2 Thessalonians 2:1

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. Remember you not that when I was with you, I told you these things.

Paul tells a frightened church not to be deceived: the day of the Lord's wrath cannot come until two things happen first.

A Futurist, Premillennial Framework

The second chapter of 2 Thessalonians is an extremely interesting passage from the standpoint of eschatology—the study of the end, the last days, the end times. Along with 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, this section lays the bulk of the foundation for the doctrine we call the rapture.

We at Calvary Chapel, and not just Calvary Chapel Escondido but Calvary Chapel as a whole, hold to a futurist view of prophecy. That means we believe large portions of prophetic Scripture are yet to be fulfilled in a future time. We also believe that Jesus will one day return, and when He does, He will establish a kingdom here upon the earth for a thousand years.

In Acts 1, the disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven, and two men—apparently angels—said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand here gazing up into heaven? Don't you know that this same Jesus will return in like manner?" Like the historical church, we look forward to that return when He will establish His kingdom and rule and reign for a thousand years, the period we call the millennial reign of Christ. Because we hold that Jesus will establish this kingdom, we are identified as premillennial in our theology.

Four Views of the Rapture

As we studied 1 Thessalonians 4 a couple of months ago, I shared that there are four commonly held views among premillennial believers about the rapture of the church. File these terms away; we'll discuss them more as we move through the New Testament.

The pretribulational view believes Jesus will miraculously gather His saints just prior to a seven-year tribulation period. The midtribulation view holds that He gathers them in the middle of that seven years, just before the great tribulation. The prewrath view holds that He gathers them during the second half of the tribulation, prior to God pouring out His wrath. The posttribulation view holds that at the very end of the seven years, just before He pours out His wrath, He gathers the saints to be with Him.

I also mentioned a fifth group—the pantribulationists—who simply say, "It's all going to pan out." But it's important to recognize that all four serious views agree on two key points. First, they all agree there is a rapture—Jesus will at some point gather His saints to Himself. Second, they all agree that the rapture happens prior to the wrath of God being poured out upon the earth. They are all, in that sense, prewrath, basing it on 1 Thessalonians 5:9: "God has not appointed us to wrath." How many say "Amen, praise God" to that one?

A Confused, Persecuted Church

Instruction about the return of the Lord was a key component of early Christian doctrine. Though Paul was only in Thessalonica about three to six weeks, he taught the believers about the appearing of the Lord and our gathering together unto Him. He told them they would suffer tribulation. In 1 Thessalonians 3:4 he writes, "When we were with you, we told you before that you should suffer tribulation, even as it has come to pass." He also revealed that prior to the Lord's return, a deceptive and sinful man—some great leader—would come on the scene, as he reminds them in 2 Thessalonians 2:5, "Remember you not, when I was with you, I told you these things."

After Paul left, the believers were confused. Some in the fellowship had died, and those who remained were concerned that their departed brothers and sisters had missed the return of the Lord. So 1 Thessalonians was written in part to encourage them and remove that concern, showing in chapter 4 that those who died will not miss it.

But after that first letter, it seems false teaching—or even a forged letter—came to the church and confused them further. Facing persecution and tribulation, they began to wonder if they were already in the day of the Lord, the day of God's wrath. So Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 that they should not be soon shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit (a false prophetic utterance), nor by word (false teaching), nor by letter as from us, that the day of Christ was present. Don't be shaken, Paul says, by these false teachings that the day of the Lord has come.

Twenty Centuries of Deception

Twenty centuries later, such false teachings are even more abundant. Some today even say the Lord is not going to come at all, contrary to what we maintain. Others say there will be no millennial reign—they call themselves amillennialists—and hold that we are already in the millennium, with Jesus ruling and reigning in heaven and Satan currently bound.

I don't want to be flippant, but as I look around the world today, I have a hard time believing Satan is bound. If he is, he's got a very long leash. And if Jesus is ruling and reigning right now from heaven, He's not doing a very good job. There are many issues I take with the amillennial view, and we don't have time to go into them all. The point is that false teaching abounds, and it is important for the church to be students of the Scripture, inductively considering what the Scriptures say about the coming of our Lord and our gathering together unto Him.

It was the great expectation of the early church that Jesus would come in their lifetime. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4, "We who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord." Nearly 2,000 years have passed, and in just about every generation the church has expected the immediate return of the Lord. Some today say, "It's been 20 centuries—where is the sign of His coming?" But Peter reveals in 2 Peter 3 that such a mindset is itself an exact identifier of the last days, so we should take careful note.

Two Events Before the Day of the Lord

Paul is clarifying two things about the coming of the Lord, and he says the day of the Lord—the day of His wrath—will not come until two specific events happen first. Notice 2 Thessalonians 2:3: "Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." Underline "Let no man deceive you by any means."

