“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him: We ask you, brothers, and sisters, not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come. Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God. Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you about this? And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, CSB).
This passage, like Acts 1:9-11, has both references to the rapture of the body of Christ, and a reference at the end of this passage to the second appearance/coming of Yeshua when he will keep God’s promise and redeem the remnant Jews. This passage has confused some in the church as to the timing of the rapture of the church. Some think it is saying that the church is raptured mid-Tribulation because they are confused at when the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) is revealed.
As you know, the New Testament Scriptures were all written in Koine Greek—kοινή, transliteration is koiní, and is translated as common in English (except for a few words and phrases that were written in Aramaic). Koine Greek is also known as Hellenistic Greek. It was the common language spoken in the eastern Mediterranean during the first several centuries of the church-age and a few centuries before. Even though Jesus and the disciples often spoke Aramaic, the New Testament was written in Greek to reach the then Gentile world. The Jewish world could speak Greek also so it was not used to discriminate against them. You might also find it interesting that the original New Testament manuscripts had only minor punctuation and breathing marks (a mark that resembles an apostrophe over top of a Greek word that begins with a vowel),[1] so translators have added them in their translations as time moved forward. The Greek manuscripts also lacked word spacing so the hand written Scriptures would have been a continual line of Greek script uninterrupted, referred to in Latin terms as “Scriptio continua” (continuous script). They also lacked verse and chapter divisions, and the apostles did not add section headings either. So, when you read your English Bible try not to be too dogmatic or unyielding in interpreting what is written in your preferred translation by its punctuation, verse, and chapter divisions, and especially do not rely on paragraph headings to get a proper interpretation of what is written. Headings, verses, chapters, and punctuation helps us today to enjoy a smooth-flowing read, but they by no means can be fully depended on to interpret with accuracy what the writers were initially saying. This error is another reason why some people have misinterpreted the passage above and other parts of Scripture for that matter—Translators have done an excellent job in translating Holy Scripture but sometimes the gift of expressing the sense of the original writers’ thoughts behind a certain text can be slightly misconstrued by a comma, or an exclamation mark, or even a misplaced pause point (a period). A Bible translator cannot know for sure the thought behind every word the apostles wrote, sometimes it is just guessing work. This is why they work hard at comparing the Scriptures as a whole, so that they do not contradict one passage from another.
Just before Paul informed the Thessalonian believers about the coming of the Lord and being caught up into heaven to be with him forever (2:1a) he told them that he and the other apostles were constantly praying for them (1:11a). They had prayed that God would judge the Thessalonians worthy of his κλήσεως (transliteration: klíseos) call, or invitation to salvation (1:11b). They had prayed that God by his power (dynamis) would liberally supply completely their desire to do good and their deeds done by faith (1:11c). The apostles had prayed this so that the name of Jesus be glorified in the Thessalonian believers, and they in him (1:12a).
It seems that the Thessalonian church had received a message at some point, claiming that it had come from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy (2:2). This message had indicated that the apostles said the day of the Lord, referring to the rapture of the body of Christ, had already happened. It had badly shaken and agitated the early Thessalonian believers, and rightly so, because here they are being told that the rapture has happened and there they were still on the earth in their earthly bodies. This so-called word from the apostles had either come from a person giving a false prophesy (from a lying spirit), or someone had come along after the apostles had left Thessalonica and preached this message to them, or some trouble-maker sent them a hand written note claiming to be from Paul and his missionary colleagues—it seems that when Paul had written the Thessalonians to clarify the lie, he was not sure how they received this false communication. He tells them to not fall into deception (2:3a), because before they heard or read the false communication, they had already heard the truth about the timing of the rapture from him (2:3b; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9) and when the Antichrist will be revealed (2:3c); Paul had already taught these things to them (2:5).
