2 Thessalonians: Man and Mystery of Lawlessness

This brings us to a very interesting, and often misinterpreted, letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica regarding the Second Beast from the Earth, though he termed it the “Man of Lawlessness.” His intention was to clarify a confusion already circulating during his days about Jesus’ return.

 

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming [Parousía] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand…” (2 Thess. 2:1-2, KJV).

First of all, verse 1 has caused great confusion in chronology due the mention of the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” before “our being gathered together to him.” Here, Paul referred to Christ’s “Parousía,” which literally means His advent or physical appearance (implying in judgment against unbelievers), right before he referred to our “episounagoge,” or our being assembled or gathered to Him. Since Paul is mentioning both things in the same sentence in this order, we can get a very confused picture regarding the chronology of these two separate events. I don’t believe that this can imply a simultaneous action (as the Postribulationists believe), just as it cannot reflect a sequential order of events (which would be illogically inverted), but that these two phrases simply refer to both end-time events in a general manner, though clearly the resurrection of the saints needs to be prior to Christ’s second coming (Parousía) with these saints to establish His Kingdom. Paul clearly established the correct order to the believers in Colossi, saying that “when Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4), meaning that His saints will be accompanying Christ to earth during His return after being raised from the dead at a previous event, not at the same event.

Another confusion, though less critical, has occurred due to the common mistranslation of verse 2 about what some people were saying regarding the “Parousía” of Christ. Most say that some were teaching that the day of the Lord had already come. But the Greek wording here actually says that some people were teaching that the “day of Christ” (emera tou Xristou) was “near at hand” (enésteken). This term should not be translated in the past tense because the Greek word really speaks about an imminent action in the very near future. It means that some people were saying that Jesus’ return was going to be very soon, so Paul had to give them a clear picture of the events that needed to occur before Jesus gathered His people and later came with His saints to set up His Kingdom.

On the other hand, regarding the timing of the coming of the “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, the unclear wording could also be interpreted in different ways. Most translations say in verse 3: “For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction…” (v. 3b). What does it mean by “that day”? Is this saying that the resurrection/rapture of the saints will not occur until after the Antichrist’s government has begun, as alleged by the Postribulationists? Critically, the phrase “that day will not come” is merely implied and is not explicitly written in the original Greek. It only says: “…except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (KJV). Thus, verse 3 refers to verse 2 when it makes an implied reference to “the day of Christ” (emera tou Xristou), which means that the day when He returns in glory, or the Parousía, cannot occur until after the rebellion or “falling away” (apostasía) and the Man of Lawlessness has been revealed (apokalupthe).[1] I agree here with the Pretribulationist’s concept of the resurrection before the Antichrist’s dominion, though I don’t agree with the concept of seven literal years of future “Great Tribulation.” After the global Caliphate, Jesus will return in glory.

See my own, I believe more correct, interpretation of those same verses below:

“Now concerning our being gathered together [episunagoge] to him and the coming [Parousía] of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed,…to the effect that the day of Christ [emera tou Xristou] is near at hand… [The Parousía] will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thess. 2:1-3).                  

This means that the Man of Lawlessness will be revealed after the resurrection/rapture, but before Jesus’ return in glory with His Saints (the Parousía). This is very important! This complements verses 6-8, which clarify that the Antichrist can’t be revealed until something is out of the way. After what restrains him is removed, then he will “reveal” Himself. Let’s look at those verses, according to the ESV:

“And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And 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 [literally, brightness or epifanía] of his coming [Parousía]” (2 Thess. 2:6-8).

 

Even though the “mystery of lawlessness” in verse 3 will be evident and “at work” before the resurrection/rapture, the Man of Lawlessness cannot reveal himself as world Caliph until after the Holy Spirit and God’s true people (Israel and the Church) are removed from the earth. The Holy Spirit is still now restraining the Antichrist! Then, after the resurrection of the saints, the Man of Lawlessness or Son of Destruction can establish his short-lived reign, which will last until Jesus returns in glory with His saints (Parousía). This will be a short period, or “one hour,” according to Revelation 17:12, but it cannot be classified as the “Great Tribulation.” During that post-resurrection time of “apostasía,” everyone will have rebelled (fallen away) and will be willingly devoted to worshiping and serving the Antichrist. They will already be deceived by him, and will have refused Jesus’ saving Word of truth. This delusion will have them believe in what is false and unrighteous, and thus be willing to take the “mark of the Beast” (as referenced in Rev. 13:16-18). They have missed the train!

