Introduces the study of 2 Thessalonians by explaining the occasion for Paul's writing, which was to correct misunderstandings about the Lord's coming and address disorderly conduct. Paul's primary purpose was to clarify that the Day of the Lord had not yet arrived, countering false teachings that linked their persecutions to this event. The sermon highlights Paul's thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' faith, love, and patience amidst their trials, emphasizing that suffering can be a sign of spiritual maturity and a proof of their new life in Christ. It concludes by detailing the future divine retribution for persecutors and the ultimate glorification of believers with Christ, assuring that the church will be raptured before the Day of the Lord.
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Shall we commence the study on the second edition of the Thessalonians? In order to introduce the study of second Thessalonians, we should first consider the occasion of it being written by Paul the Apostle. Following his first visit to Thessalonica, after leading that treaty, he spent eighteen months in the city of Corinth according to the eighteen chapter in the Book of Acts. and apparently his second epistle was written from there as also the first one. After the strength of Thessalonica received his first letter, the good news of their faith and their brotherly love was relayed to Paul according to verse three in chapter one of his second epistle.
This cheered and it encouraged the Apostle Paul and his companion missionary, Pilate and Timothy. Yet another character of information came to his ears, which indicated there were misunderstandings about some statements that he had made in his first letter to them, or either they willfully misinterpreted it. In addition to this, it was reputed that letter or a letter not written by Paul had been circulated in his name. according to verse two in the second chapter of Second Thessalonians.
Therefore the apostle deemed it necessary to write without delay and supplement its first physical with another, in order to correct erroneous doctrines concerning the coming of the Lord which had been circulated with disastrous consequences to the local judge. Paul found it needful, on one hand, to correct an emotional wave of excitement that gripped them. Caused by their accessions are the false hopes that have been propagated by false teachers, and also, on the other hand, he needed to encourage them in what wants a true hope in relation to the coming of the Lord.
The main purpose of this second epistle is to declare that the day of the Lord was not then present as some were teaching them. The false teachers emphasized, because of persistent afflictions and persecutions being so great, the Thessalonians think were already in that day of greatness, trouble, and trial. that has been foretold by the prophet. Many unstable believers were led to conclude that because of such persecution they were enduring this particular period, believing that the report was true.
In order to correct the false speaking and the false impressions, Paul writes to inform his conduct that certain events must take place, and certain conditions must prevail upon the earth before that day of the Lord will come. Though the very seed of those things was already at work in the world. These facts we shall see developed for once when we study the second chapter later on. But there was another purpose for which the epistle was written, and it was to reduce and to warn certain disorderly believers whose conduct was unsuitable and dishonoring to the Lord.
This also will come before us later on toward the end of the Epistle. To enter the study of chapter one, we find verses one through twelve, which cover the chapters, more of a personal character, in regard to the saints themselves. and in reference to the trials that they were passing through. The opening words of salutation in verses one and two give us the introduction, where we read, Paul and Silvanus and Timotius, unto the Church of the Thessalonians, in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul uses the same salutation as he did in the first epistle, assuring the believers of their intimate, union, and blessed relationship with the Father and his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then follows thanksgiving, thanksgiving for their faith, for their love, and for their patience. Paul writes to say, We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is me, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other abounded, so that we ourselves, glory in you, in the churches of God, for your patience and faith, in all your persecutions and tribulations, that ye endure.
We find that there are three causes for thanksgiving mentioned by the Apostle. First, he is giving thanks for the evidence of a living faith, which was developing. Their affliction produced increasing faith, for faith grows that, in the midst of storms and difficulties, we should well know. Then second, he is thankful for the evidence of abounding love toward one another. This was an answer to Paul's desire, which he had expressed in his first epistle in chapter four in verse ten.
