2 Thessalonians

Saturday, 30 September 2017

Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 2 Thessalonians 2:5

Paul now takes time to upbraid the church at Thessalonica, and he does it in the form of a question. Further, in a change unique to this verse alone, he switches from the third person to the first person. Whereas he has been saying “we” to include Silvanus and Timothy, he now departs from that in his zeal to correct his audience and says, “I.”

He begins with, “Do you not remember.” It is a way of saying, “You obviously didn’t pay attention.” Jesus used this same type of questioning in order to rebuke the disciples, such as in Matthew 15:16. Paul has done it elsewhere as well, such as in his letters to the Romans and those at Corinth. Now, having chided them for not having remembered, and for instead having become shaken by someone’s introduction of false doctrine (see verse 2), he goes on to say, “that when I was still with you.”

As noted, he speaks here in the first person – “I personally was there, and I personally instructed you on this matter.” The frustration in Paul is obvious. He wanted soundness of mind for his beloved brethren, but they had instead been disturbed in their thinking because of the introduction of incorrect information. The situation here is similar to that of the book of Galatians. False teachers had come in and introduced false doctrine. In its reception, the church in Galatia had started down a bad path. Paul spent an entire letter attempting to get that heretical nonsense corrected. Now, he is writing a second letter to Thessalonica in order to do the same.

To finish the verse, he says, “I told you these things.” The word translated as “told” in the Greek is in the imperfect tense. In other words, “I repeatedly told you these things.” The use of the imperfect, when read by the church, would be an embarrassing moment for them. Paul had spoken of the end times as a core part of his doctrine, and one of the things he told them was that it would probably be a long time before the Lord returned. Further, before “the day of Christ” came, certain things would precede it.

If they had paid attention, they would not now be unsettled. The same imperfect tense is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:4 when reminding them that they would face tribulation. Paul and those with him didn’t just tell them this, they told them it often. The same is true with his words of end-times events. The entire thought of this verse is reminiscent of that of Hebrews 5:12 –

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” Hebrews 5:12

There are things which people hear, and of which they should pay close attention, but they instead take brain-naps while the instructor is imparting his wisdom to them. In this, they are only harming themselves.

Life application: It’s a real problem in Christianity today that people do not carefully read and study God’s word. People selectively pick and choose what they will read, or they simply listen to teachers who do not have the best in mind for their hearers. Thus, they become unsettled in their doctrine, and they are led very quickly down wayward paths. It is truly heartbreaking to see the amount of confusion over simple, straightforward doctrines. The timing of the Lord’s coming for His people, and the events which follow that, are carefully laid down for us if we will but open the book and look.

Lord God, why do we fail to pick up the word and study it for ourselves? Instead of doing a thorough evaluation of its teachings, we take your word in a piecemeal fashion, and we are prone to accept other’s faulty views without checking them out. If we do this with things like prophecy, how much more serious is it when we do it with the core doctrine of salvation? Have we got that right? Help us to be assured of our standing before You. It would be sad to find out we have that one wrong. Amen.

Friday, 29 September 2017

…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:4

The words which begin this verse are actually in the present tense. Rightly translated, it says, “…the [one] opposing and exalting himself.” If taken substantially, it would read “…the opposer, and exalter of himself.” It clearly references to the Antichrist. The words are reflective of Satan himself, but are being applied to a man; and so it is one who is wholly in league with the goals and intents of Satan. It is this man of lawlessness who places himself “above all that is called God or is worshiped.”

In this phrase, it is understood that the Antichrist will place himself above the true God as well as all other false gods. Total allegiance to him will be required. In essence, he will be believed to be the fulfillment of whatever hope is laid out in any religion. For those who say they are Christians, he will appear to be their Christ. For the Jews, he will appear to be their Messiah. For the Muslims, he will appear to be their Mahdi, etc. But he will even exalt himself above the God or gods that he claims he is from, demanding worship of himself only. The words “[all] that is worshiped” are actually from a noun in the Greek, and so it should read, “object of worship.”

