The return of the Lord is of central importance in both letters. First Thessalonians reveals that some believers were perplexed over the death of loved ones and whether they might miss the Lord's return.

In Second Thessalonians a different problem surfaces, but one still related to the coming of the Lord.

Since Paul's first letter, the seeds of false doctrine have been sown among the Thessalonians, causing them to waver in their faith. Paul removes these destructive seeds and again plants the seeds of truth. He begins by commending the believers on their faithfulness in the midst of persecution and encouraging them that present suffering will be repaid with future glory. Therefore in the midst of persecution, expectation can be high.

Paul then deals with the central matter, a misunderstanding spawned by false teachers regarding the day of the Lord. There were still, in this church, clear concerns over imbalanced attitudes related to Christ's coming. "We hear," said the apostle (3:11), "that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all...." Work stoppage it seems was prompted by an erroneous teaching that "the day of the Lord had already come" (2:2). Whatever the source of this erroneous teaching, Paul quickly wrote Second Thessalonians to round out the proper way to understand the return of the Lord.

Understand that in First Thessalonians the believers were concerned about what would happen to their loved ones who had died with regard to the benefits that the living would receive at the coming of Jesus. What would become of them they wondered, since Jesus had not yet come.

Here in this letter, they had been told that the day of the Lord had already come. They understood from Paul's teaching that when Jesus came the dead in Christ would rise first then, both the raised dead and the surviving living would be caught up at the same time to be forever with the Lord. "Hey Paul, you told us that we would be united with our dead loved ones and then we would be raptured together to go to be with the Lord. Now we have been told by teachers (false), that the day of the Lord has all ready come. Now you told us that after Jesus comes, the day of the Lord begins, the day of the Lord is here, our loved ones are still dead and we are not raptured, now what is going on?"

Paul corrects this false teaching by telling them, that day (the day of the lord) will not come until certain events take place. First, there will be a falling away, and second, the Man of Sin will be revealed. Paul admonishes them to believe the traditions and fixed beliefs that he taught them about the coming of Jesus as a check upon all teaching concerning that event.

He also gives strong warnings about and to people who would teach anything different than what he taught concerning the coming of Jesus.

2 Thes. chapter ONE

2 Thes. 1:1-3, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,

Verses 1&2 is the typical opening that Paul uses in his letters.

Verse 3, Even though Paul writes this letter to correct a problem, he first drew attention to what was good about their situation. He does the proper and fitting thing, give thanks to God at all times concerning them. Paul felt very strongly that what God had done for the Thessalonian believers deserves his thanks to God.

Growth is always a sign of life and health. There faith and love was growing abundantly because of obedience to God's Word. Their faith was shown in service, in humility, in courtesy, and in consideration for one another. There love was a self-giving love that reached out to others, even to people they did not like, especially to people that did not deserve to be loved. Their love was shown without restriction.

2 Thes. 1:4, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.

As a result of their faith and love abounding, Paul gloried in them and boasted of them among all the churches. He especially rejoiced to tell other churches about the patience of the Thessalonians.

Patience is translated from the Greek word HUPOMONE (hoop-om-on-ay'), it means endurance, constancy, perseverance in the midst of difficulty. They put up with persecutions, tribulations, pressures, oppression, affliction and trouble without any complaining about their lot in life. They did not lose faith and hope when the unbelievers assaulted them because of their Christian testimony.

May God help us! In the day that we are living most of us do not have enough of a Christian testimony to be assaulted for! What is there to boast about in the churches we are familiar with today? Are we going to boast about the lack of prayer? Are we going to boast about the lack of Holy Spirit anointed preaching? Are we going to boast about traditions of men and denominations that is making the Word of God to have no effect on our lives or the lives of unbelievers? Are we going to boast about how we uphold man-made constitutions above the Word of God? Are we going to boast about the sexual sins of the preachers and the saints in the pew? Are we going to boast about the fact that we do not have enough power to heal the sick or set the captives free? Are we going to boast that sinners can come in our midst and leave saying, "if that is all there is to it, I want know part of it? Are we to boast of the lack of conviction, the lack of faith, the lack of love, the lack of forgiveness, the lack of manifestations of the Spirit in healing, delivering, saving, baptizing, holiness in living power.

Church, we need to repent and return to obedience to God's Word! We need to pray for patience, the stickability to stay true to the Word of God.

2 Thes. 1:5, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;

Paul is saying, your persecutions, your tribulations, the difficulties that you are enduring by those who have rejected the message will vindicate the outpouring of God's wrath during the day of the Lord. The persecutions of believers by the ungodly throughout the world will be one of the reasons that the judgment of God will be poured out.

The suffering and endurance of believers in the midst of tribulation indicates their fidelity to Christ and show their worthiness to rule and reign with God. This will be even more manifested during the great tribulation when the wrath of the Antichrist is against the elect of God. Paul said to endure all things for the elect's sake, for the sake of those who are elected or chosen to follow Jesus. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:10-12, Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, he also will deny us. This means that believers are to stand their ground when others are fleeing, to hold out when others are giving up, to remain steadfast to the end no matter what we have to go through.

2 Thes. 1:6, since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you.

When God destroys evil it is a righteous act. God does no evil. It is not evil to get rid of evil, it is doing good when evil is gotten rid of. God is a God of love, and because of His love He is a God of justice and He will repay the wicked for rejecting the message of Jesus, and persecuting the people of God. This will be a righteous act on His part. To preach the love of God without the judgments of God, is not preaching the total gospel.

God's love can never embrace what His holiness condemns.

The same God who loves is the same God who will judge. The day of the Lord is the righteous judgments of a holy, loving God which will purge the planet earth from evil. That judgment will judge wicked men, it will judge false religion, and that judgment will judge the Antichrist and the false prophet. The day is coming when the words of Jonathan Edwards will be true, "Sinners in the hands of an angry God."