Then there is a third reason for his thanksgiving, the evidence of their patience being perfected in maturity. And this also was the fruit of tribulation. is it not properly written in Romans chapter five and verse three, that it is tribulation that worship patience. So all these evidences were a testimony of spiritual maturity and growth being developed among the saints of Thessalonica, for which Paul gratefully thanked the Lord. Then as we read from verses five through seven, We find that there is an objective for the persecution they were enduring.
First of all, the patient endurance of the saints in their troubles and trials was a proof of the reality of their new life in Christ. Paul thinks that it was a manifest token of the judgment of God. Their submission, a Christ-like one in character, God would someday acknowledge and indicate publicly. The beloved Apostle Peter writes to tell us that Christ so suffered, leading us an example to follow his steps. For when he was revived, he reviled not again.
When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judge us righteously. According to Second Peter, chapter two, verses twenty-one through twenty-three. The Thessalonians saints were so following the Lord, and seeking to follow him that they were doing what Paul writes, and what Peter is written, following his death. And they proved the reality of their new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. A second objective for their persecution was their endurance of the trial, proved they were walking worthy of God's calling, that he may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which he also suffered, writes the apostle.
Even this evidence the apostle had also prayed for in his first letter to them, as we may read in chapter two, and in verse twelve where Paul wrote that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you onto its kingdom and glory. But there was a third thanksgiving, for the fact they endured the trials and the persecutions, which gave them also a right to accept a place of reward in the future glory of the kingdom. Suffering for Christ, which they were, and which we can do, is one condition to expect you to glory as a reward.
Paul writing in Second Timothy two, verse twelve, said, If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. Likewise in Romans eight, in verse seventeen, did not the apostle declare by the Spirit that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. These indications all present to us definite, divine objectives, that for them as well as for us, persecution and suffering for Christ's sake as a very blessed end.
Then as we go to verse six, we especially find there is to be divine retribution upon the persecuted, and this is definitely assured. Paul writes to declare, it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulations of end the trouble used. The saints are compensated for something in persecution that is endured, but the persecutors will learn the meaning of the words of God as they are written in Romans twelve in verse nineteen by way of example. Vengeance is mine, said the Lord.
I will retain. And this is why the Apostle continues to advise the Thessalonians faith, and to you who are troubled, rest with us, implying that the Lord would vindicate, and particularly this is the subversive persecutors with his judgment in a future day. And because of it, Pulse and rest. The saints are exhorted to relapse. All your persecutors will be dealt with by God. Leave them to him, to punish. But how can a saint relapse, one may ask?
In such difficult circumstances of trouble. There is one answer to that. The saints have a blessed hope. one that Paul had already revealed to the Thessalonians in chapter four of his first letter, and in verses fifteen through eighteen. Paul had revealed that the Lord is coming again to take us out of this world. We shall meet him in the air. We ought to be forever with the Lord. And in that portion of Thessalonians four, Paul concluded by saying, Wherefore, encourage or comfort one another with these words.
And Paul said by the Spirit of God, relax. Your troubles, they are going to end, and the persecutors will find that their troubles are still ahead, and they will never end. The sorrow of death may invade our Christian experience also, and causing grief and pain upon. and of mind, and many other things. But for the Christian, all this will end. For we sorrow not as others, who have no hope, wrote the Apostles. And thank God we can and we need to relax.
The Blessed Hope is a strong consolation. And as Paul writing to the Hebrews declared, it is an anchor for the soul. It is sure and steadfast. Relax, then. Well did the hymn write a pen the precious word. We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the pillows roll, fastened to the rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the saviour's love. Therefore we can leave our persecutors to be dealt with by God. in the coming day of his judgment. Now let us consider what will be God's retribution upon the persecuted.
As we look at verse seven through ten, and this is a very serious and a solemn implication of coming judgment and divine retribution that God will inflict in that day of his visitation. God's retributive judgments are yet in the future, to be visited upon the antagonistic world, which under Satan is opposed, and still opposes and persecutes the faithful people of God. It will be a very solemn and dreadful experience. It will be the day of God's vengeance.
