Absolutely NO such thing as a pre-tribulation rapture!
2Thess 2v1-3 states:
"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God."
Paul states that the 2nd Coming of the Lord Jesus and our gathering together onto Him occurs on the SAME day, and that day is AFTER Antichrist is revealed and sits in The Temple in Jerusalem claiming that he is God. The Lord Jesus states the same truth in Matt 24v15-21,29-31!
Bit of a warning to you (and those who teach a secret pre-tribulation advent and rapture), the Lord Jesus states that you will be amongst the false prophets of the last days for He strongly teaches against such, declaring that He comes in great power and glory so that every eye will see Him immediately after the days of the Great tribulation. Matt 24v23-27,29-31, Rev 1v7
Actually, you are combining two events into one as Paul is really talking about 2 events at the same time.
I suggest reading that chapter in the KJV before discerning the actual message. Why?
1 Peter 4:17-19 testify that God will judge His House first.. BECAUSE of the falling away from the faith and this will occur at the pre trib rapture event.
If you look at the purpose of excommunication by the church symbolically, then you can see how God will do this excommunication literally.
1 Corinthians 5:[SUP]4 [/SUP]In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,[SUP]5 [/SUP]To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Will not war be wage on the saints during the great tribulation? So God will judge His House first.
Revelation 2:[SUP]21 [/SUP]And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
[SUP] 22 [/SUP]Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her
into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.[SUP]23 [/SUP]And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. [SUP]4 [/SUP]But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as
have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. [SUP]25[/SUP]
But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
And so the Lord Jesus Christ will deal with the falling away from the faith first as the coming Bridegroom, and then He will deal with that son of perdition when He comes back as the King of kings with the pre raptured saints; Zechariah 14:1-5
Paul addresses the iniquity that causes the falling away from the faith happening back in even in his day... as he will let until he be taken out of the way is referring to those who believe they can receive the Holy Spirit apart from salvation after a sign of tongues without interpretation or other signs of confusion. God will permit the strong delusion to occur because they believed that lie that they can receive the Holy Spirit apart from salvation after a sign. The damnation is to be left behind to be received later on as vessels unto dishonor in His House after the great tribulation, unless they repent and with His help, cease to speak the utter depths of Satan for which they speak and pray normally.
Proof of this is by how Paul reproved that iniquity by reminding them all of the tradition taught for which they were to hold fast.
2 Thessalonians 2:[SUP]7 [/SUP]For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way......[SUP]9 [/SUP]Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,[SUP] 10 [/SUP]And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.[SUP] 11 [/SUP]And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:[SUP] 12 [/SUP]That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.[SUP] 13 [/SUP]But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:[SUP]14 [/SUP]Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.[SUP]15 [/SUP]Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
Paul pointed out that those who fell away are still brothers in the next chapter even though they are wicked & unreasonable men not having faith and not walking after the traditions taught of us and are disorderly, but we are commanded to withdraw from these unrepentive brothers but to admonish them not as enemies, but as brothers still. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-7,14-15
And so there are two events being spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2nd chapter as that iniquity was present in Paul's day and still is present to this day for the reason why God will judge His House first at the pre trib rapture event.