Thoughts on 2 Thessalonians 2:3, part two.

So much for introductions. The verse once again.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 AMPC  Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition),

Let's try to break this verse down before we move on to the others that give us the context.

• "Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come," Paul wrote this because someone had deceived many of them into believing that they had missed the return of Jesus for His church. This is a logical assumption on my part, (2 Timothy 3:13-15) but to be on the safe side we will attempt to define which day Paul is talking about. Since there are truly only two "days" which concern us, let's define what they are.

1. "That day" opens the non-stop torrent of activities we find within the time of wrath, with the catching away of the church. This pattern for the removal of the church is demonstrated in stories that involve Lot, Sodom and Gomorrha, and the flood epoch with Noah, just to name a few. With Lot, the angels effectively said, we are prevented from unleashing God's judgment until you are removed from here and safe. With Noah, God put them in the ark where they were now safe and shut the door himself. In both of these stories, the righteous were spared from the wrath.
2. The alternative view on "that day" would be the day that Jesus returns, at the end of the seven-years to make war with all those that choose to fight against Him, and finally restore peace on this earth for the thousand year reign.

• "for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first " The Amplified Bible defines the apostasy for us as: "the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians." I think there is so much more to this, such as a mass turning of our backs on God. In case you had not noticed, we are neck deep in apostasy.
• "and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition)," Here is where the trouble begins for those who will not pursue the origins and meanings of the words. The word revealed is the Greek word apokalúptō and literally means, to remove a veil or covering exposing to open view what was before hidden. To make manifest or reveal a thing previously secret or unknown.

I have literally removed or uncovered a piece of information for you by telling you about the Islamic Caliphates, something few of us understood prior to 1979. For me, much of this uncovering came through an author, Joel Richardson, who in his book, The Islamic Antichrist, which is interspersed with appropriate and corresponding scripture, points out what we are looking for.

The man of lawlessness – Is the Greek word anomia and means illegality, that is, violation of law or (generally) wickedness: - iniquity, the transgression of the law, unrighteousness.

[While he may be illegal, or in violation of the law, you have to ask yourself a question; whose law? The Muslim's believe Islamic supersedes all other law.]

The son of – Is the Greek word uihos. A primary word; a “son” (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figurative kinship: - child, foal, son.

It is true that most Muslims trace their ancestry back to Abraham; Ishmael to be precise. Is that a problem? Yes, in that Ishmael was not the son of promise/faith, Issac was; and they do not, nor cannot trace themselves to Issac. Esau is the other name Muslims refer to. Can they say they are a "son of" Abraham? Yes, but he is not who this verse is referring to; it is referring to Satan. Is that so difficult for us to understand? It should not be, for Jesus turned to Peter at one point and said, get behind me Satan. Obviously, Jesus was calling out the motivator behind Peter's word and actions.
This is no different.

Perdition – Is the Greek word apōleia From a presumed derivative of G622; ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal): - damnable (-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste.

Son of perdition is the same phrase used to describe Judas Iscariot in John 17:12.

Daniel 7:24-26 NASB 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. (25) 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (26) 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.

When Jesus comes back, there are only two people who are sent to the eternal fires of hell, the Antichrist and the False Prophet.

So we just have two choices as to whom Daniel 7:26 is talking about when it says “his dominion will be taken away.”

• If it is the false prophet, then there is a good chance he has already been revealed, naturally not as the false prophet. Unlike Judas Iscariot whom Satan entered when he took the bread from Jesus, Satan, as far as we know, has not yet entered him and given him his power and motivation.

We could potentially be looking at the future false prophet when we look at this Rabbi.

Rabbi Baruch Kahane

Breaking Israeli News dated August 29, 2016, says this:
A significant step was recently taken towards reinstating the Temple service when the nascent Sanhedrin selected Rabbi Baruch Kahane as the next Kohen Gadol (high priest). The selection was made as a precaution for Yom Kippur. If the political conditions should change, allowing the Jews access to the Temple Mount, they will be required by Torah law to bring the sacrifices. Rabbi Kahane is confident that if that should happen, Temple service could begin in less than one week.