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:9-12).

Thus, before the resurrection, we will be experiencing the “mystery of lawlessness” during the final “tribulation of those days,” according to how Jesus termed it (Matt. 24:29). We are already seeing the general rebellion or “falling away” (apostasía) from God’s truth. The resurrection of the saints will be at the end of this latter-day tribulation that we are presently experiencing, during which time Islam is regaining strength. We are also able to identify how the different players on the board are getting into place. Now is the time when Christians must define themselves as to which side they are on, whether for God and His Messiah, or for Allah and his Mahdi. Many Christians may depart from their faith as they are influenced by deceitful spirits that will abound more and more.

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Tim. 4:1-2).

Will we try to appease the growing Muslim powers, joining the ecumenical and blasphemous “Woke” movement, or do we stay steadfast and true in the midst of our persecutions and tribulations? It is now almost impossible to speak against Islam or take any legal action against it because it is classified as “Islamophobia” and termed as “illegal” and punishable by law. Yet this alleged “phobia” is not an unwarranted and hateful irrational fear of Islam, but rather a true and objective view of the dangers that this satanic religion represents to humanity, especially to true Christians and Jews.

An article in Gatestone Institute[2] reports that the UN has already approved a number of measures to supposedly prevent Islamophobia, but this is really a cover for protecting Islam from any kind of criticism. “Pakistan has already presented a six-point plan to address the new manifestations of racism and faith-based hatred, especially Islamophobia, at the United Nations headquarters. The presentation was organized by Pakistan along with Turkey, the Holy See and the UN.” Moreover, Pakistan alleges that because of Islamophobia, it has also “opposed” the concept of anti-Semitism and other forms of apartheid. They state that they are creating an action plan “to reverse the tide of hate and bigotry that threatens to undermine social solidarity and peaceful co-existence.” These measures sound commendable, if they were not merely a disguise to keep any and all criticism of Islam off the media and social platforms, and probably even out of private places of gathering and individual minds. But Anti-Semitism and “Christianophobia” have been rejected as irrelevant and ignored by these same countries and international bodies, including Muslim atrocities that are still being committed against both Jews and Christians.

Nevertheless, God’s people are called to endure these present temporary afflictions with steadfastness and faith: “Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring” (2 Thess. 1:4).

After the resurrection of the saints, this “Son of Destruction” will finally sit in the “temple of God” (naon tou Theo) and proclaim himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:4). Yet this verse is often used to defend the idea that the Antichrist will be Jewish (or supported by the Jews), and that the Temple must be rebuilt before the Antichrist is to be revealed. But the term “naon tou Theo” can refer to any type of sanctuary dedicated to a divinity, and the Al Aksa Mosque fits this description perfectly. Here is where the Antichrist will proclaim himself to be God on the “glorious holy mountain” (as predicted in Daniel 11:45). The Muslims are conserving this area exclusively for themselves, and reject any kind of Jewish influence there whatsoever. They will oppose any kind of Jewish Temple there with violence and bloodshed, now or in the future. Once Israel and the Church have been removed, the Antichrist will have all the liberty to sit in the “naon tou Theo,” the Muslim mosque on the Temple Mount, and proclaim himself to be “God” without any opposition.

But let us not be worried or perplexed by the growing sinister spirit of the Islamic Antichrist, “because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:13-14). True believers in Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah will ultimately obtain His glory, whether we die before He reveals Himself in the clouds to gather up His saints or whether we are still alive when God’s trumpet sounds all over the world for His people to arise (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

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[1] Note that Paul used “parousía” for Jesus’ “coming” (2 Thess. 2:1) as well as for the Antichrist’s “coming” (2 Thess. 2:9). He also used “apokalupto” for when Christ will be “revealed” from heaven with His angels (2 Thess. 1:7) and also when the Antichrist is to be “revealed” (in 2 Thess. 2:3, 6, and 8).

[2] Judith Bergman, UN Launches All-out War on Free Speech, Gatestone Institute, https://www.gatestone institute.org/14516/united-nations-free-speech, accessed July 10, 2019.