2 THESSALONIANS 2 

2:1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

Now we beseech you, brethren- the apostle was concerned about the state of the Thessalonian believers, and was writing with a view to correcting them about prophetic matters. As is clear from his first epistle to them, he had instructed them in future events, but in his absence false teachers were seeking to lead them astray. The second epistle is designed to instruct them further. It is noticeable in this chapter that the apostle links matters in pairs, except for two notable exceptions, when he links them in triplets. We see this more easily if we set out the expressions he uses the one against the other, as follows:

Verse 1
The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
Our gathering together unto Him

Verse 2
Soon shaken in mind
Or troubled

Verse 3
A falling away first
That man of sin be revealed

Verse 3
Man of sin
Son of perdition

Verse 4
Who opposeth
And exalteth himself

Verse 4
All that is called God
Or that is worshipped

Verse 4
Sitteth in the temple of God
Shewing himself that he is God

Verses 5 and 6
Remember ye not
And now ye know

Verse 7
He who now letteth will let
Until he be taken out of the way

Verses 8 and 9
Then shall that wicked be revealed
Whose coming is after the working of Satan

Verse 8
The Lord shall consume
And shall destroy

Verse 8
Spirit of his mouth
Brightness of his coming

Verses 9 and 10
With all powers and signs and lying wonders
With all deceivableness of unrighteousness

Verse 10
Them that perish
That they might be saved

Verses 11 and 12
Believe a lie
Believed not the truth

Verse 12
Believed not the truth
Had pleasure in unrighteousness

Verse 13
Sanctification of the Spirit
Belief of the truth

The two triplets are:
“By spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us”, verse 2
“All power and signs and lying wonders”, verse 9

By the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ- the apostle’s appeal to the believers is based on what he has told them about the Lord’s coming. They were failing to think through the implications of what he had informed them of both when he was with them and when he wrote to them the first time.

And by our gathering together unto him- the apostle had spoken of the coming of the Lord Jesus into the air in 1 Thessalonians 4, and His coming to earth to reign in 1 Thessalonians 5. Here he specifies that he is speaking of Christ’s coming into the air when His people shall be “caught up…to meet the Lord in the air”, 1 Thessalonians 4:17. This is when they will be gathered together unto Him. He is in this way distinguishing this coming from Christ’s coming to the earth to reign. At that event His people will come with Him from heaven, so that will not gather together unto Him at that time. So the apostle is making a double appeal to the Thessalonians. One appeal is based on the fact that the Lord is coming. The second appeal is based on the fact that His people will rise to meet Him, and hence will be removed from the earth.

Note that the apostle is not about to instruct the believers further about the coming of the Lord, for he had done that thoroughly when he was with them at the first, and also through his first epistle to them. So modern versions that read “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”, are misleading. Paul is appealing to the believers on the basis of what they already knew, not giving them further instruction on the Lord’s coming. In fact, he is about to give instruction on the coming of the man of sin.

2:2
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled- this is the second pair of ideas. First, the apostle is concerned that their conviction about the truths he had taught them as to the coming of the Lord was being undermined. Second, as a result of this they were troubled about the implications of what false teachers were presenting them with.

Neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us- now we have the first of two triplets in the passage. It seems there were some who were claiming to have had a spiritual message communicated to them, and they passed this on either by speaking or writing, the writing being signed as if it came from the apostle, or Silas, or Timothy. Those who engage in such devious tactics immediately give themselves away, for the truth cannot be advanced by the use of deceit and lies. Those who traffic in such things show that they are not on the side of the truth.

As that the day of Christ is at hand- there is no reason to alter this to “day of the Lord”. Only a few manuscripts read this, and they are spurious. Perhaps the reason why some wish to alter the words is because “day of Christ” presents a difficulty. Many teach that the day of Christ, (otherwise called “the day of the Lord Jesus”, or “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ”, or “the day of our Lord Jesus”, or simply “that day”), is the period which starts with the Rapture and includes the Judgement Seat of Christ. Those who believe this then distinguish the day of Christ from the day of the Lord, an Old Testament term for the period of time beginning when Christ comes to earth to reign, and extending for one thousand years until the great white throne judgement at the end of time.

