Bible Diary - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
February 16, 2008
A quick scan of the translator’s text notes for the NETBible, shows many problems in translation with this passage. The essentials are pretty clear. The Lord will come again, and there will be precious little warning of his imminent arrival, even for Christians who know to expect Him. To complicate the situation further, we can expect a lot of false hares.
The Day of the Lord
2:1 Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2:2 not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. 2:4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God. 2:5 Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you. 2:6 And so you know what holds him back, so that he will be revealed in his own time. 2:7 For the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work. However, the one who holds him back will do so until he is taken out of the way, 2:8 and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival. 2:9 The arrival of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders, 2:10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved. 2:11 Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. 2:12 And so all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned.
Call to Stand Firm
2:13 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2:14 He called you to this salvation through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2:15 Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 2:17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good thing you do or say.
Who is this “man of lawlessness” who will muddy the waters before the Lord returns? I don’t have a clue and can only hope that it will become apparent when he arrives, although these words don’t seem to hold out much hope for that. The drift seems to be that things will get worse before they get better, and I’m fairly experienced with that sort of thing.
I see an urgent need to view the world and what is going on in it through spiritual eyes, with reliance on the Holy Spirit. That’s pretty clear, and I can work on that. In short, to “stand firm.”
Dave, feet planted firmly on the Rock.
-sdg-
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