It will be a time of unfair relax. And in our verses seven through ten, there are a number of facts that we can carefully and seriously consider. We can consider the time of those judgments, the divine instruments of divine judgment, the circumstances surrounding that time of visitation, as well as the purpose of it, and the objects of the divine judgment being visited. And finally, we can note the character which the judgment takes, and we can certainly, very favorably on our edification consider them separately.
First there comes, God's retributed judgment upon the persecutions of his people as described in these things, beginning in verse seven through ten, as we have indicated in this chapter. And first we note the time of God's retribution. Note the words in verse seven, When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven. Now these words have no reference to the rapture of the saints. These words coincide with what is the great theme of the book of Revelation, and that theme is declared in Revelation chapter one in verse seven.
where John by the Holy Spirit wrote, Behold, he cometh with clowns, and every eye shall see him. It will be the personal, it will be the glorious appearing, and the public appearing of Christ when he descends visibly to the earth, in the coming day when he shall come to take up the kingdoms of the world for himself. And that will be a visible manifestation in the sight of the whole world and to the astonishment of all nations. Again, let us repeat, this is not the rapture.
The day of God's vengeance and visitation will be when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed publicly as his second coming to the earth with his faith in that day of his glory. The rapture will take place some years before this occasion. But then second, we must note, the instruments of God's venue. We read that when he comes, Christ will come with his mighty angel, and besides the expression, with his mighty angel. In Matthew thirteen and verse thirty-nine, The angels, meaning the angels of God, they are named as the reapers in the harvest of divine judgment at the end of the age.
In Matthew thirteen and verse forty-nine of this same chapter, we are told that they will separate the wicked from the godly. And we are told by the Savior himself, they will separate the wicked from the righteous. In the fiftieth verse of Matthew thirteen, we are told by the Savior that the wicked and the ungodly shall be cast into the furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Read the words, if you would turn to the firtings of Matthew, which describe the divine execution of justice.
that culminates at the end of the age, when mighty, supernatural, holy angels will come with our Lord to the earth at his second appearing. Then know the third fact, the descriptive words in our second Thessalonian chapter, which describe the circumstances of this judgment. Three words are terrible implications. inclining fire. Do not fail to understand their meaning. If fire is literally the judgment, then the words of Psalm ninety-seven in verse three could be suggested, when for the same occasion the psalmist writes that a fire goeth before him and burneth of his adversary round about.
a reckless or betraying incident when the Lord comes to the earth in judgment. A fire goeth before him, and burneth off his hands the service round about. Psalm ninety-seven in verse three. Have you not read in Leviticus chapter ten in verse two? There were two men by the name of Najab and Abihu who perished at the hand of God. the priests of Jehovah, and because of their disobedience, there went out fire from before Jehovah, we read, and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah.
It is also written of the coming again of our Lord Jesus in judgment, in the fiftieth Psalm, a Psalm well worth reading, which declares that coming visitation of God. When Christ shall descend from heaven and take the kingdoms of the earth, the mighty God, and in the third verse of that fiftieth Psalm, we read, Our God shall come and shall not keep silence. A fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. Now if you think the flaming fire may not be literal, may I suggest The very shekindly glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, with all of his holy angels in their brilliant glory, and which will be surrounding the Lord, will be just as effective in accomplishing the same result of destruction by fire.
For the heavenly brilliance and the effulgence of divine glory will have a blinding effect upon the ungodly sinners in that day of visitation. And then let us note a third fact. In verse eight, the purpose of the judgment, two words describing, taking vengeance. Now there can be a false interpretation placed on these words. Let us be careful. Some may very strongly object to saying that God is unjust to do such an act of vengeance. But now wait just a moment before we accuse God of any seeming of indignation.
and showing by this judgment a spirit, and a wicked and wrong spirit of vindictiveness, taking revenge, as human beings would do, in self-gratification. Please let me say, God will have no self-gratification in this instituted and executed event. The Greek text, for these two words, could be rendering vengeance, and the word the Greek word means, that we proceed out of justice. In other words, it will be an act of justice.