2 Thes 1:7, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, Those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

The only time the godly will be totally free from tribulation, (attack by Satan through ungodly people, ungodly systems and the Antichrist spirit) will be when Jesus is revealed (unveiling, disclosure, revealing) from heaven with His mighty angels. This unveiling is a term used to describe Christ coming to destroy the present world system and set up His kingdom on earth (Daniel 2:35,45). Then those who are troubled, persecuted and going through the great tribulation will be able to rest forever from persecution. This is exactly what the Bible teaches, He is coming to deliver His elect out from the great tribulation when He cuts it short, then immediately His day-of-the-Lord wrath begins.

Notice He is coming with His mighty angels. Turn back to 1 Thes. 3:13, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming (PAROUSIA) of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

There are those who would tell us that this is referring to when Jesus comes back to destroy the ungodly and set up His kingdom, and this happens seven years after the rapture takes place. The saints here, according to them are the raptured church which was raptured before the tribulation began. The context of this verse does not allow for that interpretation. When are the ones talked to in this verse going to be established blameless in holiness before God? When Jesus comes with all His saints!

Therefore, the saints referred to here cannot be living believers, because the living believer's hearts will be established blameless in holiness at this time. This is not His coming seven years after the rapture. This His is coming to rapture His church and establish them blameless and holy before God.

He is going to present to His Father a church without spot or wrinkle, after the compromising church is purified and by going through the fiery testing that Peter talks about in 1 Peter 4:12&13. These two verses are talking about the same event. See also Matt. 25:31, which says, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. There is no basis to read into these texts what is not there. The bible does not say that he is coming back with the raptured believers. The reason He is coming with his holy angels is that as soon as the rapture takes place He is going to begin to pour out His wrath. Who is it that assists in pouring out God's wrath? According to Revelation it is the angels, that is why they come with Him, they are the instruments through which He will manifest His power in judgment. He is coming with His angels and with the people who have died in Christ to raise them to be raptured with the living.

2 Thes. 1:8, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

While the coming of Christ brings blessing to the believers, it will be a time of judgment upon those who have been enemies of the Gospel. Those who "know not God" include those who have willfully rejected the knowledge that was available to them. Those who "obey not the gospel" are those who heard it but actively rejected it, and took a course of disobedience. They are a specific group within the group that knows not God. They are even more guilty for they know what they are doing.

2 Thes. 1:9, These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

The term "everlasting destruction" does not mean annihilation, it does not mean cessation of life, it means eternal separation from God. They will be separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power forever, they will not have any fellowship with God. This banishment from the manifest presence of God will be the vindication of God's holy, righteous nature.

2 Thes. 1:10, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

In that day is referring to the day of the Lord when He will be glorified in His saints. His saints include the holy angels who carry out His wrath whom He brings with Him. He will be admired by all those who believe (the living believers and the believers who have been raised from the dead.

The saints and believers here are two different groups. Saints is the same Greek word as in 1 Thes. 3:13 which we have already dealt with, the meaning of which is holy ones (angels). He will be glorified in the holy ones He brings with them because they will assist in caring out God's wrath.

"Those who believe" is referring to all who put their trust in Jesus for their spiritual well- being because of believing the testimony of the gospel. I don't know what you are going through now, nor do I know what you will go through in the future, but I do know that if you will be patient and endure you will come forth as gold and reflect the glory of Christ.

Saints if you are not ready to die for Him in the future, you are not ready to live for Him in the now.

2 Thes. 1:11,12, Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here again as Paul is known to do He breaks out in prayer for the believers. Only in connection with acts of faith could Paul's petition in this prayer be fulfilled. Then, through the believers' worthy response to His call, their delight in goodness, and their activity of faith, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in them and they in Him.

2 Thes. chapter TWO.

Remember that in 1 Thes. 4, The believers had a concern with regard to believers who had died in Christ before He had returned. Paul tells them that they need not be unduly concerned, they need not sorrow has others who have no hope, because at Jesus' coming (PAROUSIA) the dead in Christ will rise first then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord. That is to be a source of great comfort to those who have lost loved ones through death.

Then He moves on in 1 Thes. 5, and tells them that concerning the times and seasons you have no need that I write to you. For you know that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. So what he is saying is, Not only is the Lord going to return, resurrect the dead and rapture the living, but these things will happen before the day of the Lord because we are not appointed unto the wrath of God. We will experience a time of difficulty, the difficulty of Satan through Antichrist, the difficulty that is associated with the fall of man, we are not exempted from that. So we will experience tribulation.

In 2 Thes. 2, Paul is going to deal with the concept of the day of the Lord again, because of a problem that had developed. After some commendations in the first chapter, he begins to deal with the problem.

2 Thes. 2:1,2, Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

Something had happened concerning the coming of Jesus that had caused them to be shaken in composure and disturbed. Paul tells them not to be troubled, either by spirit (prophetic utterance) or by word (verbal message) or by letter (a forged document) that says you are already living in the day of the Lord. Some of the Thessalonian Christians were departing from their senses like a ship blown from her moorings because they thought they were in the Day of the Lord.

Thus they were disturbed (frightened, agitated) and filled with feverish anxieties. Paul began by establishing again the connection of the coming (PAROUSIA) of Christ "with our gathering together to Him," and the day of the Lord (God's judgment).

When will we be gathered together unto Him? At the Rapture. He unequivocally tells them, as well as the church today, exactly what must occur before the PAROUSIA of Christ, the time of this gathering unto Him, as we will see in vv.3-9.

Why would they believe they were in the day of the Lord? Because they were severely persecuted for their faith. They were going through tribulation, they were pressured with problems. While those things were going on, some teachers told them they were already living in the day of the Lord, which they understood to be the outpouring of God's wrath. They could not therefore be encouraged by the prospect of a literal rapture of believers.

