Compiled By: Lisa K Gonzales
From: The Life Application Study Bible
3 “Do not be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against GOD and the man of lawlessness is revealed – the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of GOD, claiming that he himself is GOD.” ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, they were in danger of losing hope in the Second Coming. Then they shifted to the opposite extreme – some of them thought that Jesus would be coming at any moment. Paul tried to restore the balance by describing certain events that would happen before Christ’s return.
Throughout history there have been individuals who epitomized evil and who were hostile to everything Christ stands for. – “Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists’ have appeared. From this we know that the end of the world has come.” – 1 John 2:18 – “If a prophet does not acknowledge Jesus, that person is not from GOD. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist. You have heard that he is going to come into the world, but he is already here.” – 1 John 4:3 – Some people believe everything they read or hear. Unfortunately, many ideas printed and taught are not true. Christians should have faith, but they should not be gullible. We should verify every message we hear, even if the person who brings it says it is from GOD. If the message is truly from GOD, it will be consistent with Christ’s teaching and verifiable in GOD’s Word.
The Antichrist will be a person who epitomizes all that is evil, and he will be readily received by an evil world. – “Many deceivers have gone out into the world. They do not believe that Christ came to earth in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.” – 2 John 1:7 – In John’s day, many false teachers taught that spirit was good, and matter was evil; therefore, they reasoned that Jesus could not have been both GOD and man – spirit and matter. John, in strong terms, warned them against this kind of teaching. There are still many false teachers who promote an understanding of Jesus that is not biblical. These teachers are dangerous because they distort the truth and undermine the foundation of Christian faith. They may use the right words but change the meaning. The way these “teachers” live shows a lot about what they believe about Christ. These antichrists have lived in every generation and will continue to work their evil. Then just before Christ’s second coming, “the man of lawlessness” – “the one who brings destruction”, – a completely evil man, will rise. He will be Satan’s tool, equipped with Satan’s power. This lawless man will be the Antichrist.
It is dangerous for us to try to label any person as the Antichrist and try to predict Christ’s coming based on that assumption. Paul mentions the Antichrist, not so we might identify him specifically, but so we might be ready for everything that threatens our faith. If our faith is strong, we do not need to be afraid of what lies ahead, because we know that this lawless man has already been defeated by GOD – no matter how powerful he becomes or how terrible our situation seems. GOD is in control, and HE will be victorious over the Antichrist. Our task is to be prepared for Christ’s return and to spread the Good News so that even more people will also be prepared.
Father, help us in our faith. Help us to know that we do not need to be afraid of what lies ahead, because whatever it is – YOU, Father GOD, have defeated it. No matter how powerful Satan is or how terrible our situation seems – YOU, LORD are in control! We will be victorious over Satan and all of our trials and troubles, we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us! We will be prepared and will spread the Good News so that more people will come to know YOU and be prepared for YOUR return. Hallelujah!
– Thank You, Jesus!