There is no element of revenge in this act of judgment. It is done as an act of holiness and righteousness. Have you never read in Revelation chapter sixteen in verse seven? And the words are important to note. Even in the day of great visitation, upon and over the earth, before the Lord comes visibly to the earth, there will be given, and manifested from heaven above. And especially in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of the Acts, you have the final visitation of the vile judgment, and here are words that are written in the seventh verse of that chapter. True and righteous are thy judgments.
True and righteous are thy judgment. And these words are declared by the inhabitants of heaven. In that coming day, it will be the terrible day of vengeance, when God will recompense all the ungodly deeds of the wicked. May I repeat with emphasis, there is to be a special day of divine retribution, a day of vengeance. the day of the vengeance of our God. If you would particularly follow this through, read the sermon that the Lord Jesus spoke, and the scriptures particularly that he read in Luke chapter four, when he made his first sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth.
And as you read of that first sermon, the scripture is taken from Isaiah chapter sixty-one. And if you will note carefully in comparing the two portions, Luke chapter four, with Isaiah sixty-one and the opening words of Isaiah sixty-one, you'll find that the Lord stated the purpose of his first coming to the earth. And when he finished reading the scripture in Isaiah, he closed the book where you and I would never close the book, where there is a commerce. in the scriptures that you read and I read in our Bible. And following that comma, the expression is stated, The day of vengeance of our God.
Now the Lord did not come to the earth at his first address to bring vengeance. He came to save. But he's coming the second time, which we need to realize. He's coming to execute vengeance. May I pause very solemnly, and seriously reflect with you, there is a day of vengeance that is yet to come, a terrible day of vengeance, yet to come upon the ungodly of this earth, when God will recompense all the ungodly deeds of the wicked. Did not the Savior, when he was upon the earth, declare to his enemy that the blood of Abel, which had been shed upon the earth, and the blood of many down through the centuries of time, of God's beloved faithful servant that had been shed upon the earth would someday reap vengeance.
Beloved, listen, the world cannot inflict persecution, suffering, shame, death, and violence against the people of God. without someday reaping the harvest. That harvest day is very near. Again I would commend to you the careful reading of those scriptures that we have referred to previously in Matthew thirteen. Where you find in that coming day the Lord is the suffering, the godly from the ungodly, the wicked from the righteous, and the righteous will go into everlasting life.
But the wicked, the Lord will say, as you may read in Matthew twenty-five, forty-one, he will say, Depart from me, ye cursed for it into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. But then we must further note the objects of those judgments in verse eight, on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would please note with you that there are two classes of people involved here. All Gentiles who have refused the knowledge of God, and may I remind you that the knowledge of God is revealed in the light of nature from the very creation of the universe.
You read Acts chapter ten and verse thirty-four as well as Romans two, verses ten through fifteen, and you will realize that even though men may not have had the gospel, the light of creation, will be a basis of judgment. But the second statement of our verse includes all Jews as well as Gentiles, who, having heard the gospel, refuse to submit to the claims of God as declared in his message. Now say, the character of the judgment is revealed in verse nine. They shall be punished. The punishment, my friend, is of eternal duration. It is everlasting destruction, and this means eternal banishment.
It does not mean eternal annihilation. There's no such thing as that. From the face of the Lord, they will be eternally banished and destroyed from the purposes for which he had indeed created them. And they will be banished from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his power. The time of the judgment is again repeated in verse ten, and it is at the coming of the Lord from heaven. Last of all, Paul prayed for his convicts in verses eleven and twelve, and declares that the present objective of all their suffering was in order that they would walk worthy of the Lord now, together with the assurance that the future glory of ultimate manifestation with Christ would be theirs when he comes to thus set the believers before him.
