2 Thess 2:1-8 -- The Rebellion comes first
1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him,
These are two things, the Lord’s coming and our being gathered to Him, what we refer to as the rapture. It appears that the Lord comes secretly immediately before the rapture.
we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 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.
Everyone should be very clear that a rebellion occurs first and the man of lawlessness is revealed before the day of the Lord -- the last seven years, the 70th week. There has been some wonderful exposition of Isaiah that the US is the transplanted vineyard of the Lord, the vineyard He surrounded with hedges to the East across the sea. Some have even overlaid the pattern of the temple and the items in the temple over the US and the pattern is quite fascinating. So let’s look a little closer at this, the antichrist who is to come, the “man of lawlessness” will be “impudent and brazen”. To a lesser degree we saw this with Hitler, but it will be on full display with the man of lawlessness. Second, he will be a master of intrigue. What this verse tells us is that the rebellion occurs first. We have a rebellion in the book of Esther which is a type of the end of the age and the rapture. We also have a rebellion taking place first in the story of Noah with the angels and the nephilim. We can also see a rebellion take place with Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot. So then I think we can see this rebellion of the evil Haman (antichrist) being exposed prior to the tribulation and then three and half years later when the great tribulation begins typified by the flood at the time of Noah and fire falling on Sodom we can see the rebellion taking place first then as well. You can't judge, convict and execute justice on the evil doers unless they first have their rebellion. This is what the end of the age is all about. Judgement can be a reward for Noah and Esther or it can be punishment for those living in Sodom, caught in the flood or part of Haman's treason. Of course the story of Hanukkah also relates a rebellion of the nations against God in setting up one world government to cast of God's authority.
4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
We just shifted from past tense to future tense. Before the day comes the rebellion takes place and the man of lawlessness is revealed. That takes place before we are gathered to the Lord, i.e. raptured. But in the future, after the rapture, He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped. It does not say that he does this prior to the rapture. That is not how he is revealed. He is revealed because he is uniquely impudent and brazen, because he is a master of intrigue, because he destroys the mighty. He will oppose God, even setting himself up in the temple and proclaiming himself to be God. He doesn’t destroy the mighty with his own power, but he does take full credit for it. To exalt himself over everything that is called God includes the governmental authority we see in Esther, the rebellion of the angels we see with Noah and the fleshly lasciviousness we see with Sodom. To set himself up in God's temple is a direct reference to the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem where Antiochus sacrificed a pig, but it could also be this recent example of putting a pig's heart into a man, and it could also refer to the genetic vaccines they are giving people to change their DNA similar to what the angels did to create the Nephelim.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
We know what is holding him back. We may not be “master’s of intrigue”, we may not know the deep things of Satan, but all Christians know Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God. This is what is holding him back. Think logically, if we know what is holding him back then we obviously observe this struggle and the Spirit holding him back prior to the rapture. Here we see three examples of Satan exalting himself against all that is called God and at the same time we see the end of the age in three stages. There will be a rebellion and rapture prior to the tribulation, then the Christians who remain will stand against the Mark of the Beast, and Finally the Jews will stand against the Antichrist in the temple in Jerusalem just like the story of the Maccabees standing against Antiochus Epiphany.
7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
We are the salt and the light. When we speak the word of God it restrains evil and holds it back. We must continue to do so right up until we are taken out of the way during the rapture. Many are referring to this as the "Red Sea" moment.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
So if we are paying attention to current events what we are seeing is a rebellion. The allegations of voter fraud is based on a software company that is owned and operated by Diane Feinstein’s husband, and by Nancy Pelosi’s aid, and by Hillary Clinton’s foundation. But it is much more widespread than that. Many Governors, mayors, and the Democratic party are involved. The scale and scope of this is truly amazing. Laws were passed all over the country, often while the election was taking place. Judges were used to institute these changes. Polls were used to manipulate the impression of the election while the mainstream media has done everything in their power to create a narrative of fate accomplished. Tech giants have censored all stories that might be contrary to their narrative. Google, Facebook and Twitter are clearly pushing this agenda. What we are witnessing is a rebellion with Jezebel at the epicenter, but her protege, the Antichrist, will destroy her. Isn't that great, they bite and devour one another. However, those who are fighting this battle are Christians. You can see them in prayer for the country. They aren’t fighting for Trump or Biden to win, but rather that the election be legitimate and not stolen. They are standing for the constitution to be upheld and honored. There are also thousands of people making signed affidavits. Again, they may not be a supporter of one candidate of the other, rather they are offended at the crime of stealing this election. It is interesting that thousands of dead people have voted. It is the Satanic version of the dead being raised to help support Jezebel and now these same dead that voted for her will also escort Jezebel back to hell with them. God is omnipotent, that means He can use anyone to accomplish His will. We will see the mighty hand of God as He executes judgement on Jezebel. However, it will be the antichrist who will take credit for it and that in turn will set the stage for further judgments on those who would not receive Jesus.
