THE END TIMES - PART 2 (2 Thessalonians 2:6-17)
INTRODUCTION:
As I said last Sunday, 2nd Thessalonians 2 is doctrinal as Paul seeks to clear up a false doctrine that had crept into the church in Thessalonica. This false teaching was that the Day of the Lord was already here causing confusion and fear in the hearts of the Thessalonian believers. They began to believe that they had missed the Rapture and were living in the judgment of the Day of the Lord.
In the first 5 verses Paul exhorted them not to be deceived and to remember the truth he had taught them concerning the end times when he and Silas and Timothy were with them. He did this by giving them an event that will happen before the Day of the Lord, and because this event had not occurred, they could not be living in the Day of the Lord. They had not missed the Rapture; it was yet future and would precede the Tribulation and the coming Day of the Lord.
The event that Paul used as his irrefutable proof that the Day of the Lord was still future was the apostasy that was to come when the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction was revealed and took a seat in the temple of God and displayed himself as being God. This man is the final Antichrist, and he is the most evil, most powerful, most influential man the world will ever see, and he along with his false prophet will lead the world to destruction.
This morning Paul gives us further information about Antichrist, speaking more about his revealing, giving the details of his destruction, and of his power and influence. Paul then will speak of those who will live on the earth during that time and the influence that Antichrist will have over them. Finally, he will end the chapter in gratitude to God as he declares the security of the Thessalonian believers. Let’s pray and then finish up this chapter.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to 2nd Thessalonians 2:6-17. Please, if you are able, stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word, and follow along as I read.
2nd Thessalonians 2:6-17,
“And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 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. 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; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 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. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6–17, NASB95)[1]
THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-10)
Paul exhorted the Thessalonian believers in verse 5 to remember the things that he had taught them when he was with them. So, the information concerning the apostasy and the man of lawlessness was not new information. Paul was reminding them of what he had taught them. In these first five verses of our passage this morning, Paul continues to remind the Thessalonians what he had taught them by speaking about four aspects of Antichrist’s career. He gives them more information about his revelation, his destruction, his power, and his influence.
Paul begins verse six with the words, “And you know what restrains him now…” (2 Thessalonians 2:6a, NASB95)[2] This phrase shows us that the Thessalonian believers understood what force was restraining the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist, because Paul had told them when he was with them. Because he had told them, he does not repeat it here. Because he does not repeat who or what is the restrainer, this has led to centuries of speculation as to what or who this is. In the Greek, the verb translated “restrains” which means “to hold back,” “to hold down,” “to suppress” is in the neuter form, but in the next verse Paul uses the masculine pronoun “he” to refer to the one who restrains. This has caused theologians and commentators to suggest many different options as to the identity of this restraining force. Some suggest that the preaching of the gospel keeps the Antichrist in check, and when the gospel has been fully proclaimed that restraint will be removed. Others have suggested the nation of Israel, or the binding of Satan by praying believers, or the church’s influence as salt and light in the world, or human government, the general principle of law and morality, the Roman empire, and Michael the archangel. None of these suggestions are satisfactory. The main issue with each of them, except for Michael the archangel, is that they are human forces, but human creativity, skill and institutions cannot restrain the supernatural power of Satan that seeks to release the Antichrist. Michael in Jude nine defeated Satan by saying, “the Lord rebuke you.” The most logical of the suggestions made is the church but it has never been able to restrain even human evil. If no human or angelic power can restrain, that leaves only the power of God to hold back the purpose of Satan for his Antichrist. God by His Spirit does the restraining so as Paul writes, “…so that in his time he will be revealed.” (2 Thessalonians 2:6b, NASB95)[3] Satan does not want to operate on God’s timetable, if it weren’t for God’s restraining power, Satan would have revealed Antichrist long before now. He desires is to reveal his false messiah, through whom he will rule the earth. But God is sovereign and nothing, not even Satan and his plans operate independent of God’s timetable. Job declared in Job 42:2, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2, NASB95)[4]
God’s timetable is perfect, and He will not allow Antichrist to be revealed until all who He has chosen for redemption from eternity past up to that time are brought into His kingdom. Just as the Lord Jesus was revealed “…when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son…” (Galatians 4:4a, NASB95)[5] The false messiah, Antichrist will not be revealed until it is God’s perfect time. Even though the revelation of Antichrist is restrained, evil is not restrained, Paul writes that the “mystery of lawlessness is already at work.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7a, NASB95)[6] Mystery in Scripture always refers to something that has been kept secret for long ages past and is incapable of being known until it is revealed by God. God reveals to us that the true character of lawlessness is already at work. Just look at our world, evil, lies, hypocrisy, immorality, and false religion fills our world, and we watch it grow worse so that every generation is more evil than the one before. But sin’s ultimate manifestation is still future, when the restraint is removed and the Antichrist appears, then the true character of evil will be revealed.
