2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,
The first consideration is Paul referring back to 1 Thess 4:13-18 where he only talks about the Hapadzo (Rapture). Their original concern was that the Rapture had happened now a new heresy transpires and Paul goes to the second consideration this chapter deals with...
2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
People were teaching that (us) the Apostles, were teaching that the Lord had returned and by implication the rapture must have also occurred. Don't forget they don't have world news to confirm or deny Jesus is on the Throne in Jerusalem!
3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose 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.
That day is the Day of the Lord, the second coming, cannot come until the Antichrist is revealed. But Paul mentions the falling away of the church, the rebellion, BEFORE the Rapture and presents them as two concerns that believers need to be aware of.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?
Paul assumes the Thessalonians are generally on the same page with 'end times' teaching and underlines that this is not new information.
6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
Now Paul goes to before the Rapture to describe what must happen before Antichrist comes. There is something holding the Antichrist (person) back but the spirit of Antichrist is already at work. We have Paul going back and forth around the seven year period between the Rapture and the Second Coming. Verse 6 and 7 describing before the Rapture and verses 3 and 4 describing before the Second Coming, seven years after the Rapture according to Daniel Chapter 9.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
Paul now goes to just after the Rapture to the Second Coming. So in these short verses Paul shows us that:
- In the Church age there is a spirit of Antichrist at work (7a) causing a falling away
- There is also presently something (one) holding the Antichrist back (The Holy Spirit) (6)
- When the restrainer is taken (Rapture) Then the Antichrist in person can appear (7b)
- After 7 years the Lord returns and overthrows the Antichrist with his word (8)
- The Day of the Lord (Millennial reign) begins (3)
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Generally after the rapture, when all true believers are taken, people will have a choice, but those who prefer the lies over the truth will be given what they want... lies and deception. The end of the chapter exhorts us to walk well before the Lord.
Paraphrased:
"I last wrote to you because some thought the rapture had occurred. Now there's talk that we Apostles are teaching that the Day of the Lord has already come as well! Relax, The Day of the Lord will not come until there is a great falling away of believers (before the rapture) and the man of lawlessness is revealed (after the Rapture.) He is doomed and gets up to some weird temple stuff.
I thought we'd talked about this thoroughly last time I was here? Here's a reminder...
So right now the restraining one, the Holy Spirit, is holding back the actual Person who will be the Antichrist because there's someone raised up in every age (The Rapture will be a surprise to Satan who knows he only has 7 years left until the Day of the Lord so someone's always ready to go!). That said, there's still spiritual forces at work that are Antichrist spirits (and that's why I mentioned the great falling away).
Once the Holy Spirit is taken away with believers at the rapture, only then can the Antichrist be revealed. At the end of the seven years the Lord will come in Glory to sit on His glorious throne and overthrow the Antichrist.
Walk well believers because we are all vulnerable to this falling away. However, only those who want to follow the lies of the Antichrist after the Rapture will get a great delusion and fall deeper into the lie. end.
Makes sense to me as a model. What you think?
Gary Ward
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