This is not what Paul taught them, but because of what they were suffering they concluded that it might be true. W. J. Erdman identifies the expression, "the day of the Lord", with the "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him" and says,The Apostle beseeches the saints in behalf of this very coming (PAROUSIA) of the Lord to gather them together into His presence, not to be troubled or shaken from the teaching they had received from him; and he beseeches them concerning this coming and gathering together as something that has not taken place and cannot take place until the "man of sin" be revealed.

The church throughout the world will be contemporary with the "man of sin" and in the "great tribulation". The man of sin is the author of the great tribulation. The day of the Lord in which the Antichrist meets His doom comes after the great tribulation. The church is delivered at the opening of that day from the wrath which overtakes Antichrist. Therefore the church must have been a contemporary with him and in the great tribulation.

Those who would have the Church raptured at the beginning of the seventieth week in order to exempt them from the wrath of Antichrist say that, verse one is referring to one event and verse two is referring to another entirely different event. This not only descreates the Greek language, it also descrates the English language.

2 Thes. 2:3,4, 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 is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Verse 3, Paul tells them not to be deceived by any means, even if it is by prophesy, or by verbalization, or by an epistle. All prophesies are not from God, if it does not line up with the Word of God it is not from God. No matter how logical the false teachers may seem due to the circumstances you find yourself in, they are still wrong. If God's Word says something, but your circumstances say something else, you say what the Word of God says not what your circumstances say. That is not to deny the circumstances, but don't allow them to dictate how you react. React the way the Word of God says to act.

"For that day", what day? The day of the Lord, the day when Jesus comes and gathers us together to Him, the day of the resurrection of our loved ones, the day we are taken out so the wrath of God can begin. In 1 Thessalonians the concern was over what would happen to their loved ones who had died before the return of Christ. In 2 Thessalonians the concern was the day of the Lord had already begun and Jesus had not come, nor had their loved ones been raised. They knew that according to Paul's teaching, before the day of the Lord began the raising of the dead in Christ and the rapture was to take place. Now because of their tribulation they were told they were experiencing the day of the Lord's wrath. Don't worry, Paul says, for that day will NOT come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.

Falling away is preceded by the definite article "the", and therefore refers to apostasy in a religious sense and not a political sense. This is made certain by the relation of Antichrist to it. This apostasy takes place during the seventieth week of Daniel. This is not referring to people leaving a denomination and going to another one, nor is it people leaving a denomination to become non-denominational or independent as I have heard some teach. Falling away is translated from the Greek word APOSTASIA (ap-os- tas-ee'-ah), it means defection from truth ["apostasy"], a total abandonment of what is true. Mr. Vine says it this way: "a defection, revolt, apostasy," is used in the NT of religious apostasy; in Acts 21:21, it is translated "to forsake," lit., "thou teachest apostasy from Moses." In 2 Thes. 2:3 "the falling away" signifies apostasy from the faith. This word occurs only in the above two places in the Bible. In Acts 21:21 there were those who were accusing Paul of telling Jews who had accepted Christ to apostatize, to totally abandon the Jewish law and custom for another religious system.

The falling away is a prelude to the day of the Lord, Paul tells them that they can't be living in the day of the Lord because this falling away has to take place first.

That day will not come until the "man of sin" is revealed (made known). Who is the man of sin? Antichrist. When will the man of sin be revealed as to his true identity? In the middle of the seventieth week. Jesus admonishes believers in the last days: "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand)..."For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matt. 24:15,21,22).

The Holy Spirit reveals through the prophet Daniel that "in the middle of the week"--that is, three and a half years after he has signed his deceptive covenant with Israel--Antichrist "will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate" (Dan. 9:27). At that time Satan (the dragon) who is cast down from heaven, will give the Antichrist (the beast) his power, his throne and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (Rev 13:2-4).

Paul is telling us here that two things must take place before the day of the Lord begins. The day of the Lord begins immediately after the Church is raptured which happens immediately after the dead in Christ are raised, which happens some time after the two events, the falling away, and the revealing of the man of sin.

If, as pretribulation rapturism maintains, the day of the Lord begins at the beginning of the seventieth week, then it must be concluded that these two events must occur before the rapture of the church, thus before the seventieth week begins. This is not scriptually sound (Dan. 9:27).

Let's divert for a minute and look at when the Antichrist will be revealed. Turn to Matt. 24:33, "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it (My return) is near--at the doors! What precedes this is the parable of the fig tree. When certain things happen to the fig tree you know that summer is getting near, now here is the spiritual application. So likewise when you shall see all of these things, my return is near. What did the Lord mean by the phrase "these things?" Was he referring back to verse 4 and following? And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. That is the white horse and rider of Revelation. But even today we have a lot of that going on. "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." We have a lot of wars being fought right now, at any one time there are upwards to seventy five wars in progress world wide. "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines (a lot of famines are taking place and have taken place over the years), pestilence's, and earthquakes in various places. "All these (now notice the phrase that follows) are the beginning of sorrows. Now drop down to verses 15-21, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand),"then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. "Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. "And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! "And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Now go to verse 33, so likewise when you see all of these things, does all of these things refer to the false Christs, the wars, the famines, the pestilence's and the rest of what we just looked at? Or does, when you see all of these things, refer to what would properly be the nearest antecedent to all of these things. Meaning what immediately preceded the statement which was a discussion of the great tribulation which begins in the middle of the seventieth week.

So He says, when you see certain things happen to the fig tree you know that summer is getting near, now when you see all of these things, is He talking about false Christs, wars, famines, pestilence, cosmic disturbances or is he referring to verses 15-31, where the abomination of desolation is set up beginning the great tribulation.

