WWUTT 537 The Man of Lawlessness?

The Day of Christ, the Great Rebellion, and the Man of Lawlessness

The Apostle Paul said that the day of Christ will not come until the great rebellion happens first and the man of lawlessness is revealed. But even with those two things specified, it's still pretty difficult to figure out even when we understand the text.

Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When We Understand the Text is an online ministry dedicated to teaching the Word of God in context, promoting sound doctrine while exposing the faulty.

Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.

Reading 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and Warning Against Deception

Thank you, Becky. We come back again to 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 1 -12. The Apostle Paul writing to the Church in Thessalonica says,. Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? 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 of His coming.

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 refuse 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. Back to verse three, where Paul says, let no one deceive you in any way regarding the day of the Lord, claiming that he's already returned and you missed the boat, which was apparently the message that had come to the Thessalonians, or it's somebody just making up wild, crazy, fanciful ideas.

Hey, it's right around the corner, and here's what's going to happen. There's going to be this economic collapse, there's going to be nuclear war, and so you need to buy my 800 ,000 gallons of mac and cheese that you can store in your tribulation bunker and be ready, because once this stuff breaks out, you're not going to be able to buy food anywhere.

That's why you need to buy my food, or you need to buy my book, which has all the secrets that you need to know, and that way you're less afraid tomorrow because you know more. That's what these guys do.

They hold you prisoner with these wild, crazy thoughts whenever they're just making stuff up about the day of the Lord that goes against what it is that Scripture says, or adds to the Scripture in that sense.

Yesterday I was at our state convention, the KNCSB, Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. This year it was in Salina, which is just about 45, 50 miles from where I live, so it was pretty easy for me to get to.

Jared C. Wilson was also the keynote speaker this year, and I love listening to Wilson. So I went to the Webster Conference Center, and every time they have the KNCSB, there's always a place where they've got a bunch of tables set up, and there's a lot of free books.

And people can grab from the books some Sunday school materials and things like that they can use for their church. And it looks like, for the most part, churches were cleaning out their libraries. It's just kind of whatever they didn't want, that's what ends up on that table.

Some people are probably not even looking at the books, for that matter. There are some good things that end up on that table. I grabbed a J .I. Packer book. I think I even found Augustine's Confessions one year.

That was a pretty great find. But one of the books that I found yesterday, it was so hilarious, I don't think I've ever actually seen it in print or be able to hold it in my hands. And so when I saw it, I just had to take it home.

It's a terrible book, but it was kind of a collector's item for me. It was Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth. And this was a book he wrote back in the 80s in which he predicted the day that the return of Christ was going to take place.

And so anyway, I'm going to read it. I want to I want to read what it is that he wrote, because it was it was a huge seller. It sold like over seven or eight million copies, which back in the 80s, that was a pretty big selling book.

And so in that in that sense, Hal Lindsey was one of those who Paul was warning about here in Second Thessalonians chapter two. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way concerning the day of the Lord. Not making up stuff, not adding to what it is the scripture says.

The Rebellion and the Mystery of Lawlessness

And then Paul tells the Thessalonians something that he had told them before. And he mentions that, you know, that I've told you this before, but because they were easily deceived, apparently Paul needs to make mention of these things again.

So he says, here's what you need to be looking for. These things will happen first before Christ will come for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Now when it comes to understanding the great rebellion and the man of lawlessness, I am with Augustine on this. I don't know what this means. That was Augustine's interpretation of this particular section of 2 Thessalonians 2.

He didn't get it. He didn't get it either. And neither do I. I'm just going to be, I'm going to be straight with you. I don't know what this means. I don't know what this rebellion is that Paul is talking about.

And we don't really have anything else in scripture to go off of, which is why this is interpreted several different ways. Some say, as this word is translated apostasy, that it's an apostasy that happens in the church.

Some say it's an apostasy that happens among the Jews. And there are others that say it's just a general rebellion that happens among all of mankind. Everybody gets really, really bad. Mankind just gets even more perversely sick and twisted than they have been over the course of human history, which we're kind of seeing, honestly, all things considered.

But the only one of those three explanations that I think I could rule out is that the Jews are apostatizing, that that's what that references to. Because at the time that Paul was writing this, the Jews were apostate.

So I don't see how they could become more apostate than they already were. As he wrote in the book of Romans, there would be a remnant of Jews and also in Ephesians to show how the Jews and the Gentiles would be united together in Christ.

So a remnant was preserved. But it's only in Christ that anyone is the people of God. No one's the people of God because they were born in the line of Abraham, but rather that they were born again from the one who was born in the line of Abraham.

And of course, that being Christ, we are born into the family of God by the blood of Christ. So this rebellion that's being talked about here could either be a kind of apostasy in the church, or it could be just the general sense of the fallenness of mankind gets progressively worse as time continues on.