Persecution will be visited with retributed justice, but the saints are to so live, while persecuted, to prove themselves worthy of their great calling, regardless of the depth of their suffering. For when Christ returns, they will be glorified with him, and this will be eternal compensation. Beloved, May you and I be willing to suffer for him. Come what may. Compensation will be ours. Retribution will be visited upon the persecuted.
We will now commence. the doctrinal, and the corrected ministry that is given by the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians in the second epistle, Chapter Two, and it is recorded entirely in verses one through twelve. This section particularly concerns what is called in the Word of God the Day of the Lord. This is the main subject of the epistle. as well as the purpose of correcting the erroneous doctrinal teaching that had been given to the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord had already come.
The saints had become detracted with much feel and apprehension because of their intense trials and their persecution, for false teachers were suggesting to them that their troubles were the evidence that the day of the Lord was present. The day of the Lord in its scriptural meaning should be well understood. It is that time of the world's greatest crisis. She's also called in the Scripture, more familiarly perhaps than any, as the Great Tribulation, as the Lord Jesus speaks of it in Matthew and verse fifteen.
In Jeremiah chapter thirty and verse seven, she's spoken of by the prophet as the day of Jacob's trouble. In Daniel chapter twelve and verse one, Daniel himself was told of a great unprecedented time of trouble, a day of great tribulation for his people. Now this section of Second Thessalonians, chapter two, verses one through twelve, is written to exhort the saints not to be distracted by the spread of this false teaching, that the day of the Lord had already come. Paul's basic foundation to annul their fears is that blessed hope, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him, as it is introduced in verse one.
For let us analyze the Scripture before us carefully. That blessed oath, which is the coming of the Lord for his faith, it is the most intelligent preservative against the false rumors that the day of the Lord, or the Great Tribulation, and the day of God's judgment that comes. Paul writes to say, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together under him. Verse one, the Thessalonians say, then even we ourselves, should remember that in the first Thessalonians chapter four, as well as in chapter five, Paul has clearly revealed that contrasts the clear distinction between the Lord's Sonny, for his faith, and the great day of the Lord when he will come with his faith.
In chapter four, the fact verse divisively and wonderfully described the rapture, as you may read in verses fifteen through seventeen, particularly, when the Lord will come for his faith. And in chapter five he plainly tells us that the day of the Lord was the world's judgment which will follow the rapture. Yet from this teaching the saints of Thessalonia had been led astray. The words of second Thessalonians chapter two and verse one refer directly to the rapture. when the Lord will gather his saints together, translating them from the earth, some from the grave, others who are living, to meet him in the air.
And on the basis of this blessed hope, the Apostle precludes any necessity of saints, ever being concerned about going through the Day of the Lord or the Great Tribulation. He had also described the character of the Day of the Lord in the first chapter of this second epistle, as we have already touched upon it, which indicated that the saints would even come with Christ, and be glorified with him, and to share his judgment over the world. Therefore, we conclude, Saints believers should never fear of being in, or even passing through the Great Tribulation, or experiencing the awful judgments upon the earth which attend and will attend the day of the Lord, in relations of this world.
The bright hope of the church is to be caught up in the heavens, and this will be realized before the day of the Lord shall come. That is what Paul means as he writes the words, Our gathering together unto him. In verse two of our chapter, Paul goes on to suggest, Annie Gibraltar, at least four possible sources of the erroneous teaching that had affected the Thessalonian believing. First, we note in verse two, there was the supposed ministry of the Spirit of God, which was implied by Paul's intonation that the false teaching was by the authority of the Holy Spirit.
Now false teachers will always seek to base their doctrine on the claim that it is the Word of God. And we are warned, and may I point out carefully in First John the Epistle of Psalms, chapter four and verses one through three, we are carefully warned of the danger so that we should test the spirit to prove whether they be of God. For may we repeat again, False teachers will always claim the authority of the Spirit of God and the Word of God in their claims of whatever error they propagate. Then there was another source, probably, of the erroneous teaching.
