(Continued from my previous post)
In light of THE FACT that the antichrist’s coming must PRECEDE Christ’s second coming (he only comes twice, and he already came once), and in light of THE FACT that the antichrist hadn’t yet come and was therefore WITHHOLDING or HOLDING BACK Christ’s “revealing” or second coming, Paul went on to say:
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
[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:
[9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
[10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Paul rightly noted that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work”, or that “the spirit of antichrist” was “already in the world” (I John 4:3).
In other words, in the same manner in which “the mystery of godliness” (I Tim. 3:16) pertains to Christ, “the mystery of iniquity” pertains to the antichrist.
Again, although “the mystery of iniquity” or “the spirit of antichrist” was “already” at “work” in Paul’s day, “he”, THE ANTICHRIST HIMSELF, “who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way”.
We need to pause here to clarify a couple of things.
1. “Letteth” is an old English word (katechō in the underlying Greek) that means “to hold back” or, as we’ve already been discussing, “to withhold”.
You can verify this for yourself here:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2722&t=KJV
With such being the case, just for the sake of clarity, let’s look again at verse 7 with clarifying parentheses added by me:
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (withholds) will let (withhold), until he be taken out of the way.
Paul is still talking about the very same “withholder” or THE ANTICHRIST who is “withholding” Christ’s revelation from heaven because he needs to be revealed FIRST.
You’re probably thinking to yourself right about now:
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! What about the “until he be taken out of the way” part?
If what you’re saying is true, then how the heck is the antichrist going to be “taken out of the way”?
Well, I’m glad that you asked…even though you didn’t.
This brings us to clarifying point #2.
2. “Until he be taken out of the way” is a HORRIFIC MISTRANSLATION of the underlying Greek text.
Here’s the deal.
I doubt that there is a stauncher advocate of the King James Version of the Bible anywhere on the face of this earth than me.
That said, I’m really much more an advocate of the underlying Greek from which it is translated than I am of its translation into English at times.
In this particular instance, this translation of “taken out of the way” is a HORRIFIC MISTRANSLATION OF THE UNDERLYING GREEK, and, as a direct result of THIS REALITY that I’m about to prove, all sorts of heretical beliefs presently exist within professing Christendom.
Okay, so I made an allegation, and the burden of proof is upon me, so here we go.
The underlying Greek word which is here translated as “taken” is ginomai, and it appears 676 times in the Textus Receptus or in the underlying Greek text of the King James Bible.
In every single instance where this Greek word is translated into English in the KJB EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE, it is translated into such words as “be”, “become”, “come”, “come to pass”, etc., etc., etc., and you can verify that for yourself here:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1096&t=KJV
In other words, it ALWAYS pertains to something “coming”, or “appearing in history”, or “coming upon the stage”, and it never, and I mean NEVER, pertains to something “leaving”, “disappearing”, or “being taken away”.
NEVER.
Why in the world it is translated as “taken” in this particular verse of scripture is a mystery to me, but it’s truly NOT a proper translation by any stretch of one’s imagination.
Furthermore, the translation of “out of the way” leaves much to be desired as well.
Here, the underlying Greek word which is translated as “way” is mesos, and this Greek word appears 61 times in the Textus Receptus or in the underlying Greek text of the KJB.
In two thirds of its appearances, it is translated into English as “midst”, and elsewhere it is translated into English as “among” or “from among”, and you can verify that for yourself here:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3319&t=KJV
With this information before us, what is translated as “taken out of the way” should really be translated as “appears in the midst”, or “comes from among”, or something similar.
Again, in the underlying Greek, this is how this truly reads, and I’ve provided you with the links whereby you can verify this for yourself.
With such being the case, here is how II Thessalonians 2:7 should actually read:
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (withholds) will let (withhold), until he be taken out of the way (appears in the midst, or comes from among, or something similar). – Parentheses mine
Of course, if we translate this verse properly, then it makes perfect sense.
Not only in relation to everything that Paul had been saying up to this point in relation to how the antichrist was withholding Christ from being revealed because he must be revealed first, but also in relation to what Paul continued on to say.
Again, we read:
[7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
[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:
[9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
[10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
If we properly understand that verse 7 is talking about the antichrist “letting” or withholding Christ from being revealed because he, the antichrist, hasn’t “appeared in the midst” or “come from among” yet, then it makes perfect sense that Paul went on to say “and THEN shall that wicked be revealed” because this is precisely when the antichrist will be revealed.
Here’s something else that we need to understand to help put this whole “rapture to heaven for the marriage supper of the Lamb” nonsense to rest.
Those who teach two more appearings of Christ, one allegedly only in the air, and one where he actually touches down upon this earth, play games with Greek words in order to deceive the saints and promote their false doctrine.
In other words, they claim that Christ’s “parousia” and his “epiphaneia” are two separate and distinct appearings, but Paul put that heretical nonsense to rest in what we just read.
What do I mean by this?
Let’s look at verse 8 again.
We read:
[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:
The underlying Greek word which is here translated as “brightness” is epiphaneia, and the underlying Greek word which is here translated as “coming” is parousia, and you can verify that for yourself here:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/2th/2/8/p0/t_conc_1118008
In other words, Christ’s epiphaneia and Christ’s parousia ARE ONE AND THE SAME EVENT, and they both pertain to his second coming because, as I rightly stated earlier, he’s only coming TWICE, and he already came once:
Hebrews chapter 9
[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
[28] So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear
the second time without sin unto salvation.
Anyhow, in the light of everything that I’ve shared here which anyone can easily verify for themselves, here is my paraphrase of what Paul actually said:
II Thessalonians chapter 2
[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
[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 hand.
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (the day of Christ) shall not come, except there come a falling away (apostasy) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (the antichrist);
[4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
[5] Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
[6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he (Jesus) might be revealed in his time.
[7] For the mystery of iniquity (spirit of antichrist) doth already work: only he (the antichrist himself) who now letteth (withholds Christ from being revealed because he must be revealed first) will let (withhold), until he be taken out of the way (appears in the midst).
[8] And then shall that Wicked (the antichrist) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness (epiphaneia) of his coming (Parousia)
THIS is what Paul actually said, and it not only makes perfect sense, but it also perfectly aligns itself with what he and others taught in relation to the end times elsewhere.
Who has ears to hear, let them hear.
