As we said last week, they didn't have the tools that we have to detect "fake news". The "signs" before the end cannot be used in that way. 14:1215; Ezek. 2 Pet. The Man of Lawlessness 1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. In his second letter to the Thessalonians Paul gives the troubled believers assurance with regard to the end of the age. Here's how I reconcile it all: Christians are to be aware of the signs of the times. 6. The Man of Lawlessness. Paul has experienced such evil, as has the persecuted church in Thessalonica. Now imagine the power of Satan behind those magicians. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10, the "man of sin" is described as one who will be revealed before the Day of the Lord comes. However, Pauls reliance in this context on OT imagery and Jesus eschatological instruction implies that temple of God refers to the Jerusalem temple. Proper Noun: And happy rhymes bathed in the sacred brook Of Helicon whence she derived is, . Matthew 24:36-51. Those events point to a more-and-more eminent return of Christ. 3Let no one deceive you in any way. In this way are the children of the devil are made manifest: those who will not do righteousness are not of God and neither are those who do not love their brother. 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. The man of lawlessness both opposes and exalts himself over every "so-called god or object of worship." Paul elsewhere employs the Greek word for "opposes" as a title for Satan, the "adversary" ( 1 Tim. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? There's no evidence that Ben Franklin performed the kite/lightning experiment, and the existence of electricity was known for a long time prior. This word for perishing (Gk. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.9The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,10and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thess. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Satan mimics Gods work by causing a lawless one to appear, though ultimately Satans designs will fail (cf. Giving sight to the blind? 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. How many times have you said that you one of your children? And he shall bear sway three years and seven months and twenty-seven days. Paul uses apollymi elsewhere to depict those who reject the gospel of Christ (1 Cor. Remember when Moses performed God's wonders in Egypt and the magicians were able to replicate-ish those miracles? name have cast out devils? We read in Daniel of a king who shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods, and shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all (Dan. Marie Antionette didn't say "let them eat cake". 2:1, 8; cf. 2 Thess. The vast preponderance of the evidence shows that the death penalty is no more effective than imprisonment in deterring murder and that it may even be an incitement to criminal violence. 2 Thess. After it is consummated, Beliar the great ruler, the king of this world, will descend, who hath ruled it since it came into being; yea, he will descent from his firmament in the likeness of a man, a lawless king, the slayer of his mother: who himself (even) this king. This lesson examines the various theories put forth to explain the identity of the "Man of Lawlessness" Paul refers to in this epistle. False rumours and prophecies had led the church there to become "shaken in mind and excited," and several supposed that the return of Christ was imminent. What separates the final Antichrist from every previous potential antichrist is that Satan is not restrained from empowering him. In 2:3, Paul introduces us to a "man of lawlessness". .. Don't predict the end of the world to happen in your lifetime. He will come with signs, wonders, and. The only reason I noticed your quite cogent answer is because it was flagged as a "New Contributor" response. Paul lists two sets of means through which Satan deceives the masses. Satan plays a role on earth that God allows him to play. The simple steps to Salvation are in Romans 10:9-13. 2 Thessalonians 2:310. Pat Robertson (700 Club) said 1982. Some I knew about, many I didn't. The children of the devil will be manifested that they are not of Godshowing that they know not the Father nor the Son. But there are so many predictions to consider. sebasma) refers to pagan idols (cf. 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. You listen to John Piper. should not be offended. 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. Does biblical prophecy really predict the future. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. We are to pay attention to what's happening around us. 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. 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). yet with you, I told you these things? 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? Before and after, Mars [shall] reign as chance will have it. But even that will be a mercy because people will still have the chance to realize their foolishness and return to God. Ricky Never said "Lucy, you have some 'splaining to do!". They will prate against them with malicious words (killing them with false accusations.labeling them as devils, evildoers, etc)and will not receive the brothers who are sent by Him. And afterwards they will turn themselves upward in their garments, and their body will be left in the world. As a result, people are without excuse. Paul returns to the revelation of the lawless one (cf. let, until he be taken out of the way. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? Then the voice of the Beloved will in wrath rebuke the things of heaven and the things of earth and the things of earth and the mountains and the hills and the cities and the desert and the forests and the angel of the sun and that of the moon, and all things wherein Beliar manifested himself and acted openly in this world, and there will be [a resurrection and] a judgment in their midst in those days, and the Beloved will cause fire to go forth from Him, and it will consume all the godless, and they will be as though they had not been created. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Messiah, and they will deceive many. It's hard work. The man of sin ( Greek: , ho anthrpos ts hamartias) or man of lawlessness, ( , anomias) is a figure referred to in the Christian Bible in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians. "Okay, but that doesn't help us understand what this man of lawlessness has to do with everything. 2 Thess. Deu 13:12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, What Does It Mean that Women Are to Submit to Their Husbands? 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 2:8). 3:34; Col. 1:2627; 1 Tim. The signs and wonders of the antichrist will draw people to him. and in thy name done many wonderful works? comment on 2 Thess. That's not as much "fun" as predicting the end of the world. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10, the "man of sin" is described as one who will be revealed before the Day of the Lord comes. 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. Lawlessness in the present age (now) is not yet as bad as it could be. What is going to happen in the end times? A simple outline of this week's passage makes things pretty easy: Verses 1-5: You should have remembered that Jesus comes back after the man of lawlessness is revealed. He is called "the one who restrains" in some translations (ESV, NASB); other translations call Him "the one who holds back" (NIV), "he who letteth" (KJV), or "he who is keeping down" (YLT). More importantly the Ascension of Isaiah establishes a connection with the Belial/Beliar tradition, which means something like lawless or worthless one. What beliefs have you held that turned out to be false? There is still quite a lot of wisdom left to be shared. Death-penalty states as a group do not have lower rates of criminal homicide than non-death-penalty states. They should have been able to see through the fake letter. In this week's lesson, we cover Paul's scolding -- describing the things that the people had already been told and should have remembered. What was that? 88:23 LXX [English 89:22]). And God will enable their determination. (8) And then shall that Wicked In particular, they have previously been informed about the coming of the man of lawlessness. Any further insights as to who or what this "man of lawlessness" is? And these things I said not Who in the Judaism of Jesus day, having studied OT prophecy thoroughly, would have predicted that the Messiah would be God incarnate? Can we trust biblical prophecy? Anyone who opposes Christ is an antichrist, but at the end of human history, there will be a singular "Antichrist" specially empowered by Satan to oppose God. (Incidentally, there was an Amazon show called Good Omens that took an extremely sacrilegious slant on this exact scenario.). Now let's move to some more famous predictions. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul reminded them that all Christians would be gathered together (even the dead would rise) to be with Jesus when He returns. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ). What are 1099 and W9 Tax Forms? The wisdom we need in this world often wears black. It was only in the 1600's, in an attempt to divert attention away from the Papacy, that Francisco Ribera wrote a commentary on Revelation that pointed to a future Antichrist. The righteous will not be destroyed with the wicked. No? As in 1 Thessalonians, Pauls instruction on such matters is likely informed by Jesus own eschatological teaching (cf. The man of sin will not cease speaking evil against those who will be sent to their churches. (5) Remember ye not, that, when I was Painful as they are, all our deaths and endings hold lessons we cannot live wisely without. 24:45, 1113, 2325). Who knew that Christopher Columbus wrote a Book of Prophecies? God, neither he that loveth not his brother. Other prophets also speak of rulers calling themselves god (e.g., Isa. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?. Um, no. 3 Don't let . -man of lawlessness revealed (antichrist) what are the various descriptions of the "man of sin"? Therefore, Paul often speaks in abbreviated ways about matters that we may wish he had written about in greater detail. The Man of Lawlessness (2 Thess. 13. The fun way to go with this is to ask for personal examples. The more fundamental goal of this commentary on such matters, however, is to encourage humility with regard to all such speculation. John 17:12) and the seed of lawlessness (cf. Rather, the lawless one will appear in his time and will be conquered by the Lord Jesus at the proper moment (2 Thess. Polycarp, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom, Athanasius, the Eastern Fathers -- none of these would agree with you. Paul here draws on OT Danielic imagery concerning a ruler opposed to God and his people (cf. February 9, 2023. The Septuagint Greek translation of Isaiah 57:34 similarly speaks of the sons of lawlessness who are children of destruction (cf. In the Bible we see the man of lawlessness called the "son of perdition." 2:15; 4:3). Their presence, with their powerful gifts bestowed by holy spirit, prevented apostasy from then becoming an epidemic. How would you be able to tell the difference (if the Antichrist appeared tomorrow)? Witches weren't burned at the stake in Salem. But here's the really interesting consequence of verse 11: it takes more effort not to believe in God than to believe in God. comment on 2 Thess. And in any event, isn't the point of Matthew 24/25 and 1 Thessalonians 4/5 that we're supposed to live every day as if Christ is returning that night? Christians have lost a lot of sleep attempting to identify/predict this person, but all we need to know is that Jesus will defeat him. Second, let's discuss the timeline. As we've said multiple times in Thessalonians, we're not supposed to put any energy into predicting the future. 