In 2 Thessalonians 2, we read that “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4). In this text, Paul begins by directly stating what He is addressing in the very first verse: “the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him” (2 Thessalonians 2:1). This directly refers to Jesus’ appearing, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and the rapture or catching away of faithful believers, which Paul had already mentioned to the Thessalonian church in his first letter to them (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). Therefore, we cannot ignore or reject what Paul himself said he is addressing in the text above and replace that with something else. That will be an error. Additionally, it will make no sense for Paul to directly state what he is going to talk about in his opening statement, and then immediately refrain from addressing the very subject he said he was going to address when he starts making his address (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4) or for the rest of the chapter or entire book. If Paul indeed did that, then Paul and the Scriptures would have lied, and we will have no basis to absolutely trust the Bible. However, the Bible says, “let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4) and “God cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). Thus, if the Bible said it was going to address the subject of Jesus’ coming and our being gathered together to Him in the text above (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4), then that is exactly what the Scriptures addressed. Therefore, we contradict the Scriptures when we read what Paul said he is addressing in the opening verse in the text above, and then move on to the next and subsequent verses and conclude that Paul was addressing something else other than the exact thing he said he was addressing in the text.
Paul went on in the same sentence or thought and referred to the day he said he was addressing as the day of the Lord, which also rightly translates from the Greek as the day of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The Greek word translated “day” is “hemera”, which can refer to a twenty-four hour day but also figuratively refers to a period always defined more or less clearly by the context. It’s also used in relation to the day Christ will return from heaven to raise the dead, and the final judgment. So, what day of Christ did Paul want to address? He mentioned it right at the beginning of his opening statement in the first verse: “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him” (2 Thessalonians 2:1). Therefore, we err when we neglect the day of Christ or the day of the Lord Paul directly stated he was addressing in the text and replace it with some other day. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, it will make no sense for Paul to say that he was going to address Jesus’ coming and the rapture in the first verse of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and then never talk about that in his entire address (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4).
Paul continued his message by saying that the appearing of Jesus and the rapture of the church will not happen unless there is first the apostasy (i.e., Greek word translated apostasy is apostasia, meaning a falling away or apostasy; defection or renunciation of faith—not a departure or catching away from the earth), and the man of lawlessness or the anti-Christ is revealed. He also added that to think otherwise is to be deceived (2 Thessalonian 2:1–4). In other words, without the anti-Christ being revealed first, the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the rapture will not happen (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4). Yet this chapter of the Bible is read and used to teach that the church must be raptured before the anti-Christ can be revealed. But the Bible actually says the direct opposite. Moreover, we are told not to let anyone deceive us into thinking that the coming of the Lord and the rapture can happen without the anti-Christ first being revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Thus, any teaching or eschatological view, which teaches that the church has to be taken out of the earth before the anti-Christ can be revealed is a specific deception the Bible warns us against.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8, the Bible continues to say that “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8). Here, the Scripture says that there is someone preventing the anti-Christ from being revealed but when he is removed or moved out of the way, the anti-Christ will be revealed. This text, and entire chapter, does not expressly tell us who the hindrance is. There is also no mention of the church, Holy Spirit or anything being removed from the earth in that text. That is why we do not have to insert or add these extra words to the text to advance our personal doctrines but to let the Scriptures tell us exactly what it is saying, not what we think it should say. So who or what is this hindrance?
Even before we can attempt to find out who the hindrance is, the Bible specifically tells us early on in this same chapter what the hindrance is not. In the first four verses, the Bible specifically states that the appearing of Jesus and the rapture cannot and will not happen until the anti-Christ is first revealed and to think otherwise is to be deceived. In this way, the Bible emphatically says that it is not the presence of the church on the earth that is hindering the anti-Christ from being revealed since the rapture cannot happen without the anti-Christ first coming on the scene (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). Therefore, when we blatantly refuse Paul’s assertion that the anti-Christ must first come on the scene before the rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4) and rather add some extra words to 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 to make it say the exact opposite of what Paul had said, we end up continuing in the very deception we have been warned against.
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
October, 26, 2022
A Very Important Message
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Therefore, If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I invite you to put your faith in Him. Pray the prayer below to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour: “I come to you God in Jesus’ name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask You to forgive me all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen”. If you sincerely prayed this prayer, believe and be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.