“And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming.” (1 Jn 4:3)
In Paul’s short second letter to the Thessalonian church, he attempts to clear up some misconceptions about the Antichrist and the coming Day of the Lord. At that time, many in the church falsely believed the Day had already come, but Paul encouraged them and set the record straight.
Chapter One first warns of God’s final judgment on those who reject Him. As a follow-up in chapter two, Paul describes three signs that will precede the Antichrist’s appearance and the Day of the Lord. Sign number one is widespread apostasy, translated as “falling away.”
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thess 2:3)
The original Greek translation of “falling away” is apostasy (apostasia), which means to depart or forsake, but, more correctly, it means to rebel or “defection from truth.” The term once referred to military or political rebellion. In biblical terms (and what Paul intends), it indicates an abandonment of worshiping God.
Some theorize that apostasy refers to the removal (rapture) of the church. Given the original Greek manuscripts, it more correctly points to a massive movement of people walking away from the faith.
Paul indicates it is not a general apostasy, such as seen today, but a specific event that culminates in a widespread abandonment of God (not an apostasy but the apostasy). And many will choose to follow a certain someone else.
The Man of Lawlessness
In the last days, Paul speaks of another who will draw people away from the Lord in droves. Paul calls him the “lawless one (v8, 9).” Some translations say, “man of lawlessness.” He has several other monikers.
- “The little horn” (Daniel 7:8)
- “The beast” (Revelation 13:2-10, 18)
- “The son of perdition,” a term also applied to Judas Iscariot when Satan influenced him to betray Jesus (John 17:12)
- “The prince who is to come” (Daniel 9:26)
- “A liar” (1 John 2:22)
No matter what this man is called, the terms are synonymous and clearly indicate his identity. He is undoubtedly the Antichrist. Satan will raise him to power with the job of drawing people away from God. He will likely appear in a political role following the church’s rapture and usher in the tribulation.
Here in 2 Thessalonians, Paul makes it clear the Antichrist will be an actual person who appears at a future time, fulfilling all prophecies about himself. In those days, he may initially appear congenial and tolerant of religion. But once the apostasy (the first sign) occurs, believing he has successfully assembled enough followers, he will reveal his true, evil nature.
“And then the lawless one will be revealed.” (2 Thess 2:8)
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan.” (v9)
This is the second sign.
At that time, which will be at the midpoint of the seven-year tribulation, the Antichrist will perform false signs and wonders (v9) and commit the “abomination of desolation (Dan 9:27, 11:31; Mt 24:15).”
In the greatest of all apostasy, he will claim his seat in God’s rebuilt temple, declare himself to be God, and demand that all people worship him. After that point, the second and worst half of the tribulation will begin (Dan 7:25, 11:36-39; Mt 24:15-21; Rev 13:1-8), setting the stage for a series of terrible events that culminate with God’s final victory over the Antichrist (Rev 19:11-21).
[READ MORE: The Antichrist, the Prophet, and the Day of the Lord]
The Mystery of the Antichrist
Paul tells the Thessalonian church that the Antichrist had not yet appeared despite what their teachers falsely proclaimed. But he admits a “mystery of lawlessness” already exists. We commonly refer to this mystery as sin.
First John 3:4 and 5:17 state that sin is lawlessness.
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (3:4)
“All unrighteousness is sin.” (5:17)
A mystery does not seem to exist here. Those who follow Christ understand that sin is lawlessness. But Paul is once again referring to a mystery that God has not fully revealed. Its fullness will not occur until the Antichrist makes himself known and falsely assumes a place of deity.
Nevertheless, a lawless spirit is already apparent. Satan causes many to disregard and scorn the truth of Jesus Christ and His standards of righteousness. Jesus says those in such rebellion will not understand the mystery.
“Because it has been given to you [disciples of Christ] to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Mt 13:11, with additions)
The “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” are the truths of the gospel that God hid in the past but then disclosed when Jesus came to the earth. Those who rebel against God neither understand nor accept it. The truth of Jesus’ identity is a fairy tale to them, so they rebel. These are the ones God will hand over to their sin.
