The Great Delusion

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians The Man of Lawlessness

Beale interprets the references to the man of lawlessness—whom he identifies as the antichrist—against the background of OT passages such as Dan 11:29–34 and Dan 12:10–11. In Beale’s view, the rise of the man of lawlessness will be accompanied by a worldwide rebellion and his influence within the church.

Hendriksen and Kistemaker offer seven clarifications regarding the identity of the man of lawlessness:

he is not to be identified with Satan (see 2 Thess 2:9);

he is not the same figure who is described as “the beast out of the sea” in Rev 13 and 17;

he is an actual (eschatological) person, not an abstract concept or personification;

he is not to be identified with the line of Roman emperors;

he should not be understood in terms of the Nero redivivus myth, which claimed that Emperor Nero had been brought back to life;

he is not the pope of the Catholic Church;

he is not to be identified with various figures mentioned in apocryphal and pseudepigraphical texts.

It may not, however, be the “man of lawlessness” or the “son of destruction.” It may be the general spirit that springs up again and again, one of the many antichrists that were already in the world even in John’s day. There are many such spirits that are constantly rising up, not outside the Church—there we could deal with them—but inside the Church, using the words of truth and the signs of truth to signify something far other than the truth of God. This is the great rock that threatens destruction.

The Restrainer

Paul’s central point in 2 Thess 2:1–12 is that the Day of the Lord will not come until the arrival of two things—the rebellion and the man of lawlessness.

katechō to mean “to hold sway” or “to rule”

2 Thessalonians Who or What Is the Restrainer?

Thomas begins his discussion of the identity of the restrainer by critiquing the suggestion that the Roman Empire is what is holding back the lawless one. According to Thomas, for the restrainer to carry out his mission he must have had “supernatural power.” Additionally, because the restrainer plays a positive role with God’s providence, Thomas concludes that this figure is none other than God. Thomas presses this conclusion further by claiming the text of 2 Thess 2 implies that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit. According to Thomas’ theory, when Christ returns, the Spirit—that is, the restrainer—will be taken away and revert to the role of the Spirit in the OT period.

There are 7 Possible Restrainers:

(1) human government;

(2) preaching of the gospel;

(3) the binding of Satan;

(4) the providence of God;

(5) the Jewish state;

(6) the church;

(7) the Holy Spirit;

(8) Michael.

“The power that holds back Satan from bringing the final apostasy and unveiling of his Satan-possessed false Christ must be divinely supernatural. It must be God’s power in operation that holds back Satan, so that the man of sin, the son of destruction, won’t be able to come until God permits it by removing the restraining power. The reason for the restraint was so that Antichrist would be revealed at God’s appointed time and no sooner, just as was Christ (cf. Gal. 4:4), because God controls Satan.” - John MacArthur

The Work of Satan

2 Thessalonians 2:8–12 (ESV)

2 Thessalonians The Work of Satan

In Beale’s view, the man of lawlessness will both “incarnate Satan’s character” and be inspired by Satan to perform “counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders.”

2 Thessalonians The Work of Satan

Martin draws attention to the similarities between Paul’s thought in 2 Thess 2:9 and a tradition in the Synoptic Gospels in which the Pharisees attribute Jesus’ works to Beelzebub (Matt 12:22–44) and Jesus warns of false messiahs and prophets deceiving people through “signs and miracles” (sēmeia kai terata; Mark 13:22). According to Martin, the man of lawlessness will perform signs and deeds empowered by an “evil source,” just as Jesus was accused of being empowered by Beelzebub. To capture the relationship between Satan and the figure of 2 Thess 2, Martin refers to the man of lawlessness as “an apostle of Satan.”

The Great Delusion

Scholars debate both the nature and purpose of the powerful delusion.

The goal of this powerful delusion is to deepen their belief in the deceptive work of the man of lawlessness.

The introduction of God’s activity accomplishes two things within the context of 2 Thess 2:1–12.

It shows that the man of lawlessness, even though he is empowered by Satan himself, will not be the only acting agent in the period prior to the Day of the Lord.

It demonstrates that the fate of believers and unbelievers alike belongs to God’s providence.

2 Thessalonians A Powerful Delusion

Beale understands 2 Thessalonians 2:11 in terms of OT texts such as Isa 6:9–10 and Deut 29:4, the latter of which reflects the notion of divine retribution. He therefore understands these OT passages as well as 2 Thess 2:10–12 to mean that God “punishes sin by sin.” Or, to put it another way, God causes such people to be “deluded” because they have already rejected the truth and delighted in wickedness (see 1 Kgs 22:18–23; Rom 1:18–32).

In Fee’s view, the purpose of the delusion is to reinforce the belief in “the lie,” which he suggests is “the ultimate falsehood generated by the Evil One.”

Green describes the great delusion as a blurring of truth and falsehood

2 Thessalonians A Powerful Delusion

In Witherington’s view, this passage implies that God permits people “to have the consequences of their choice.” He claims that God’s sending of a powerful delusion should be distinguished from the idea of God punishing “sin with sin.” Instead, it is a matter of God allowing, and even reinforcing, people to live with the repercussions of their ways. The likely outcome is still judgment and condemnation.

“Peace may be a false peace, a fool’s peace. We may be lulled into a carnal security. Politically, nations have become self-confident, have dreamed of peace when the forges were ringing with the hammers of war, and so ill has happened unto them. Spiritually, there are multitudes of persons who think that all is right with their souls when, indeed, all is wrong, for eternity. It is to be feared that some have received a “powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” Now, we cannot call that perfect peace which lies only on the surface and will not bear to be looked into. We desire a peace that sits in open court and neither blindfolds nor muzzles ambassadors. The peace that requires that there should be a hushing-up of this and of that is an evil thing. Such is the direct opposite of the peace of God.” - Charles Spurgeon