The apostle is refuting the arguments of the false teachers who were saying that the day of Christ was at hand. Now if by “the day of Christ” they meant the rapture and subsequent events, were they not correct? Is the coming of Christ for His people not always at hand? And if these deceivers meant that the day of Christ had come, then the Thessalonians knew full well that that idea was wrong, for the events of Matthew 24, for instance, were certainly not taking place. In any case, if the day of Christ, (meaning the rapture), had come, why were the Thessalonian believers still on the earth?

There is a big problem with the viewpoint that the day of Christ starts at the Rapture, and it is this. In verse 3 of our chapter the apostle states that the man of sin, the antichrist, will be revealed before the day of Christ. Now the antichrist “comes” at the beginning of the Tribulation Period, and is “revealed” in the middle of it. So that makes the day of Christ, (and therefore the rapture), on this reckoning, after at least the middle of the Great Tribulation. But this cannot be the case, since in his first epistle to the Thessalonians the apostle assured the believers that they were not appointed to wrath, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, so the church saints must be raptured to heaven before the wrath of the Tribulation Period takes place. So the day of Christ cannot begin at the rapture.

When we examine the twelve occasions when the day of Christ and its variations occurs, a pattern emerges. It is the day when the result of the judgement seat of Christ has become evident, so that when Christ comes in glory He may be accompanied by those who are a credit to Him. Or, as 2 Thessalonians 1:10 says, “when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe”. There is no reason why this display of glory through the saints should not extend throughout the thousand years reign of Christ, just as the day of the Lord extends for that length of time.

In 1 Corinthians 1:5-8 we read “That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”. So the assembly at Corinth had been furnished with all the gift it needed to enable it to bear testimony to Christ in Corinth. They were to do that until “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Now the word the apostle used for coming in that phrase is “apokalupsis”, from which we get the English word apocalypse. It has the idea of an unveiling, with something or someone being revealed after having been hidden from view. This, in the case of Christ, will take place when He comes to earth to reign. The Corinthians were to exercise their gifts, thus bearing testimony to Christ, in view of that day. That is not to say they would be on earth continuously until Christ comes in glory, (after all, they have all been dead for nineteen centuries already), but it does mean that they were to exercise their gift in view of that day. If they did this, they would not be in any way blamed at the Bema for lack of diligence, and therefore would come with Christ without any blame attaching to them, which of course would be to His glory.

An examination of the other references to “the day” will be found to be of the same character. They are as follows:

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed with fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is”, 1 Corinthians 3:13.

So the same eyes that will view the works of men in judgement when Christ comes to reign, (which eyes are said to be “as a flame of fire”, Revelation 1:14), shall view the works of the saints, and all that is contrary to His mind will be burnt up. After the children of Israel had made all the parts of the tabernacle, we read “And Moses did look upon all the work, and behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them”, Exodus 39:43. So it shall be at the Judgement Seat of Christ, for He whose eyes are as a flame of fire shall look upon all that His people have done, and He will bless His people when they have done things according to His commandment. And whilst His eyes will be as a fire of judgement when He comes in power and glory, and nothing shall stand before that fire, it will also be seen that what His people have done for Him has stood the test of that fiery gaze.

“As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 1:14.

“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” Philippians 2:16.

“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day”, 2 Timothy 1:12.

“The Lord grant unto him that he might find mercy of the Lord in that day”, 2 Timothy 1:18.

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”, 2 Timothy 4:8.

