The Strand Study Bible

Written From Corinth During Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

II THESSALONIANS

2016

fear, and demonic activity is attracting millions of people. 2 Apostasy strangles our world today like never before. earth worship, occultist powers, psychics, and drugs flourish. Millions of unborn babies are murdered without conscience. Alternative lifestyles are now “accepted” lifestyles. . Henry Jacobsen in The War We Can’t Lose notes: Study the motion picture page in any metropolitan daily paper to see what kind of “entertainment” people want. Someone has said that the time in America is sex o’clock. Increasing immorality has heralded the downfall of more than one culture. Our own civilization may be an exception only because the Lord Himself will overthrow it at His coming. 3 M.R. De Haan II in his booklet called ‘ What Can We Know About The Antichrist? ’ notes: Antichrist will reject all the moral standards held by religious people down through the ages. His title is literally “man of lawlessness” (2 Th. 2:3 NIV). His disdain for all the religions of history is indicated in the words, “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers” (Dan. 11:37 NIV). He will reject everything good in every historical religious system. He will show his hatred for Christ by rebelling against all moral standards. 4 We are certainly moving quickly toward the time when the “sin of man” will lead us to the “Man of Sin.” 2. The man of sin be revealed (the Antichrist) According to Daniel 9:27, the Antichrist will be revealed to the world first as a “peacemaker” sometime before the beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week begins. The Rapture, therefore, must occur right after the Antichrist is revealed to the world as a “peacemaker,” but before Daniel’s Seventieth Week actually begins ( Lk 17:27-28 and I Thess 4:17 ). The world is now ripe, yea ready, for such a man. Paul Henri Spaak, first president of the Council of Europe, former president of the U.N. General Assembly, and one of the chief architects of the European Common Market noted: 2:4 This word ( temple ) is the Greek word QDοQ ( naon ) and refers to the “sanctuary” within the Temple building itself (Mt 23:35 & 27:51 and Rev 11:1-2 & 15:5), which only the priests could lawfully enter (Lk 1:9,21). This word does not describe the Temple building itself. The Greek word for the Temple building is the word ‘ LHUοQ ( hieron ) (Mt 24:1). NOTE – There are some who hold to the belief that the Man of Sin (Antichrist) cannot come on the scene until a literal Temple building (‘ LHUοQ - hieron) in Jerusalem is reconstructed for the sake of sacrificing (Dan 11:31 & 12:11 and Mt 24:15). However, a makeshift Tabernacle, like the one Moses constructed in the wilderness, is all that is necessary for sacrifices to continue within the “sanctuary.” 2:5 In the three short weeks (when I was yet with you – Acts 17:2) that Paul had been with these new Christians at Thessalonicia (Acts 17:1-2), he had taught them much in eschatology (the study of future events). Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins in Are We Living in the End Times ? note: We do not want another committee, we have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man and be he god or devil, we will receive him! 5

The Apostle Paul, the man of God used to set the pattern for local churches throughout the world, taught the details of Bible prophecy to that new Thessalonian church during its first three weeks of existence. (We know this because he was driven out of town before his fourth Sabbath.) Yet even a casual reading of the book shows that he spoke freely about the Second Coming, the Rapture, the Antichrist, the wrath to come, and other future events. 6

Included in this “crash course” was Paul’s teachings on the Antichrist (Dan 7:8,20-21,24-25 & 8:24-25 & 9:26-27 & 11:36-45). 2:6-7 Paul assumed that the Thessalonians understood who it was that “ withholdeth ” (restrains and hinders the Antichrist from being revealed to the world). It is the HOLY SPIRIT ( I Cor 12:11b – point #7). Mart De Haan in Understanding the Endtimes notes:

In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we are told that the way will not be clear for last-day events until a “restrainer” is taken away. It seems very probable that this “restrainer” is the Holy Spirit as He indwells individual members of the church. The removal of these persons, referred to by Christ as the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world,” would clear the way for a worldwide deception. 7

Therefore, the HOLY SPIRIT is not only the restrainer of lawlessness (sin that is out of control), He holds back the world from destroying itself (Gen 6:3); but He is also the restrainer who is now hindering the world from recognizing the true identity of the Lawless One (Antichrist). Once the HOLY SPIRIT allows the Antichrist to be revealed to the world as a “peacemaker,” He will then remove Himself and His Church from the earth ( until He be taken out of the way - Rev 4:1 ).

1 McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible (I Cor. –Rev.), Nashville, TN, Thomas Nelson, 1983. Print. 2 John F. Walvoord and John E. Walvoord. Armageddon Oil and the Middle East Crisis , Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1974. Print. 3 Jacobsen, Henry. The War We Can’t Lose, USA , Victor Books, 1972. Print. 4 De Haan II, M.R. What Can We Know About The Antichrist? , Grand Rapids, MI, Discovery House Pub. Print. 5 Larsen, David L. Telling the Old, Old Story , Wheaton, IL, Crossway Books, 1995. Print. 6 Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. Are We Living in the End Times? , Wheaton, ILL, Tyndale, 1999. Print. 7 De Haan II, M.R. Understanding the Endtimes , Grand Rapids, MI, RBC Ministries, 2004. Print.