The Thessalonians were agitated and shaken from the lie they heard that the rapture had already happened, but in this final generation of the church-age many are in error about the timeline of the rapture because of verses three and four. It could be because of the way these verses are translated into English with its punctuation and verse structure. Nonetheless, some in their interpretation of it are in error, thereby confusing some others with their error. Keep in mind, when Paul wrote his letters he did so in the Greek language. He wrote one continuous sentence with no word spacing and used punctuation very sparingly. Also keep in mind, he did not include verses or chapters or sub-headings, although what he wrote he did put thought into it as he walked and stayed in step with the Holy Spirit—periods, commas, question marks, semicolons, et cetera, are generally used to express the thought behind what is written. When translating from Greek or Hebrew (or any language), to English, if the punctuation is left to the translator’s discretion, then the original thought of the ancient writer can be overlooked or even mistaken. The thought the writer had behind what he had written can be unintentionally inaccurate or even lost when the English translation chooses to express its thought rather than the thought behind the original text. Many times, a translator can only translate the perceived thought of the original writer because of the way ancient Greek was written (continuous script). This is why the translator must compare the original writers’ overall statements so not to contradict what is written. So, what you read in the English versions in verses three and four, remember, Paul had written in continuous script. Therefore, when interpreting these verses, we cannot come up with something that contradicts another Scripture.
Paul writes, in verse three, that the rapture of the church will not happen until the apostasia happens first. Apostasia is the Greek transliteration for the English term, apostasy (many English versions say rebellion). Apostasia is defined as: to forsake, defection, or a falling away. It comes from the Greek term, ἀποστάσιον, transliteration is apostasion, and it is pronounced as ap-os-tas'-ee-on. Apostasion in English means divorcement, or a legal termination of marriage. In the Scriptures, apostasia indicates specifically to fall away or defect from faith in Christ, as in 2:3, or to forsake (Acts 21:21). In Google’s English dictionary, provided by Oxford Languages, the English term apostasy is defined as abandoning a religious belief: Disloyalty, Recantation, Betrayal, Desertion, and so on. So, what Paul is telling the Thessalonians is this; that the rapture of the church will not happen until after an apostasy happens in the church of God (2:3b). This means, that the church will suffer a defection from faith in Christ, believer’s will be disloyal to Jesus and betray him on a large-scale, in the time leading up to the rapture.
Many people that once had faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, some even for years, have decided to abandon Christ for whatever the excuse, in this final generation of the church-age. Just take a sincere and genuine look at this generation, being faithful is not an attribute that is characteristic to the personality of most individuals, churchgoers or not. Because of a lack of loyalty among the brothers the church struggles with being devoted to one another. If a believer does not practice being faithful to the family of God, then it is a good sign he does not practice being faithful to the Father and his Son either. Paul prophesied that the Holy Spirit revealed to him (this is what he meant when he said the Spirit explicitly said) that in the later times, the last generation of the church-age, some who belong to the faith will fall away because they are more attentive to deceitful spirits than they are the Holy Spirit, thereby the teachings of demons are more interesting to them (1 Tim. 4:1). The apostle prophesied, that Christians will turn away from the truth and be more interested in mýthos’ [Greek transliteration for fables] (2 Tim. 4:4). In this instance he was referring to stories, whether true or imaginary. In other words, a certain number in the church will not want real Bible teaching but would prefer to have the pastor tell them things that will make them feel good about themselves, stroking their – soulish – egos (2 Tim. 4:3)—the pastors of many churches get more of a rise out of their congregations by telling them stories about the week they just had rather than they do by preaching the word of God. Yes, there have been individuals fall away and abandon faith in Christ all through the church-age, but the apostle is referring to the later times, the final generation of the church.
Now here is where the confusion has come that has caused some to be in error concerning the timing of the rapture of the church, and the revealing of the Antichrist. In some English versions there is no punctuation between Paul’s mention of the apostasia and the revealing of the man of lawlessness, the man doomed to destruction (2:3cd). This man is the first beast, the Antichrist (Rev. 13:1-4). Some versions have inserted a comma between the reference to the apostasia and the reference to the revealing of the lawless one, which somewhat helps clarify verses three and four. It slightly helps the reader to realize that the two references are not a conjoining statement. A comma feebly helps to reveal that the two references are not conjugate, the two references do not join, they are not conjoint or combined events. But the statement is supposed to clearly reveal that one event happens first, and then after that the other will occur (that way it will not contradict another Scripture, as you will see as you read); they are separate events being told in one long breath. Verse three reveals that Paul has both the rapture of the church and the revealing of the man of sin on his mind, all at once, both events are part of his train of thought, so he just discloses them both at once as if he was concerned that his thought would vanish into thin air—all the same they are two separate events. The Scripture does not reveal how much time is between the two events, but it does give the allusion that there is a length of time from when the rapture occurs and then the Antichrist is revealed—verses seven and eight reveals this very important point. I prefer to insert a period (a full pause) between the two references to bring more clarity, especially because of what is written immediately after, in verse four. The revealing of this man is what brings confusion to some, because the mid-Tribulation advocates believe he is revealed by what is written in verse four, but this contradicts what Daniel had written (Dan. 9:27a).
