2 Thessalonians 2:7a-The Mystery of Lawlessness is Already At Work in the World

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery which is characterized by a distinguishable lawlessness for its own benefit is already at work only until the one who now prevents it from being revealed causes Himself to depart from the midst of the world. (My translation)

2 Thessalonians 2:7 continues a section which began in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 and ends in 2 Thessalonians 2:17 and in this section, Paul attempts to correct and reassure the Thessalonians that the eschatological day of the Lord does not precede the rapture or resurrection of the church.

He teaches that the Spirit, who indwells each member of the church and prevents the appearance of Antichrist and thus the seventieth week of Daniel from beginning, must be removed from earth before the Antichrist can manifest himself.

Thus, the Spirit and the church must be removed before the seventieth week can take place since Daniel 9:27 teaches that the seventieth week begins with Antichrist establishing a treaty with the nation of Israel.

Therefore, Paul is addressing in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 the relationship between the church as well as the rapture and the eschatological day of the Lord, i.e. the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Now, we come to 2 Thessalonians 2:7 which contains an epexegetical or explanatory clause followed by an elliptical participial clause which in turn is followed by an elliptical indefinite temporal clause.

Altogether, they assert that the mystery which is characterized by a distinguishable lawlessness for its own benefit is already at work only until the one who now prevents it from being revealed causes Himself to depart out from the midst of the cosmic world system ruled by Satan.

The epexegetical or explanatory clause asserts that the mystery which is characterized by a distinguishable lawlessness for its own benefit is already at work and it serves to explain in greater detail the previous statement in 2 Thessalonians 2:6.

It is explaining how the manifestation of the man of lawlessness, who we noted is the Antichrist relates chronologically to the mystery of lawlessness that was presently at work in the world when Paul wrote Second Thessalonians.

The contents of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 makes clear that the mystery of lawlessness precedes the manifestation of the man of lawlessness, who is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:6.

The former also makes clear that the departure of the Holy Spirit with the church at the rapture will enable the mystery of lawlessness to be fully manifested to the world along with the man of lawlessness.

The mystery of lawlessness and consequently the man of lawlessness will be revealed publicly during the seventieth week of Daniel when the Antichrist desecrates the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and presents himself as God.

This explanatory or epexegetical clause also develops further the work of the Holy Spirit through the church preventing the manifestation of the Antichrist.

It teaches that the Holy Spirit through the church prevents the mystery of lawlessness from being revealed to the world, which we will note is a reference to Satan’s rebellion against God.

Thus, 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is teaching that Satan will be the power behind the Antichrist and is presently working in the world to oppose God.

The omnipotence of the Holy Spirit working through the individual members of the church who are obedient to His teaching in the gospel is preventing both the manifestation of the Antichrist and more importantly the manifestation of Satan’s rebellion against God who is the power behind the Antichrist.

The mystery of lawlessness, i.e. Satan’s rebellion is behind the man of lawlessness, i.e. the Antichrist.

The noun mustērion(μυστήριον), “the mystery” is used to describe the secret nature of Satan’s rebellion against God in relation to unregenerate humanity which is enslaved not only to him but also sin.

This rebellion will manifest itself openly to the human race through the Antichrist when he exalts himself against God by seating himself in the rebuilt Jewish temple during the middle of the seventieth week of Daniel in order to present himself as God.

This noun mustērion, “mystery” does not mean that this rebellion against God by the Antichrist was not known to Old Testament saints it was revealed to God’s people in Old Testament Israel as recorded in Daniel 7:8, 11, 20-28, 9:27 and 11:36-45.

During the church age, those who have been declared justified through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who teaches them about this Satanic rebellion against God through the Scriptures which He has inspired.

Those justified through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone are the initiated whereas the unregenerate are not initiated.

The former are aware of this Satanic rebellion whereas the latter are not but rather are deceived into taking part in this rebellion.

Therefore, this word mustērion, “mystery” describes Satan’s rebellion against God in relation to those who do not exercise faith in Jesus Christ as Savior in order to be declared justified by the Father, and who are thus the uninitiated in relation to God’s plan for planet earth.

This rebellion is a mystery or a secret to unregenerate humanity who are not initiated in regard to God’s will, purpose and plan for the human race, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God, which He inspired.

The noun anomia (ἀνομία), which appears in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 also occurred in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

In both instances, the word means “lawlessness” and pertains to conducting oneself with complete disregard and contempt for the laws and regulations of the law of God that govern society.

It pertains to the state of being or behaving or conducting oneself in open defiance of God’s law, which can be summarized as loving God with one’s entire being and strength by loving one’s fellow human being by treating them in a manner in which you would want to be treated.

The articular construction of this abstract noun anomia in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 particularizes the general quality of this noun and defines it more closely distinguishing it from other notions.

It is distinguishing the lawlessness which characterizes Satan and his angels from the lawlessness of the human race since he is the author of lawlessness since he is the first of God’s moral rational creatures to rebel against Him.

The term energeō here in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is used of Satan and his rebellion against God which is a mystery to unregenerate humanity since they do not possess the Spirit who teaches those whom He has regenerated through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone about this rebellion.

Here the verb refers to the work of Satan and those angels who he leads in rebellion against God being engaged in committing lawlessness.

It speaks of Satan and his angels being engaged in conducting themselves with complete disregard and contempt for the laws and regulations of the law of God that govern human society.

It pertains to Satan and his angels being engaged in behaving or conducting themselves in open defiance of God’s law.

Morris writes “The verb rendered ‘is at work’[1]is almost always used in the New Testament to denote some form of supernatural activity. Mostly it is that of God (1 Cor. 12:6; Phil. 2:13, and elsewhere), but sometimes, by contrast, that of Satan (Eph. 2:2).”[2]

This verb energeō is modified by the adverb of time ēdē indicating that the mystery, which is characterized by a distinguishable lawlessness is “already” or “currently” at work in the world when Paul wrote Second Thessalonians in the first century A.D.

In other words, it indicates that Satan’s rebellion against God, which is a secret to unregenerate humanity and is characterized by a distinguishable lawlessness is “already” or “currently” at work in the world in the first century.

This word ēdē pertains to a point of time preceding another point of time and implying completion.

The first point of time is the day and age in which Paul and the Thessalonians lived during the first century A.D.

The second point of time is the Antichrist’s rebellion against God during the seventieth week of Daniel.

The former precedes of course the latter.

This word indicates that Satan’s rebellion is currently underway secretly in relation to the unregenerate when Paul wrote Second Thessalonians prior to it being manifesting openly during the seventieth week of Daniel.

[1] ἐνεργεῖται. Lightfoot maintains that Paul always uses this verb in the active of God (and, by contrast, of Satan), and in the middle in all other cases. Here, then, he takes it as middle, with the subject, ὅς, referring back to λόγον, not θεοῦ. But J. Armitage Robinson contends that in the New Testament the passive is to be understood rather than the middle of this verb (St Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians [London, 1907], pp. 241–47). Milligan and Findlay accept this. Armitage Robinson’s argument is difficult to accept in its entirety, but what is quite clear is that the New Testament makes a distinction between God’s working and that of intermediaries. Where God is directly spoken of, the active is used; where it is his word, or such an activity as “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6), a more oblique form is found. Milligan would bring this out by rendering, “which is also set in operation,” thus emphasizing that it is God, and not some quasi-magical power in the word itself, that works. [2] Morris, L. (1991). The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians(p. 81). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.