The question is, will the church recognize who the Antichrist is at the beginning of the seventieth week or in the middle of the seventieth week? The argument that is usually made for the beginning of the seventieth week, is that he is going to make a covenant with Israel for seven years and this covenant signing will be conspicuous. The Bible tells us that the Antichrist will be revealed for who he is when he sets himself up as God in the temple demanding worship in the middle of the seventieth week.

The Hebrew text of Daniel 9, does not say that he is going to make a covenant, it says that he is going to confirm a covenant. There is a big difference between making and confirming. Other translations say that he will strengthen a covenant. The idea seems to be that he will confirm a covenant already in existence. So it may be no big deal as to the strengthing of this covenant.

I don't know if the Church will recognize the Antichrist at the beginning of the seventieth week or not, but she will definitely know who he is at the midpoint of the seventieth week when he breaks the covenant and puts an image of himself in the rebuilt temple.

It seems to me, that is what Paul is teaching. You can't be in the day of the Lord because two things have to precede it, the apostasy, and Antichrist is revealed. If we will know who the Antichrist is at the beggining, all the better, if we don't we will definitely know who he is at the midpoint of the seventieth week.

Verse 4, The word opposeth means against, and exalteth means in place of. So whenever an antichrist is referred to, the dominant idea is opposition to and substitution of God.

Paul makes it abundantly clear that in the middle of the week the man of sin will be revealed. After stating that the man of sin must be revealed, he does not relate that revelation to the time of the signing of the covenant, but on the occasion of the setting up of the Antichrist's image. This event (the setting of himself up in the temple) which occurs in the middle of the seventieth week, cannot be divorced from the time the Antichrist is revealed. Paul was not talking about the time when Antichrist appears on the scene; clearly that was three and one half years earlier, when the covenant was confirmed. That is not the issue. Paul was speaking of the time when the Antichrist will be recognized for who he truly is. That recognition will occur in the middle of the seventieth week when he sets himself up as God in the temple (Dan. 9:27; cf, Matt. 24:15). These verses are the reasons why it is said that a temple is to be built prior to the middle of the seventieth week.

It seems that a tribulation temple is to be built, but we have to be careful here. We are told by Daniel that the sacrifice will be brought to an end in the middle of the seventieth week. To say that the sacrifice is going to cease, what does that presuppose? It presupposes that it has been reinstated. If the Antichrist is going to stop it when he sets himself up in the temple, then it must be in place before then.

It seems clear that the Jews reinstate their animal sacrifices. Did you know that there is a small group in Israel today, who have already built, after meticulous research, more the fifty of the implements used by the priests of the temple. They are training young Israelis to be priests if they qualify and one of the qualifications is that they must trace their genealogy back five generations to ensure that they come from such names as Levie, Levin or Cohin, because these are the descendants of the Livitical priest line of the Old Testament. So there is an active movement to reestablish the Livitical sacrificial system.

But now listen carefully, whenever it speaks about that temple it does not use the word that is sometimes used to describe the massive temple that existed in the days of Solomon. It does not describe the temple that existed in the time when Christ walked the earth, the Herodian temple. The word that is used is the word that could refer to the temple proper, not all the surrounding facilities that made the temple massive. So when it speaks about a temple in the tribulation, that could be a very small affair, which could be erected in a matter of days not years. So you do not have to think of an elaborate temple that would take many years to build. The kind of thing that the bible requires that could be put up very quickly that would allow the reinstatement of animal sacrifices.

2 Thes. 2:5, Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

Paul had explained these things in his teaching at Thessalonica. The question is then, why are you confused now, thinking that you are in the day of the Lord, when I kept telling you when I was with you that the apostasy and the revealing of the man of sin had to precede the coming of the day of the Lord?

There seems to be a slight accent of surprise with a tone of reproach in Paul's question, that they should make so much of this false teaching of them being in the day of the Lord. He was telling them nothing new, The indication is that he had repeatedly talked to them of the advent and the things about which he was now writing.

2 Thes. 2:6, And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.

This verse tells us that something or someone is restraining the Antichrist until it is time for him to be revealed. A restrainer is brought forth because the Antichrist, in the middle of the seventieth week is going to be revealed. He could not be revealed before that because of the restrainer.

To those who say that the restrainer is going to be gone from the earth at the rapture of the church prior to the seventieth week, I say to you, you have no scriptural foundation for that belief. When the restrainer is no longer restraining, the Antichrist will be revealed. He is not revealed until the middle of the seventieth week, therefore the restrainer is doing his work until that time.

2 Thes. 2:7, For the mystery (that is the concealed principle) of lawlessness (that is a deliberate, sinful, rebellion and disobedience to God) is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

The age old question here is, who is he who restrains and will do so until he is taken out of the way. During the first half of the seventieth week there is someone in the way of Antichrist that hinders his activity with regards to Israel and the Church. Who is this restrainer that is in the way of Antichrist, hindering him until he is taken out of the way in the middle of the seventieth week?

One of the views as to who he his is human government by the laws that it initiates. The ones that hold to this view say that human government is putting a restraint on sin. This was the predominate view up to the twentieth century. But governments are one of the agents that Satan uses to come against the Church and to promote sin. The government stopped prayers in schools, it promoted the teaching of evolution, it implemented the passing out of condoms in schools, it is passing laws that prohibit a preacher from saying anything against homosexuals or face a jail term, it is an advocate of murder in passing laws to support abortion. The only way a human government will restrain sin is if godly men were the ones in office applying biblical principles.

Pretribulational rapturism which had its start in England in about 1830 was unheard of before that time. It came to America beginning in the 1880's, it was popularized by the second edition of the C.I. Scofield Bible which came out, I believe in 1917. These notes of Schofield in his study bible were viewed as authoritative as the text itself by many people, there was nothing in his first edition on the subject, it was his second edition which prompted the pretrib view. Many of the bible colleges bought into this view and taught it strongly.

