(6) And now ye know what Following a common Semitic idiom, a man of lawlessness would refer to a person whose life is characterized by his opposition to Gods rule and reign. But those of God will not sin. They will show themselves as God by supposedly doing these evil things in His name. said 1974 with Comet Kohoutek and then revised it to 1993. Comparisons with other passages in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation reveal this man to be none other than the Antichrist. God is faithful to his prophetic promises, yet the actual fulfillment of these promises often surprises. And all that he hath desired he will do in the world: he will do and speak like the Beloved and he will say: "I am God and before me there has been none." I've introduced this already. The online RSVCE identifies him as the Antichrist, but The Navarre Bible New Testament Compact Edition note on 2 Thess 2:1-12 has in part: We do not know what the Apostle means by the "man of lawlessness" - maybe all the forces of evil taken together as a tool at the service of Satan, although the description of this adversary of God is very like that of the "Antichrist" of St. John. One of the key themes through 2 Thessalonians is that believers should __________ __________ in their faith. 2:11? In Ephesians 2:2 is Paul speaking of "mighty works" by "Satan"? 2:1112). Matthew 24 was brought about by this very sorrow: Our job is to shine the light of Jesus -- hold forth the Word of truth -- into a dark world and pray that some of those people will see their delusion and repent and come to salvation in Jesus before it's too late. and in thy They will exhaust themselves to not believe in God. In scolding his readers for falling for an obviously fake letter that Jesus had already returned, Paul focuses on the "sign" of the man of lawlessness, an enemy of Christ who will deceive many at the Second Coming. One, the fiddle didn't exist, and two, Nero wasn't in Rome when it happened. They will claim that they are doing these things in the name of Godin His authority. 1 thessalonians This should make you think of something we read just a few weeks ago: So, this topic was on their mind. That is, he's called a man of lawlessness. It seems that some personal entity must cease his restraining action in order for the lawless one to be revealed. You watch his pen "draw out" meaning. The way I create an outline is to, Part 1: Remembering (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5). 15:19; 2 Cor. Their understanding of 2 Thessalonians 2 was that the Roman Empire was "that which was restrains" the revealing of the man of lawlessness. But remember that Paul is writing this letter smack dab in the middle of that generation before the fall of Jerusalem. parousia), so also Jesus comes (2 Thess. The man of lawlessness is the ultimate man of evil. love of the truth, that they might be saved. 7. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that . ("Man in the High Castle" vibes.) Um, no. The more fundamental goal of this commentary on such matters, however, is to encourage humility with regard to all such speculation. You look at a Bible text on the screen. 2 Thess 2:4 - "proclaiming himself to be God." Perhaps if you define "church father" as a prominent figure of the post-renaissance reformation movement you can get there, but that's not what most people think of when they hear the expression. Thus we live in an age when simultaneously the Spirit enables the church to proceed with its mission and lawlessness is at work. for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born 2:3 ), also referred to as the "son of destruction" (2:3) or "the lawless one" (2:8, 9). They will not have brotherly love and will forbid others from receiving them as well and will cast out of the church those who will receive them. With that background, we can briefly list various specific interpretations that have been suggested over the years concerning this man of lawlessness. Um, no. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, What signs and wonders are performed by whom? The view that the church fathers held that persisted in Christian theology down through the Reformers was that the Papacy was the man of lawlessness. Let me build on my aside: Satan has power that God allows him to have. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 24:15; Mark 13:14). and he delighted in Jerusalem because of Manasseh, and he made him strong in apostatizing (Israel) and in the lawlessness which were spread abroad in Jerusalem. As in 1 Thessalonians, Pauls instruction on such matters is likely informed by Jesus own eschatological teaching (cf. 2 Thess. Nor can this be a reference to a principle of evil, for the text specifically identifies him as a man. Moral of the story? Does it? The first set constitutes all power, along with false signs and wonders; the second set consists of all wicked deception. Concerning the first set, power and signs and wonders often serve as evidence of Gods work in the gospel of Christ (for power, cf. Verses 9-12: But many foolish people will follow the man of lawlessness. That's what Jesus says in the very next verse, 24:34: This is where the confusion lies. This view was later picked up by a pastor that influenced John Nelson Darby and C.I. Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the Only in hindsight will we understand the full intent of the prophetic word. For that day will not come, hunless the rebellion comes first, and ithe man of lawlessness2 is revealed, jthe son of destruction,3. He will deceive people to gain power, then he will use that power to persecute those he could not deceive. Maybe one of these will be a fun opening topic for you. 12:7), as it likely does here. He's been practicing this since Adam and Eve, and he's very good at it. In verses 1 & 8, we read of the coming (Parousia) of Christ; in verse 9, we read of the coming (Parousia) of the man of lawlessness. Any further insights as to who or what this "man of lawlessness" is? more below). Haven't there been men in every generation who have done that? Returning to 2 Thessalonians 2:5-6, Paul describes God holding him (Satan, or the Man of Lawlessness) back for now, "so that he can be revealed at the proper time." Might this be some future outbreak of rebellion against God near the end of time, when Jesus will come back? Well, the signs and wonders that Jesus and His apostles performed drew people to God. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. What was that? It seems that Paul is continuing his remarks about what will take place at the end, just as he did in his previous letter to the Thessalonians in chapter 4. The man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 is the Antichrist who will come on the world scene at the beginning of the Day of the Lord. The Man of Lawlessness. The fun way to go with this is to ask for personal examples. And at his word the sun will rise at night and he will make the moon to appear at the sixth hour. Will persecute the plant which the Twelve Apostles of the Beloved have planted. They were hanged. 3:5). What are 1099 and W9 Tax Forms? Sadly, the people who fall for Satan's deception about the man of lawlessness will perish with him. Polycarp, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom, Athanasius, the Eastern Fathers -- none of these would agree with you. 11:2045) is followed immediately by Daniels prophecy that Michael the archangel would arise, unleashing a time of trouble prior to the deliverance of Gods people (Dan. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? Whether or not there will be a physical temple in Jerusalem is not yet foreseeable. That's nothing new. (Revelation 13). 3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, Tell us, when will these things happen? Those books contributed to this misunderstanding. The Man of Lawlessness. If any discussion comes out of this topic, I really hope you direct it here: Jesus was very clear that we will not know when He is going to return. An intriguing recent monograph argues that Paul believed the restrainer to be an angel of God, noting that, in Daniel, the lawless ruler who establishes the abomination of desolation (Dan. What Is the Mark of the Beast? comment on 2 Thess. And the situation is quite simple: somebody wrote a letter (signed "Paul") saying that Jesus had already come back and they missed it. What Does It Mean That Women Should Remain Quiet in Church? Does God send a "Strong Delusion"? Second, let's discuss the timeline. Did you notice any of those events? You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. A difference between Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2: Jesus focuses on the deceptive signs they will face before the end, and Paul focuses on one sign (who will deceive) that they won't miss. And the man of lawlessness will emerge from the "human sea of lawlessness" to oppose God and deceive the nations. I rarely like Lifeway's outline titles. Many of the Reformers agreed that it was the pope. You listen to John Piper. That's not as much "fun" as predicting the end of the world. 2Co 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? I'd like to point out that if your answer doesn't receive as much attention as you thought it might, it's probably because the question is an older one, first posted five years ago. But it should not surprise us. Rev. 2:2), so also the word of God is at work in believers (1 Thess. 