Note the references to “that day”, without specifying what day it is, (although the mention of “his appearing” gives a strong clue). This is the same way that the Old Testament prophets referred to the Day of the Lord. So monumental was it that to simply call it “that day” was enough. That it is this day that is in view is supported by what the apostle John wrote: “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” 1 John 2:28. John is anxious lest, when Christ appears, his work of establishing the believers in the truth was not evident. He would be ashamed in that sort of situation, instead of being glad that Christ was admired in all that believed.

May we not conclude, therefore, that the day of Christ and the day of the Lord run concurrently, the one being a mainly Old Testament concept, having to do with God’s judgement of the world, whereas the other, being a New Testament idea, having to do with the display of the results of Christ’s judgement of the works of His people at the Bema, which results will be displayed in glory when He comes to earth? If the two days do run concurrently, and the Day of the Lord begins when He comes to reign, then the Day of Christ also begins when He comes to reign.

The word translated “at hand” is elsewhere rendered as “present”. One instance will suffice: “things present”, Romans 8:38, which is then contrasted with “things to come”. So the idea is not merely that the false teachers were saying the day of Christ was near, but that it had come. (That the translators believed this is seen for the beginning of the next verse, where the apostle equates “at hand” with “come”).

We can see now why the Thessalonians might well be troubled by the thought that the return of Christ to reign was at hand, for it would mean that they had missed the rapture. In his first epistle, the apostle had to reassure them that those who had died had not missed out on the kingdom; now he is assuring them that those who had not died had not missed out either.

2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Let no man deceive you by any means- the false teachers had used three different means of seeking to deceive them; the Thessalonian believers must not allow any attempt at leading them astray to succeed. As the apostle Peter wrote, “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away by the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17,18.

For that day shall not come- since the return of Christ to gather His church saints to Himself is not part of God’s programme for the earth, any suggestion that it is possible to tell when it will happen is incorrect. So the apostle is not giving guidance here as to when the Rapture takes place, (which is the implication we must draw if the day of Christ begins at the Rapture), .

Except there come a falling away first- there are two things which must happen before the day of Christ can be said to be at hand, or come. This is the first; there must be a falling away. The word is “apostasis”, which clearly gives us the word apostasy, a word which, according to Strong’s Concordance, means a defection from the truth, a falling away, and a forsaking. It is the act of those who, formerly having subscribed to the truth of the Scriptures, deliberately forsake them, and disown any belief in them at all. In fact, the word is linked to the word for divorce, showing that there is a clear break with the truth.

Now it is sadly true that all down through this current age there have been those who have abandoned their professed belief of the truth. This is different, however, for the word has the definite article in front of it, indicating that the apostle is speaking of a special example of falling away; one that is so dramatic that it can be used to pinpoint the imminence of the day of Christ. It is not a gradual decline in the profession of Christianity that is in view, such as has been seen, (in the Western World at least), for the last three hundred years.

How can this falling away be recognised, then, if it is a sure sign that the day of Christ is at hand? Notice the word “forsake” in the definition of apostasy given above. When the apostle Paul met James and the elders of the church in Jerusalem, they told him that some were saying that “thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs”, Acts 21:21. Now the word “forsake” they used is the word “apostasis”, coupled with the preposition “apo”, which is the preposition used to denote separation. So Scripture itself defines what apostasy means. (Incidentally, the “fall away” of the parable of the sower, Luke 8:13, and of Hebrews 6:6, is not “apostasis”).

So to summarise, the apostle is predicting that before it can be said that the day of Christ is at hand there must come an unmistakeable act of the deliberate forsaking of the law of Moses. So the apostasy must be committed by Jews, for only they are under the law of Moses. We shall have to enquire what that act on the part of the Jews is, when we have looked at the next statements, for they tell of something that will happen at the same time as the apostasy, and will help us to define it.

And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition- this is the second unmistakeable event which must take place before it can be said that the day of Christ is come. We must distinguish between the coming of the man of sin and his revelation. (By the man of sin is meant the Antichrist, the first beast of Revelation 13, the wilful king of Daniel 11:36, the coming prince of Daniel 9:26. He has other names and titles as well). The apostle refers to his revelation in verses 3, 6 and 8. But then in verse 9 speaks of his coming, which will be associated with the performing of miracles.