But I submit to you on the authority of God's word that Satan is the father of lies. I believe, within a solid core of bible believers in the western world, Satan has got a lie in that has been propounded, and has become a part of a doctrinal position of so many institutions that people are convinced that it is true. They say that that the bible is thir final authority but, when conversing with them it is evident that traditions of men are put above what the bible says because they have no scriptural support for their belief. When you are taught that you are out of here before the bad days are going to hit and someone comes along and biblical shows them that they will be around for the great tribulation, you will encounter the Antichrist, you are going to be here to have an occasion to stand true for your Lord in the midst of a false christ saying no he is not the Christ, he is not my Savior, he is not the one who died for me, they get very upset and accuse you of being a false teacher destined for hell.

Pretribulation rapturism agrees that the restraining power that will be taken out of the way is the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit indwells believers, his restraining power is operative through the presence of believers. At the rapture, the church is removed from the earth, and with it, the Holy Spirit of God.

According to pretribulationism, four facts are considered to be clear:

(1) the Holy Spirit is the one who hinders the Antichrist;

(2) the Holy Spirit is removed before the day of the Lord begins;

(3) the day of the Lord begins with the tribulation period;

(4) when the church is removed the Holy Spirit is removed.

Therefore, it is argued the rapture is pretribulational.

Dwight Pentecost spoke of the restrainer in his book "Things to Come" this way: "Explanations as to the person of this Restrainer such as human government, law, the visible church will not suffice, for they will all continue in a measure after the manifestation of this lawless one. While this is essentially an exegetical problem, it would seem that the only One who could do such a restraining ministry would be the Holy Spirit."

In answer to this argument raised by pretribulationists consider the following points.

First, the day of the Lord does not begin with the seventieth week of Daniel. Its approach is said to be announced by cosmic disturbances (the sixth seal, Rev. 6:12-13), and it begins with the opening of the seventh seal.

Second, the hinderer is not removed at the beginning of the seventieth week or as the pretribbers would say, before the tribulation begins. He is removed in the middle of the seventieth week with the occurrence of the abomination that makes the temple desolate. Paul makes that plainly clear when writing of the Antichrist in 2 Thes. 2:4- 5. It is in connection with that event which occurs in the middle of the seventieth week, not at its beginning, that Paul teaches concerning the one who hinders (2 Thes. 2:6-9). The hindering is associated with the great tribulation, not with the entire seven-year period.

Third, the identification of the one who restrains until he is taken out of the way is important. The restrainer is not human government or the Holy Spirit. This text does not say that the restrainer is raptured or caught up as the believers will be. It simply says that he is taken out of the way, people have to add a lot to this verse to make it say that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit.

The pretribbers say that there is going to be a great in gathering of souls during the tribulation, if that is so the Holy Spirit must be here because the Word says, "No man can come to the father except the Spirit draws him." There is not one shred of evidence to indicate that the Holy Spirit is the restrainer.

If the restrainer is the Holy Spirit, don't be guilty of saying that the He will be raptured with the Church before the tribulation begins. If you believe it is the Holy Spirit, when He is taken out of the way he will not be taken out of the world, but that only His restraining influence against Antichrist will cease. The Holy Spirit will still remain on earth during the satanic inspired rebellion to convict people of their sins (Rev.7:9,14; 11:1; 14:6-7).

There is also evidence to support that the archangel Michael may be the restrainer. Consider the following in support of that statement:

1. The archangel Michael has long been recognized by both Jewish and Christian scholars as having a special guardian relationship to Israel: Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty- one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia" (Dan. 10:12-13). Now look at verse 21, "But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince. You know what upholds means here? Restraint. No one restrains with me against the prince of the kingdom of Persia, so I could get the answer to your prayer to you, but Michael your prince, your protector. Daniel is told that Michael is "the great prince who standeth [present continuous tense; that is' he continues to stand] for the children of thy people (Dan. 12:1).

2. Rev. 12 describes a war that occurs in heaven. The time for that conflict can be pinpointed precisely in the middle of the seventieth week (Rev. 12:6, 13-14). It is described this way: And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. (Rev. 12:7-8, 13). The woman represents Israel, who gave Christ (the male child) to the world (Rev. 12:5) and who will be severely persecuted during the great tribulation (Rev. 12:13-17).

3. Speaking of the one who hinders the Antichrist here in verse 7 Paul said, "only he who now restrains will continue to restrain until he be taken out of the way". The word "restrains" means to hold down, and the phrase taken out of the way means to step aside. Therefore, the one who had the job of restraining the Antichrist will step aside; that is he will no longer be a restraint between the Antichrist and those the Antichrist is persecuting.

4. The Bible is explicit that the archangel Michael is the personage who will step aside. Daniel records the event this way: "At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time..." (Dan 12:1). When does Michael stand up? Daniel says that Michael will stand up during a time of trouble, such as there never was since there was a nation. That unprecedented time of trouble can only refer to the great tribulation. Since Daniel is told that this period of time is related to his people, this can only be the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer, 30:7), which is a synonym for the great tribulation. It is at that time that Michael will stand up.

The Hebrew word for "stand up" is AMAD, what does it mean? Rashi, one of Israel's greatest scholars and who had no concern regarding the issue of the rapture said that it means to stand still. The meaning is to stand aside or be inactive. Michael the guardian of Israel, had earlier fought for her (Dan. 10:13,21), but now the one who standeth as the protector of Israel will stand aside or stand still. He will not help, he will not restrain, he will not hold down. The Midrash commenting on this verse, according to Ruth Rabbah 1 says, "The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Michael, "You are silent? You do not defend my children." Other biblical instances of stand up (AMAD) meaning to be still or desist are "they... stood still [desisted], and answered no more" (Job 32:16); and again, "And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people); and when he had opened it, all the people stood up" (Neh. 8:5). Commenting on this verse, Rashi indicates that the people kept quiet (stood still) while Ezra read the Torah.