In verse seven Paul writes, “he who restrains…” which tells us that the force which is restraining the Antichrist is exerted by a person, the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit has the supernatural power to hold Satan in check. The Holy Spirit will continue this restraining work until the midpoint of the Tribulation. The removal of the Holy Spirit’s restraint cannot be identified with the Rapture of the church, since that event takes place before the Tribulation begins and Satan is still restrained until the first three and a half years of the Tribulation have passed. This phrase “taken out of the way…” must not be interpreted to mean that the Holy Spirit will be removed from the world. That is impossible since He is omnipresent. Nor could anyone be saved during the Tribulation apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, this phrase “he is taken out of the way” does not refer to the Holy Spirit’s removal from the world, but the removal of His restraining work. Romans one gives us a clear example of the removal of restraint so that sin is unleashed. Paul writes in Romans 1:18-25, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:18–25, NASB95)[7] Once in these verses and two more time in verses 26 and 28 there are three statements that “God gave them over” or “up” which describes the removal of divine restraint and the resulting flood of immorality, homosexuality, and perverted thinking and acting that drowns those so judged. I believe we have seen this take place in our own nation.
Paul for the third time in this chapter states that the lawless one will be revealed when the Holy Spirit removes His restraining force. Just as Antichrist is revealed at God’s appointed time, his destruction is also divinely appointed. At the very height of his power when he seems invincible, he will meet his end. Daniel 7:26 describes it this way, “‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.” (Daniel 7:26, NASB95)[8] John in Revelation 19:20 describes it this way, “And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” (Revelation 19:20, NASB95)[9] Paul writes that the most evil and powerful ruler in human history will be effortlessly crushed; he writes “whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8b, NASB95)[10] The verb translated “slay” does not mean that the Lord will kill the Antichrist, the Greek verb literally means “to take up” or to “overthrow” as the NIV translates it. It cannot mean “kill” here because Revelation 19:20 says Antichrist is thrown alive into the lake of fire. This idea of the Lord destroying His enemies with the breath of His mouth comes from the Old Testament. Isaiah 11:4 says, “But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:4, NASB95)[11] Not only will the Lord destroy Antichrist with the breath of His mouth, but Paul also writes that He will “…bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8b, NASB95) This phrase “bring to an end” is a Greek word that means “to render inoperative,” to abolish,” or “to render ineffective.” Not only will the Lord destroy Antichrist’s person, He will also bring to an end his empire. The Lord Jesus will destroy both the man and his power and dominion by His appearance at His coming, a reference to the visible appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming.
Antichrist will rule from the midpoint of the Tribulation until Christ’s return—1260 days or 42 months both of which equal three and a half years. During his brief reign, he will exercise power and influence never before seen in human history.