This is clearly Satan’s parody of Christ’s two comings, in grace in the past, in glory in the future. So the man of sin will have a coming associated with miracles, when he gradually and insidiously gains a position of supreme power. He then, in the midst of the Tribulation Period, (for it is divided into two equal parts), will be revealed in his true character as a vicious and hostile foe of God, His Christ, and His people. The preposition “anti” before the word Christ can either mean “instead of”, or “against”. He will present himself as a substitute Christ in the first half of the seven-year period that is yet to run of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, and a hostile Christ from the middle of that period onwards.

Note that the apostle clearly labels him the son of perdition, or destruction. So certain is his fall, that as soon as he is revealed he is marked by perdition. As Daniel 8:25 indicates, as soon as he stands up against the Prince of princes, (Christ Himself), he shall be “broken without hand”. The only other person called son of perdition is Judas Iscariot, and he is marked by apostasy.

2:4
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped- this man of sin will have a double attitude. He will oppose all that is called God, and will exalt himself above all that is called God. It is Satan’s great longing to have the worship of men directed to himself. This is why, as Lucifer, he attempted to topple God from His throne, so as to be like the Most High, receiving the worship of His creatures, see Isaiah 14:12-14. Having failed in that initial attempt to displace God, he will try again, using the man of sin. Whereas the Lord Jesus firmly refused to give Satan the worship he demanded, the man of sin will be willing to give him it. And it is through this man that the worship of men will be directed to Satan, for we read of those future day,” and they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast”, Revelation 13:4.

It is said of the Wilful King of Daniel 11:36-39, “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate he shall honour the god of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strongholds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.”

So that he as God sitteth in the temple of God- it is clear from Revelation 11:1,2 that the temple will be built again in Jerusalem. It will be one of Antichrist’s first acts to confirm a covenant with the majority in Israel to enable them to resume their sacrifices and rituals. We read of this in Daniel 9:27.

It is called the temple of God here because the successive temples, whether of Zerubabel or Herod, were thought of as one and the same. The Lord referred to the slaying of Zacharias between the temple and the altar, thus making no distinction between Solomon’s temple and the temple of His day, Mathew 23:35. Even though the latter was controlled by the wicked Sadducees, the Lord Jesus still recognised it as His Father’s house. He left it at the end of His ministry and by so doing made it desolate, but the apostles still went up to it to pray, Acts 3:1.

The religious Jews of today are actively preparing for the erection of the temple in Jerusalem, and this verse tells us they will succeed, when God’s time comes. After a period of three and a half years, the Antichrist will break the covenant he made, and will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This marks the middle-point of the Tribulation Period.

Not content with causing the worship of God to cease in the temple, he will place in the holy place an idol, which is described as “the abomination that maketh desolate”. This was spoken of in Daniel 9:27; 11:31, and 12:11, and also referenced by the Lord Himself in Matthew 24:15. An abomination is an Old Testament word for an idol, the name reflecting God’s view of its character. It causes desolation because when it is placed in the holy place of the rebuilt temple it will displace what little there was of God in it. Just as Christ leaving the temple made it desolate, Matthew 23:38; 24:1, so the two witnesses of Revelation 11, who safeguard God’s interests in the temple during the first half of the Tribulation Period, will be removed by martyrdom, and thus the temple will be desolate in that sense, and further desolated by the erection of an image in the holy place. As Daniel was informed by the angel, “And for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate”, Daniel 9:27.

Shewing himself that he is God- the word for shewing is the same as is used by Peter on the day of Pentecost, (translated as “approved”), “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know”, Acts 2:22. So by doing miracles through Christ, God showed His approval of His Son, demonstrating, (such is the meaning of the word), that He was who He claimed to be.