The day of the Lord is a concept seen in both Testaments. It is mentioned 29 times in Scripture, and every single time it is identified with wrath, judgment, and vengeance. Amos 5 says, "Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord," because it is a dark day filled with great darkness, judgment, and vengeance. Joel 2 and 3, Acts 2, Matthew 24, Isaiah 63, Isaiah 24—many passages deal with this dreadful day. It is not a good day.

The Falling Away

First, there shall be the falling away. Some translations say "a falling away," but the definite article is used in the original, so it is the falling away. The Greek word is apostasia, from which we get our English word apostasy. There is a group within the church today—even within Calvary Chapel—that says the apostasia of 2 Thessalonians 2 is the rapture. There is a big problem with that. The falling away is never associated with any gathering away of the people; it is a departure from the truth.

Scripture testifies that in the last days there will be such a departure. In 1 Timothy 4:1 it is the Spirit who speaks expressly that "in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." In 2 Timothy 3:1 Paul writes that "in the last days perilous times shall come," listing men who are lovers of themselves, proud, blasphemous, disobedient, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away."

In 2 Timothy 4 Paul charges Timothy to "preach the word, be ready in season and out of season," because "the time will come where they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap up for themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." Peter says in 2 Peter 3:3, "there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts." Jesus spoke of this apostasy too in Matthew 24, telling a parable of the wicked servant who said, "My master delays his coming," and began to eat and drink and beat the other servants. So the day of the Lord's wrath will not come until the falling away comes first.

Ten Marks of the Man of Sin

The second event is that the man of sin, the son of perdition, must be revealed. Who is this? Scripture lays out a coming charismatic individual we commonly call the Antichrist. John writes in 1 John that the Antichrist will come, but adds that already there are many antichrists—anyone who denies that Jesus has come in the flesh, or that Jesus is the Christ, is of the spirit of antichrist. Many antichrists have come, but there is coming one in the last days: the Antichrist. Most of what we know about him is given right here in these twelve verses. If you're taking notes, here are ten things.

One: the day of the Lord will not come until after this individual is revealed. Two: he is called the son of perdition. This does not refer to Judas, whom Jesus also called the son of perdition, but to a future individual. Like a son, he will share the nature and character of his father. Just as Jesus is called the Son of Man (having the nature of a man) and the Son of God (displaying the nature of God through miracles and prophecy), this son of perdition will display the nature of his father. Who is his father? In Revelation 9:11 we read of the angel of the bottomless pit called Apollyon—the same Greek root as "perdition." So the son of perdition has the nature and character of the devil.

Three: in verse 9, he comes after the working of Satan. Just as Jesus is God incarnate, the son of perdition will essentially be Satan incarnate—a man possessed by Satan. This apparently happens at Revelation 12. Four: he comes with power, signs, and wonders, but they are lying wonders. Five: as a result, he will deceive many. Six: like his father the devil, he opposes God. Seven: he desires to exalt himself above God, the same nature revealed of Lucifer in the "I wills" of Isaiah 14.

The Abomination of Desolation and the Restrainer

Eight: he is the one who performs the abomination of desolation. In Daniel 9, the prophet reveals a coming world leader who goes into the temple, proclaims himself to be God, and desecrates the temple. Interestingly, most first-century Jews believed this had already happened. In the second century BC, the wicked Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes entered the temple, offered pig blood on the altar, and set up an image in the Holy of Holies. But Jesus reveals in Matthew 24:15 that it had not yet been fulfilled; Antiochus was only a forerunner. Paul says in verse 4 that this one "as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

Nine: he will be revealed when the restrainer steps out of the way. Verse 6: "Now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity does already work; only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way." There are three common views about the restrainer. The most common is that it is the Holy Spirit resident in the church, so the Antichrist is revealed after the church is raptured. A second view, held by the commentator Ryrie, is that human governments restrain him until he overthrows them. A third view, with strong biblical support, is that the restrainer is Michael the archangel.

Consider this third view: the man of sin's primary aim is the destruction of God's covenant people, Israel. In Daniel 12:1, Michael is the prince who stands on behalf of the children of Israel. In Revelation 12, just before the abomination, a war breaks out in heaven; Michael battles, and Satan is cast out. At present our enemy still has access to heaven, but at a future point he will be cast down to the earth with a third of the angels. Revelation 12 says Michael will "stand up"—but the original language says he will stand aside. The restrainer no longer restrains, the devil is cast down and possesses the man of sin, who then wages war against Israel as they flee, perhaps to the area called Petra in southern Jordan. This shows God has a prophetic road map, restraining the enemy until His appointed time.

Ten: the man of sin will ultimately be destroyed by the Lord at His second coming. Verse 8: "And then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." That is a blessing to behold. One of the greatest things about following the Lord is that we know the outcome before it happens. Revelation 19 and 20 show that when the Lord returns, this son of perdition will be cast into the lake of fire.