In verse four (2:4a), the apostle proceeds to write what Daniel had written about this man of lawlessness who will become a king that will do what he pleases, he will exalt himself above every god – this means even above the fallen angels and evil spirits who have been and still are venerated by many cultures and peoples – even saying abominable things against Yahweh (Dan. 11:36a). This man will oppose and exalt himself over the fallen angels because Satan himself (the dragon) gives him his power, throne, and authority (Rev. 13:1-2). Next, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that the Antichrist will take a seat in the temple of God, even proclaiming that he is Yahweh (2:4b). The apostle is repeating what both Jesus and Daniel had said. On the Mount of Olives Jesus taught that the Jews in the seventieth-week of Israel will see the Antichrist set up an unholy thing in the temple of God (Matt. 24:15; Mk. 13:14), something that Daniel had written as it was prophesied to him (Dan. 9:27b). The 3rd temple will be constructed during the earliest part of the Tribulation Period (Rev. 11:1-2)—do not get confused about Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who was the ruler of the Seleucid Empire (ca.175-164 BC), and desecrated the 2cd temple of God. Antiochus forced the Jews in his day to stop the daily sacrifice, then his military set up an alter to the pagan god (Zeus) in the temple of God (refresh your memory from what I wrote in chapter #8, The Evil Ruler). Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the man of lawlessness are both rulers that were prophesied about in the Scriptures who would commit parallel abominations but at different times in history. The prophecy about Antiochus was so accurate that some believe it could not have been written until after the events happened (Dan. 8:9-13; 11:29-31). The book of Daniel had been completed ca. 530 BC, and Antiochus had stopped the daily sacrifice and defiled the 2cd temple in 168 BC. This future event is what the teachers of the mid-Tribulation rapture use when they say the Antichrist reveals himself. They take what is written in verses three and four and try to make it say that the Antichrist is revealed in the middle of the seven-year Tribulation Period therefore the rapture of the church must happen around that time also—the reader must do their own study and let the Holy Spirit affirm what is truth or not.
As I said, some teachers say the Antichrist is revealed when he sets himself up in the 3rd temple, at the mid-point of the seventieth-week of Israel. But prophetic Scripture proves them wrong. Daniel has written that the Antichrist is revealed when he forcefully sanctions – the many – Israel and the Palestinian Authority (Fatah), not forgetting Hamas (de facto government in Gaza) to sign a seven-year alliance (Dan. 9:27a). He is the same man that is prophesied to end the daily sacrifice in the middle of Israel’s seventieth-week, and set up an abomination in the temple (Dan. 9:27b). So, the man behind the enforcement of the alliance between Israel and the Palestinians prophesied in the writings of Daniel will nonetheless be the man of lawlessness being referred to by the apostle Paul in the passage of comment above. A complete picture of this man in Scripture reveals that by the time he sits in God’s temple he will have already been revealed as the man of sin 3½ years earlier. Another point: I have written that the seventieth-week of Israel/seven-year Tribulation Period is referred to in Scripture as the time of God’s wrath (Isa. 13:9-13; 34, 8; Jer. 30:5-7, 23-24; Dan. 8:19; 11:36; Zeph. 1:14-19; 3:8; Lk. 21:23; Eph. 5:6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 6:16-17), and it is also written that before this time of wrath – or the hour of trial – begins the body of Christ is raptured out of this world into eternity (Rms.2:5-8; 5:9; Eph.5:3-6; Col.3:3-6; 1Thess.1:10; 5:9; Rev.3:10)—2 Thessalonians 2:3a, 7-8 also reveal a pre-Tribulation rapture of the body of Christ. Again, Paul had already taught them this prophecy (2:5).