The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury; in attempting to define the son of Perdition, directs us to a multitude of passages. One of them is Daniel 8:24.

Daniel 8:24-25 NASB "His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. (25) "And through his shrewdness, He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart, And he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency.

This passage in Daniel 8:24-25 is describing no one other than the false prophet.

• Now, if we are talking about the Antichrist, then the Prophet Micah has something to say about that.

Micah 5:5 ESV  And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men;

The implication is clear, this man who fulfills the role of Antichrist will be a leader with ties to the ancient Assyrians. (The short answer is that he will be a Muslim.)

In the map I included, almost everything within the circle, in blue, was an Assyrian territory; this includes present-day Turkey and the Southern regions of Russia, as well as all the Middle East.

The Assyrian Empire around 750 to 625 BC

 

Revelation 13:4-7 NASB they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" (5) There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. (6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. (7) It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation were given to him.

The beast, in this instance, is the Antichrist. However, the Antichrist has a mouthpiece we call the False Prophet, and you see that in Revelation 13:5. He is the Muslim Jesus.

Revelation 13:11-17 NASB (11) Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. (12) He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (13) He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. (14) And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. (15) And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (16) And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, (17) and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

I do not believe that even the author Joel Richardson would attempt to declare who the Antichrist is, though he speaks convincingly about the qualifications of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, as being a front-runner for the role.

If you are having difficulty understanding some passage, then I suggest you put these techniques into practice. When you read, try to read with understanding; if that means you have to pursue definitions of the simplest of words, then so be it. Know that 99.9 percent of the time, scripture, answers, helps to translate, and defines scripture. If necessary, use commentaries; I do, but sparingly. And, trust the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Look at what the Apostle John had to say about the effect of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and have a little faith and confidence.

1 John 2:20-21 NASB But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. (21) I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

Thoughts on 2 Thessalonians 2:3, part one.

I know I touched on this passage as I was finishing up Micah 3, and I apologize if it seems redundant. I referenced it in that post because it fit, but I could not convey the aggravation I feel as my friend keeps coming back to this particular verse, especially after his pastor, a notable radio pastor, has also answered his question to the best of his ability.
For two weeks, in our very small group, we have gone over 2 Thessalonians 2:3 extensively to no avail.

As I try to figure out why my friend refuses to grasp anything anyone has said to him about the verse, I can't help but think that this is a common problem for many, and therefore needs to be explained. After all, Paul had to readdress issues as he wrote to the churches in Thessalonica and Corinth, and Paul conveyed the idea that it was a good and appropriate thing to revisit items that are basics of our faith and a foundational aspect of our hope.

The verse in question is 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
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. (NIV)
I want to make you aware of a few things up front;

1. There are so many ways to be deceived, however, most of the deception comes from those we trust, like religious leaders. Many years ago, here in California, there was a decent man named Jim Jones and he was a church leader. At first, things went well, but over time he led his congregation to Guyana South America, where several of his members, at his bidding, murdered the investigators who arrived at the jungle airport. So what did “pastor” Jim Jones do to fix this aberration? He convinced the members to drink a Cyanide laced children's drink called “Kool-Aid.” Of course, all those deceived who drank the “Kool-Aid” died. The point here is that people can be misled, with horrendous results.
2. This verse falls within a context and should not be considered by itself; the full context ends with verse 12, but it is what is in between verse 3 and 12 that enlightens or changes our understanding.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 NASB (1) Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, (2) that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (4) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (5) Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (6) And you know what restrains him now so that in his time he will be revealed. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (9) that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, (10) and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. (11) For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, (12) in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness.

So there it is,

• “ you know what restrains him now,” What restrains him is the praying church. Obviously, we are not all carrying our weight. If we had not been resisting the work of the enemy how much farther along would the chaos be?
• “so that in his time he will be revealed.” With the church out of the way, the Antichrist will be exposed or uncovered. This is the same word (apokalúptō,) that Paul used in verse 3. If I wanted to get snagged and unable to move forward, I might focus on the terminology “so that in his time he will be revealed.” It almost sounds like the Antichrist is setting the ground rules for this Godly chess game, and he is not. All things are in the Father's hand; to think any differently merely diminishes God in your eyes.

