The Man of Lawlessness
2 Thessalonians Chapter 2
For only $8.50 plus S & H
It is a great book for an in-depth study of the End Times ... Once you start reading it, you won't want to put it down until you've read the last word. Don't miss out on God's message to you concerning the End Times.
To begin to understand how to recognize the Antichrist, we must understand his character and attributes. One of the attributes of the Antichrist is that he is the man of lawlessness. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 gives us a few of the attributes about the Antichrist's character.
Here is the text from the Bible I will be discussing in this part of the study on How to Recognize the Antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 NKJ
1. Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2. not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by
word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come
unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the
son of perdition,
4. who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that
is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God.
5. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these
things?
6. And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his
own time.
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. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume
with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His
coming.
9. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan,
with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10. and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because
they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they
should believe the lie,
12. that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had
pleasure in unrighteousness.
The first attribute about the Antichrist's character is found in verse 3. He is described as the 'man of lawlessness.' The Antichrist will be a man who is against God's laws. But, just like Satan his master, he will be a deceiver. He will deceive people into believing he is a god and that everyone should follow and worship him.
Verse 3 also mentions the 'falling away' which in some translations is translated 'the rebellion' that takes place as the Antichrist comes upon the world scene.
This rebellion could be a rebellion against civil governments or civil authorities of the world. But the focus of this rebellion will be against God and his true followers because of the tremendous amount of martyrs that will give their lives for Christ during the reign of the Antichrist.
The world is ready, right now, for this rebellion to take place. So many people are against Christianity. They are making laws against Christians at every opportunity. The Antichrist will certainly endorse those who go against Christians.
The second attribute of the Antichrist, found in verse 4, is opposition. The Antichrist will oppose anyone or anything that goes against his main agendas. He will oppose true Christianity and even false gods who would be exalted above himself.
This leads us to his next attribute also found in verse 4. The Antichrist will exalt himself above all gods, everything that is called God or is worshipped. The Antichrist will eliminate not only the worship of the true God, but he will also destroy the worship of false and pagan gods of every nation. Every individual from every nation will be forced to worship the Antichrist or if they refuse, they will give their lives as a martyr for Christ.
The next event described in verse 4 is that the Antichrist will take 'his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God.' There are many who believe that the temple spoken of here is the Jewish temple that will be rebuilt someday in the future since a Muslim temple sits where the Jewish temple belongs.
I do not see that this temple spoken of in verse 4 has to be the Jewish temple in Israel, although it can be. I believe it just as it says. The scripture states it will be 'the temple of God." There are many temples in the world that are Christians temples or claim to be temples of God. Many so-called Christian temples around the world are by no means Christian, but people believe they are Christians temples. I believe this temple merely must meet the criteria of being a Christian temple or a temple that is perceived as a Christian temple.
If Israel does rebuild their temple and the Antichrist does sit in that temple claiming to be God, then okay. But I don't see that it has to be that specific temple in Israel.
Notice a very interesting statement made by Paul in verse 7. 'For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.'
I will teach more on the subject of 'mystery' when I explain Revelation Chapter 17 concerning the title of the harlot, which includes the word 'mystery.' But notice that the mystery of lawlessness that the Antichrist will live by was already at work during the time Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians in the first century A.D.
To understand this passage by itself, without jumping to Revelation chapter 17, understand that the word 'mystery' is used in this passage as a term that means a specific teaching. The term is used this same way in 1 Corinthians 2:7 when Paul speaks the wisdom of God in a mystery - that means it was a hidden or secret thing about God that Paul taught. In the same way, the followers of Satan, in Paul's day, were teaching hidden mysteries of lawlessness or more specifically, the mysteries of the evil one.
Verses 6 and 7 speak of a restrainer that keeps the identity of the Antichrist hidden until it is taken out of the way. When the restrainer is removed, then the Antichrist will be revealed.
Many people propose this restrainer to be the Holy Spirit. But, since Christians will not be taken to heaven in the rapture until after the Antichrist is revealed, how can the Holy Spirit be the restrainer? The saints of God will still be on the earth when the Antichrist is revealed. It doesn't make sense to me that it is the Holy Spirit that is the restrainer. The Holy Spirit will not leave the saints down here on earth on our own. But, if I'm wrong, and it is the Holy Spirit, okay.
I more so think that the restrainer is the current harlot system of Revelation chapter 17 that hides behind Christianity. Once the mystery of the harlot is revealed and removed, then the mystery of lawlessness will be revealed for what it always has been... a mystery of lawlessness and not Christianity. The Antichrist, then, will be ready to come onto the world scene once the secret is fully out about his system.
This mystery of lawlessness is now cloaked in a garment of deception that appears to be Christian. Once that cloak is removed by being revealed, the Antichrist will boldly claim, what his forefathers refused to claim as openly, that he is God. The Antichrist's forefathers have in the past and do currently claim to be God secretly by using words with hidden meanings. A few of them have come out boldly and directly claimed to be God openly. The Antichrist will be more bold about the issue. He will openly claim to be God so that no one will misunderstand his purpose or meaning.
This mystery will be revealed further when we study Revelation chapter 17.
Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12: KJV
9. The
coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all
power, signs, and lying wonders,
10. and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because
they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they
should believe the lie,
12. that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had
pleasure in unrighteousness.
The first thing to take note of is that the Antichrist will come 'according to the working of Satan.' If we know how Satan works in the world, then we should recognize the Antichrist by those same signs.
This passage of Scripture gives us a few of Satan's works. The Antichrist will demonstrate all kinds of fake miracles, signs and wonders. He will also do every sort of evil that will deceive the masses of people in the world. Only those who are Godly and are in tune with the signs of what to look for will recognize that the Antichrist is false.
Why will the masses be so easily persuaded to believe in the Antichrist when he does all sorts of evil things? Why would they believe him to be a god? There are multiple reasons for this, but I believe one reason is that the world is looking for a messiah type of person to lead them that will condone the sins they are committing. The main thing keeping the masses of people on earth now from committing certain sinful acts is because laws restrain them from doing them. When the great rebellion takes place, more than likely, laws will be abolished that will allow mankind to do anything they want. The masses will quickly gather around a man who will allow the 'anything goes' philosophy and who will implement a lawless society. The world is crying out for that type of society even now.
Home End Times Book Back to Topics Page About Us Contact Us
How to Become a Christian Spread the Gospel Donations
Ministry Goals Classes on End Times Links
© 2007 - 2010 by Richter Cox