And we have other Paul has talked about both how there's a great rebellion among mankind. And there is also those who will profess faith, but then leave the faith. First Timothy chapter four, beginning in verse one.

Now the spirit expressly says that in later times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and the teaching of demons through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from food that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe.

Then you have second Timothy chapter three, Paul's next letter to Timothy. He says, understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty for people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving God, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power, avoid such people for among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth, just as Janice and Jambres opposed Moses.

So these men also opposed the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith, but they will not get very far for their folly will be plain to all as was that of those two men. And the two men that Paul is referencing, many scholars believe to be the two magicians in Pharaoh's court, who of course were not even Jews.

And so that could be a reference to just the general decline of civility in the world at large. And then you've got another reference even to believers apostatizing in the next chapter, second Timothy chapter four, I'd charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead.

And by the appearing of his kingdom, preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves, teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

As for you, always be sober minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. So either way, we want to look at this, whether in second Thessalonians chapter two, Paul is referencing an apostasy in the church or just a declining or a worsening, I guess you put it that way, a worsening rebellion among all of mankind.

Either way, Paul is telling the Thessalonians these things so that they'll be ready for it so that nobody will lead them astray. Let no one deceive you in any way. Remember the gospel that we proclaim to you.

That was the statement that Paul made back in the first chapter, hold fast to sound doctrine, no sound teaching according to the word of God. And if you know the Bible soundly, then these people that come along, they come along.

Yes, when they come along with all their fanciful, crazy ideas about the end times, they're not going to lead you astray. They're not going to strike you with fear in your hearts. You're not going to be clinging on to their every word because you're holding fast to the word of God.

This is your hope and peace. What it is that's been proclaimed to us here by Christ's apostles and prophets, the word of Christ. Let no one deceive you for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed.

The Man of Lawlessness, the Temple of God, and Daniel's Prophecies

And I don't think it is necessary for us to know exactly what these things mean. Simply that Paul is saying that the day of the Lord hasn't come yet. Have you seen these things happen? No, because the day of Christ hasn't happened.

So if you haven't seen these things, the day of Christ hasn't occurred yet. Whether we know or can put our finger on exactly what those things are, maybe we can't do that because they haven't happened yet.

So we know that the day of Christ hasn't come because, well, we can't point to a great rebellion or understand what that means. And we can't point to the man of lawlessness. So that's the next one. The man of lawlessness will be revealed.

Son of destruction is the way that it's also translated in some other translations. And this reference, man of lawlessness, man of sin, son of perdition, son of destruction. It's the same title that was given to Judas.

Judas was described the same way. So it's very clearly an antichrist, somebody who is against Christ, whether that is the antichrist, like we're looking for one man that's going to rise up in that particular position, or it's just the general state of lawlessness and the work of Satan, his activity in the world.

Either way, that's supposed to be translated. When that is revealed, the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Now that phrase in particular, where it says that he takes his seat in the temple of God. This is a verse that has been used by many to say that the temple of God will be rebuilt. Because remember that Paul is saying this at a time in which the temple in Jerusalem is still standing.

This is one of the earliest works of Paul, at least that we have according to canon. And so when he's writing this to the Thessalonians, there was still a temple in Jerusalem. It fell in 40 AD, sorry, 70 AD, which was about 30 years, a little bit less than that, two dozen years or something like that.

After Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonians, then the Romans sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. You had Roman banners that were erected in the temple, and so the Roman Empire exalted themselves to the place of God.

And so there are some that interpret this passage to mean that, that that's what it was that Paul was pointing toward. I don't know if that's what it was that he was directing their attention toward or not.

But because the temple was destroyed, and this passage says that the Antichrist or the lawless one is going to exalt himself in the temple of God, this is what has led many to believe that the temple is going to be restructured, or sorry, rebuilt, and the Antichrist is going to seat himself there and proclaim himself to be God.

Charles Ryrie is one of the big proponents of this, wrote it into his study Bible explaining this particular passage. This is how we know that the temple is going to be rebuilt because of what Paul says here.

But I really think that he was speaking very metaphorically. So I don't think it's pointing toward the Roman Empire, nor do I think it's pointing toward the rebuilding of the temple, and then the Antichrist is going to seat himself there.

I don't agree with either explanation. Now there are also those who say that the temple is the church, and maybe this is pointing to the Roman Catholic Church because the Pope has seated himself in the place of God.

I don't buy that explanation either. Again, I simply think that Paul was being metaphorical here, that the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist, is going to proclaim himself to be God. He takes his seat in the temple of God.

He takes the highest throne. He puts himself in a position of highest authority, claims he has that spot. So it's as though he has seated himself in the temple of God. I think that's the reference, not that the Antichrist is literally going to walk into the temple in Jerusalem and sit down and proclaim himself to be God, everybody worship me.

I don't think that's how that plays out, because especially when you consider in Thessalonica, their attention really wasn't on the temple in Jerusalem. But they understood what a temple was. There were plenty of those in Thessalonica.