It was the claim of all those ministry by mouth. The false teaching was being given by word, professing that the message was one of divine revelations. and possibly even claiming they may have heard it from the Apostles themselves. The third probable source of this erroneous teaching was the possibility of a deceitful letter being claimed as being received from the Apostle Paul himself or his companion missionary. It is well to note the effect that it were produced by the false teaching.
and this should be noted for our own warning and our own admonition. But, unfortunately, the teaching had produced a hasty impression upon the believers. They very quickly formed their opinion, being convinced that they should accept it, without giving it a careful consideration. As to what Paul, and comparing it, to what Paul had written in his first epistle. And in chapter five of that first epistle in verse twenty-one, Paul had written to him, Prove all things. My beloved believer, let us not form a hasty opinion about doctrine that we may hear, but rather prove its accuracy, its truthfulness, all its error, according to the word of God.
Prove all things. Then the second thing, it had produced a very greatly disturbed mental condition. They were troubled in mind. A state of fear and unsettled peace was the result of accepting this teaching. It became an agitated and excited situation, for they were shaken in mind, which is the Greek meaning of the word, and it means to move away from just like a ship would be moved away in a storm from its mooring. And they had been moved away from their previous convictions of the truth that had been taught to them, and they had come into a state of fear and disturbed peace.
It is too easily possible for this to happen when false teaching is readily accepted. No matter what emotional strain may be produced around us and amongst us, believers should never permit their emotions to be the basis of mental control. Can I repeat that? Don't let your emotions control your mind. This is unsafe. We should be careful. The safe control of our minds as believers can only be found in the convictions that we know what the will of God is, then we find it revealed through and in and by his authoritative word.
The only firm foundation for peace of heart and peace of mind must be the word of God, and to accept the false teachings of men who propagate that which is contrary to God's revealed truth in his word will make trouble for all Christians, as well as non-Christians also. As we consider the Apostle's doctrinal ministry in the fore part of this second epistle of Thessalonians chapter two, we find them presenting, and we shall follow and see in its conclusion as we come to all of it, we shall find in declaring four basic reasons to prove that the day of the Lord was not planted.
And these are scriptural evidences to us today that the church will not go into, nor even through, the period known as the Day of the Lord or the Great Tribulation. First, his first argument regarding this proof, we've already considered it. And we just repeat it very briefly. He tells the Thessalonian saints in verse one that the Lord had not yet come for his saints. For if the Lord had come, we would have been gathered unto him above. Now let it be emphasized, let us repeat, and let us receive this fact with deep conviction.
Before that great and terrible day of the Lord comes, The strength of the church must be taken out of the world. We must be translated as a raster, to meet the Lord above in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort? One another with these words, as Paul well wrote in First Thessalonians four, seventeen and eighteen. My beloved believer, there would be no comfort for you and for me to go through the Great Tribulation. Saints of God, That's not your hope. This is your hope. Christ is coming for us. Let no man take that hope from you, nor from me.
So he makes it contrary to it. But then the apostle goes on, and he has a second basic argument. Very important. May we indeed understand it. He then declares, the apostasy must come before the day of the Lord begins. Now let us dwell upon this argument carefully. Paul writes in verse three, Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come, except there comes, B falling away, not A falling away, a definite article, B, should be before the words, B falling away, possibly, meaning, D, apostasy, first.
Now what is the true meaning of these words, the apostasy? May we first say that all apostasy is essentially religion, a revolt against God. Apostasy is not the corruption of God's truth merely, but it's rather the abandonment of God's truth and of his authority. The word apostasy is also found in First Timothy chapter four in verse one, where Paul writes that some, and I quote, the proper rendering of the verse, some shall apostatize from the praise.
In this scripture can be seen, there will be a real denial of God's life. As you may read the context, in First Timothy four, verse one and two, there will be a real denial of God's life as the creator. and even His grace as the Savior. But in Second Thessalonians chapter two, please now note these words. This is not a partial turning away from God, but it is an extreme and a general detection from the gospel, which eventually will develop into the total abandonment of all truth. Please let me repeat my last statement.
The apostasy deals with what will be the total, the complete abandonment of divine truth. Not merely a revolt against God, but a denial of any being, of any order of being, superior to man. It will be man's claim to be in absolute supremacy, not only in this world. but even in the universe, defying and denying the existence of any God at all. I wonder if we actually realize the extent of this. We possibly fail to do that, to realize that this worldwide revolt against God will characterize the end of this age.
It is revealed in the Law of Moses. It is revealed in the Book of Psalms. It is revealed in the prophets of the Old Testament. It is revealed also in the Gospels and in the epistles of our beloved service, the Apostles. And it is especially predominant in the book of the Revelation. This fact, Moses writes concerning this great apostasy in Deuteronomy chapter thirty-one and chapter thirty-two. The psalm is also in chapter two of the psalm, a worthy psalm worth reading. and particularly the first three verses, describe often general rebellion of the whole world, its rulers and people against God.
The prophet Daniel writes of it. The apostles also, as we suggested, reveal that both Jews and professing Christians will abandon their profession of the truth, for which they are respectively responsible. God will be left publicly without a witness. except by your persecuted remnant in the day when his judgment will fall upon the earth as it is described in the book of the Revelation. Now here is some concluding thought we would like to make concerning this apostasy. The definite article V in the scripture is before the word apostasy.
It serves a double purpose. It denotes that this apostasy is not an isolated case, or the detection of individuals, but a movement of general character never known before in the world. Then second, it had also been the subject of a previous communication by the ministry of mouth to the Thessalonians, according to verse five. Paul writes in verse five, do you not remember that being yet with you, I told you these things. Now we can only conclude, and our conclusion must be, that this apostasy will be the general renunciation of all public obeisance of God's truth here upon the earth.
And then Third, the Apostle's third argument that the day of the Lord was not present, followed, when he declares in the latter part of verse three, that man of sin must be revealed as son of perdition. The man of sin. Now this describes a prominent person. It emphasizes a man of predominant character. The Lord Jesus on the earth, and in the scriptures of Isaiah fifty-three, was called a man of sorrows. and truly he was above all other men preeminent, in suffering and in sorrow. The title Man of Sin in its full meaning and intensity is without parallel in human history.
Old and New Testament write of this person, and he is prominent, prominent in the Psalms. Isaiah the prophet writes of him in chapter eleven and verse four, in chapter thirty and verse thirty-three. in chapter fifty-seven in verse nine, and he identifies him as a king whom the Lord will destroy by the breath of his mouth. In Daniel chapter eleven, and I commend to you the reading of verses thirty-six through thirty-nine, he's more fully described as the willful king who will be brought to a tragic end when the Lord appears in glory and empowered in judgment. Our Lord Jesus spoke about him in John five, forty-three.
The beloved apostle John called him in his epistle, the Antichrist. And in Revelation thirteen he is the second beast of that chapter who is called the false prophet. Now in our chapter, before us in Thessalonians, it reveals he will possess a powerful religious influence. He opposes and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Verse four, though he will be a king, his chief influence is not as a secular power, but a religious one.
He will be as infidelistic as his wicked co-partner, who will be the first beast of Revelation thirteen. But his characteristic influence deeply will be religious or spiritual, which is suggested by every kind of power, sign, and falsehood being done under the working of Satan, as it is declared in verse ten of our chapter. It is also well to note his blasphemous pretensions in verse four of our chapter. His opposition first to all that is called God. and his self-exaltation above God.
He will oppose God, and he will oppose God in his religious influence within the world and over the world. The beloved apostle John clearly tells us this in I John II, verse twenty-two. Who is the liar? For he that denies Jesus is the Christ. He is the Antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. I quote the translation of J. N. Darlene. So carefully from these words, he will proclaim a twofold false blasphemy. First, he will head the denial of Judaism, denying that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel, for he himself will claim to be the Messiah.