5. That special guardian relationship which Michael has with Israel is again underscored in a sometimes obscure comment made by Jude. "Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses" (Jude 9). Further, Moses is thought to be one of the two witnesses of Revelation 11. Concerning these two witnesses, God said, "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days [three and a half years, based on the Jewish calendar], clothed in sackcloth" (Rev. 11:3). In that light, Michael's conflict with Satan over the body of Moses, as guardian of Israel, once again impacts the precise time of the great tribulation and the occasion where the restrainer will step aside.

2 Thes. 2:8, And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

Then, after the restrainer is taken out of the way, will the lawless one be revealed made manifest. The restrainer will step aside, he will desist from lending a helping hand as Daniel recorded he would do, and that is what Paul confirmed in v.7. When that occurs, then we will have the fulfillment of v.8.

At His coming (PAROUSIA) the Antichrist's activities will be brought to a halt he will be rendered helpless because at His coming the day of the Lord commences. It is no longer the wrath of Satan through Antichrist against the Church and Israel, it is now the wrath of God on all that is ungodly. The Antichrist does not reign during the day of the Lord, he will not be looked upon as the one to be worshipped, the Lord and the Lord alone will be exalted in His day.

Ultimately Christ will destroy Antichrist at the final battle of Armageddon (the last event of the day of the Lord), but first, by the appearance of His coming (PAROUSIA), Christ will render him helpless, as the first event of the day of the Lord. Christ will in effect "handcuff" Antichrist and his forces and as Rotherham's Bible says, paralyze him. This restriction of Antichrist's power will happen "at the appearance of His coming"--in other words, when every eye will see Him", when the church is gathered to Christ in the clouds and the wrath of God begins. This interpretation gives greater understanding to Jesus' statement that "unless those days were cut short, no flesh (believing) would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short (Mat. 24:22). "Those days" is frequently referred to as the second half of the seventieth week. But the context makes it clear that Jesus was talking specifically about the great tribulation by Antichrist (v.21), not about his allotted time of authority upon the earth (Rev. 13:5).

If God were to cut short the last three and a half years, the seventieth week would no longer be a "week," since the last half would be less than three and a half years. Thus, it is the persecution of the great tribulation that will be cut short when Christ renders Antichrist (the perpetrator of the tribulation) helpless or paralyzed.

One pre-trib proponent (Jack Van Impe) stated that the cutting short means that God will cut short a twenty -four hour day to something less than tewnty-four hours. If that were the case, no matter how you look at it, the seventieth week would not be seven years long which is in contradiction to what the scriptures say. Who are you going to believe man or God?

2 Thes. 2:9, The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

The coming of the Antichrist is in conformity with Satan who will be working in and through him. You must understand the phrase "with all power" does not mean that Satan or the Antichrist is omnipotent. Omnipotence is an attribute of God, therefore, one which Satan does not possess. This is not authentic power or genuine signs and wonders. These are power, signs, and wonders of falsehood because "lying" applies to all three.

They are miracles of falsehood because people who regard them as signs of proofs of the divinity of Antichrist are deceived. This is why he performs great miracles, so as to deceive people into believing that he is the Christ and he will deceive many. This will not be merely slight of the hand magicians tricks, they will be performed by dark, gloomy powers, manifestations of the demonic, monstrosities without any saving power. But they will get the attention of he world.

2 Thes. 2:10, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. These miraculous signs and wonders will convince those who perish (the ones who don't believe) that Antichrist is the messiah. Satan's false signs will also deceive those who did not welcome the love of the truth that they might be saved. That is they did not become disciples of Christ but continued to follow their own ways, and man made traditions.

"Saved" here does not refer to conversion, but to the salvation and inheritance which will be believers' when they are changed into Christ's likeness. From the very beginning of creation the central issue in man's relationship with God has been either his disregard of the Word and truth of God or his love for them. This is also a pivotal issue in the end times. Salvation will be realized by those who by faith in Christ maintain a fervent and sincere "love and truth," who believe with unwavering conviction what God has said, and who reject all new "revelation" or teaching that conflicts with the truth of God's word.

Professing believers will accept "new revelation" even though it conflicts with the revealed Word of God. This will lead to opposition to Biblical truth within churches. Already there are preachers who have preached a distorted gospel and have gained strategic leadership positions in denominations and theological training centers, enabling to deceive and mislead many within the church.

Protection against being deceived is found in an enduring faith and love for Christ, and a commitment to the absolute authority of His Word and a thorough knowledge of and obedience to His Word.

2 Thes. 2:11,12, 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.

Because of their moral rejection of the truth God will send them (the unbelieving) strong delusion, that they should believe the lie. A power is set in operation within them that makes them prone to embrace error. This will lead them the lie, not any lie that happens to come along, but the big lie, the false claims and pretensions of the Antichrist including the deity of man. The result will be that all who have not welcomed the love of the truth will "be damned" (judged, called to account, and condemned.

God's purpose in sending the "strong delusion" is so they will be damned because they did not accept the truth. These people approved, considered good, took delight in, and sought satisfaction in wrong doing, injustice wickedness and evil. In other words they kept going along with sin, considered it normal and promoted it as desirable. This delusion has already begun to some degree within the body of Christ, leading many to believe that those who practice the works of the flesh can still be acceptable to God.

2 Thes. 2:13-14, But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here as Paul typically does, he goes into a prayer of thanks to God for the brethren who are loved by the Lord. These people are saved and sanctified by the Spirit and their belief in and obedience to the truth. The end purpose of the gospel is that they may obtain the glory of Jesus Christ at His coming.

