2 Thess. 2
Do you really think the Creator sends delusions on people to their everlasting damnation?
Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.
Zenas, please review the following Scripture – 2 Thess. 2 -- with my concise, abbreviated commentary that nothing be wanting in your understanding the issue at hand:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
The subject of this chapter is the 2nd Advent of Christ at which time all living Christians will be gathered to Him (in the air). This chapter does not teach a two-stage coming of Christ despite what Futurists say.
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.
There have been attempts by false prophets to teach lies concerning the return of Christ. Do not believe them.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Before Christ will return two major events must take place:
1. A falling away (from the truth of God as revealed in His Word) – ‘apostasy’ – must take place. In other words, professing Christians who once claimed to hold orthodox doctrines will purposefully and willfully fall into grave error. This has been fulfilled by the Roman Catholic Church in particular. The Epistle to the Roman Church is proof that it once held the truth. Gradually, over time, the Roman Church added blasphemous doctrines and laws which negate and oppose Christ’s office, person, teachings and sacrifice.
2. The Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition, the head and leader of that apostasy, must then be revealed. Futurists turn this prophecy on its head by teaching Christ coming first for His saints, after which the Man of Sin – aka Antichrist – is then revealed. For at least 1,000 years Christians have known that the current officeholder of the Papacy – the Pope, the Bishop of Rome -- is the fulfillment of this prophecy.
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.
The Pope opposes God by commanding worship of graven images. The Pope exalts himself above God by claiming to create God in the Eucharist. Christians have always understood that the New Testament teaches that it is the Christian who is now the Temple of God. ‘To sit’ is viewed in Scripture as ‘ruling’. As Christ ‘sits’ at the right hand of God ruling the Creation, Antichrist ‘sits’ in the professing Christian Church as its so-called ruler on earth. This has been the teaching of the RCC for centuries upon centuries.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
This information Paul delivered to the Thessalonians orally.
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For two millennia Christians have understood and taught that it is the Roman Empire which withholdeth the revealing of the Man of Sin. Futurists teach that the ‘what withholdeth’ is the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is a ‘who’ – a person – not a ‘what.’ Besides, why wouldn’t Paul tell them outright it is the Holy Spirit who withholdeth since he names the Spirit in verse 13?
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
This mystery is directly linked to Mystery Babylon, the harlot Church of Rome. The spirit of Antichrist was already working in Paul’s day and has not ceased working up to this present day. It will continue until Jesus returns in judgment. ‘He who letteth’ is speaking of the Roman Emperor who restrains and holds back the revealing of the Man of Sin. For it is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, who will claim headship of the holy Roman ‘Christian’ Empire. By removing the pagan Roman Empire and its Emperor, the Bishop of Rome can now rule in his stead.
Today the Pope claims to rule in Christ's stead. This is the very definition of 'anti-Christ.'
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:
That lawless one, the Man of Sin, will continue to reign as Pope until destroyed by Christ at His coming. The Papacy is a dynasty as were all the rulers of the four beastly world empires prophesied by Daniel. The spirit of Christ’s mouth has done and is doing much damage to the Papacy as Christ’s people expose the Pope and RCC for what it really is: anti-Christianity.
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
There is no other religion, let alone a professing Christian religion, which claims the number of outrageous and ludicrous miracles claimed by the Roman Catholic Church. I will in future posts relate some in more detail, proving the fulfillment of prophecy. For now, consider the ‘miracles’ of creating their Creator via Transubstantiation as well as the flying friar of Cupertino. Let’s not forget the flying House of Loreto, the alleged home in which Christ was raised having been transported by angels to Loreto, Italy.
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.
Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ: The Christ of the Bible, not the Roman Catholic false Christ. The Roman Catholic Church teaches a false way of salvation by trusting in the righteousness of one’s own works, as well as the innumerable teachings of the Pope and his Church which clearly oppose and contradict the teachings of Christ and the Apostles.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Please note that it is the Lord who sends those false Christians strong delusion that they should believe a lie……a lie which will doom them to eternal damnation.
And what is that lie? It is the lie that salvation is not by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as clearly taught in His Word.
Rather than believe this truth which gives all glory to God and none to man, the false Christians prefer to believe that which is unrighteous and a blatant lie.
13 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:
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Church at Thessalonica has cause to praise God alone for their salvation.
For it was the regenerating, sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit which gifted them with the faith to believe the truth of the Gospel.
And this gift was not given on the basis of foreseen performance, but was a choice made by God alone in eternity because He determined to love them.
Did you not know that God’s love is manifested in His actually saving those whom He loves?
We love because He first loved us.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Because God loved us and chose us for salvation before we loved or chose Him as Savior, we are to have the utmost confidence and assurance that our ultimate outcome will be nothing less than good.