2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? According to Walvoord, the man of lawlessness revealed here is "the key to the whole program of the Day of the Lord." Of 2 Thessalonians 2 Chafer notes: "though but one passage is found bearing upon the restraining work of the Holy Spirit, the scope of the issues involved is such as to command the utmost consideration." withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. That word means "without law". children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of Note that when Paul speaks of the "temple of God"(2 Thess 2:4) elsewhere (1 Co 3:16-17, 1 Co 6:19, 2 Co 6:16) he is talking about the body of believers, the church. This week's is particularly unhelpful. (2:8), If there's anything the internet really loves to do, it's to. of God. Paul teaches elsewhere that the rise of deceitful spirits and teachings of demons and also times of difficulty will be indicative of the last days (1 Tim. apokalypt; 2:3, 8), just as Paul elsewhere speaks of the revelation of Jesus and his gospel (cf. And afterwards they will turn themselves upward in their garments, and their body will be left in the world. Paul again applies to the lawless one and Satan terms typically reserved for Gods activity in Christ. But God doesn't allow Satan to "empower" a currently existing man of lawlessness; God has a restraint on Satan. they will not return evil for their evil. Our job is to shine the light of Jesus -- hold forth the Word of truth -- into a dark world and pray that some of those people will see their delusion and repent and come to salvation in Jesus before it's too late. Although Paul prophetically anticipates the rise of a particular figure who will embody deceptive opposition to God, he admits readily that the same forces of deception and lawlessness are already prevalent in society. This does not mean that God caused them to reject Him; this means that He will enable their "confirmation bias". Verses 6-8: Jesus will destroy this man of lawlessness. So, what is being revealed? Satan doesn't know when Jesus will return; he's just constantly pushing against God's restraints (that Paul will talk about). Deu 13:18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God. Rather, the lawless one will appear in his time and will be conquered by the Lord Jesus at the proper moment (2 Thess. There is controversy here because people disagree on what Jesus meant. Sometimes historians associate these passages with Nero who supposedly murdered his mother, but it appears to be taking about Judas (4:3) which has nothing to do with Nero. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ). 5. Some have even suggested that Satan is the one restraining his own lawless agent until the proper moment (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 clearly tell us that the man of lawlessness is the under the control of the Satan. When the disciples asked Jesus about the signs and timing of his second coming, Jesus responded that false messiahs and prophets would precede his return, as would tribulation against the church (Matt. Why do Bible versions use both 'seat' and 'sit' in 2 Thess 2, since they quite differ in meaning? According to the textbook, Paul asserts in 2 Thessalonians that the Day of the Lord will not begin until the "man of lawlessness" (the Antichrist) is revealed. (That math doesn't work for me.). Bible: Quiz 8.29.4 Week Twenty-Nine Notes, Bible:8.28.5 - Week Twenty-Eight Bible Readin, Byron Almen, Dorothy Payne, Stefan Kostka, Eric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self. God. Many of them recycle the same entries, and here are some of the favorites: "There's no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home" - Ken Olson, 1977, "Television won't last because people will get tired of staring at a plywood box every night" - Darryl Zanuck, 1946 (technically right? What are they? Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. 3 gLet no one deceive you in any way. comment on 2 Thess. He is also the author ofAncient Jewish and Christian Perceptions of Crucifixion. And the rest of the words of the vision is written in the vision of Babylon. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Then why did you listen to those false messengers/prophets? The Identification of the Man of Lawlessness - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5. Satan mimics Gods work by causing a lawless one to appear, though ultimately Satans designs will fail (cf. energe; cf. My code is GPL licensed, can I issue a license to have my code be distributed in a specific MIT licensed project? 13:8). There is still quite a lot of wisdom left to be shared. Paul used these words as encouragement for his confused readers; we should use them as urgency for our mission. It's a downer of a conclusion. Isaiah prophesied that the messianic shoot from the stump of Jesse would kill the wicked with the breath of his lips (Isa. But here's the really interesting consequence of verse 11: 37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Er, well, this is what Nostradamus might have said. I recommend waiting to talk in depth about the man of lawlessness until the end of the lesson. It was later revised to 1941. 