THE COMING OF THE LORD & THE MAN OF SIN
II THESS. 2:1-17--LESSON 2 By E.L. Bynum
Memory Verse: II Thess. 2:7 (N.W. 3:6) Lesson: II Thess. 2:1-17
A. Their Misunderstanding Refuted . v. 1-2
Since these people were suffering (1:5-12), they seemed to believe that they were already in the tribulation, and that the day of the Lord's wrath had already come.
1. The coming of the Lord for His saints will come before I the day of His wrath. v. 1
2. The believer is to remain calm and unshaken. v. 2
3. They are not to be swayed by a false spirit, a false word or a false letter. v. 2. It is believed that someone, pretending to be Paul, had written them a letter. They had taught that the Thessalonians were already in the tribulation. Paul had previously taught them that they would be delivered by the pretrib rapture. I Thess. 1:10; 5:9
4. The day of the Lord's wrath is still future. v. 2
NOTE: Westcott and Hort changed "the day of Christ" to "the day of the Lord" on the basis of certain corrupted manuscripts. Most modern versions have followed Westcott and Hort in this. Many of the "pre-tribulation rapture" fundamentalists have been quick to accept that change, thinking that it helps their doctrine. However, the KJV and the Textus Receptus contain "the day of Christ" reading and we shall stick to that and accept what the Scripture says, rather than to change it to suit our doctrine. There is no doubt but what "the day of the Lord" rendering would make the pre-tribulation rapture easier to explain. While this writer steadfastly believes in a pre-trib rapture, nevertheless he will not change the Scripture in order to strengthen his position. Pre-trib writers go astray in accepting rigid rules of interpretation which will not fit the Scriptures, and then are forced to accept the work of modernists who have tampered with the Scriptures, because the mutilated passage supports their rigid rules.
The basic mistake made by pre-trib writers is to say that the "day of Christ" always refers to the rapture and that "the day of the Lord" always refers to the day of God's wrath being poured out. We agree that this is generally true, but not a hard and fast rule. One pre-trib writer who favors changing this verse lists the passages which speak of "the day of Christ." Out of the six passages he lists, two of them (I Cor. 5:5; II Cor. 1:14), do not contain "Christ, "but speak of "the day of the Lord Jesus." No doubt II Thess. 2:2 refers to the day of God's wrath, but after all Christ will be preeminent in bringing this wrath, so why all the furor over "Christ" being mentioned in connection with that day? After all He is "the Lord Jesus Christ." (See II Thess. 1:7-8)
B. Their Deception Refuted. v. 3-5
1. Evidently they had been deceived by some man. v. 3
2. The day of the Lord's wrath to be preceded by certain events. v. 3
a. It will be proceeded by a falling away. This falling away is an apostasy and outright rebellion toward God and His truth.
b. It will be preceded by the revelation of the man of sin, the son of perdition (antichrist). I John 2:18-22; 4:3; II John 7
3. The antichrist will oppose God and all godly things. v. 4. He will come as a peacemaker. Rev. 6:1-2
4. He shall sit in the restored Jerusalem temple as God. v. 4. He will end up being a peace- breaker. Dan. 9:27, And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
5. Paul had previously told them these things. v. 5
II. THE RAPTURE AND THE MAN OF SIN. v. 6-9
A. The Rapture And The Restrainer. v. 6-7
1. The Holy Spirit restrains the antichrist from being revealed as long as the believers are on earth. v. 6
2. The mystery of iniquity was already at work. v. 7
3. The Holy Spirit restrains and prevents the revelation of antichrist until he ceases to restrain. v. 7 ("Let" means to hinder.) Lot could have restrained God's wrath from falling on Sodom. Gen. 19:12- 29
4. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit will be removal from the earth at the rapture, but that He will no longer hinder.
B. The Rapture And The Revealing Of Antichrist. v. 8-9
1. After the rapture the wicked antichrist to be revealed. v. 8
2. The Lord will come to earth and destroy him. v. 8. See Rev . 19:11-21; 20:10
3. The antichrist is empowered by Satan. v. 9
4. His power will perform signs and lying wonders. v. 9; See Rev. 9:1-21; 12:7-17; 16:13-16. This will be an imitation of Christ's miracles.
a. Satan has his false preachers. II Cor. 11:13-15
b. They preach a false gospel. Gal. 1:6-9
c. They have false churches. Rev. 2:9
d. They perform false miracles. Matt. 7:21-23
III. THE RAPTURE AND LATTER-DAY TRUTH REJECTERS. V. 10-12
A. Truth Rejecters Doomed. v. 10
1. Antichrist with great miracle power shall deceive. v. 10. Today those who pretend to work miracles deceive many. Think how the unsaved will be duped by a real miracle worker.
2. They had rejected the truth previously. v. 10
B. The Reason For Their Doom. v. 11-12
1. God will send them strong delusion, and they will believe antichrist. v. 11
2. This is because they heard the gospel before the rapture and rejected it. v. 12
IV. PAUL'S THANKS FOR THE THESSALONIANS. v. 13-17
A. They Gave Him Cause For Thanks. v. 13-14
1. They were beloved of the Lord. John 3:16; Rev. 5:8
2. They were chosen by the Lord. v. 13. See Eph. 1:3-14.
a. It was through the sanctification of the Spirit.
b. It also involved the belief of the truth.
3. The Lord called them by the gospel. v. 14
4. God gave them glory. v. 14
B. They Gave Him Cause For Exhortation. v. 15-17
1. They were to stand fast in sound doctrine. v. 15. I John 2:18-24; 4:1-3; II Peter 2:1; II Tim. 3:1-7. "Tradition" in this verse simply means the doctrine handed down from God, and not the tradition of men. Col. 2:8, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
2. He prayed to our great and gracious God. v. 16
3. He prayed for their comfort and stability. v. 17. Paul sent Timothy to establish them in the faith, and now he prayed that God would establish them. v. 17
-- E. L. Bynum
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What will proceed the day of God's wrath?
2. Explain why some want to change "the day of Christ" in v. 2, to "the day of the Lord."
3. Why should the rendering of this verse be retained in the KJV?
4. What two things will proceed the day of the Lord's wrath?
5. Where will the antichrist sit, and who will he pretend to be?
6. Who restrains the antichrist from being revealed?
7. What does "let" and "letteth" mean in this chapter?
8. Will the restrainer be completely removed from the earth at the time of the rapture?
9. Where will antichrist get his power?
10. How will he use that power?
11. What will antichrist use to deceive people?
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