2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 is one of the most controversial passages in the Bible. It is time to examine this section carefully. In this analysis, I will draw on the past insights of historic Protestants, which was commonly accepted doctrine in Europe, England, and America for over 300 yearssince the time of the Reformation.
Verse 1"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering unto him," Jesus is "coming" to gather His children. The Greek word used here for "coming" is parousia, which clearly refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:27).
Verse 2"That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at had." Here Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be troubled by anyone who would suggest that "the day of Christ" on which He would "gather" His children was "at hand" in the first century. No. Something big must happen first.
Verse 3"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [when Jesus comes to gather His children] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin [Antichrist] be revealed, the son of perdition." Here Paul is very clear. "That day" when Jesus comes to "gather" us shall not come until there is first "a falling away" and the Antichrist is revealed! Thus, contrary to popular opinion, Antichrist comes before Jesus comes to gather His people! Paul warned, "Let no man deceive you by any means" into believing anything else.
The phrase, "a falling away," is for the Greek word "apostasia," which means "a falling away" from the truth. Thus, there would be in the history of Christianity, as in the history of Israel, a major "falling away" from Gods Word that would result in the rise of Antichrist. Paul called this antichrist "that man of sin." These words actually point to an earlier prophecy found in Daniel chapter 7.
Daniel chapter 7 predicted the rise of a "little horn" with "eyes like the eyes of a man." Daniel 7:8. Daniel did not say the little horn would be a man, but that it would have "eyes like the eyes of a man." This horn would arise out of "the fourth beast," or "fourth kingdom" (verse 23), which was the Roman Empire. It would arise "among" the 10 horns in Europe (verse 8), would speak proud words against God (verses 8, 25) and would make "war with the saints" (verse 21) in Christian history.
Paul also called the Antichrist "the son of perdition," which is what Jesus Christ called Judas (John 17:12). Judas was an insider, an apostle, one of the twelve. Judas kissed Jesus, calling him "Master" (Mark 14:45). Yet it was a kiss of betrayal. By calling Antichrist "the son or perdition," Paul gives us a clue in that this deceiver would not be a pagan dictator like Adolf Hitler, but rather a professed apostle of Jesus Christ. Yet in reality, he would be a false apostle. (See 2 Corinthians 11:13.)
Verse 4"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." Paul did not say, as so many believe, that Antichrist will walk into a temple and say, "I am God." Rather, he would sit "as God
shewing himself that he is God." The difference is subtle, yet very important. The Antichrist will not "say it," for this would be too obvious. Yet he will "show it" by his actions.
The Antichrist will "sit." This does not mean he will "sit down" on some chair. In the language of the Bible, to "sit" means to sit in a position of authority. Jesus Christ now "sits" at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19). He is our supreme authority, the only Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). According to Paul, the Antichrist will also deceptively "sit" in a position of authority. Yet this "sitting will actually be in opposition to the supreme authority of Jesus Christ!
Antichrist will even "sit in the temple of God." Here is the key text! Millions of sincere Christians, like Hal Lindsey, apply this to a rebuilt third Jewish temple in Jerusalem. But is that right? Think about it. Lets say that a group of Jewish people, who do not believe in the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, were to rebuild a third temple on the Temple Mount. Could that temple ever really be called "the temple of God"? No! For that temple would be in itself a denial of Jesus Christ! Notice what the famous Christian commentator Adam Clarke had to say about Pauls words: "By the temple of God the apostle could not well mean the temple of Jerusalem; because that, he knew, would be destroyed with a few years. After the death of Christ the temple of Jerusalem is never called by the apostles the temple of God."
The Greek word Paul used here for "temple" is "naos." One Titanic truth about the temple is that every time Paul used the word "naos" in his letters, he always applied it not to a building in Jerusalem, but to the Church! Paul wrote to "the Church of God which is at Corinth," saying, "Know ye not that ye are the temple ["naos"] of God?" 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16. (See also 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22.) Thus, to Paul, "the temple of God" is the Christian Church! Again, Adam Clarke commented: "Under the gospel dispensation, the temple of God is the Church of Christ." And this is where Antichrist will sit! He will deceptively enter the Church, like Judas, who was one of the twelve! Then he will "sit" in a position of supreme, apparently infallible authority, which will ever so subtly counterfeit the supreme authority of Jesus Christ!
If you were the devil, wouldnt you try to do the same thing? You wouldnt spend most of your time hanging out in a bar. Your goal would be to try and deceive Christians! If you were Satan, wouldnt you want to sneak into the Church, get behind the pulpit, and then preach a sermon? (See Acts 20:28-31; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.) This is exactly what Paul says the Antichrist will do! He will cleverly enter the temple of God, which is the Christian Church, and then he will "sit" in a position of apparently supreme authority as he makes pronouncements on matters of Christian doctrine.
The world-famous Matthew Henry, whose roots were firmly planted in historic Protestantism, commented: "[Paul] speaks of some very great apostasy.
