate misinformation
There was a spirit of gloom
Fake Letters were being floated around that appeared to be written by Paul
Perhaps the troubling word had come through a misguided prophecy (spirit or by word).
Or perhaps some other leader wrote the Thessalonians a letter teaching that they were already in the day of Christ.
Either way, they were upset at the idea that they had somehow missed the rapture.
The key was not to be deceived by anyone
There are certain signs you need to look for
Recognizing the Antichrist vs. 3b-7
Recognizing the Antichrist vs. 3b-7
This section introduces someone called the lawless one
He is better known as the Antichrist
He will be a major player during the tribulation
Paul gives us several keys to recognize him
Day of the Lord
This is referring to the tribulation
This is the second time in this passage it is mentioned
Paul tells them that won’t happen until the Antichrist appears
Falling Away
The ESV uses rebellion and the Greek word refers to that
A better definition of this word is “Falling Away”
The ancient Greek wording for falling away indicates a rebellion or a departure.
Bible scholars debate if it refers to an apostasy among those who once followed God, or a general worldwide rebellion.
In fact, Paul may have both in mind, because there is evidence of each in the end times
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
COVID showed us a mass exodus from the church
But there is a bigger one on the horizon
The word “the” makes it even more significant.
This is not a falling away, but the falling away, the great and final rebellion.
Antichrist
Before the Great Tribulation can be identified with certainty, a particular person – known as the man of lawlessness, – must be revealed
He is the creation of Satan
We see this by him being the son of destruction
destruction means the complete loss of well-being.
It is really the opposite of salvation.
To call him the son of destruction means his character is marked by this.
And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.
He will oppose everything Godly
The worst is what they call the abomination of desolation
He will sit on the throne in the rebuilt temple and proclaim himself god
Jesus spoke of this
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
Daniel prophesied about this
And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
He will declare himself God
That is when the wrath of God will be poured out
Revealed in Time vs. 5-6
Paul told the Thessalonians about this
This is amazing
Paul was only with them for at most 3 months, yet he had taught extensively on this subject
Most modern day Christians don’t want to hear it
Several years ago I taught through Revelation and I had people complaining
The Antichrist is being restrained until the right time
Spirit of Antichrist already at Work
The Spirit of the antichrist is already at work
There will be a lead up to the antichrist being revealed
The Antichrist will be a charismatic person who the world will rally around
We are already seeing the birth pains
The election didn’t change God’s plan at all
The Great Delusion vs. 8-12
The Great Delusion vs. 8-12
Christ brings Antichrist to Nothing
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
Antichrist powered by Satan
Perishing refused to love the Truth
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
God sends Strong Delusion
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
