2 Thess 2, The Pinnacle of Rebellion and Its Evil.

Class Outline:

Tuesday August 8, 2023

 

2TH 2:1-4

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come [is present]. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

 

Something or someone had caused the idea to spread that the day of the Lord had come and they were presently in that time.

 

Paul judged that it would clear things up to teach them something about the sequence of events in the day of the Lord.

 

“apostasy” - apostasia = defection or revolt either politically or religiously.

This word is used in the political and religious sense.

 

In our text, the “apostasy” is a combination of the political and religious rebellion against God. The OT uses a word that is translated with this Greek word.

 

JER 2:19

“Your own wickedness will correct you,

And your apostasies will reprove you;

Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter

For you to forsake the Lord your God,

And the dread of Me is not in you," declares the Lord God of hosts.”

 

2CH 33:19

all his [Manasseh] sin, his unfaithfulness

 

When Judah’s solution to the Assyrians was an alliance with Egypt:

ISA 30:1

“Woe to the rebellious children," declares the Lord,

Who execute a plan, but not Mine,

And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit,

In order to add sin to sin;”

 

The reference by Paul in 2TH 2:3 is to a world-wide rebellion against divine authority at the end of the age. It is both political and religious.

 

The rebellion will also be religious, against Christ, especially against Jewish believers.

 

“the apostasy” - Paul had already taught them of this particular apostasy during the day of the Lord.

 

Closely associated with the apostasy or rebellion is a man who is the greatest (man) of all rebels - the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction.

 

The man of lawlessness - the pinnacle of man’s rebellion against God.

 

In the apostasy, both the religious and political revolts against God are combined.

 

The false prophet deceives the unbelieving world, promotes idolatrous worship of the beast, has the power to murder those who will not worship the beast, and he has the authority over the world economy to punish those who do not worship the beast.

 

God has done all this in order to show what mankind, kingdoms, and worship are without God.

 

REV 13:15-17

And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

 

The most important thing to know, while continuing to study it, is the reason that God does it all throughout history and culminating in this end of history.

 

God shows us the futile kingdom that seeks security and prosperity without Him.

 

God shows us the religious system that seeks to fill man’s soul without God, but using His name and even His word.

 

And has never been that those without God go about doing good. No one can be good without God. (presence of God).

 

Israel is depicted over and over of making wrong political decisions and alliances. She is also depicted, over and over, of idol worship.

 

But it wasn’t just her. All of the Gentile nations (kingdoms) did the same.

 

REV 13:1-2

Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

 

What is most important to our understanding of him is that he makes himself out to be God.

 

2TH 2:3-4

3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

 

Remember, all references to this individual present him as a man. He is empowered by Satan, but still a man (2TH 2:9).

 

Until the time when he will be manifested, the work of Satan, in bringing this to its ripe end, is restrained.

 

2TH 2:5-10

Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

 

The reason Paul is relating this is because he wants the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord had not yet come. But the added bonus is a reminder to them of what life is really about.

 

JOH 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

 

ROM 5:9

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

 

1TH 1:10

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

 

And has never been that those without God go about doing good. No one can be good without God.

 

MAT 23:37-39

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.  38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! [symbolically, Jesus leaves the temple directly after saying this, but it includes the city and nation] 39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

 

It has always been, due to the fall and the willful apostasy of the many, that so many would be called and be unwilling to come to Him. God is revealing that to anyone who will listen.

 

In this brief and moving lament our Lord represents the in summary the entire history of Israel, past and future, and in fact the philosophy of all human history.

 

The God of history is the eternal and incarnate Son, whose hand is always present in the affairs of men. His purpose is to gather sinners to Himself - into His presence (beneath His wings).

 

The tragedy of history is found in the words, “You were unwilling.” The apostasy and the man of lawlessness and his kingdom is the pinnacle of this tragedy.

 

Jesus is the shekinah glory who entered the temple for the final time in which that nation could accept the one who dwelt between the cherubim, under wings. They said no, and He left.

 

The next occupant of the temple will be the abomination of desolation.

 

MAT 24:15-16

“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.”

 

This is a tragic moment when the Lord abandons the temple. The Jewish temple will once more have a regal occupant - this time, Satan’s own great pretender and usurper whose presence there will loose upon the nation its most terrible “time of trouble.”

 

And also to remember the Lord’s victory. The triumph is also in this passage. The nation which killed the Prince of life will some day greet Him as the Blessed One who comes “in the name of the Lord.” (second coming).