No sooner was Christianity planted and rooted in the world than there began to be a defection in the Christian church.
He is called the man of sin,
the son of perdition.
These names may properly be applied, for these reasons, to the papal state.
The bishops of Rome not only oppose Gods authority,
but have exalted themselves above God.
The antichrist here mentioned is some usurper of Gods authority in the Christian church,
and to whom can this better apply than to the bishops of Rome?"
The above view was shared by John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, John Calvin, the translators of the King James Bible, John Wesley, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Spurgeon, Bishop J.C. Ryle, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and countless other Protestant reformers. Have we not just discovered a Titanic truth?
Verse 5, 6"Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what witholdeth [restrains] that he might be revealed in his time." This is a very controversial sentence. Multitudes of prophecy scholars today believe that the Christian Church is the restrainer. They teach that when the Church is removed at the rapture, then the Antichrist will appear. They also teach that after this Antichrist shows up, he will then enter the rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem and proclaim that he is God. This will supposedly happen during "the seven years of tribulation." Yet from what we have studied so far, can you not see that there is something wrong with this picture?
Paul did not specify in this letter "what" was restraining Antichrist. Yet the Thessalonians knew, for Paul said in verse 6 that he had previously "told" them. A study of the writings of the early Church fathers, who were Christian leaders living after the apostles, reveals exactly what the early church believed. "The early Churchfrom whom alone we can learn what Paul told them by word of mouth, but refrained from committing to writinghas left is on record that the Apostle had told them that this hindering power was the dominion of the Roman Caesars; that while they continued to reign at Rome, the development of the predicted power of evil was impossible.
While the Caesars reigned he [the Antichrist] could not appear, but when they passed away he would succeed them."
Based on historical research, Matthew Henry agreed. "This is supposed [believed] to be the power of the Roman empire, which the apostle did not think fit to mention more plainly at that time; and it is notorious that, while this power continued, it prevented the advances of the bishops of Rome to that height of tyranny to which soon afterwards they arrived." Thus, the force that "witholdeth," or restrains, was the imperial power of the Roman Empire ruled by the Caesars. It was only after Rome fell, in A.D. 476, that the popes were free to rule. This used to be a common interpretation among Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist scholars for 300 years after the Reformation. But times have changed. New scholars are here with new ideas.
Verse 7"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [restrains] will let, until he be taken out of the way." In Pauls day, because of the restraining power of the Roman empire, the Antichrists rise to power was being hindered. Yet Daniels previous prophecy predicted the eventual fall of the fourth beast (the Roman Empire), which would then allow the "little horn" (Antichrist) to fully spring into action (Daniel 7:7, 8). In his epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul did not specify in writing that the Roman Empire would eventually be "taken out of the way." The reason was because his letter might be discovered by Roman authorities, which might have resulted in more "persecutions and tribulations" against his converts for their perceived disloyalty to Caesar. (See 2 Thessalonians 1:4.) This view fits with prophecy and history. Not only that, it makes perfect sense!
In Pauls day, the "mystery of iniquity" was already working. Yet it was largely hidden. It was not until the Roman Empire finally fell in A.D. 476 that this "mystery" was fully revealed for what it was to the eyes of the world. Then came the Dark Ages, when Europe was held in a grip of terror for almost 1,000 years. Historians estimate that the "Holy Office of the Inquisition" was responsible for the brutal torture and deaths of 50-100 million Christians. And this was done in the name of Jesus Christ! Surely Antichrist has entered the temple of God.
Verse 8"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." Thus "the mystery of iniquity" would start in the days of Paul and would continue to the end. Then it would be destroyed by the "brightness of his coming." The Greek word for "coming" used in verse 8 is the same for "coming" used in verse 1. That word is parousia, which clearly refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, according to verses 1 and 8, it is at the second coming, after Antichrist is revealed, that Jesus Christ will come to "gather" His children.
A SIMPLE SUMMARY OF 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-8
Verse 1Jesus Christ is "coming" [the parousia] to "gather" His children.
Verse 2Paul told the early Thessalonian believers not be "shaken" by false ideas that this "day of Christ" was "at hand" in the first century.
Verse 3Before "the day of Christ" comes, "a falling away" must come first, and the prophesied "man of sin" must be revealed.
Verse 4This "man of sin" will exalt himself and will even sit in "the temple of God," which is the church, "shewing himself that he is God."
Verse 5Paul had previously warned the Thessalonians about this.
Verse 6The Thessalonians knew "what" was then restraining the Antichrist.
Verse 7The Antichrist was already working secretly in the first century. Soon the restraining power would be "taken out of the way."
Verse 8Then the Antichrist would be fully "revealed." After his revelation, he would continue until the second coming of Jesus. Then he will be "destroyed" by the "brightness" of Christs "coming" [the parousia]. And it is at this second coming, at the parousia, after the Antichrist is revealed, that Jesus Christ will "gather" His children who have remained faithful to the truth!