The Antichrist
Trinity
Soul
Heaven
Hell
Satan/Demons
"Saved"
Baptism
Resurrection
Antichrist
History
Mistaken ID
Great Delusion
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Unique
Catholic
Mormon
SDA
JW
British Israel
Church
of Christ
Pentecostal
Islam
Science
Miracles
Evolution
Creation
Carbon Dating
Inspiration
Partial
Contradictions
& Inaccuracies
Chapter 12
2 Thessalonians 2 - The Man of Sin
In 2 Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul warned all believers that Jesus would not return and the saints would not be gathered to meet Christ until an apostasy developed which would oppose God.1
Paul refers to this apostasy as "the man of sin" and "the son of perdition" (v.3). who would take God's position by sitting in the temple of God and proclaiming himself to be God (v.4) ! This "mystery of iniquity" was already at work in Paul's day (v.7), but it would not be revealed until a later time. When Jesus returns he is to slay and destroy the apostasy so that the Kingdom of God can be established (v.8).
Notice how Paul's description of "the man of sin" related to certain characteristics of the beast in Daniel and Revelation. All three accounts speak of a power which would arise, related to the Roman Empire, that would oppose God and the true believers. This power would continue to exist until Jesus returns to destroy it for ever.
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Footnote:
1. According to the word of God the apostasy would develop and the "man of sin" be revealed before the coming of Christ to gather his saints. Paul writes "concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him'' (2 Thessalonians 2:1), and then goes on to warn us, "Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day (the day of the coming of Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him) will not come unless the rebellion (apostasy) comes first, and the man of sin is revealed" (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Most people today who believe in a "future Antichrist" turn this order around so that they expect the "man of sin" (who they call the "future Antichrist") to be revealed after the coming of Christ. Once again the "future Antichrist" concept leads to a wrong understanding of Biblical passages which in the end will cause Christians to reject the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns.