The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1–12

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture. From memory, determine the central points.

1. The man of lawlessness or the lawless one is the antichrist spoken of in 1 John 2, which has been with us from the beginning but will make a dramatic re-appearance just prior to the Second Coming of Jesus.
2. In Revelation 13 we read of a beast and a second beast, one of which is the antichrist and the other, the second beast, is the antichrist’s representative.  And, yes, this is variously interpreted.
3. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 we find a rebellion takes place that has the power of being able to deceive even Christians. And this just prior to the Second Coming, and Paul warns that this return of Jesus has not yet occurred. Before that day, the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, shows up and succeeds is such a way that it is widely worshipped. This creature proclaims itself to even be God and is accepted by many.
4. This lawless one is already present and active, Paul says, as we also see in 1 John 2, but is restrained in some manner and many commentators believe by the working of the Holy Spirit through the living, worshipping Body of Christ.
5. A most curious statement is, “Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.” (Note the words in bold, my emphasis. I have no explanation for this.)
6. The upshot, that the lawless one will be revealed, and at this point is the return of Jesus who “will kill” and make it nothing.
7. The lawless one is equipped by Satan with “power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception.”
8. Many, maybe even most, will be attracted to the antichrist. These are not born-again Christians but are those “who are perishing.” And the word “perishing” does not mean their existence comes to an end.
9. Amazingly, God sends to these perishing ones a strong delusion, which serves to make them believe that which is false.
10. These perishing ones are those who “had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Are we living in these days? Yes and no is my answer, but we are not yet at the grand finale.