This power that Antichrist will wield will not be his own, but as Paul writes in verse nine, “is in accord with the activity of Satan.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9a, NASB95)[12] The word translated “activity” is the Greek word from which we get our English word “energy” and describes power in action and as it is used here it is describing Satan’s power as seen in Antichrist as Satan empowers him with powers, signs, and false wonders. These will not only be deceptive tricks, like falsifying his own death and resurrection, but also real demonstrations of Satan’s supernatural power. Powers refer to supernatural acts; signs point to the one who performs them; and wonders describe the astonishing results. Antichrist’s miracles will show his supernatural power and create wonder, shock, and astonishment. “False” modifies all three terms used here. Antichrist’s miracles, signs, and wonders are all false not in the sense that they are fake but that they lead to false conclusions about who he is. They will cause people to believe the lie that he is God, and they will worship him.
Because of his power, his influence will reach around the globe, using all the deception of wickedness Antichrist will lead his followers to destruction and ruin. Only God’s elect will not be taken in. The unbelievers being the children of the Satan will fall for his lies delivered through his false messiah. Through Antichrist, Satan will deceive the whole world, all those who receive the mark of the beast and those who worship his image. But Antichrist’s power and influence will be short-lived as already mentioned, three and a half years and then the Lord Jesus will come and destroy the man of lawlessness and his wicked empire.
THE UNBELIEVING WORLD (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)
Paul tells us that unbelievers will be deceived by the Antichrist and perish because they did not love the truth so as to be saved. This is the only place that this phrase “love the truth” appears in the New Testament. This adds another dimension to Paul’s teaching. Unbelievers are eternally lost, not because they did not hear and understand the truth, but because they did not love it. The truth is both the gospel, the word of truth and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is truth incarnate. Unbelievers do not welcome or love Jesus or the gospel He proclaimed. Their hostility and hatred of the truth is not intellectual, but moral, they take pleasure in wickedness. This self-imposed spiritual blindness leaves the unsaved under a damning level of satanic deception. It is one of the reasons Antichrist can deceive the entire lost world. The Bible clearly teaches that those who go to hell do so because they reject the truth. John wrote in John 3:19-20, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:19–20, NASB95)[13]
Because the unredeemed did not receive the love of the truth they do not know God and do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus. They instead willfully choose to love their sin, believe Satan’s lies, and hate the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ. What is truly terrifying is what Paul writes next because they do not love the truth God will seal their fate by sending upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. This is the true reason that Antichrist will succeed in deceiving people with his false miracles, signs, and wonders, his deception only succeeds because it fits into God’s sovereign purpose. God will condemn unbelievers to accept evil as if it were good and lies as if they were truth. Those who continually choose falsehood will eventually be caught by it. Proverbs 5:22 declares, “His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin.” (Proverbs 5:22, NASB95)[14] They will be abandoned by God to the consequences of their choice to reject the gospel. The day is coming when those who persistently reject the truth will be unable to believe it; God will harden their hearts and fix them in the path they have chosen. God will fix them in this path in order that they may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. As mentioned earlier, Romans 1 illustrates for us God’s judicial abandonment of unrepentant sinners. Paul wrote in verse 21, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21, NASB95) Because of this Paul declares three times in the passage that “God gave them over” to the consequences of their own sinful choices.
THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)
Paul ends this chapter with encouragement for believers, words that are to eliminate fear of the future by understanding the great doctrine of salvation. In these few verses Paul gives us an overview of the vastness of God’s redemptive plan to affirm the believer’s security in that plan. Again, Paul’s purpose is encouragement and comfort. Those who reject the truth that believers are eternally secure cannot look forward with confident hope to Christ’s coming, to believe that Christians living in unconfessed sin when the Lord returns will go to hell can only produce dread and fear—especially since sinless perfection is this life is unattainable.