1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him,
These are two things, the Lord’s coming and our being gathered to Him, what we refer to as the rapture. It appears that the Lord comes secretly immediately before the rapture.
we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 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.
Everyone should be very clear that a rebellion occurs first and the man of lawlessness is revealed before the day of the Lord -- the last seven years, the 70th week. There has been some wonderful exposition of Isaiah that the US is the transplanted vineyard of the Lord, the vineyard He surrounded with hedges to the East across the sea. Some have even overlaid the pattern of the temple and the items in the temple over the US and the pattern is quite fascinating. So let’s look a little closer at this, the antichrist who is to come, the “man of lawlessness” will be “impudent and brazen”. To a lesser degree we saw this with Hitler, but it will be on full display with the man of lawlessness. Second, he will be a master of intrigue. What this verse tells us is that the rebellion occurs first. We have a rebellion in the book of Esther which is a type of the end of the age and the rapture. We also have a rebellion taking place first in the story of Noah with the angels and the nephilim. We can also see a rebellion take place with Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot. So then I think we can see this rebellion of the evil Haman (antichrist) being exposed prior to the tribulation and then three and half years later when the great tribulation begins typified by the flood at the time of Noah and fire falling on Sodom we can see the rebellion taking place first then as well. You can't judge, convict and execute justice on the evil doers unless they first have their rebellion. This is what the end of the age is all about. Judgement can be a reward for Noah and Esther or it can be punishment for those living in Sodom, caught in the flood or part of Haman's treason. Of course the story of Hanukkah also relates a rebellion of the nations against God in setting up one world government to cast of God's authority.
4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
We just shifted from past tense to future tense. Before the day comes the rebellion takes place and the man of lawlessness is revealed. That takes place before we are gathered to the Lord, i.e. raptured. But in the future, after the rapture, He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped. It does not say that he does this prior to the rapture. That is not how he is revealed. He is revealed because he is uniquely impudent and brazen, because he is a master of intrigue, because he destroys the mighty. He will oppose God, even setting himself up in the temple and proclaiming himself to be God. He doesn’t destroy the mighty with his own power, but he does take full credit for it. To exalt himself over everything that is called God includes the governmental authority we see in Esther, the rebellion of the angels we see with Noah and the fleshly lasciviousness we see with Sodom. To set himself up in God's temple is a direct reference to the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem where Antiochus sacrificed a pig, but it could also be this recent example of putting a pig's heart into a man, and it could also refer to the genetic vaccines they are giving people to change their DNA similar to what the angels did to create the Nephelim.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
We know what is holding him back. We may not be “master’s of intrigue”, we may not know the deep things of Satan, but all Christians know Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God. This is what is holding him back. Think logically, if we know what is holding him back then we obviously observe this struggle and the Spirit holding him back prior to the rapture. Here we see three examples of Satan exalting himself against all that is called God and at the same time we see the end of the age in three stages. There will be a rebellion and rapture prior to the tribulation, then the Christians who remain will stand against the Mark of the Beast, and Finally the Jews will stand against the Antichrist in the temple in Jerusalem just like the story of the Maccabees standing against Antiochus Epiphany.
7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
We are the salt and the light. When we speak the word of God it restrains evil and holds it back. We must continue to do so right up until we are taken out of the way during the rapture. Many are referring to this as the "Red Sea" moment.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
So if we are paying attention to current events what we are seeing is a rebellion. The allegations of voter fraud is based on a software company that is owned and operated by Diane Feinstein’s husband, and by Nancy Pelosi’s aid, and by Hillary Clinton’s foundation. But it is much more widespread than that. Many Governors, mayors, and the Democratic party are involved. The scale and scope of this is truly amazing. Laws were passed all over the country, often while the election was taking place. Judges were used to institute these changes. Polls were used to manipulate the impression of the election while the mainstream media has done everything in their power to create a narrative of fate accomplished. Tech giants have censored all stories that might be contrary to their narrative. Google, Facebook and Twitter are clearly pushing this agenda. What we are witnessing is a rebellion with Jezebel at the epicenter, but her protege, the Antichrist, will destroy her. Isn't that great, they bite and devour one another. However, those who are fighting this battle are Christians. You can see them in prayer for the country. They aren’t fighting for Trump or Biden to win, but rather that the election be legitimate and not stolen. They are standing for the constitution to be upheld and honored. There are also thousands of people making signed affidavits. Again, they may not be a supporter of one candidate of the other, rather they are offended at the crime of stealing this election. It is interesting that thousands of dead people have voted. It is the Satanic version of the dead being raised to help support Jezebel and now these same dead that voted for her will also escort Jezebel back to hell with them. God is omnipotent, that means He can use anyone to accomplish His will. We will see the mighty hand of God as He executes judgement on Jezebel. However, it will be the antichrist who will take credit for it and that in turn will set the stage for further judgments on those who would not receive Jesus.