2 Thes. 2:15, Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

In view of the glory to come, Paul challenged them and us to stand fast and keep holding on to the traditions (teachings) taught them by the Word (in his preaching) and in his epistles. The traditions here are not man made traditions, or denominational traditions, or even constitutional traditions, no, they are the traditions handed down to Paul by Jesus. Paul was emphasizing that his teaching was not a product of his own mind, he was simply passing on the message that was handed down to him by the Lord. Paul was not free to change the message or mix in any of his own ideas or assumptions. Let me add, neither are people free to do so today.

2 Thes. 2:16-17, Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

To his exhortation to stand firm, Paul added a prayer. In the final analysis, Christians cannot stand in their own strength or hold to the scriptures through their own understanding. Believers need the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ Himself to help them. As Christians stand firm, holding on to the teachings of God's Word, they can expect God and Christ to comfort (encourage) their hearts and to strengthen and confirm or firmly fix them, not merely in their minds, but in every good word and work.

2 Thes. chapter THREE

2 Thes. 3:1, Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,

"Finally" here indicates Paul was bringing the subject at hand to an end with a variety of concluding exhortations. First, he requested prayer for his situation. Remember, Paul wrote this letter while in Corinth, he and his evangelistic party were having problems there. But notice that Paul's chief concern was not for himself, he was not having a pity party where he was saying. "poor me, look what I am suffering for the sake of the gospel." No, no, his chief concern was that the Word of the Lord (the gospel) might have free course. He wanted to see it continue and spread rapidly. More than anything else he wanted to see the gospel triumph. One of the reasons Paul was able to accomplish what he did for Christ was because of the prayers of God's people. Therefore he often sought the prayers of those to whom he ministered, aware that God's will for his life and ministry would not be realized without the prayers and intercession of fellow believers (cf. Rom.15:30; 2 Cor. 1;11; Phil. 1:19; Col. 4:2; 1 Thes. 5:25).

This spiritual principle is as valid today as it was for Paul in his day. The preacher or teacher needs the prayers of the believers he is ministering to. With faithful intercession by the hearers of the Word, the desires of God will be accomplished, Satan's purpose frustrated and the full power of the Holy Spirit manifested (Acts 4:24- 33). But if all you do when you hear something you don't agree with is talk about it behind the leaders back and tear down the person, Satan's work will forge ahead. When something is said that you don't agree with, approach the leader, and if he is a under shepherd of God he will listen and reason the Word with you. Both of you may have to agree to disagree over certain issues but love and pray for each other so that the work of God can continue. So don't eat the leader for diner, but pray fervently for him.

2 Thes. 3:2, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

Paul continue by asking the believers to pray that they will be delivered (preserved or rescued) from unreasonable (perverse, twisted) and wicked (evil, malicious) men. His chief concern for asking for this kind of prayer was not mere self-preservation. He wanted more people to hear and believe the gospel.

What about the next phrase, "not all have faith?" Is this a contradiction of Rom. 12:3 which says, For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

This verse says that each one has a measure of faith, the other verse says that not all have faith. How can you explain that apparent contradiction? Who is Paul talking to in Rom. 12? The brethren. Are they born again believers? Yes. So who is it that God has dealt a measure of faith to? Each one who is born again. Is Paul referring to believers when he says that not all have faith? No. He is referring to wicked men. The unsaved do not have faith. Faith is a gift from God that a person receives the moment he is saved by grace, then our salvation is maintained by faith.

2 Thes. 3:3, But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. In spite of the dangers, the evil men, the adverse circumstances, the declaration rings loud, "the Lord is faithful."

Your friends may fail you, your denomination may fail you, your preacher may fail you, but the Lord will never fail you! When believers earnestly pray, and act on God's Word, they can be assured that a faithful God will protect them from the evil of Satan. God will strengthen us to face any circumstance that we may have to face and He will protect us from the attacks of the demonic.

Satan can only win in an attack against the believer by default, by the believer not standing against him in the authority of Christ, using his position in Christ to cause a defeated foe to get lost. If we fight the good fight of faith, not allow Satan to rob us of our faith, we will never be defeated by the devil. We will move from victory to victory because of the victor Christ Jesus.

2 Thes. 3:4, And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

Paul had no doubts about the faith of the Thessalonian believers. He had full confidence in the Lord toward them. Their relationship to the Lord and the relationship that Paul had to them made him confident that they were doing and would continue to do what he had commanded (instructed, taught) them to do, which included the request to keep praying for him. But it also anticipates what he was about to command them to do.

2 Thes. 3:5, Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

The Amplified Bible says it this way; May the Lord direct your hearts into [realizing and showing] the love of God and into steadfastness and patience of Christ in waiting for His return.

Some people try to tell us that this epistle is not referring to the believer and the rapture. Paul says here to have the patience of Christ in the mists of persecution while waiting for his return. They were told to have Christlike fortitude and steadfastness, this direction would make their way clear by removing the obstacles which Satan had used to obscure their path. According to this verse the Rapture is directly related to the coming.

2 Thes. 3:6, But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.

It seems that Timothy's report had indicated that a number of the Thessalonians considered themselves too "spiritual" to dirty their hands with manual labor. Instead of working they were busybodies, disorderly, and meddling in peoples affairs. This cannot be tolerated in the life of Christians. With the utmost seriousness and severity Paul commanded the rest of the Christians in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ not to associate with any who deliberately lived without working. In the context, Paul is asserting that he is speaking on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. The very fact that they were Christians, meant the rest of the believers could not ignore the lazy way they were living. The name (person, nature, and character) of Jesus is dishonored by such dereliction of duty. Those who were walking disorderly were people who were loafing, idle, and unwilling to work. They were taking advantage of the generosity of the church (cf. 1 Thes. 4;9-10) and receiving support from brethren who made a living by ordinary occupations (vv.6-15). Paul advocates that the church is to help those in need, he no where teaches that the church should support able-bodied people who refuse to work steadily for a living if work is available (cf. v.10).