Paul’s readers and all believers do not have to fear losing their salvation, because God’s choice of them is final and irreversible. Salvation began with God’s loving choice in eternity past and will continue until glorification in the future. Jesus emphatically declared the utter impossibility that any of God’s elect should ever be lost. In John 6:37-40 Jesus declared, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:37–40, NASB95)[15] Then down a few verses to verse 44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44, NASB95)[16] Then flipping over a few chapters to John 10:27-29, Jesus declares, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:27–29, NASB95)[17]
This glorious truth caused Paul to always give thanks to God for the Thessalonian believers, knowing that they were brethren beloved by the Lord. In contrast to the unbelievers, who refuse to love and obey the truth, are those who are willing to do both. In contrast to those whom God judges are those whom He redeems; in contrast to those who believe Satan’s lies are those who believe God’s truth; in contrast to those who will follow the Antichrist are those who follow the true Christ. God’s work of salvation began with His sovereign, uninfluenced, undeserved love and from that love is His sovereign choice of believers, whom, as Paul writes, “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. Paul is stating that we did not choose God, but He chose us and His sovereign choice becomes effective in our lives through sanctification and faith. Sanctification is the work of the Spirit that sets believers apart from sin to righteousness. This miracle starts at salvation and includes a complete transformation, so that the believer is born again and becomes a new creature. The sanctification that begins at salvation does not mean that believers do not sin. But is does make sure that those set apart from sin to God will lead lives of progressive sanctification as the Spirit works within leading us to increasing holiness and conforming us to the image of Christ. Our factor in God’s sovereign, loving election and salvation is faith in the truth. But even our faith is a gift of God. The Holy Spirit transforms those who hear and believe the truth by granting them repentance and the gift of faith.
Paul reminds them that not only had God chosen but He also called them through Paul’s gospel declared to them. Again, this is God’s effectual call of sinners to salvation, and this call is irresistible, the gospel is not merely words and facts, but as Paul writes in Romans 1:16, “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. The ultimate goal of our salvation, that we may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. That firm statement of the security of salvation reveals that God loved, chose, called, and transformed believers for the purpose of eternally reflecting the glory of Christ to one another. Since no purpose of God can be thwarted as Job declared, then nothing can separate believers from His saving love.
Based on God’s sovereign plan of salvation, there was no need for the Thessalonian believers to be anxious about their salvation, doubtful about the Lord’s return, or fearful that they were in the Day of the Lord’s judgment on the ungodly. They, like all believers, were not destined for judgment but for glory. They needed to remember Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Thessalonians 5:9, NASB95)[18]
After assuring them of their salvation and their future glory, Paul exhorts them to stand firm and to hold to the traditions which they were taught, either by word of mouth or by letter from us. After clearly showing the Thessalonian believers that they were not experiencing the judgment of the Day of the Lord, he tells the to stand firm in their faith, even in the face of persecution, and to keep a firm grip on the truth, the traditions which they were taught. The Greek word translated “traditions” literally means “things handed down.” Paul was referring to divine revelation whether it was received by word of mouth or by letter. They were to hold fast to what God had handed down to them, both orally and in written form from Paul and the other apostles. Jude told his readers to “contend earnestly (hold fast and guard) for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” (Jude 3b, NASB95)[19]
Paul after exhorting them to stand firm and hold fast to the truth, ends this chapter with a benediction, praying that God would comfort and strengthen the church. Paul understood that in their own human frailty the Thessalonians could never stand firm and hold fast to the truth, only by depending on God’s power could they carry out Paul exhortation. Paul prays, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, NASB95)[20] Paul prays that the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loves us and has poured out His eternal comfort and grace on us at salvation, comfort the saints of Thessalonica and strengthen them to stand firm in every good work and word by His sure promise of future glory.
CONCLUSION:
As I close this morning, know that you are loved by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have put your faith in Christ for salvation, then you know that you are chosen by God, called by the effectual calling of the Spirit through the gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand firm in your faith and hold fast to the truth of God’s Word by the comfort and strength given to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Encourage one another and build up one another as we look with confident hope for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are here this morning and have never put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then I urge you to do so today. The Lord Jesus Christ could return for the church at any time, and we must be ready to meet Him in the clouds. You can be ready for that event by repenting of your sins and believing that Jesus Christ died for you, paying the penalty for your sin with His death, and by believing that His resurrection from the dead was proof that God’s wrath against sin was satisfied and your sins are forgiven. This is the only way to know that you will be ready for death or the Lord’s return, whichever comes first.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[17]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[18]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[19]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[20]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.