There are things that are not “gods” which receive worship or adoration, but he will exalt himself above any such thing. This self-exaltation will be seen in a demand for total allegiance above power, money, or even life itself. This will be fully seen and realized on the day that “he sits as God in the temple of God.” These words, for countless years of the church age, have been taken to mean something other than a Jewish temple.

That temple was destroyed, and there seemed no chance of one ever being rebuilt. Some have taken this to mean “the Vatican” where the pope sits. Others argue it is referring to the Christian church in general. Some have taken it to mean “a poetical or prophetical description of usurping divine prerogatives generally” (Charles Ellicott). These and other analyses were based on a misunderstanding that the church had somehow replaced Israel, or that – at best – there would never be a “temple of God” in Jerusalem again.

However, it is understood from the dispensational model that the Jews do have another temple coming (Daniel 9:24-27), and that is now possible with Israel back in their land. The temple implements are ready, and the temple itself will be built. This is actually in accord with Revelation 11:1 where John was told to “measure the temple of God.” One doesn’t measure a universal church or a “poetical or prophetical description,” and the Vatican doesn’t sit in Jerusalem. Paul’s words, combined with those of Daniel and John, clearly indicate a rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem. It is in this temple that the Antichrist will sit “as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

To sit in the temple, where only God was allowed to reside, is to claim the authority and personage of God. No priest is said to sit in the temple. There are duties to be conducted and then they are to depart. But no such furniture exists for the priests to sit down. Only in the Holy of Holies of the temple was there a place of rest. This is where God dwelt above the cherubim on the mercy seat above the ark. The high priest would enter behind that veil once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people, but other than that, there was no sitting of any kind involved in temple duties.

For the Antichrist to sit in the temple, it will be his claim that he is entitled to sit there because he is the one who “is God.” As it is known that Jesus is God incarnate, and Jesus is Christ, this then is the “Antichrist.” He will make a false claim against the true God who has revealed Himself in the Person of Jesus.

Life application: Only the dispensational model of biblical interpretation can properly explain what Paul’s words are referring to in these verses. Without accepting that Israel is Israel, and that they have an actual purpose in the end-times, verses such as this must be allegorized, spiritualized, or misapplied. But when one understands that the nation of Israel, and the Jewish people as a whole, have been returned to their land for the culmination of the ages, the timeline comes into focus, the verses make logical sense, and God’s plans are properly understood.

Heavenly Father, Your word says that a temple will be rebuilt in Israel, and that the Antichrist will sit there, claiming he is the true God. But You have revealed Yourself already, and much of the world has missed it. Help each of us to be willing to get up, get out, and tell about Jesus now before the time of the deceiver comes. Many will perish following a false god and a false Christ. Before that time, give us the strong desire to tell about the majesty of Jesus, bringing many to salvation. Amen.

Thursday, 28 September 2017

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 2 Thessalonians 2:3

The opening clause of this verse, “Let no one deceive you by any means,” is based on what was said in the previous verse. He told them that they were “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us.”

At that early day in church history, there were deceivers who were making crazy stuff up out of their own heads, and passing it off as prophecies from the Lord. Paul is showing those at Thessalonica (and thus us!) that only the instructions of true apostles were to be regarded as authoritative. Now that the apostolic age is over, our only source for divine revelation is the word of God. Any supposed word from the Lord, or any supposed divine instruction apart from the Bible, is to be wholly rejected.

The words of warning concerning being deceived are not unique to this verse. Rather, Paul warns of such things in other letters as well. And yet, instead of reading the Bible and accepting what it quite clearly says, people fawn over deceivers all the time. And they are out there by the bucketful. “Oooh, I have a word from the Lord.” Reject this nonsense! Read your Bible, and be sound in your doctrine.

Paul’s next words have a thought inserted in them by the translators, “for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first.” The Greek simply reads, “because if not shall have come the apostasy.” However, the words which were inserted by the translators are rightly supplied. It is speaking not of the rapture of verse 1, but of the “day of Christ” (or day of the Lord) of verse 2. The day of Christ (meaning the tribulation period) will not come “unless the falling away comes first.”