The passages read from certain versions, use obsolete and bewildering language; those language issues require extra work on your part if you are going to understand what is being said. An example of this is seen in verse 3 where the italicized words, (added to provide clarity,) only cause some people more grief. (The NASB and the KJV have the italicization, however, the NIV took some unwarranted liberties by integrating the italicized words into the sentence.)

The word revealed is the Greek word “apokalúptō.” Apokalúptō has several meanings, most of which convey a similar theme. It means to remove a veil or covering, exposing to open view what was before hidden. To make manifest or reveal a thing previously secret or unknown. (Word Study Dictionary)

So allow me a moment to expose some things that were previously unknown.
Having grown up in a religious setting, no one, it seems, ever thought for a second that the things we are dealing with today would come to pass, and Islam is one of those things. Islam was an ideology that was practiced quietly somewhere else. Movies like the Maltese Falcon, with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, which was set in Morocco; a  war-torn but tourist friendly place. Not anymore.

The date, as I work on this post is 12/22/2018, and in just the last two days the “not so headline news” has informed us that several young Muslim men have raped and murdered two pretty blond European girls, decapitating one and attempting the same on the other. And all this happened in Morocco, a name I merely picked out of the air.

The Islamic revolution of 1979 brought down the Shah of Iran's regime and restarted the rule of the Caliphate and Sharia law.

The Ottoman Empire, an Islamic Caliphate, created somewhat global havoc for centuries until it was subjected to the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920. That treaty was rejected by Turkish nationalists but eventually lead to the abolition of the monarchy by the Government of the Grand National Assembly based in Ankara. The Ottoman Caliphate was, for many years, effectively abolished in 1924 by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

By the way, the Ottoman Empire played a huge role in this young country of America, forming the Marines, as Islamic pirates, coming off the coast of Libya, were capturing merchant vessels, including some of our own. Not all these ships were merchant's vessels and many were put in Muslim prisons or made slaves. As long as it did not affect the young American country we did nothing, but when Americans were taken prisoners and abused, is when the Marines were formed as a counter to the piracy. For the doubters, I make note of the words of the Marine Corps anthem, which says, “to the shores of Tripoli.” Tripoli, is of course, in Libya, a Mediterranean, coastal, country. (Much of this information on the Ottoman empire has been extracted from Wikipedia)

I believe that the Ottoman Empire is that head that "appeared to be slain and his fatal wound was healed."

Revelation 13:3 NASB I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;

Before you move on or away from this thesis, you should understand that all of history, is God's history, as players have moved into position, simply for the purpose of God restoring and rescuing those He calls his own; and, therefore, we should not ignore the role of history, as many of those players have managed to command a role in future events, like end times eschatology. An example of this can be understood as you look at the Grecian Empire, the third empire depicted in the statue dream of Nebuchadnezzar. The largest portion, the breast, is understood by most to be Alexander the Great. Alexander dies and in time, only two generals retained control, Seleucus in the North, and Ptolemy in the South. We are impacted by these empires still today. (You have to study Daniel 11, the Assyrians, and the Scythian empires to grasp how they play a role in eschatology. Fortunately, most of this information can be extracted from your Bible.)

Should you decide to base your eschatology on verse 3 alone, you would be considered a mid-tribulation believer.
Sadly, if your dream came true, then your belief system would put you under the subjection of the wrath of God, which is exactly what the seven-year time frame is all about; and, your theology would be in direct opposition to one of the primary reasons Jesus went to the cross.

In opposition to mid and post tribulation theories, there are verses like this.

Hebrews 9:28 NIV  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

While the entire book of Hebrews goes into great detail about our hope and why it is so valid, this verse wraps it up nicely when it says, "he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." We, as a church, should be aware that there are two "returns" of Jesus.

First, He will return for His church. He does not physically return to the earth but will catch us up to meet Him in the clouds. This moment in time is no secret, as we are told every eye will see Him.

The second time He returns, it will be as the warring Messiah. The having been collected seven-years prior, will be riding with Him. There is no polite way to say this, blood will run in the streets at this return. This point in time will mark the transition into the millennial reign.

Stay tuned for part two.