Two Missing Events
Two events must occur before the “Day of the Lord” - The apostasy and the unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness – 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
Paul’s warning not to be “deceived” parallels the opening exhortation of Jesus in his ‘Olivet Discourse - “Let no man deceive you.” And the Apostle makes this warning in a similar context of overheated prophetic expectations - (Matthew 24:4, Mark 13:5, Luke 21:8).
- (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) - “That no one may deceive you in any respect. Because that day will not set in, except the apostasy come first, and there be revealed the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself on high against everyone called God or any object of worship, so that he, within the sanctuary of God, will take his seat, showing himself that he is God.”
THE APOSTASY
That day will not commence until, “first,” the apostasy occurs, and second, the “man of lawlessness” is revealed. The syntax of the Greek clause could mean either that the “apostasy” will precede the “man of lawlessness” or that both events will occur concurrently. In this context, most likely, Paul means that both events must transpire before the “day of the Lord.”
And here, the “apostasy” and the arrival of the “man of lawlessness” are inextricably linked. This figure will excel at propagating the very deceptions that lead Christians astray. And most certainly, the deceivers who are active in Thessalonica are forerunners of that ultimate deceiver.
The term “apostasy” translates the Greek noun apostasia, meaning, “falling away, apostasy, defection.” In both the New Testament and the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible, it refers to defection from the true faith, and it is related to the Greek verb with the meaning “forsake, depart, revolt, to withdraw” - (Matthew 5:31, Acts 21:21, 1 Timothy 4:1, Hebrews 3:12).
The expectation of the final apostasy is common in the New Testament and originated with Jesus. Furthermore, in his comments from the ‘Olivet Discourse,’ he linked “lawlessness” to apostasy:
- (Matthew 24:10-12) – “And, then, will many be caused to stumble and will deliver up one another and will hate one another; and many false prophets will arise and deceive, many; and because of lawlessness being brought to the full, the love of the many will grew cold.”
- (1 Timothy 4:1) – “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”
LAWLESS ONE
This figure is given two designations - the “man of lawlessness” and the “son of destruction.” The latter is used only once in the chapter. However, and possibly not coincidentally, the exact same phrase, “son of destruction,” was applied by Jesus to Judas Iscariot - (John 17:12).
The image of a man who causes “lawlessness” and “destruction” is derived from the figure of the “little horn” in the book of Daniel:
- (Daniel 11:31-36) – “And forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt-offering, and they shall set up the abomination that desolates. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flattery… And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods” – (See also, Daniel 7:24-25).
In Thessalonians, the “one who opposes and exalts himself on high” alludes to the preceding passage from Daniel, but it also echoes the interpretation of the vision of the ram and goat given to Daniel by Gabriel recorded in the eighth chapter of his book - “And through his policy, he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart.” -v (Daniel 8:25).
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Originally, both passages referred to Antiochus IV, the notorious ruler of the Seleucid empire who attempted to destroy the religion of Israel. He caused the “cessation of the daily sacrifice,” “desolated the sanctuary,” and installed the “abomination that desolates” on the altar of burnt offerings. In that way, he destroyed many of the “saints” of Israel - (Daniel 8:9-13, 8:21-26, 9:26-27 11:1-4, 11:31-36).
Behind Paul’s portrait of the “lawless one” is the historical attempt by Antiochus to destroy the religion of Israel by inducing apostasy among the leadership of the Jewish nation (“And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flattery”).
SANCTUARY OF GOD
“The temple of God” (ton naon tou theou). Elsewhere in his letters, Paul consistently applies the “naos” or “sanctuary” of God to the church, and NOT to any building in Jerusalem or elsewhere. For example:
- (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) – “Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” - (See also, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:21).
The goal of the “man of lawlessness” is to lead genuine saints to depart from the faith, and that is why Paul warns of future his appearance in the “sanctuary of God.”
Throughout the discussion, Paul focuses on the spiritual well-being of the Christians at Thessalonica. His goal is to keep them safe from deliberate disinformation about the “arrival” of Jesus and prepare them for the future onslaught of satanic forces against the church.
And rather than provide a list of “signs” by which believers can determine the timing or nearness of that day, he has provided the two missing events that prove that it has not yet arrived.
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