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. But it should not surprise us. This reminds us of another related debate, namely, is a specific physical temple required in order for the prophetic expectation to be satisfied? Learn more or donate today at, ESV Expository Commentary: EphesiansPhilemon (Volume 11). They're still watching for these signs! ", The line is not "Luke, I am your father.". They believed that David Koresh (real name Vernon Wayne Howell) was the Messiah, and they died badly. 2:8; cf. Stay connected to God in Word and Spirit (Bible study and prayer), and we won't be deceived. Has that ever happened to you? Premillenialists are likely to say it is the leader of a reborn Roman empire, or perhaps the pope. Our friends at Wikipedia compiled a list of some 200 predictions of the end of the world. 1:11; for signs and wonders, cf. False The Thessalonians had no idea what was "restraining" the "man of sin" from being revealed? That is because Christian tradition from the ealiest times associates this person with the idea of "antichrist." This should make you think of something we read just a few weeks ago: So, this topic was on their mind. What separates the final Antichrist from every previous potential antichrist is that Satan is not restrained from empowering him. 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. Things are bad enough as it is. comment on 2:34). 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. 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. Charles Taze Russell, whose followers would become the Jehovah's Witnesses, said that the Last Battle would take place in October 1914. However, I don't want to put you off from taking a look, and responding to, older questions. said 2000. They all have the same characteristics and one is that they love to be first. 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. Healing the sick? They will exhaust themselves to not believe in God. 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. ("Man in the High Castle" vibes.) People will grasp at anything if it will allow them to reject the God of the Bible, no matter how questionable the "science" behind it might be. But Christians are not to read more into those signs than is there. unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the What does the Bible say about a strong delusion in the end times (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)? Paul is saying here that the man of lawlessness, whoever he is, was presently being restrained, in Paul's time. What can be stated clearly is that the appearance of the lawless one is entirely in keeping with Gods sovereignty (cf. that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? The Man of Lawlessness. all that God is for you in Christ explodes with faith, and joy, and love. would, and casteth them out of the church. This is possible, though such postulations often require a metaphorical expansion of he who now restrains to indicate an entire nation or a series of emperors rather than a single individual. Paul encourages believers to be diligent in ministering to others because Jesus hasn't returned yet. (4) But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, Matthew 24 is such a helpful resource here. There has never been a "Z" after Cheez-It. Write the term that best matches the definition given below. Let me say that the point of the books -- that spiritual warfare is real and that Christians need to pray -- is great. God may then be the restrainer (perhaps specifically as the Holy Spirit) or may act through the agency of an angelic restrainer. The Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus have the reading "man of lawlessness" and Bruce M. Their understanding of 2 Thessalonians 2 was that the Roman Empire was "that which was restrains" the revealing of the man of lawlessness. All the Antichrist will do is harness the lawlessness and rebellion already in the hearts of the ungodly. Two key historical events are known. Whatever its mistakes the Roman Catholic Church promotes belief in the God of the Bible, faith in Christ as well as high moral standards. 2 Thessalonians 2 . Those miracles are going to fool a lot of people. But God doesn't allow Satan to "empower" a currently existing man of lawlessness; God has a restraint on Satan. Paul is talking about the second of the three purposes of this letter: misunderstandings about the Day of the Lord. Or even better, how many times has someone said that to you?! 19. Because Jesus' audience wants to know exactly when Jesus will return (which they can't know), and Paul's audience is worried that Jesus has already returned (which they should have known better). Paul insists that his teaching remains consistent with the message they knew from the beginning. Pope Innocent III (of Crusades infamy) said that the apocalypse would happen 666 years after the rise of Islam in 618 (or 1284). and lying wonders, (10) And with all deceivableness of However, the mention in verse 6 of in his time seems to speak more of Gods sovereign timing that governs the removing of restraint. They were hanged. They will want many to follow after them in their deeds. But that leaves a big window for deception "in between". Or that Christ will return to defeat him the same day he appears? This man of lawlessness seeks to make himself the central person of worship, beyond any other religious objects or personages in his day. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first . If in 2:7 lawlessness is at work (Gk. You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. 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. Our friends at, The year one thousand nine ninety-nine seven month Realize the difference between "antichrist" and "The Antichrist". 28:110). 