“And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (v11-12)
“Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.” (Rm 1:24)
“Gave them up” is a Greek judicial term to describe handing a prisoner over to his sentence. The Bible repeatedly states that when people consistently rebel and abandon God, He will abandon them (Judg 10:13; 2 Chr 15:2, 24:20; Ps 81:11-12; Hos 4:17; Mt 15:14; Acts 7:38-42, 14:16) by allowing them to suffer inevitable consequences.
Restraining the Antichrist
Referring still to the Antichrist, Paul writes in verses six and seven,
“And you know what currently restrains him so that he will be revealed in his time. 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.”
The occurrence of one being “taken out of the way” is sign number three.
Scholars often debate who is the one “who now restrains.” In verse six, the one who “currently restrains him” is in a neutral Greek gender but then masculine in verse seven. Therefore, some conclude that the restrainer might be a government in verse six and the leader of that government in verse seven. They base the argument on Romans 13:1-5, where Paul writes that the role of government is to promote the common good by restraining wrong.
“Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For he is God’s minister to you for good.” (Rm 13:2, 4)
The problem with this view is that it places the conduct of spiritual activity in the hands of men. In the end times, Satan will be in total rebellion against God, and his Antichrist will be in a position of such great political power that no human government will be able to control him.
Some believe the restrainer is a group preaching the gospel, Israel, or Michael the archangel. A more popular view is the church working with the Holy Spirit’s assistance. But the power required to restrain Satan is beyond human or even angelic capability.
The rightful conclusion as to who is the restrainer is someone divinely supernatural, that is, the Holy Spirit. This view satisfies the Greek genders. Verse six indicates the Holy Spirit, while verse seven is His personage.
Only God can restrain someone as powerful as Satan, but He will not always allow His Spirit to do so.
Stepping Aside
Verse seven says the restrainer will be “taken out of the way.” In context, it does not mean “to remove” but rather “to step aside.”
Since the Holy Spirit is a part of the triune nature of God, no one can remove Him since God cannot remove Himself. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will only step aside for a short time to allow Father God’s plan of redemption to play out.
In no way does verse seven indicate the church’s rapture since God will have already removed it (1 Thess 4:15-17). Based on Revelation 14:1-5, it also cannot mean that the Holy Spirit will step aside because of the church’s rapture. Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit will still be hard at work during the tribulation.
For example, Revelation 14 describes 144,000 Jews acting through the power of the Holy Spirit to draw Gentiles and other Jews to repentance in Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can cause such deliverance, especially under the persecution of the Antichrist. Similar proof is found in Revelation 11 with the power that the two witnesses will have to preach the assurance of salvation.
The Holy Spirit will be active during the tribulation; therefore, God does not need to remove His Spirit when He raptures the church. They will already be gone, safe and sound, spared from such events, while the Holy Spirit continues His work.
But He will step aside to allow the Antichrist to fulfill the prophecies that will finally bring about the world’s redemption.
Watch for the Signs
Today’s believers in Christ should take note of the Thessalonian church. They were right to fear the Day of the Lord and the Antichrist, and we should, too. We must watch for the Antichrist’s appearance and not be deceived by his predecessors because we do not know when he will arrive.
“Little children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour.” (1 Jn 2:18)
“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (2 Jn 7)
Until then, Paul tells us,
“[Do] not be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught.” (2 Thess 2:2, 15)
We do not need to be anxious that we have missed these events or that they are imminent. Instead, God has given us the signs to look for. In the meantime, we must take a firm stand against false teachings. Too many modern church leaders are unfamiliar with the signs of the end times, so it is imperative that we know the truth. Even more so to be ready.
“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil [lawless] one.” (2 Thess 3:3)
[READ MORE: David Jeremiah’s Revelation Prophecy Chart]