Antichrist will seek to imitate this during the first half of the Tribulation Period, in order to advance himself. As the Lord said when He was down here, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” John 5:43. This is a prophecy concerning the Antichrist. But although he comes in his own name, he is energised by Satan, as Revelation 13:2,4 informs us.

2:5
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? The apostle seems to have emphasised prophetic matters when he was in Thessalonica, for as well as stressing that Christ had suffered, and risen from the dead, Acts 17:3, the Jews said that he preached “there is another king, one Jesus”, verse 7. Clearly they had gained the impression that future events, and the Lord’s coming, featured very much in his preaching at that time. A reading of his first epistle to the Thessalonians confirms this emphasis.

2:6
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time- he had taught them that the timing of the revelation of the Antichrist is subject to a withholding or restraining force. Now as we have seen from Revelation 13, and as we shall learn from verse 9 of this chapter, the coming of the Antichrist is according to the working of Satan. So if the emergence of a man whose coming is initiated by Satan is under the control of something or someone, that restraining power must be greater that Satan’s. Now Michael the archangel cannot successfully control Satan, as we learn from Jude 9, so the angelic hosts cannot control him. It must be a Divine person who does this.

The apostle John encouraged his readers, (having mentioned “the spirit of antichrist”), with the thought that “”greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”, 1 John 4:3,4. In other words, the Spirit of God, who indwells believers, is greater that he that is in the world, meaning Satan. It is logical to believe then that the restraining influence that prevents the revelation of the Antichrist, is the Holy Spirit of God. The fact that the restraining continues until the moment of Antichrist’s revelation in the middle of the Tribulation Period shows that the Holy Spirit does not cease His restraining work at the rapture. So it is not simply the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells believers, so that in that sense He will go when they go when the Lord comes for them; He will continue His work beyond the rapture.

The mention of “his time” is interesting, because the Lord Jesus has His time too. The apostle Paul wrote, “in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords”, 1 Timothy 6:15. So Antichrist may have his time, albeit a brief one, but Christ shall have times, and His kingdom shall endure for ever.

2:7
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work- the reason why the apostle used the present tense, “withholdeth”, is because the restraining influence of the Spirit is needed already. Even at that time Satan was seeking to introduce his man into the world, and he needed to be restrained from doing this, for the time was not right.

A mystery in the New Testament is something that before was hidden and unknown by men, but is now revealed to those who have the capacity to understand it. The word iniquity means lawlessness, and is the same word as is translated “wicked” in the next verse. It means a revolt against law. It was often said by preachers that “The sin of man shall result in the Man of Sin”, (another name for the Antichrist), and this saying is true. Adam’s revolt against God will come to its climax in the actions of the Antichrist. So the mystery is that this process by which the sin of man will come to its culmination, has been going on since the time of Adam. Despite the periods, such as the times of the patriarchs, or the rule of David, when sin seemed to be in abeyance, sadly it was not so, and was progressing to its ultimate expression in the end times.

Only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way- Isaiah said that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him, Isaiah 59:19. But there will come a moment when it is God’s will to allow the Wicked One to be revealed, in order that Satan may be fully exposed in his evil, and he and his agents may be finally destroyed.

2:8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

And then shall that Wicked be revealed- so the restraining will continue until the very moment of the revelation of Antichrist, in the middle of the Tribulation Period. This shows that the restraining influence of the Spirit continues after the rapture. One of the ways the Spirit will work will be the presence in the temple of God of two prophets who defend its interests, and who physically prevent the image of the Antichrist being set up there. They will also preach in the temple courts and encourage the people to not revolt against God by believing the lie that Antichrist will spread, that he is God. We read of these two men in Revelation 11.

Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth- just as the downfall of the man of sin was indicated as soon as his name was mentioned in verse 3, “the man of sin, the son of perdition”, so here. The mention of his revelation prompts the apostle to tell us of his downfall, so certain is it. He does this even though he is going to revert back to the rise of the Antichrist in verses 9 and 10.