12:12). Paul is clear both that this person has yet to appear, and that he is someone other than Satan (2:9). apokalypt; also 2 Thess. Paul draws on this tradition as he discusses the man of lawlessness, who is the son of destruction in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and the lawless one in 2 Thess. Things are bad enough as it is. What separates the final Antichrist from every previous potential antichrist is that Satan is not restrained from empowering him. Who is the "man of lawlessness" in 2 Thessalonians? The Thessalonians need not worry that they may be numbered among those who will be deceived by the man of lawlessness, since they already know and love the truth. I'm talking about people like Irenaeus and Hippolytus. I use them to keep us on the same page, but I rarely find them helpful. We don't know how the man of lawlessness fits into the Second Coming because it hasn't happened yet. The Man of Lawlessness -- Paul's Reminder in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming. The word "antichrist" simply means "against Christ" or "in the place of Christ", so that's the name that has caught on. Some people though Paul said that Jesus had already come back ("I heard it from a friend who"), but Paul hadn't said that. However, the mention in verse 6 of in his time seems to speak more of Gods sovereign timing that governs the removing of restraint. That still leaves open the question of whether a future physical temple will be in play or if this is prophetically symbolic of some other coming reality (cf. Or consider what Jesus said in Matthew 24: As we've said multiple times in Thessalonians, we're not supposed to put any energy into predicting the future. The Man of Lawlessness. 1 John 3:9-10 KJV (9) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; And all the people in the world will believe in him. And they will sacrifice to him and they will serve him saying: "This is God and beside him there is no other." 2:9 the lawless one will come (Gk. (Namely) in those which have not the name written, and in the words of my father Amos, and of Hosea the prophet, and of Micah and Joel and Nahum and Jonah and Obadiah and Habakkuk and Haggai and Malachi, and in the words of Joseph the Just and in the words of Daniel. Marshall Applewhite (Heaven's Gate) "claimed that a spacecraft was trailing the Comet Hale-Bopp and argued that suicide was the only way to evacuate this Earth so that the cult members' souls could board the supposed craft and be taken to another level of existence above human. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Therefore, Paul often speaks in abbreviated ways about matters that we may wish he had written about in greater detail. Let's take a look at the outline of the letter: Continued encouragement in persecution (chapter 1), Clarification about the Day of the Lord (chapter 2), Stay focused on the main things (2:13-17). That power is entirely controlled by God (see Job 1), but when the Day of the Lord approaches, God will allow some of the restraints to be removed. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. When people get such a prophecy wrong, why do others keep listening to them? What Did Jesus Say about the End of the World? The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming. yet with you, I told you these things? We've done "fake news" recently, so I wanted to try something different. shewing himself that he is God. let, until he be taken out of the way. How would you be able to tell the difference (if the Antichrist appeared tomorrow)? In this paper I will consider one of the very difficult eschatological passages of Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2. I was taught to the contrary for each of these: Nero wasn't fiddling while Rome burned. 2:9). Doesn't he. Jesus has told us these things ahead of time so that we will not be tripped up by themnot rendering evil for their evil. Where does this (supposedly) Gibson quote come from? Hal Lindsay said 1988 (40 years after the founding of Israel). 4:1; 2 Tim. 2 Thess. No, church fathers didn't consider the papacy the antichrist. ", The line is not "Luke, I am your father.". They will be manifested that they are not of God and will want others to follow their bad example. What concerns you in particular? the purpose of proclaiming the gospel through publishing 16. Deu 13:13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; The church members were understandably distraught! In Daniel it is this king who sets up the abomination that makes desolate in Jerusalem (Dan. I have many emotional scars from conversations that began with "We talked about this". It's hard work. He even bought billboards. 2 not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of . 24:413, 2328; Mark 13:513, 2123; Luke 21:819). In 1:7, Jesus will be revealed in a display of power and glory; in 2:9, the . Paul distinguished these two truths in 2 . Those early Christians correlated scriptures like the Revelation beasts with Daniel's little horn and Pauline passages to identify an end time opponent of Christ. You watch his pen "draw out" meaning. - is this a distinct declaration? 1:11; for signs and wonders, cf. Those books contributed to this misunderstanding. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day . A variation of this topic is The Mandela Effect -- people believing that something happened that never happened: There is no painting of Henry VIII eating a turkey leg. Realize the difference between "antichrist" and "The Antichrist". Second, the fact still remains for Christians today that many antichrists exist 5,6, men of lawlessness 1,2,3 in their own right, looking to do the bidding of Satan 4,9. 2:8). John 16:1-4 KJV (1) These things have I spoken unto you, that ye October 1, 2021 By Peter Krol Perhaps you've heard of the Man of Lawlessness, otherwise known as the lawless one, 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" ( 2 Thess 2:4 ). You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. God will give them a taste of this by removing Satan's restraints in this end-of-the-world scenario involving the man of lawlessness. 2:3) Doug Burleson Paul's words concerning the "man of lawlessness" in 2 Thess. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved. 2:21). He considers himself absolutely above law. So, when Paul says that this man of lawlessness will be able to perform every kind of miracle, I think he's serious. From Daniel 9:24-27 we learn this man is first revealed when he makes a firm _____with the Jews. He is author of, The Rebellion Must Come Before Christ Returns: 2 Thessalonians 2:35, Part 2, The Man of Lawlessness Sits in the Temple: 2 Thessalonians 2:35, Part 4. Charles Manson (!!) It's pretty hard not to see this as a reminder of what Jesus taught there. Paul does not appear to know the precise circumstances that have brought about the Thessalonians erroneous beliefs about the day of the Lord, but in verse 3 he does suspect nefarious activity. 3 Dont let anyone deceive you in any way. He then reasons that the day of the Lord has not yet begun, since the world has not yet experienced the rebellion and the man of lawlessness, both of which must precede the day of the Lord. Dr. Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. 17. Satan can enable the man of lawlessness to do all of that and more. I briefly touched on this idea when we covered James' warnings of the subject: The Answer to Every Need Starts with Prayer -- a study of James 5:7-20 (fbcthomson.org). What does it mean that husbands are the head of their wives and that they should love them as Christ loved the church? mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will The word breath here ( pneuma) is the same word used for the Holy Spirit, so there may be some indication of the Spirits involvement. Paul and Jesus give us two protections from deception here: Anyone who claims they can predict when Jesus will return is lying. In fact, I take Matthew 24:24 (which I cited above) to mean that Christians cannot be deceived into believing the Antichrist is Christ. Name the three main themes of 2 Thessalonians. The man of lawlessness will be a master deceiver, just as Satan is. Learn more or donate today at, ESV Expository Commentary: EphesiansPhilemon (Volume 11). 4-28) happen, the time is near, These things will all happen in that generation, Comparison: the day of Noah; they knew yet they didnt know. He says so explicitly. This antichrist is described in Daniel 7:8, 21-27 and Revelation 13. 2 Thessalonians 2:310. The Man of Lawlessness (2 Thess. This reminds us of another related debate, namely, is a specific physical temple required in order for the prophetic expectation to be satisfied? 6. How many times have you said that you one of your children? The term for object of worship (Gk. But make sure to emphasize the real reason Paul mentions the man of lawnessness in the first place: Jesus will destroy him. (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, Marie Antionette didn't say "let them eat cake". Yet others would suggest a more metaphorical understanding of the lawless ones session in the temple. comment on 2 Thess. Think about it this way: what miraculous sign would get your attention? 1:18; 2 Cor. 7:5; Eph. Or that Christ will return to defeat him the same day he appears? We are to pay attention to what's happening around us. .. How do you interpret these lines? False Or students? In 2:3, Paul introduces us to a "man of lawlessness". What does "really, really" mean? But Paul tells them that they, I rarely like Lifeway's outline titles. The time frame reference here cant be ignored. I believe that "these things" refers to the signs Jesus talked about in Matthew 24. As we said last week, they didn't have the tools that we have to detect "fake news". David Berg (!) He can be none other than the final Antichrist. 2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. And he shall bear sway three years and seven months and twenty-seven days. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (AMP): Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming. Here we note that until he is out of the way is an English idiom for the more particular Greek phrase until he comes from the middle. The restrainer interposes himself between the people of this age and the fullest expression of evil represented by the lawless one.