“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.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3
Before the Lord appears from heaven in His judgment, certain things will take place. Paul lists two: the rebellion and the man of lawlessness.
The rebellion refers to a great apostasy that will happen prior to the Lord’s return. Although falling away from the faith has existed in all of the time between the Lord’s first coming and His second, Paul says there will be an intensification of it. There has been plenty of unrest and rebellion throughout the ages to make us wonder on many occasions if we are not, in fact, in the end times now.
Who is this “man of lawlessness”? It appears he will be at the center of the great apostasy, for he will “oppose and exalt himself against everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (v. 4).
The scant details Paul gives us are all we need. We would like to know more, but what we have in Scripture is sufficient. Paul assures believers that they will not miss the splendor and victory of the coming of the Lord.
The rebellion refers to a great apostasy that will happen prior to the Lord’s return. Although falling away from the faith has existed in all of the time between the Lord’s first coming and His second, Paul says there will be an intensification of it. There has been plenty of unrest and rebellion throughout the ages to make us wonder on many occasions if we are not, in fact, in the end times now.
Who is this “man of lawlessness”? It appears he will be at the center of the great apostasy, for he will “oppose and exalt himself against everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God” (v. 4).
The scant details Paul gives us are all we need. We would like to know more, but what we have in Scripture is sufficient. Paul assures believers that they will not miss the splendor and victory of the coming of the Lord.
Scripture Focus
2 Thessalonians 2:3-12
Insight
“The devil’s snare does not catch you, unless you are first caught by the devil’s bait.” (Ambrose, c. AD 340–397)
Bible In A Year
- 1 Chronicles 4-5
- Proverbs 26
- Revelation 6-7