We read that when the Lord Jesus shall come forth from heaven to judge, that “out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations”, Revelation 19:15. Isaiah prophesied long before that “with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked”, Isaiah 11:4. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God, Ephesians 6:17, so there is a combination of the power of the Spirit, (“breath of his lips”), and the word of God, (“a sharp sword”), which shall deal decisively with the Antichrist and his hosts. At the present time the Spirit of God uses the word of God to save, but then, to judge.

And shall destroy with the brightness of his coming- the dazzling splendour of the glory of Christ, which glory was seen on the Mount of Transfiguration, shall be enough to destroy the forces of evil. It is not only His personal and kingly glory that will shine in that day, but He shall come “in the glory of his Father with the holy angels”, Mark 8:38. As for the glory of the Father, we know that no man shall see God and live, Exodus 33:20. As for the angels, just one of them was enough to destroy the whole host of the Assyrians in Hezekiah’s day, 2 Kings 19:35, so what army can stand against “ten thousands of his saints”, Jude 14? No wickedness can stand against such glory.

2:9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders- the apostle now reverts to the coming of the Antichrist at the beginning of the Tribulation Period. He does this to show that men ignored the restraining power of the Spirit of God, and accepted the claims of the Antichrist, as represented by his assertion in the middle of the seven-year Tribulation Period that he is God. He presented himself as one who could perform miracles, a clear attempt to pass himself off as the true Messiah. If Jesus of Nazareth was “a man approved of God…by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you”, Acts 2:22, the Antichrist must do the same if he is to be believed by the nation of Israel. “The Jews require a sign”, 1 Corinthians 1:22, so he will try to meet their requirements. (The word for “miracles” in Acts 2:22, is the same as “power” here).

But whereas the miracles of Christ were done in harmony with the Father’s will, (“the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works”, John 14:10), and by the power of the Holy Spirit, (“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” Matthew 12:28), Antichrist’s miracles are accomplished by the working, or energy, of Satan.

And whereas the miracles of Christ were expressions of the truth He taught, (hence John calls them signs, for they had deep spiritual significance), the miracles of Antichrist will be to promote the lies he spreads, for they are lying wonders, intended to support his errors.

And just as the miracles of Christ were sure proof that He is the Son of God, for John tells us that they should result in us believing He is Son of God, John 20:30,31, so the miracles of Antichrist will be his attempt to prove that he is God.

2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish- just as Christ was “mighty in deed and word”, Luke 24:19, so also the Antichrist will not only do mighty deeds, but also speak. Daniel tells us that he “shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods”, Daniel 11:36; see also 7:25. These words will be designed to deceive, and will encourage men to act unrighteously. If they respond, they will show that they are perishing, being unsaved. Despite the efforts of the 144,000 evangelists sent amongst them, and the two witnesses in Jerusalem, they will remain unbelieving.

Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved- it is because they rejected the testimony of God’s men that they are liable to be deceived. They had been encouraged to love the truth in the face of Antichrist’s lies, but preferred the latter. This is what makes their sin so serious, because by accepting Antichrist’s miracles they thereby rejected Christ’s. By this act they made the Antichrist’s miracles to be of the Spirit of God, and Christ’s miracles to be of Beelzebub. The Lord Jesus declared that to do this was unforgivable, for it is only through the working of the Spirit that anyone can come to Christ, and if He is blasphemed, He cannot work, (see Matthew 12:24-37). So it is that in the next verse they have a delusion sent to them, for they have reached the point of no return.

