2 Thessalonians 2:1-12  “Man of Lawlessness”

September 28, 2008

 

Paul, writing in Ephesians 6:10-11, 13, gives us these instructions: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes… Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. In the middle (6:12) of these admonitions Paul tells us why we need to do these things: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 

It would be nice if Paul elaborated more extensively on exactly what these forces were, how they work, and the extent to which they influence events in our world, but he doesn’t. It must be enough for us to know that they exist and that they affect what happens in this world in a way that cannot be seen with human eyes.

 

The influence these forces play behind the scenes is crucial to understanding the section of Scripture we are studying this morning, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.  Paul wrote about “The Day of the Lord” in his previous letter to the Thessalonians telling them it would come “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The apparent “secretness” in Christ’s return bread insecurity among them.  This insecurity, aided by a prophetic utterance that was either false or misunderstood, a misspoken or misunderstood word, or a false letter that was attributed to Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:2), led the Thessalonians as a whole or at least a significant part of them to believe that the persecutions they were presently undergoing meant that the Day of the Lord had already arrived.

 

This chapter, more than likely the reason for this second letter to the Thessalonians, makes it clear The Day of the Lord has not yet come because certain things have to happen in a certain order before Jesus will return. Paul alludes to information he had told the Thessalonians in his days of living among them (2:5-6) that we do not have.  It would make things much easier for us if he had included this information in this letter, but he has not.  What Paul does make clear, however, is that the second coming of Jesus will not take place until “the rebellion,” an unprecedented and widespread general rebellion against God and everything good, first takes place (2:3).  In the midst of this great period of evil, a specific individual—“the man of lawlessness,” and  “the man doomed to destruction” (2:3)—will rise up and “will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (2:4). 

 

Paul calls the process by which this “man of lawlessness,” in other Scriptures referred to as “The AntiChrist,” publicly shows himself to the world his “revealing” (2:3, 8).  The word translated “revealing” means that Satan will attempt to duplicate the second coming of Christ, the coming in which Jesus is revealed to the world in His glory and majesty, in this one who is lawlessness incarnate so that he can deceive the world. The AntiChrist will have a powerful and impressive public unveiling before the world. This revealing will include “all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders.”  These words are specifically chosen because they are the words by which Scripture says God authenticated the fact that Jesus was the Messiah when He first walked the earth (see Acts 2:22: "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know” among others.). Jesus Himself warned us this would happen in Mark 13:22 and Matthew 24:24. 

 

Paul goes on to state that the power behind the “man of lawlessness” “is already at work” (2:7) in the world in which we live. This is why we need to understand the truth about the spirits in Paul’s word to the Ephesians cited above.  Paul saw these forces involved in what we call “government” in general and especially in “rulers.”  Romans 13:1 tells us that “The authorities that exist have been established by God” and that we should “submit to the governing authorities.” Our only caveat is that, "We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29). Roman government brought peace and allowed Paul access to the known world. Roman government saved him from Jewish detractors many times. Roman government also more than likely took Paul’s life. (Tradition states that Paul died around 64 A.D. under the persecutions of Nero). Maybe world leaders need to understand the more fully the importance of righteous governing because they were established to “commend the right” and “punish the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4). We see the manifestations of evil world leaders and governments were empowered to stop in our world every day. A small but significant part of this evil is what we call the “nightly news.” We can watch wars live on CNN and other news stations.  Through the internet we can download more kinds of evil than Paul could ever have imagined. We watch it destroy the lives of those we love. But we cannot see or name the satanic forces that Paul tells us are the influences behind these actions. We need to pray for our leaders. We need to pray against these forces for 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us they are the forces that have “blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Until they are stopped, these forces will continue to hold sway over any who do not embrace the truths revealed in our Holy Scriptures. They hold sway over nations. “Unblinding” minds should dominate our personal and public prayer times.

 

Paul not only refuses to bow to these satanic forces, he tells us these forces are “doomed to destruction” (2:3). Another piece of good news Paul shares with us is that there is a greater force also at work in the world that “now holds [the secret power of lawlessness] back and will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way” (2:7). Many have guessed who this greater force is. All we know is that this greater force is on our side. He is the one giving us time to do God’s work of bringing His kingdom to earth in the lives of believers. We should join him in his work.

 

Despite the evil we see in the world today, Paul wants us to know it will only get worse.  Persecution is going to come upon all Christians if we live long enough, because when this greater and good force is “taken out of the way” (2:7), the “man of lawlessness” will be revealed.  All of this must take place before Jesus returns.  Paul does not give us any reason to believe Christians will be “raptured,” “snatched away,” or spared this time of tribulation.  Only after this “man of lawlessness” has been revealed will the Lord Jesus overthrow him “with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming” (2:8). The “catching up together” of all believers, living and deceased talked about in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 will not take place until Jesus comes the second time and destroys the forces of evil. If we want to avoid persecution and a time of unparalleled evil, we should not pray for Christ to return in our lifetimes.  If we want to see evil destroyed and the new earth set up, we must pray for Christ to return knowing full well times of great persecution await us. When the Apostle John has finished receiving his great revelation of the Lord Jesus, when he has seen in a way no other human has ever seen all of the evil that will happen and also what awaits us on the other side, he concludes his writing with these words: “He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). This is how we, too, should pray.

 

In the midst of this coming great time of evil, when so many men and women and children will surrender to previously “held back” forces of evil, God will send “a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2:11-12). God will not do this to condemn any, but only to affirm the choice of condemnation these people have already made. There is coming a time when God will not continue, in His great and awesome mercy, to give men and women and children chance after chance after chance to turn from their sin in repentance and be saved.  That is why it is so important, right now while God is at work through the Holy Spirit and we who have called upon the Lord and have been saved have the chance to make a difference, to join God in this great missionary effort. While He continues to work in believers to help them “work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), we should be taking advantage of every opportunity He gives us. Remember, those who “love the truth” will not be subject to this deluding force. We will know that the “man of lawlessness” is reigning. And because of that, we will experience persecution in a greater way than Christians corporately have ever known.  And the worst part will be that unbelievers will not be listening to us.  They will not be able to understand a single word of the revealed truth of our God because they will have already rejected it. It is hard enough for me know people who refuse to yield to the mercy of God.  To see them publicly submit to Satan as he wallows in the blood of the Christian martyrs will be beyond what I can imagine.

 

Evil is real. What we see has a darker side that remains hidden. The day is coming when evil will feel it no longer needs to hide because mankind will embrace evil’s champion.  God says he is doomed to destruction.  Can anyone who rejects God expect anything less?  Isn’t it time to take our faith seriously and live differently?