2 Thess 2, The Apostasy Must Come First, and It Did.

Class Outline:

Sunday August 27, 2023

 

Theme: Though clearly commanded to not be of the world or a friend to the world, Christians find themselves tempted to conform to the world from fear of persecution and mockery.

 

The Thessalonians are under persecution by their families and neighbors.

 

1TH 2:13-16

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.

 

A day in the experience of the Thessalonian believer: It was not a walk through the streets of the New Jerusale.

 

But they had courage, even as new believers. Why? They received the word of God as the word of God - the sacred law directly from the throne of heaven.

 

Were they in the Tribulation? No.

 

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. 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.

 

Apostasy and the man of lawlessness.

 

Apostasy comes first (proton) and the man of lawlessness is revealed.

Apostasy comes before the Tribulation

(As usual - time is elastic)

 

Indication of an apostasy in the church before the Tribulation. Undoubtedly true, but since there is apostasy in every generation, how would you know that yours is the one? You wouldn’t and yet you will still expect the coming Lord.

 

Apostasy is political and religious.

 

It is fascinating to see both of these try to work together throughout history in order to rule people’s hearts. For what reason does the beast or the devil or the people in this world want so desperately to rule others?

 

1SA 8:1-5

And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. 3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.

 

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5 and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."

 

“Like all the nations” - Oriental monarch.

 

It was not wrong for them to have a human king.

 

GEN 17:6

“I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.”

 

But should the king be like the kings of all other nations?

 

God chooses the king (when He desires) and he must be a kinsman.

 

DEU 17:14-15

“When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,' 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman.”

 

The king must follow the law of God. (Makes Yahweh the true King).

 

There are four laws given for the king.

 

The first three laws are negative.

 

DEU 17:16-17

“Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.' 17 "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.”

 

The fourth law is positive. The king will be responsible to keep the law, and if he does not, the whole nation will suffer.

 

DEU 17:18-20

“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.”

 

The king will be responsible to keep the law, and if he does not, the whole nation will suffer.

 

1SA 12:12-15

“When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. 15 If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.”

 

Yahweh Elohim chooses the king and the king is made responsible to His Law - that is nothing like “all the nations.”

 

God warns them what a king “like all the nations” will do to them. He is very clear about it.

 

1SA 8:7-18

The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. 8 "Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day — in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods — so they are doing to you also. 9 "Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them."

 

10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king. 11 He said, "This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. 12 "He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 "He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 "He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. 15 "He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. 16 "He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17 "He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. 18 "Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day."

 

This is stated over three thousand years ago and it is amazing how familiar we are with it today. Rulers who make us do useless stuff for their benefit (run before his chariots), create massive bureaucracies (commanders of thousands and fifties), enforced labor, heavy and burdensome taxation.

 

The king that God choose for Himself, who followed the law, would not burden the people. In fact, that king would be like Christ.

 

You would think they would change their minds.

 

1SA 8:19-22

Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." 21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord's hearing. 22 The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

 

It would take until Solomon for vv. 11-18 to come to fruition, but it did, and to the letter.

 

Application:

You have a perfect King to obey.

His commands and way are in Scripture alone.

 

Choose the things and people for your life that He chooses.

 

Sanctify them as holy.

 

Your King is not of this world.

Do not be afraid to be different.

 

You have been given the birth-right of the kingdom of heaven.