2 Thes. 3:7, For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you;

Paul could say this to them because he had set an example which the Thessalonians knew they ought to follow, even imitate. Paul could make this bold command because he was imitating Jesus. There was nothing lazy about Paul's way of life when he was among them. He never played truant when there was work to do. Neither did he sit around idly and let others do the work when he could help. Even when he was shipwrecked he was concerned about the needs of others and was the first one out to collect more wood for the fire (Acts 28:3).

2 Thes. 3:8, nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

When Paul came to Thessalonica to preach the gospel, he did not accept any free meals. He paid room and board, not only for himself but for his entire evangelistic party. He did this by laboring with constant exertion and hardship day and night. His trade of tentmaking was not an easy one. The purpose of all this toil and struggle to earn a living was that they might not be a burden to any of the believers and so that the false teachers could not charge him of being in it for the money.

2 Thes. 3:9, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

By saying he did not want to be a burden to them, Paul did not mean that those involved in ministry should not be supported financially. He had the authority and the right to ask them to give him all the support he needed. But he waived that right for the sake of a greater spreading of the gospel in new areas. No doubt, there were believers who would have been glad to contribute to the support of Paul and his fellow laborers, as the believers in Philippi actually did (Phil. 4:15-16). But he knew the false teachers would use that against him and some believers some would use his example as a pretext for not working. He refused to give them that kind of excuse.

2 Thes. 3:10, For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

In addition to setting an example, Paul had repeatedly commanded the Thessalonians that if anyone was not willing to work, neither should he eat. This work ethic was suggested by the fact that Adam was given work to do in the Garden of Eden and by the judgment on Adam that, "In the sweat of your face will you eat bread" (Genesis 3:19). Rabbis in the NT times insisted that every young rabbi learn a trade, just as Paul had.

2 Thes. 3:11, For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.

Again and again Paul had heard reports that there were those among the Thessalonian believers who were walking disorderly, that is, living in idleness, accepting no responsibility. Instead of being workers, the were meddlers. Instead of taking care of their own business, they were busybodies, poking their noses into everyone else's business.

2 Thes. 3:12, Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

Jesus himself did not encourage idleness among His followers. His parables often called men to work in the harvest field. Paul therefore commanded and exhorted (challenged, encouraged) by the Lord Jesus Christ, that any who were idle or busybodies should go to work. Instead of going around imposing on the hospitality and good nature of other Christians, they were to work in quietness, that is with a quiet restful spirit and with an inner peace.

2 Thes. 3:13, But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.

Paul recognized that the majority of believers in Thesalonica were honest, hard working people. The danger was that those who were neglecting their responsibilities might cause the rest to grow weary or lose heart. But whatever others do, Christians must never grow tired of doing what is right, honorable, noble, excellent, and fair to everyone concerned.

2 Thes. 3:14, And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.

Now that Paul has finished with the teaching concerning idleness he turns his attention to the validity of the whole letter. He proceeds to give a strong warning to anyone who does not obey his teaching in this epistle. With regards to doctrines of denominations, every Christian needs to heed the admonition given here. Unfortunately today, some Bible scholars, pastors, and teachers (of various theological persuasions) are strongly inclined to base their eschatology largely on traditional interpretations of a denomination or of a particular theological school of thought, thereby closing their minds to any other view point whether it is Biblically correct or not. When they come to a text whose plain meaning does not fit those preconceived positions, they often semiticize it (ie. consider it as Hebraism), spiritualize it, allegorize it, culturalize it, or rationalize it--and thereby fail to accurately understand what the passage really means. Unfortunately, holding to preconceived conclusions can have serious consequences. It was rabbinical presuppositions and traditions that kept most of the Jewish religious leaders from accepting Christ as the Messiah.

It was also the disciples' presuppositions to human ideas that prevented them from believing Jesus' predictions of his imminent arrest, affliction, death, and resurrection. It was because of his personal convictions based on traditional teaching about the Messiah that Peter contradicted his Lord face to face, only a few minutes after confessing Him as being the Messiah and Son of God (see Matt. 16:15- 23). No single book in the NT more clearly supports the position that the church will go through the great tribulation and be raptured out from within it before the day of the Lord begins, than Second Thessalonians, a book devoted almost entirely to the timing of Christ's return. Paul begins with the warning, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord, when the Church is gathered together to Him) will not come unless..." (2 Thes. 2:3). With that warning in mind, Paul's statement here in v.14, is of extreme importance in regard to eschatology, which is the overall focus of this letter.

In other words, anyone who teaches doctrine contrary to that which Paul clearly presents in this letter is to not to be kept company with. The reason for the severity of that warning is that any other teaching will be undermined by Satan and will not prepare the believers for what is ahead. Also so that he may see his error and come to a place where they would respect the Word given in this epistle.

2 Thes. 3:15, Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

In withdrawing their fellowship, the believers must not withdraw their love. The disobedient person who persisted in believing the doctrines of men and/or denominations is still a brother or sister in Christ. The warnings must be given in the love of God that would cause the person to be ashamed of believing something else over what the Word says. Thus the call for withdrawal of close fellowship, not a complete shunning or avoidance of the person.

It is time to believe the doctrines of Word of God and not some denomination's doctrine based on a dogma of scripture.

2 Thes. 3:16-18, Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Paul ends the epistle with a prayer that "the Lord of peace" would give them peace at all times and by all means; that is, in every way possible and in all places. He then says, "the Lord be with you all," including those who were still disobedient to the commands of this letter. Listen, if all we do is talk about the time of Christ return, we have failed. Along with our talking about the time of His return we need to LIVE in light of His return. He has given us a work to do, when He comes will He find us doing it. If you are walking the walk then you can talk the talk, but if you are not walking the walk it is better not to talk the talk.

That is the end of our study of the two Thessalonian letters. Hopefully God has opened your understanding so you will have a firmer grip on the truth of these letters and apply that truth to your hearts and live your life in the light of these truths.