It has become common to teach that this word, apostasia, or “falling away,” is actually speaking about the rapture because the word signifies “leave” or “depart.” However, this is an unnecessary stretch of the intent of Paul’s words. The word is only used elsewhere in Acts 21:21 when speaking of forsaking Moses, meaning the Law of Moses. The departure is one of purposeful turning away from a set doctrine.

There will be a falling away from the truth faith of Christ before the day of Christ comes upon the world. What is implied here is that the true church will be gone by then, but that will be explained in verse 7. It is not explained by the word apostasia of this verse. Along with this thought, Paul finishes the verse with, “and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”

Here Paul speaks of “the man of sin.” The term is unique in the New Testament. It is applied to a specific person who will be a man of lawlessness, as the word anomia implies. The word signifies “the utter disregard for God’s law (His written and living Word)” (HELPS Word Studies). To further describe him, Paul calls him, “the son of perdition.” This is a term used only one other time in the Bible, in John 17:12, when speaking of Judas who betrayed Jesus.

Judas, in essence, “fell away” from the truth of the apostolic office which otherwise could have been his, along with the other apostles. He chose the evil path, and he was essentially born to be destroyed, as is implied in the words of Matthew 26:24. Like Judas, this person will be set on a course which can only lead to ruin. The word Paul uses which is translated as “revealed” is apokaluptó. It will be as if a covering is pulled away and this person, bent on disregarding God’s law, will be unveiled. He then is a counterfeit to Christ, and thus he is known to us as the Antichrist.

What we have so far is the understanding that the day of Christ (the day of the Lord), will not actually commence until the Antichrist is revealed. However, he will not be revealed until after the rapture, as is implied in this verse, but which will be made explicit in verse 7. And so thus far, we see the sequence of events –

1) Rapture of the church
2) The falling away and the revealing of the Antichrist
3) Day of Christ (Day of the Lord)

Life application: It is common today among rapture deniers to state that the doctrine of the rapture was never taught until the time of John Darby (who is then maligned in order to diminish his writings – a source fallacy). However, this is untrue. Paul clearly teaches the doctrine in his letters (1 Corinthians and 1 & 2 Thessalonians). Just because Paul’s words have been improperly understood, because of a misinterpretation of the role of the church, it does not mean that the doctrine is unsound. Instead, it means that church doctrine has simply not been in line with Scripture. That deficiency has been corrected.

Lord God, it sure will be nice when you come for Your church! May that day be soon. Amen.

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

…not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 2 Thessalonians 2:2

Correctly understanding Paul’s words of this verse are essential in forming an end-times doctrine which is sound and in accord with what will actually take place. So pay heed as we follow along with the words he gives. First he says that those in Thessalonica (and thus us!) are “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled.” This is based on what he said in verse 1 about the rapture. He is asking them to be sound in their doctrine, and thus they will not be led astray in their minds. Their hope will remain steadfast, and their faith will not be weakened.

The idea of being “shaken” comes from a Greek word which concerns the tossing or swelling of the sea. They were to be firm and fixed, as if on dry land, not tossed about like a little boat on a raging sea. And this was to be in their mind, or seat of reason. He then says that this should be the case if presented with a false claim “either by spirit or by word or by letter.” The reason why it is false lies yet ahead in Paul’s words, but if a claim is made which contradicts the word of the Lord, then it is false.

Such a claim could be “by spirit.” This would be a supposed “prophetic utterance” by someone in a Christian setting. It would be a claim to divine revelation. Note: Today we have the word of God. We do not need, nor will we receive, such a word of “prophetic utterance.” Any claim of such a prophecy is to be rejected, and the supposed recipient is to be disregarded as a lunatic.

Next, Paul says, “by word or by letter.” The “word” would be a false claim that someone had an oral message from Paul or another apostle. What Paul will write now is to be considered doctrine. Any word brought to their ears (or ours!) which claims to be apostolic in nature, and which contradicts what Paul will write, is to be rejected. The “letter” is the same – a claim that a particular writing was from Paul or another apostle. As he says, “as if from us.” If a supposed letter or writing is received which contradicts what Paul will now say, then it should be tossed into the garbage can, soaked with gas, and lit on fire. Be careful to not burn down your house in the process!