2:11
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie- the Lord Jesus made clear that he who commits the unpardonable sin of attributing His miracles to the power of Satan, and by so doing speaks against the Holy Spirit by whose power He did perform them, “it shall not be forgiven him, either in this world, neither in the world to come”, Matthew 12:32. That being the case, such is God’s jealousy for the honour of His Son and the holiness of His Spirit, that He will judge this sin in a particularly forthright and decisive way, by deliberately ensuring that they believe the Antchrist’s lie, which says that he is God and should be worshipped. So there is a threefold sin here, against the Son who did the true miracles, against the Holy Spirit who empowered them, and the Father who seeks the worship of His creatures.

2:12
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth- of course it is true that all who remain in unbelief until their death, shall be damned. But what marks this particular class of people out is that they have committed a sin that is so wicked and blasphemous, that God is not prepared to forgive it, and will ensure that, believing the lie, they never change their mind.

But had pleasure in unrighteousness- they not only believed the word of the Antichrist, that he is God, but they went along with the deeds of the Antichrist, which were unrighteous, verse 10. Moreover, they actively delighted in the wicked crimes he was committing, and hence put themselves past redemption.

2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord- it must have been with heavy heart that the apostle wrote of the future apostasy of Israel, and the rise of the man of sin. Now his heart is lifted in thankfulness to God that those to whom he is writing were in a different position altogether. He knew the Thessalonian believers well, so to call them “brethren beloved of the Lord” was no mere pleasantry. They were beloved of him, no doubt, but better far to be beloved of the Lord. Moses said of Benjamin that “the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders”, Deuteronomy 33:12. Such was the favoured position given to the tribe of Benjamin, and illustrates the favoured position granted to the beloved of the Lord in this age. The apostle has already assured the Thessalonians that they are in God the Father, 1 Thessalonians 1:1; have a deliverer from coming wrath, 1:10; that they are not appointed to wrath, 5:9; and that when Christ comes in judgement they will be at rest, 2 Thessalonians 1:7. They, like Benjamin, are in a place of safety and security indeed.

Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation- it is important to notice that this word “chosen” is not the same as is normally used in connection with God’s electing purpose. The word that is normally used means to select or choose, emphasising the initial choice. Here, the word means to take for oneself, emphasising the culmination of the election, when the sinner believes, and God takes him into His embrace. In fact, it is the same word as is found in the expression, “whom I have chosen”, Matthew 12:18, which is Matthew’s inspired explanation of the title “Mine elect” given to Christ in the passage from which he is quoting, Isaiah 42:1.

There is another difference, in that the choosing of believers in Christ takes place in eternity, “before the foundation of the world”, Ephesians 1:4, whereas the choosing here is “from the beginning”. Now there is no beginning in eternity, for beginning is a time-word, and time did not start until the beginning spoken of in Genesis 1:1. Time is an integral part of the universe, and measures the distance between two events.

So to what does the beginning refer, if it does not mean eternity? It must be some point in time. The next two phrases define for us when this beginning was, even the beginning of the setting-apart work of the Holy Spirit, and the beginning of the Thessalonians’ progress toward faith in Christ.

Through sanctification of the Spirit- man is dead in trespasses and sins, and we might well ask the same question as the Lord asked Ezekiel when he was shown a valley full of dry bones, “Can these bones live?”The answer is found in the movement of the Spirit of God to breathe upon them, see Ezekiel 37:1-14. The Lord Jesus expressed surprise that Nicodemus was puzzled by the idea of being born of the Spirit, John 3:5-10. As a teacher in Israel he was familiar with Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones, but failed to see the significance. To him, life before God consisted in obedience to the law. He had to learn that it was through faith in Christ.

The apostle Peter wrote of these things when he described his believing readers as being “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirt, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ”, 1 Peter 1:2. So the electing by God the Father is said to be “through” sanctification of the Spirit, where the preposition through is the Greek word “en”. This signifies the instrumentality and manner in which the electing operated, and the means whereby those whose faith was foreknown by God were brought to believe. It may be thought of as “in virtue of”. It was in the realm of the Spirit’s activity, and resulted in a spiritual outcome. Divine persons were acting for man’s blessing and Their own glory. As the Lord Jesus said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell when it cometh and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8. Just as the wind seems to have a will of its own, blowing where it likes, so the Spirit of God, a Divine person, acts according to His own will.