2:910). At the end of the tribulation, armies will unite under the leadership of the man of lawlessness to fight against the King of kings and Lord of lords as described in the battle of Armageddon ( Revelation 16:16; 19:19 ). yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he If so, then many contend this would require a future rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple prior to the advent of the lawless one. Further descriptors are applied to this lawless one. 1:5; 2 Thess. will of my Father which is in heaven. I'll give you more about Matthew 24 below, but for our purposes right now, know that Jesus used the word "deceive" a lot there. Why, 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. I'm talking about people like Irenaeus and Hippolytus. Jesus teaching has set the pattern for apostolic discussions of eschatology. What does it mean that husbands are the head of their wives and that they should love them as Christ loved the church? And the rest of the vision regarding the Lord, behold, it is written in three parables according to my words which are written in the book which I publicly prophesied. The way I create an outline is to, Part 1: Remembering (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5). 15:19; 2 Cor. (1 Timothy 2). The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? 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 ). Both Jesus and Paul warn us about this. In response to this complex question, we should distinguish between what we can know with some certainty and what we can only suspect. But they won't return to God; they will believe the lie. And all the people in the world will believe in him. ye may remember that I told you of them. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of (12) Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth 2:19; Acts 21:21). 2:9). apokalypt; 2:3, 8), just as Paul elsewhere speaks of the revelation of Jesus and his gospel (cf. First, let's look at how Paul describes the man of lawlessness in verse 4: a man who opposes God and proclaims himself to be God. In other words, the church has a direct impact on God's ability to defeat Satan. It's, Discussion question: the world seems to be getting more and more "lawless". God is faithful to his prophetic promises, yet the actual fulfillment of these promises often surprises. 2021by First Baptist Church. Apparently, Paul explained this restraint to the people, and he expects them to remember. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 who is holding back the "secret power of lawlessness"? 7. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Where does this (supposedly) Gibson quote come from? So Paul explained to them that this future time of tribulation had not yet come because a certain "man of lawlessness" had not yet been revealed ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ). What concerns you in particular? The line is not "Mirror, mirror, on the wall. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that . Matthew 7:21-23 KJV (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 5:6; Col. 2:8). So, you can imagine how discouraged they would be to hear that they missed it. That's the main point. They will cast out any who will not follow after them (in your name we have cast out devils). Verse five provides further reason to recommend humility to all modern interpreters. This man is destined for destruction. So, when Paul says that this man of lawlessness will be able to perform. Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. hat's why Paul takes "The Armor of God" so seriously; that armor is a tool God gives Christians to have the daily victory over sin and Satan.]. You see for yourself whether the meaning is really there. 1. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but. me, ye that work iniquity. ", Verse 5 is tremendous: "Don't you remember?". That is, he's called a man of lawlessness. 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. (3) And these things will they do unto you, because they have not Can airtags be tracked from an iMac desktop, with no iPhone? In fact, I take Matthew 24:24 (which I cited above) to mean that Christians cannot be deceived into believing the Antichrist is Christ. 3. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 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. - is this a distinct declaration? 4:1; 15:51; Eph. The man of sin speaks of those who love to be first among the churches of men. Here's a bonus: this one's bizarre -- in 1998, a Russian named Igor Panarin predicted that the US would collapse into civil war in 2010 and be redistributed according to this following map. Some have suggested that this refers to a nation-state (rather than to a particular individual), with the Roman Empire being the most likely candidate; however, the imagery itself repeatedly points to an individual rather than an entire state. parousia) of the lawless one in verse 9 is placed immediately alongside the parousia of Jesus (2 Thess. I have no idea how he came up with this. How much tax do you pay on 1099 income? The Antichrist's greatest tool is deception through miraculous signs and wonders, and that's something Paul highlighted in our passage (you can also read about this in Rev 13 and 19. 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. Paul labels any teaching opposed to the eschatological message of his gospel as an effort at deception (cf. ", To me, the best passage to read side-by-side with this one is Matthew 24, where Jesus talks about this exact subject. Paul used that truth to encourage them. 2:1112). 5:14 ). Read more Explain verse Share. The Antichrist will fool many people into believing that he is the Second Coming of Christ. energe; cf. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it. 3 John 1:9-12 KJV (9) I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who Loving People. rev2023.3.3.43278. But make sure to emphasize the real reason Paul mentions the man of lawnessness in the first place: Jesus will destroy him. And they will sacrifice to him and they will serve him saying: "This is God and beside him there is no other." It would be excellent if you could reference or even paste in some quotes from the church fathers showing that they held the Papacy to be the man of lawlessness. What are they? 12:14).1 With this list of options, it appears most likely that God himself controls the timing and the restraint, holding back the advent of the lawless one until the proper moment. In fact, I take Matthew 24:24 (which I cited above) to mean that.