Stop it right there. Do you understand what deceing the nations refers to? Do you think God is talking about Satan deceive France, China, or the United States of America? No. The nations often refer to "Gentiles." Not gentiles of nations outside Israel, but the unbelieving people of the world and those within the church. Let look at 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 carefully, which speaks of the time when iniquity will be un-restrained or loosed after having been restrained. Particularly take note of verses 6,7,8, and 9:
2nd Thessalonians 2:6-9
- "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
- For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now restraineth will restrain, until he be taken out of the way.
- 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:
- Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.."
This Chapter of 2nd Thessalonians is dealing with the falling away (apostasia) or literally divorcing or separation of the Church from God, which precedes the Lord's second advent. And verse 6 tells us that there is something withholding or holding down this "Evil" power of Satan, but that there is also a "
specific time " appointed when this evil will be set loose and revealed. This sin (lawlessness or iniquity) of Satan was in the world even at the time of the writing of 2nd Thessalonians, and yet God reveals here 'unambiguously' that it was being restrained to be revealed at a later (His) time. This iniquity or transgression that is being held down is obviously the power of Satan to do great lawlessness in the Holy Temple and
thus deceive the nations thereby. While it is being restrained the man of lawlessness cannot sit in God's Temple, the Church will continue to grow. This was iniquity of Satan
bound at the cross so the Temple (Church) could be built as I have told you many times. That's why these verses illustrate that it is being held down or restrained and declares a time it will be loosed. Naturally when it is let go, (unbound, unrestrained, released, whatever you want to call it), then this iniquity will abound or increase (see Matt. 24:12) and there will be
deceivings of false prophets, lying signs and wonders and miracles and great tribulation for true believers.
2nd Thessalonians 2:9
- "even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders."
When that iniquity that was held down is loosed, then false prophets, lying teachers and the lawless man, will come after the working of Satan to DECEIVE THE NATIONS (unsaved) with all Power and lying Signs and Wonders. It is no mere coincidence that this mirrors Revelation chapter 20 where when Satan is loosed from being bound, he goes forth to "deceive" the nations of the 4 quarters of the world. In other words, it will be a
universal deception of the peoples of the world by the loosing of this spirit of Satan. The iniquity of Satan (
which was restrained) spoken of in Revelation 20, will be loosed to go forth deceiving the world with
false gospels, and 2nd Thessalonians mirrors that message of Satan's deception in great power. This isn't God playing word games, it's talking about the same time, and the same loosing of Satan. The context of 2nd Thessalonians 2 is of Christ's second coming and our gathering together to meet Him, but
FIRST it declares,
these things had to happen. Apostasy, lawless man in the temple of God as if he was God, and the iniquity that was restrained be loosed. It all points to the same conclusion. Namely, after Christ builds His Holy Temple, then Satan will be loosed to deceive within the congregation all over the world. The question would now arise,
Why? And 2nd Thessalonians 2:10 answers this. It is
because they received not the love of truth, that they might have Salvation, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The same reason God has always brought judgment upon His congregation! Selah!! It shouldn't come as any surprise to faithful students of the Bible!
Sadly, there are those who are commonly called 'Carnal Christians' (which is really no Christian at all) in most every Church, and they tend to want the wide road, the smooth road, the worldly way. They are usually kept in check by the faithfulness of the majority for the past 2,000 years, but as many in the Church depart from the faith, it is spoken of as their being seduced and deceived by false prophets and teachers. And verse 7 of 2nd Thessalonians 2 explains that something was holding this iniquity restrained that it couldn't take place then. It says "
he that now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way." In the KJV this word "letteth" is an old English word which means restrain. The word translated there is the Greek word [
katecho] or literally Hold Down, and is derived from it's root Greek [
'kata] meaning down and [
'echo] meaning to hold. So once again we see the principle that something is holding Satan's iniquity down until a certain set time (
spoken of here as, till one be taken out of the midst). This iniquity of Satan which will be revealed later, was restrained until Christ be taken out of the midst of the Churches.
Because the Lord is the only one who could restrain it. The Lord is the only one in the midst of the Church or temple who restrains iniquity. When iniquity is loosed (Matthew 24:12, the great tribulation period) iniquity will again abound, and the Love of God shall grow cold. This is the apostasy, or divorcing (separation) from God which 2nd thessalonians speaks of.
Selah!