In verse six, Paul reveals that the man that will eventually be referred to as the man of lawlessness is being held back from being revealed as the man who will receive power to become the ruler of the global government (Rev. 17:12-13), but only until a specific time, as they already know (2:6), because he taught them this (2:5). In other words, right now the Antichrist does not have the demonic power he will need to; sanction an alliance between Israel and the Palestinians as is prophesied he will. And he does not have the demonic power right now to become the ruler of the global government. No statesman in this world right now has the influence and power to convince the Palestinians to make a truce with Israel because they are under the power of a strong spirit of hatred for the Jews. Some have tried, but have been unsuccessful. Some have signed peace treaties, like Israel and Egypt, and Israel and Jordan, but there is at this moment not yet an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. There are many issues preventing an alliance, like the two-state issue, but the main issue for the Palestinian leadership is they want the Jews out of the land they call Palestine. The only way an alliance will happen is when the Antichrist forces the Palestinians and Israel to make peace. But that cannot happen until the body of Christ is raptured off the earth. Once the church is caught up out of this world the demonic power the Antichrist will then possess will frighten even the Palestinian leadership to sign the agreement. The Left in Israel, want to sign an agreement right now, no matter the cost. These same people will think the man of sin is their messiah once the Palestinian leadership does what he says. Once the alliance is enforced the seventieth-week of Israel and the wrath of God will begin.
Verse seven, says the one restraining the man of sin right now from stepping into his destiny is someone that has the power to restrain the mystery of lawlessness (2:7). The mystery of lawlessness is the Antichrist and the demonic power he will wield after a certain time (1 Jn. 2:18). This power is already at work in the world but the full strength of it will not happen until the one holding it back is taken out of the way (1 Jn. 4:3). After the restrainer is taken out of the way the Antichrist will receive the power needed to force the Palestinians to make an alliance with Israel, and vice versa, and he will also receive the power to become the ruler of the global government. His rule will be empowered by Satanic power, with a mighty display of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2:9). False messiahs (the Antichrist), and false prophets (the false prophet), will have extreme demonic power to perform magnificent signs and wonders on the earth that will convince many that the Antichrist is the one and only God, their power will even cause the remnant Jews to give him a second look (Matt. 24:24).
But who is the one holding back the full strength of the demonic power that the Antichrist needs to accomplish these things? Some say it is solely the person of the Holy Spirit, and some say it is the body of Christ. I believe it is the body of Christ working in unison with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In other words, once the church is raptured and the ministry of the Holy Spirit working within the earthly church is over, because the body of Christ will then be in heaven clothed with glorified bodies just like the Lord, then the power of lawlessness will increase like the world has never witnessed before. The man of lawlessness will receive demonic power at a level that he could not receive prior to the rapture of the church no matter how many sacrifices he makes to Lucifer. But once the church is taken out of the way, or rather, caught up out of the way, then one of the Antichrist’s first foreign policy projects is to force an alliance between the Palestinians and Israel—his motive for that alliance is not mentioned in the Scriptures. It might be that he will want to show the world that he can do the thing that no other statesman could do, meaning, a Palestinian/Israeli peace treaty. He may even revel in his victory with excessive boasting. Another reason why the Antichrist will make the Middle East alliance of such great importance is because of Lucifer’s desire to take the land of Israel away from God, especially the city of Jerusalem. He knows that Jerusalem is precious to Yahweh, so he wants to take it from him. But he needs to do it with the help of men.
Because the church and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the church will be absent in the world after the rapture, the Palestinians will be under the influence and power of the mystery of lawlessness like never before. The leaders of Hamas and Fatah will be more congenial to the leadership of the Antichrist because they will have witnessed the body of Christ disappear prior to his personal effort to sanction an agreement—the rapture of the church will possibly frighten the Palestinian leaders just like it will the rest of the world (no one on earth will ever witness such a thing as this). His demonic aura may intimidate the Arab leaders into doing whatever he tells them. Nobody will know who the Antichrist is until he forces the peace treaty (2:8a), although up to that time many will continue to speculate. At the end of the seventieth-week of Israel/seven-year Tribulation Period Jesus will destroy this man of lawlessness at his second appearance/coming (2:8b; Rev. 19:20).
Picture: A depiction of the Temple in the Holy City of Jerusalem.
https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/the-red-heifer-and-the-third-temple-in-end-time-prophecy/
[1] Breathing
Marks Explained: Every Greek word that begins with a vowel (α, ε, η, ι, ο, υ,
and ω) will have something called a breathing mark. These look like apostrophes
and can be either rough or smooth—breath marks are also used in music.
(Accessed
3/25/23)