Second, he will head the denial of professing Christianity, for Christianity is signified by the Father and the Son, and the teaching of that blessed unity of Father and Son. The outstanding distinction of Christianity is different from Judaism. It claims, as John says, we are the children of God in our race, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son. Thus, the line of Satan will prepare Judaism and professing Christianity to accept the anti-Christness of one leader. Now, this very fact proves how complete the apostasy will be.
But then we should note carefully the self-exaltation of this man. He deifies himself. As God he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Second Thessalonians, Luke verse four. He will be the impersonation of human self-sufficiency, totally declaring his independence of any God. The Lord Jesus spoke of him in John five forty-three. Here are his words. He said, I'm come in my Father's name, and you receive me now. If another shall come in his own name, then ye will receive.
The Antichrist comes in his own name. He says, I am God, please. Let me be very clear. to realize that vividly, clearly distinctly what he will be saying, I am God. And Francis states the fact, it will be very suitable to the spirit of the age in which we're living. The very claim that man is God in South will gratify and crown the selfishness of mankind. for it will be the exaltation of human pride to the very highest degree.
Or how we should realize this. My beloved believer, my friend who may be listening, the spirit of the age is rapidly working to the culmination when God will be totally worldwide, denied, revelled against, and man himself will profess to be his own God. What a distinct opposite. This spirit is to the Lord Jesus, the spirit of humility which was found in Christ, the Son of God, as it is in Christ during the second epistle of Philippians chapter two, verse five through verse eight.
When he came into this world, Now let us repeat the emphasis that this man of sin will be a real human person. He will be energized by Satan, who will exert the most powerful and religious influence upon both Jews and Gentiles at the end of this age. Manifesting and heading the sweeping worldwide apostasy of the human race, in opposition to all divine claims and heavenly control of man upon the earth. Not only heading this worldwide rebellion against God, but at the same time exalting himself as God, and most likely in the very historic city of Jerusalem, in the very temple that will be standing in that day.
A diabolical insult to the blessed true Messiah, who someday will claim the kingdoms of this world for himself, destroying all the nations, and its bold and sweeping justice. May I remind you of the very vivid illustration of this very act, that you may read, the first Gentile monarch of the Gentile world with Nebuchadnezzar. He was the most powerful and the most glorious, majestic king that has ever ruled a world empire, as you may read in the Book of Daniel. Did you ever notice that in Chapter Three of the Book of Daniel, he declared the intention of unifying his great empire that was composed of all nations, all kinds of religious beliefs, all kinds of paganities, as well as the belief of God mercy people in the true Jehovah.
And he built an image of gold, six, six cubic high on the plain of Judah, commanding all the nations to be gathered in representation upon that occasion and to fall down at the sound of music and worship of that image, worship that image. I beloved, you know what his purpose was? It was a good political motive, but it was also religious. To have only one worldwide religion. Now do I have to say, it is plain as the nose on your face, that the ecumenical movements of today are towards that very fact to unify religion? Well, may I say it will ultimately culminate in the unifying, on the earth, under this terrible character.
Unlike Nebuchadnezzar of old, as you may read in Revelation thirteen, the latter part of the chapter, we will build an image to be worshipped. Turning up man as his own God. Or what a day of judgment there will be. We must again note in verse five of our chapter of the second Thessalonians, the beloved apostle repeats the fact that he had informed his converts that those things that he writes about were told to them before. And thus we must certainly realize, first of all, as we consummate our meditation here, First, the gathering of the Church of the Saints to meet the Lord in the air must take place before that terrible day of the Lord.
Second, the apostasy must come before the great and terrible of the day or day of the Lord. And third, the manner of sin must be revealed before that great and terrible day of the Lord. Therefore, even conclusively to the very presence of our study, we must say it is impossible that the day of the Lord is to be present now or was present then? The saints were not passing through the Great Regulation, nor will the church be on the earth during that awful period of trouble, darkness, doom, sorrow, trial, judgment, and destruction.