Christ in His coming is the incentive of our suffering for Him. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7 Paul says, “To you who are being afflicted, rest with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power, in flaming fire.” The Greek word translated “rest” also means “relief, ease, repose, liberty.” In this age the believers suffer persecutions and troubles for the Lord. At the Lord’s coming back they will be relieved of their sufferings and enter into the Lord’s rest and enjoy its liberty.
In verse 7 Paul speaks of the revelation of the Lord Jesus. Although the Lord is here today, He is veiled; His coming back will be the time of His unveiling. The universe is immeasurably vast in its dimensions, yet with the Lord there is no such thing as distance. He is everywhere. One day, at His coming, He will be unveiled, and everyone will see Him. At the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of His power, we will rest. The time has not yet come for us to rest. Our rest will be at the Lord’s coming, at His unveiling.
In verse 10 Paul speaks of Christ coming to be glorified in His saints: “When He comes to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day.” The Lord is the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8); He was glorified in His resurrection and ascension (John 17:1; Luke 24:26; Heb. 2:9). Now He is in us as the hope of glory (Col. 1:27) to bring us into glory (Heb. 2:10). At His coming back, on the one hand, He will come from the heavens with glory (Rev. 10:1; Matt. 25:31), and on the other hand, He will be glorified in His saints; that is, His glory will be manifested from within His members, causing their body of humiliation to be transfigured into His glory, conforming it to the body of His glory (Phil. 3:21). Thus, the unbelievers will marvel at Him, admire Him, and wonder at Him in us, His believers.
We are awaiting the day of His coming, His parousia, which is His personal presence. This day will come only after the apostasy (2 Thes. 2:3a) and the revelation of the man of lawlessness and sin—Antichrist (vv. 3b-4, 8-10)—who will be manifested during the last seven years of this age (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:21; cf. v. 15).
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1, Paul says, “Now we ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.” In this verse two matters are covered: the Lord’s parousia (presence) and our gathering together (rapture) to Him. The Lord’s parousia will begin with the rapture of the overcomers to the throne of God in heaven (Rev. 12:5-6); at the end of the great tribulation, which will occur in the last three and a half years of this age, the second half of the last week in Daniel 9:27 (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 11:2), His parousia will come to the air (10:1) and last for a time; and it will end with its manifestation, the manifestation of His coming (2 Thes. 2:8; Matt. 24:30). During the time in which the Lord’s parousia remains in the air, the majority of the believers will be raptured to meet the Lord there (1 Thes. 4:17).
Second Thessalonians 2:2 says, “That you be not quickly shaken in mind nor alarmed, neither by a spirit nor by word nor by a letter as if by us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” According to the context, the expression the day of the Lord in this verse refers to the day of the Lord’s parousia (coming), in which the rapture of the majority of the believers will occur.
In verse 3 Paul says, “Let no one deceive you in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition.” The Greek word translated “deceive” may also be rendered “beguile,” which means “not only making a false impression but actually leading astray” (Vincent).
In verse 3 the pronoun it refers to the day of the Lord’s coming. This day will not come unless the apostasy comes first. This apostasy will be a falling away from the straight way of God’s economy as revealed in the Scriptures. There is a strong prophecy in the Bible that before the Lord’s coming back, there will be a great apostasy among His people, a falling away from the path of God’s economy. Even today there is a tendency among some Christians to leave the straight way of the New Testament.
Verse 3 also indicates that the day of the Lord will not come before the man of lawlessness is revealed. This man of lawlessness is Antichrist, as prophesied in Daniel 7:20-21, 24-26; 8:9-12, 23-25; 9:27; 11:36-37; Revelation 13:1-8, 12-18; and 19:19-20. He will be the man of lawlessness, casting down the truth to the ground, changing laws, destroying and corrupting many to an extraordinary degree, blaspheming God, and deceiving men. Hence, the Lord will utterly destroy him, and he will become the son of perdition.
Second Thessalonians 2:3 indicates strongly that the Lord’s coming back will not precede the tribulation. Before the Lord’s coming there will first be the apostasy and also the revealing of the man of lawlessness. This means that prior to the Lord’s coming, one matter—the apostasy—and one person—Antichrist—must appear first.
Paul told the Thessalonians that since the apostasy and the revealing of the man of lawlessness must come before the day of the Lord’s coming, they should not be shaken by anything or anyone that would claim that the day of the Lord has already come. The apostasy must take place, and Antichrist must be revealed. Antichrist will be fully revealed during the great tribulation.
In verse 4 Paul gives a further description of Antichrist: “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or an object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, setting himself forth, saying that he is God.” This fulfills the prophecy concerning Antichrist in Daniel 11:36-37; it will take place in the midst of the last week, as prophesied in Daniel 9:27.
The temple of God mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 is “the holy place” in Matthew 24:15. Second Thessalonians 2:4 indicates that the temple of God will be rebuilt before the Lord comes back. The temple was destroyed more than nineteen centuries ago, but this verse says that Antichrist will seat himself in the temple of God. Therefore, the temple must be rebuilt. The nation of Israel has been formed again, and the city of Jerusalem has been returned to Israel. However, the temple has not yet been rebuilt. Some Jews are deeply stirred concerning the rebuilding of the temple. One day this temple will be rebuilt, and, according to the prophecy of Daniel, Antichrist will seat himself in it.
In verse 6 Paul goes on to say, “Now you know that which restrains, so that he might be revealed in his own time.” This verse indicates that some power hinders the revelation of the man of lawlessness, Antichrist.
In verse 7 Paul continues, “It is the mystery of lawlessness that is now operating, but only until the one now restraining goes out of the way.” The lawlessness that will characterize Antichrist is already operating in this age mysteriously. It is the mystery of lawlessness working today among the nations and in human society. Even now there is a tendency for lawlessness to be prevailing. Antichrist will be the totality of lawlessness.
According to God’s sovereignty, there is one who restrains now until he goes out of the way. This probably means that the restraining factor will eventually be taken out of the way. Although the mystery of lawlessness is already operating, this lawlessness is at the present time restrained, restricted. But one day this restrainer will be taken away. We need to realize from the prophecy of the Bible that one day the restraining factor will be removed, and then Antichrist will be unrestricted.
Verse 8 says, “Then the lawless one will be revealed (whom the Lord Jesus will slay by the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of His coming).” This will be fulfilled in Revelation 19:19-20. This verse indicates that the Lord’s coming (parousia) is hidden before it is manifested openly. This indicates also that the Lord’s coming involves a period of time. It will remain in secret, and then it will be manifested to the public.
Speaking of Antichrist in verse 9, Paul says, “The coming of whom is according to Satan’s operation in all power and signs and wonders of a lie.” This verse reveals that the coming of Antichrist is according to the operation of Satan. The reason Antichrist will be so lawless is that he will be under Satan’s operation. Due to the motivation of Satan, he will become extremely powerful. The operation of Satan is with power and signs and wonders of a lie. The entire operation of Satan to deceive people (v. 10) is in its totality a lie, just as he is a liar and the father of liars (John 8:44).
In summary, Paul speaks of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him. Paul also tells the believers not to be quickly shaken in mind nor alarmed, neither by a spirit, by word, or by letter as if by the apostles that the day of the Lord is present. He also charges them not to allow anyone to deceive them. Then Paul goes on to say that the day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness, Antichrist, is revealed in his own time. At present, although the mystery of lawlessness is already working, there is a restraining factor, but one day this factor will be removed. Then the lawless one will be revealed. However, the Lord Jesus will slay him by the breath of His mouth and bring him to nothing by the manifestation of His coming. The coming of the lawless one will be according to the operation of Satan, in all power, signs, and wonders of a lie and in all deceit of unrighteousness among those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. Because of this, God will send them an operation of error that they might believe the lie. After the apostasy and the revealing of the man of lawlessness, there will be the appearing of the Lord’s parousia. The revelation of Antichrist will be completed during the last seven years of this age. This revelation of Antichrist must be first, and then there will be the appearing of the Lord’s parousia.