Returning to 2 Thessalonians 2:13, we have the same assertion that salvation is through the sanctification of the Spirit, meaning that He takes the initiative in the matter of salvation, bringing the sinner into conditions where the gospel is heard and the opportunity to believe is given.

And belief of the truth- if the Spirit sanctifying is God’s sovereignty in action, this is man’s responsibility. The fact that man is expected to willingly believe does not override Divine Sovereignty, for God has decreed that this is the way salvation should be obtained. To believe and be saved is not man’s invention, but God’s plan.

Notice the contrast with those of the Tribulation Period who show no desire to believe the truth, and are condemned by God to believe the lie. If the lie is the idea that Antichrist is God, then the truth is the doctrine that Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. And this is the burden of the testimony of the gospel; it is faith in a Person, and that Person the Son of God who went to Calvary to die, and who afterwards rose from the dead and ascended to heavenly glory.

2:14
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Whereunto he called you by our gospel- the preaching of the gospel is a call, a call to salvation; it is the means God has ordained whereby the sanctification of the Spirit and the choice of God are brought to their climax. How important it is that that call should go forth with clarity and urgency.

To the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ- there is much more to salvation than being delivered from hell and the lake of fire. So it is that the apostle saw the consummation of that purpose which foreordained, called, and justified believing sinners, is finalised when they are glorified. This involves conformity to the image of God’s Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brethren, Romans 8:29,30.

2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast- the chapter had begun with the believers described as “shaken in mind”, and “troubled”, but after the apostle has calmed their fears and cleared up their misunderstandings, he is able to confidently exhort them to stand fast.

And hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle- they had been disturbed by false communications by word and by letter as if from the apostle, verse 2, but now they are reassured by his current letter. Nowadays we only have the written word of God, but nonetheless it is as if in that written word we have help from the apostle. Of course, the inspired writings are of God in the first place. It is our duty to learn from them, and practice what we learn.

2:16
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself- as he closes this section, the apostle’s prayer is that we might know the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Himself. He has spoken of the Man of Sin and his spurious and blasphemous claims, but now he directs our attention to Christ Himself, assuring us that His own presence and power is available to the believer.

And God, even our Father- relationship with God is also known in a personal way, for He is the Father of His people. Divine persons are here spoken of in the context of the attempts of the Enemy to frustrate His will by deceiving the people of God.

Which hath loved us- the love of God has been expressed in a general way in the past by the giving of His Son to the death of the cross. But the knowledge of God’s special love is reserved for those who believe. The apostle does not mention the love of God in his classic exposition of the gospel until he can say, “being justified by faith”, Romans 5:1. It is only then that he writes of the love of God as being shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit; so the love of God is known especially by His people, for only they have the indwelling Spirit.

And hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace- far from causing us agitation, as false teachers do, our God has given us every reason to be encouraged, and that encouragement will last for eternity in His presence. We have good hope, with real and spiritual prospects opening up to us, and all on the basis of God’s grace, and therefore not dependant on our good works.

2:17
Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Comfort your hearts- the Lord Jesus promised His disciples that He would not leave them comfortless, but would come to them in the person of the Holy Spirit, (for each of the Persons of the Godhead can represent the others), John 14:18. One of His ministries is to be a comforter, not just in the sense of consoling, but fortifying, to enable us to press on in the pathway of faith until hopes are realised.

And stablish you in every good word and work- this ministry of Divine Persons does not mean we have licence to be idle. There is much to do as we wait for the Lord’s coming. Whether it is speaking publicly or privately, or working in one or some of the many ways service opens us for us, (for there are differences of administrations, 1 Corinthians 12:5), we may be busily occupied until the Lord comes. May we be helped in this, to His glory.