I agree that the context of 2 Thessalonians 2 is the parousia of Christ and our gathering to Him. I would argue it is the very same event as this:
Matthew 24:30-31 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,
c and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
d31And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
So we agree the CONTEXT of 2Thess 2:1-8 is the Lord's Return
Since I believe the context of the 2 Thessalonians is related to the Olivet discourse, then I disagree with you, due to Jesus claiming it would occur during their generation.
Matthew 24:34
34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened
Did the Lord Return in the first century?
Clearly you do not understand Mat 24:33-34
It was addressing the Last Saint who "
shall see ALL these things"... the historical fulfillment of ALL the prophecies
Jesus had just given about event happening just before His Return.
Matthew 24:33-34 could not
POSSIBLY be addressed to the people in the first century
because the
EVENTS being referred to (the "
signs" before His Return) are only seen by the Last Saints...
THEY are the generation that "
will not pass" before His Return because
THEY are the people alive when He Returns
Mat 24:33-34
So likewise ye,
when ye shall see all these things,
[all the signs He just prophesied]
know that it [His Return] is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you,
This generation [of the Last Saints]
shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
You only need to ask yourself
WHO "
shall see ALL these things"?
It is the Last Saints that "
shall see"... not the first century Saints.
CONTEXT matters
---------
If I may address your
PROBLEM.
You do not understand the difference between the (3rd) Christian Kingdom
and the (4th) Great Tribulation Kingdom (aka Revelation Beast)
Your
PROBLEM is you do not understand Daniel's Four Beasts
so you
ASSUME the passages related to the FOURTH BEAST
actually happen during the THIRD BEAST.
These are two (2) separate and distinct "
Beasts"
you cannot
CONFLATE the two Beasts and still understand the
CONTEXT of a passage.
.