Don't Be Deceived—Keep Your Focus on Christ

Why would Paul go to such lengths to tell this church about the man of sin, when many believe they'll be gone before he is revealed? It has everything to do with deception: "Let no man deceive you by any means." The Thessalonians thought their tribulation meant they were in the wrath of God. This misconception persists today. Whenever there are wars, earthquakes, and pestilences, many in the church cry, "We're in the day of the Lord! We're experiencing the wrath of God." Paul says, no.

And whenever a charismatic leader rises, people start saying, "He's the Antichrist." Not so fast—there are identifiers of who this individual is. When President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, many evangelicals said he'd been mortally wounded in the head, would rise from the dead, and was the Antichrist. It didn't happen. People have been identifying the Antichrist for centuries, and they've all been wrong. That doesn't mean we ignore these things, but our focus should not be the Antichrist—it should be Christ.

We may experience trials, tribulation, and persecution like every other generation of Christians. The religious freedom and liberty we enjoy in the United States is actually the abnormality in history, rooted in our nation's Judeo-Christian founding. There may come a day when those liberties are taken away. But that is exactly what Jesus said: "In the world you will have much tribulation... but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Suffering persecution does not mean we are in the wrath of God, nor does it mean we should start pointing fingers and calling people the Antichrist.

Repeatedly in Matthew 24 Jesus said, "See that no one deceive you." Many will come saying, "I am the Christ," and deceive many. You'll hear of wars and rumors of wars—but that is not the sign. The sign of His coming, Jesus says in verse 15, is "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place." Then in verse 21, "then shall be great tribulation," and from verse 27 onward, the coming of the Lord and the wrath of God.

A Third Temple and the Appointed Time

There is no temple in Jerusalem yet—but there will be. Just a few weeks ago I came across an article in the Jerusalem Post, dated March 29, 2010. A group in Jerusalem launched an ad campaign placing signs on buses all over the city reading, "It's time to rebuild the third temple." They were removed a few days later because they were on buses in Palestinian areas and causing problems. On that same day, a man from the Temple Institute, trained and anointed as a Levitical priest, carried a goat into the old city headed for the Temple Mount to offer a sacrifice. Israeli police stopped him, arrested him, and confiscated his goat. I'm not kidding you.

In August of 70 AD, the Roman general Titus destroyed the temple on the ninth of Av. About fifty years later, after the Bar Kokhba revolt, the Jews were expelled, the land was renamed Palestine, and it functioned under that name down to this day. In the late 1800s and early 1900s the Zionist movement began returning to the land, and on May 14, 1948, the modern state of Israel was established. On June 6, 1967, in the Six-Day War, Israel took back Jerusalem and holds the territory of the Temple Mount, though it remains under Arab control. There is a big push to rebuild the temple, and one day sacrifices will be reinstituted—and then the man of sin will go in, stop the sacrifice, and establish himself as God. Jesus tells those in Judea to flee, for judgment is coming. These things will happen, and they could happen very quickly.

Watch, But Get Back to Work

We must be on watch, but we must also be working. As a result of the teaching about the Lord's coming, some in Thessalonica simply stopped working. So Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, "If any would not work, neither should he eat." Get back to work, church. Stop trying to find the Antichrist. Jesus will come when He comes—it was established before the foundation of the world. It is not for us to worry about the timing, nor to try to hasten it, nor to try to stop the Antichrist; he will come when the restrainer is removed.

How many of you are thankful He did not come a hundred years ago? How many are thankful He didn't come in 1988 as many believed He would—because you would not have been saved? Why has He not come? Let's finish with 2 Peter 3. Peter says scoffers will come saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

But they willingly forget that things have not always continued as usual. About 5,000 years ago God flooded the whole earth and saved only eight. Many say that's a foolish story, yet there is an expedition right now in the mountains of Ararat that believes it found Noah's ark. Peter says the heavens and earth are now reserved unto fire against the day of judgment. And "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." For us it has been 2,000 years; for Jesus it has been just a couple of days—and early on the third day, He rose. It could be at any time.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Many Christians love to quote verse 9 as a comfort, but notice what the promise actually is: the promise of God's wrath. God is not slack concerning the promise of His wrath; He is patient because He is not willing that any should perish. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."

So what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conduct and godliness? Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, we look for "a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness." Therefore, "be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, blameless." There will be scoffers who ask, "Where is the sign of His coming?" But we, as students of the Scripture, ought to follow hard after Him and do diligently the work He has set before us. The day of the Lord will come at its appointed time—and it may well be in your lifetime. A sobering thought.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your Word, that You don't want us to be ignorant or unknowing, but to know exactly what You're doing. As the prophet Amos said, "Surely the Lord does nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets. A lion has roared—who can but fear? The Lord has spoken—who can but prophesy?" Lord, would You cause us this week to be students of Your Word, those who look into the things of prophecy and understand what You are speaking to us, that we would be like the children of Issachar in 1 Chronicles who knew the times and understood what Israel ought to do. Help us to know the times and to know what to do. For we ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed saying, Amen.