WOW! Intense chapter.
Before we get started, let's clear something up. The "rapture" is something that we have invented as Christians, because we think it sounds more fun and enjoyable to fly up into heaven, as opposed to going through the evil and persecution that will be rampant on the earth in the "end times." You will notice in this chapter how Paul talks about the coming of the "lawless one" or anti-Christ...he says that this person will come when Christians are still around and then Jesus will come back and end it all. Think about the embarrassing dilemma the "rapture" brings with it...so Jesus comes back a second time, raptures all good Christians, leaves, and then comes back a third time to end everything? Awkward. Every time Paul talks about the "gathering" or the "taking up" to heaven, it is closely related to the second coming of Christ...basically, it all goes down at the same time. And as Paul makes very clear, we don't need to be sitting around speculating about the "end times" because we are in the END TIMES! We have been in the end times since Jesus left. We are surrounded by self-seeking people that worship themselves (sometimes we are those people). This world is full of depravity and lawlessness and atrocities and horrors and deception and I could go on and on...but we need to accept we are in the end times - always. During times of persecution and lawlessness, Christians are given a chance to show the rest of the world truth and hope...why would we be removed from such opportunity! I am now officially stepping off my soap box.
2:3ffA - The important thing is this - our interest should not be in the anti-Christ, but in Jesus Christ - period! Who cares about when the guy who is going to lose is going to show up! I want to live for Jesus, so that when he shows up I am ready!
2:3ffB - It is interesting that when the anti-Christ comes, he will deceive the world through lies and false miracles...this charade will go on for some time, but there is no real power in his rule. There is only chaos, fear, depravity and lies. When Jesus returns, it is once for all. Jesus returns in true power and ends it all. No messing about, no lies or trickery...just plain unadulterated victory. Very different forms of leadership, don't you think?
2:7 - "The mystery of lawlessness is already at work." Great line. Basically - Satan and his cronies are already doing their best to prepare the world for the anti-Christ...lawlessness is already rampant and it always has been, and it is waiting for the man of lawlessness to come. Also, this verse says, "Only who who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way." What is this thing restraining the anti-Christ from coming. Short answer - nobody knows. We can see in verse 5 that Paul has already talked in person with the Thessalonians about these things, so we have no idea who he is talking about. We can assume that it is a power of good (God, Holy Spirit, angels, people preaching the gospel, etc.), because it is holding the evil at bay, but we don't know for sure. Ask Jesus when he comes back.
2:8 - *SPOILER ALERT* In the end...Jesus wins. That's all that really matters - now go live for Him!
2:12 - Paul wants these people to quit worrying about the future and focus on the NOW. Our fate is going to be decided by how we respond to the truth of God. How we respond now...not in the future...not someday, but NOW.
There is also other good stuff in the close of the chapter, but I am theologically spent. Please leave comments about what you got out of the chapter or my commentary.
4 comments:
so, it's going to be one person? It couldn't be a group or a mindset of a generation?
groups of people and their mindsets will lead to the rise of this one.
they've asked for it, and now God is going to let them have it. (be careful what you ask for - you just might get it)
of course there are a 1000+ other views on this and a lot of people disagree with me, brando, and anyone else who actually voices an opinion on this - that's fine - just telling others about Christ and keep following Him.
peace
j
Stevo,
Paul seems to describe the anti-Christ in a singular person form, but I'm sure you could make a case for it being a group or a generation. I always liked how Mark Moore described the mark of the beast in Revelation as ungodly living in the lives of human beings, and the mark of the saved ones as godly living. The important part, which Paul constantly goes back to, is that we don't know how it's going to go down, but we do know who is going to win and we do know what we have been called to live for.
B
It's texts like these that cause me to take great refuge (I have to!) in the gospel of Jesus and that He's already done what I needed to do (but couldn't). Not only do I lack the needed intellect & wisdom, but a complete sense of defeat comes over me when trying to fully understand this text. It is then that I simply remember the truth of the gospel and that God will be glorified no matter what.
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