Mystery of Lawlessness
The “Mystery of Lawlessness” is active in the world. This is especially so in the Body of Christ. It is preparing hearts and minds for the “arrival” of the “Man of Lawlessness” and the “Apostasy.” It will do so until the appointed time when this “Lawless One” will “come out of the midst” and be unveiled in the “Sanctuary of God.” He will employ “lying signs and wonders” to cause those who refuse the “love of the truth” to betray the Apostolic Faith.
The Greek phrase translated as “Mystery of Lawlessness”
is unique to Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. The
term “mystery” does not refer to something esoteric or mysterious, but to
that which is hidden. Hiddenness is the point of the passage. This force is at work, but its
activities remain unnoticed.
[Photo by Darko Pribeg on Unsplash] |
- “And you know what is possessing, to the end, he may be revealed in his season. For the mystery of lawlessness is already working, only it is possessing now until it be taken out of the midst. Then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his arrival” - (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).
The Greek participle translated as “what is possessing [katechon]”
is in the neuter gender and paired with the phrase, “mystery of lawlessness.” The
Greek noun translated as “mystery” is also in the neuter gender.
In Greek
syntax, the participle takes the gender of its associated noun. In other words,
the “Mystery of Lawlessness” is the thing that is now “possessing”
(It is not a person). This is problematic in English versions that translate the
participle as “restraining” since that would mean the “Mystery of Lawlessness”
is “restraining” lawlessness in the world.
Paul’s description borrows language applied
to the “Little Horn” of the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel,
including the Greek term katechon or “possessing.” The “Little Horn”
appeared “in the midst” of the “Ten Horns” of the “Fourth Beast”
and waged war on the saints “until” the Ancient of Days rendered
judgment for them when the “season” for the saints to “possess
[katchon] the Kingdom” arrived. In the interim, the “Little Horn”
changed “seasons and the law.” In the end, he lost his “dominion”
and was “broken in pieces without hand” - (Daniel 7:8, 7:18-26, 8:23-25).
AT PRESENT
Likewise, the “Mystery of Lawlessness”
is working to pave the way for the Man of Lawlessness. It will do so “until
the proper season” when he will be revealed “out of the midst.” Afterward,
he will be “disarmed” and “paralyzed” when Jesus “arrives”
– His ‘Parousia’ - (2 Thessalonians 2:5-8).
The “Man of Lawlessness” will be
unveiled when he “seats himself in the Sanctuary of God.” The
latter is a term Paul consistently applies to the Church, the “Body of
Christ.” The “Mystery of Lawlessness” lays the groundwork for this man’s
unveiling when he comes “out of the midst” and appears in the church
where he will deceive all those who “refuse the love of the truth.”
Whether this “mystery” is an
impersonal force, one of the spiritual “principalities or world rulers,”
or Satan himself is not addressed by Paul in this passage. But its/his goal is
to “possess” the “Kingdom” and deny it to the people of God.
To succeed, the “Mystery of Lawlessness” must deceive the “saints” and thereby derail the purposes of God. That will necessitate their Apostasy, assuming it/he succeeds in its/his efforts.
There are striking similarities between
Paul’s “Mystery of Lawlessness” and the “Spirit of Antichrist”
described in John’s first epistle. Like the “Mystery of Lawlessness,” the “Spirit of Antichrist
is in the world already.”
This presence of the “Spirit of the Antichrist”
is evidenced by the activities of the “many antichrists” in the Body of
Christ, namely, false teachers and false prophets. Their deeds indicate that the
“Last Hour” is underway. These deceivers are forerunners of the final “Antichrist…
who is coming” – (1 John 2:18-22, 4:1-3).
The connection of the “Lawless One” and
the “Antichrist” by Paul and John with the “Apostasy,” the “Sanctuary
of God,” deceiving “signs and wonders,” and false teachers who mislead
believers should warn us that this final deceiver, the “Lawless One,” will
be hellbent on leading the followers of Jesus astray and otherwise “waging war
against the saints” – (Daniel 7:21, Revelation 13:7).
RELATED POSTS:
- The Spirit of Antichrist - (The Antichrist Spirit works to destroy the church from within, especially through deception propagated by deceivers and false teachers – 1 John 2:18-22)
- The Beast is Rising! - (To identify the Antichrist, we must understand what the relevant scriptures say about him, his methods, and his agenda)
- Howling Imposers - (The New Testament warns repeatedly of coming deceivers and false prophets who will cause many disciples to depart from the faith)
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