With this thought of the importance of what he will now say out of the way, he finishes the verse with, “as though the day of Christ had come.” The focus here is on the day of Christ. This is the main thought of Paul’s words of this section. The “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering to Him” is being set in relation to “the day of Christ, not the other way around. If one does not properly follow this thought, then there will be confusion in end-times theology. When is the rapture? When is the anti-Christ revealed? These things have to be taken in connection with what is now said by Paul. Otherwise, an incorrect analysis of the timing of these events is inevitable. This is why Paul has specifically started with the rapture, and then set it in relation to “the day of Christ.”

What is “the day of Christ’ then? It needs to be understood that various manuscripts say “day of the Lord” and “day of Christ.” They both have the same meaning. Christ is the Lord. This is speaking of the 7 years of tribulation which are coming upon the world. It is not merely the last 3 ½ years of this period. This will become evident by what he says in verses 3 & 7. These seven years are what are spoken of in Daniel 9:24-27. The details of these seven years are given in numerous places in the Old Testament, and they are described in greater detail in Revelation 4:2 – 19:10. This is what Paul is referring to. In understanding that this is what Paul is using as his baseline for the coming prophetic events, it will then allow the reader to correctly follow the timeline of Paul’s coming words.

Life application: Do you believe in a “rapture” of the church? If so, do you accept a pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib rapture? What is the basis for your choice? If one follows what the Bible says, in context, the answers to these questions are given. Set aside your presuppositions, and follow Paul’s thoughts of this chapter as they come. In doing so, you will see how the timeline is properly revealed.

Lord God, what a blessed hope we have. Throughout the ages, man has walked in a contrary path to Your will. And a time is coming when You will lift Your hands and allow man to walk on that path without restraint. Man will sadly find out that life without You is beyond terrifying, but there will be no exit when that day comes. But for those who have trusted in Jesus, there is a place of safety. How blessed we are to possess this hope. Thank You for our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 Thessalonians 2:1

Paul now moves from His opening comments to the main portion of instruction in the epistle. His words concern future events which will further explain his thoughts of his first letter to them. In Chapter 1 of this letter, he spoke of judgment upon unbelievers, and of the glorification of the saints as well. But there is an order in which things happen, and there are times set by God for them to come about. Paul will give some details of these things now. And so he begins with, “Now, brethren.”

The words are to believers, and they are friendly and warm. Those who are included in the fellowship are all to read and feel encouraged by them. With this in mind, he then begins his thoughts with, “concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is an issue which he has already addressed in his first letter, particularly in Chapter 4 of it. Therefore, his words are to be taken along with what he said there. Without getting too far ahead now, it is evident from his coming words that people were making false claims about the events of 1 Thessalonians 4, and these statements were troubling the fellowship. Paul wants them (and thus us!) to know the proper sequence of events which will occur in and around the Lord’s coming “and our gathering together to Him.”

This is specifically referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 –

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The word Paul uses, translated as “gathering,” is found only here and in Hebrews 10:35 in regards to Christians assembling together for worship and instruction. In this case, it must be referring to all who are in Christ, both the dead and the living. The words of 1 Thessalonians 4 are being further explained. Therefore, it is certainly referring to the time of the rapture at the Lord’s coming for His church.

It is based on this event that the words of this verse finish with, “we ask you.” He is going to petition them to pay attention to what he and his associates have to say so that they will not be misguided by false claims concerning this event. The words are meant for the church as a whole, and so believers today can pick up their Bible and have the same assurances that those in Thessalonica had 2000 years ago.

Life application: What is the sequence of events which surround the rapture? How can we know if someone is making stuff up out of their head? Stay tuned for the exciting details. Paul will give us words which will keep us from being distracted by people who are either uneducated in Scripture, or who purposely twist end-time events for their own perverse purposes. Taking Paul’s words in context, we can avoid being misled by them.

Lord God, it sure is marvelous to have Your word available to us. It gives us a grand outline of things which lie ahead, and it will help us to find reassurance in our walk now… if we just pick it up and study it. Help us in this Lord. Grant us the wisdom to spend more time reading Your word than we spend in front of the TV. May it be our daily desire to get into this treasure and soak up its goodness! Amen.