So when the Antichrist exalts himself against every so-called God or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, it's just metaphorically showing that the Antichrist is going to claim himself to be above all.

He's claiming himself to be God. And this looks pretty similar to some things that Daniel had prophesied as well. Daniel chapter seven, beginning in verse seven. After this, I saw in the night visions and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong.

It had great iron teeth that devoured and broken pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the other beasts that were before it. And it had 10 horns. And I considered the horns and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots.

And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. So where it talks about how it stamped what was left with its feet. This is similar to what we're reading in second Thessalonians, two, four, he opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God or object of worship.

So he stamps out what was left in his feet, proclaiming only himself above all, even to the very place of God. And Daniel talks about this again, still in chapter seven, verse 19. Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze and which devoured and broken pieces and stamped what was left with its feet.

And about the 10 horns that were on its head and the horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things. And that seemed greater than its companions.

And as I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them until the ancient of days came and judgment was given for the saints of the most high. And the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

Well, this sounds very similar to something John talked about in Revelation, chapter 13. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea with 10 horns and seven heads and 10 diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

And the beast that I saw was like a leopard and its feet were like a bear's and a mouth like a lion's mouth. And to it, the dragon gave his power and his throne and the great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed.

And the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast and they worshiped the dragon for he had given his authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast saying, who is like the beast and who can fight against it?

And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words. And it was allowed to exercise authority for 42 months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blasphemy, blaspheming his name and his dwelling.

That is, those who dwell in heaven. Well, that was like the beast that Daniel talked about speaking great things. It was allowed to make war on the saints, just like Daniel talked about, and to conquer them.

And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship it. Everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of the life of the lamb who was slain.

Sorry, I got to say that again. The book of life of the lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear so that we could go on and on explaining what that means as well. These things are prophetic and sometimes they're difficult to understand, but you don't have to understand all of it and be able to articulate exactly what it means to know this truth.

And the truth is this, that there is a spirit of lawlessness that is at work in the world by the schemes of Satan. But God is more powerful than this. He is going to destroy this with the breath of his mouth.

And all who are in Christ will be rescued, will be saved, will not be destroyed in that final judgment, but will inherit his kingdom forever with him. Those whose names have been written in the book of life of the lamb who was slain, written in that book from before the foundation of the world.

You can read those things in Daniel seven in second Thessalonians two and revelation chapter 13 and come to that truth. Now there are more specifics that I could give you about those different prophetic things that we have read.

Some of those things I understand and some of them don't. But do not feel like that you have to understand every dot and tittle of prophetic things, especially prophecy that hasn't yet happened, that you have to articulate and point your finger to everyone.

Well, this means this and this means this and this has to mean this. Quite frankly, I am not very trusting of the person who says that they, they know all those things perfectly and they can say, well, yeah, I know what this means.

I can tell you exactly what this means. Now there are, of course, some great teachers out there who know better than I know, and I'm going to be taught by them. But I kind of struggle with trusting the person who says that they know exactly everything that's being talked about here concerning this prophecy of the Lord Christ that has not yet come to pass, especially when prophetic things are sometimes metaphorical or symbolic and not literal.

And then you've got the person who's taking it literally and then they draw crazy pictures of the beast that we just had described for us in Daniel seven and in Revelation 13. You can even Google pictures of it, the beast of Revelation 13, and then you come up with this leopard, lion, bear, dragon, tenhorn, diadem mix looking thing.

That's not not what it is that we have being described for us there by Daniel or by John. But these things are extremely beautiful and and wonderful to behold and study. And so we should study. We should desire to know those things.

But don't think that you have to be able to articulate what every one of those things means in order to cherish the promise of God that he will destroy all evil, all schemes of Satan with the breath of his mouth.

Just like that. He has that much power and authority. No matter how much power Satan proclaims, God has more. And if we are in Christ Jesus, we are saved. Let us pray. Our Lord, as we continue to labor over these things, as we continue to explore this, let us be humble enough to be able to read a passage and say, oh, I don't know what this means and to not have to accept just the first answer that comes along to explain to us what this means, but to test all things as we've been instructed to do.

Test everything. Hold fast to what is good and abhor what is evil, especially those who try to incorporate their own meaning to these things and lead people astray. This is the scheme of the devil that would go against what is said in the Word of God or try to add to the Word of God.

This is sufficient for our every need. So help us rejoice and celebrate this and fill ourselves up with this and desire to have the mind of God and pray with the Apostle John, Lord Jesus, come quickly, knowing that in Christ Jesus, we will be rescued from the day of judgment.

And we pray these things in Jesus name.

Amen. You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabriel Hughes. We feature dozens of videos covering a variety of biblical topics on our website, www .utt .com. Many of those videos are only 90 seconds long and address subjects like the gospel, election, the trinity, end times, discipline, the church, and much more.

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