The Day of the Lord (Part 1)
1 Thess. 2:1-5
Introduction
This part of this epistle was written to correct the erroneous teaching by the false teachers to the Thessalonians about the coming Day of the Lord. Thessalonians are already scared so Paul has to tell them that the Day of the Lord will not come unless three events will happen, namely: a falling away of the church in apostasy, the removal of the restrainer of the man of sin, and the manifestation of the man of sin. This chapter as a whole deal with the Day of the Lord, it is the day which follows the Rapture. It will be a time of Tribulation for the people on earth: Satan and his hosts will be working on earth, and God will send righteous judgments from heaven.
I. The Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 2:1-2)
A. The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, refers to the Rapture. One day Jesus will come to snatch us into heaven. We call this the
Rapture or the translation of the church. This is our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).
B. Note the distinctions between the Rapture and the Second Coming:
1. Rapture – The term commonly used for the catching away of the saints described in 1 Thess. 4:13-18. This Rapture is:
a. The resurrection of the dead in Christ (v. 14-16).
b. The catching up and translation of the living N.T. saints (v. 17). The term “caught up” in 1 Thess. 4:17 is also translated “pluck” (Jn. 10:28), “pulling [out of the fire]” (Jude 1:23), and “take by force” (Acts 23:10). It refers to a forceful seizing and a snatching away.
2. Second Coming – The return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to judge His enemies and set up His earthly rule (Zech. 14:1; Mt. 24:27-31; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:5-10; Tit. 2:13; Jude 1:14-15; Rev. 19:1-20).
C. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, means that they will not be agitated, or in distress (troubled). That they should still hold the same doctrines which they had been taught.
Neither by spirit. By someone who says he has a revelation of the Spirit.
Nor by word. Nor by one who claims to quote a word or letter from Paul and his team.
As that the day of Christ is at hand. The word at hand means near.
Illustration 1: Longing for Christ’s Return
Dwight L. Moody used to say, “I never preach a sermon without thinking that possibly the Lord may come before I preach another.”
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the distinguished British clergyman said, “I never begin my work in the morning without thinking that perhaps God may interrupt my work and begin His own. I am not looking for death. I am looking for Him.”
That is the way a Christian should live his life—in the constant anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ.
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
II. Three Events (2 Thess. 2: 3)
The word “deceive” is a term for deception. Its synonym is to cheat, beguile. The idea is to deceive thoroughly. This is Satan’s method. The Thessalonians must not be deceived by any person, no matter how credible he might appear to be, or by the way anyone might present his teaching, claiming the authority of God or godly men. New Christians tend to be gullible because they are not yet grounded in the truth of God’s Word (Eph. 4:14). But all Christians can be misled by impressive personalities and spectacular appeals. The antidote to poisonous heresy is a good strong dose of the truth which Paul proceeded to administer.
A. Apostasy means desertion of the faith (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 4:3-4). The word English word “apostasy” is not in the Bible, but it is derived from the Greek word apostasia, which means a falling away, abandonment.
This term is commonly used by Christians to describe a turning away from true Bible doctrine. The Bible teaches that apostasy among professing Christians will increase as the age progresses and the coming of Christ draws nigh.
The apostasy began during the lives of the Apostles and has steadily increased through the centuries. So many apostate churches are now existing and will increase in number and grow worse and worse as time grows near. Consider the following Scriptures – Mt. 24:4,11,24; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Thess. 2:3-8; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:13; 4:3-4; 2 Pet. 2:1-3; Jude 1:3-4; Rev. 17.
Illustration 2: Good Foundations, Apostasy of Colleges
Harvard College was founded in 1638 with a special view to training pastors. Up till 1700 more than half of its graduates went into the ministry. But by 1869, spiritual Harvard lay on its deathbed.
Yale, from its 1701 beginning, was more conservative. Its president addressed students on subjects as “The Bible is the Word of God.” A Yale gospel group travelled about the country in evangelistic ministry.
But Yale’s once-evangelical stance has since disappeared. Out of 400 graduating students, 54 percent said they have no belief in any God.
Darmouth College was founded to train missionaries to the Indians. Princeton, in its early days, insisted the faculty be “convinced of the necessity of religious experience for salvation.” Yet both left their orthodox paths and secularized.
Other well-known schools had like beginnings.
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
B. The man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3b).
1. This is none other than the Antichrist. The prefix anti on the term antichrist from the Greek antichristos has two prominent ideas: against. and in place of. The antichrist, as Satan’s tool, both opposes God and Christ, but he is also presented as one who is to be worshipped and obeyed in place of Christ. Furthermore, he is known in the Bible by other descriptive titles like the little horn. (Dan. 7:8), the prince that shall come. (Dan. 9:26), the willful king. (Dan. 11:36), the beast out of the sea. (Rev. 13:1-10), and as the one who, standing in the future rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, will commit the abomination of desolation. as described by Daniel and attested to by the Lord Jesus (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; Matt. 24:15).
2. Paul describes the “man of sin” as “the son of perdition.” The word “perdition” indicates loss of well being, not of being. This “man of sin” is here the son of
eternal perdition. He is the son of eternal ruin, not annihilation. This is his proper destiny (Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; Heb. 10:39; 2 Pet. 2:1,3; 3:7,16; Rev. 17:8,11). He is a man doomed to eternal damnation. It is the opposite of a saved person. The “son of perdition” has complete disregard for God and His values. He. He will lead a rebellion against God in the professing church (1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 4:3-4; Jas. 5:1-8; 2 Pet. 2; 3:3-6).
3. This man is further described as the adversary of God. He will seek to replace the worship of the true God and all false gods with the worship of himself, and will proclaim himself to be God. The beast will tolerate the worship of no one or nothing but himself (Rev. 13:5-8). He will set himself up on God’s throne in the inner sanctuary of God’s temple. This probably refers to a literal temple, but some suggest that it is a figurative reference to his occupying the most holy place in human worship, which rightfully belongs only to God.
4. The Character of the antichrist:
a. He will be a blasphemer, a hater of God (Rev. 13:5-6).
b. He will be a murderer and a destroyer (Rev. 13:7,15; Dan. 7:23; 8:24).
c. He will be a liar and deceiver (2 Thess. 2:9-10).
d. He will have great intelligence (Dan. 8:23).
e. He will be exceedingly proud (Dan. 8:25).
f. He will have an impressive appearance (Dan. 7:20; 8:23).
g. He will exalt himself (Dan. 11:36-37).
h. He will worship military might (Dan. 11:38).
5. The reign of antichrist:
a. The time period of his rule-during the great tribulation just preceding Christ’s return (Mt. 24:15-31).
b. The length of his rule-7 years altogether (Dan. 9:27), but he will be given 3.5 years (42 months) of complete power (Rev. 13:5).
c. The extent of his rule-all the world (Rev. 13:7; Dan. 7:23). He will rule all people, nations, religions (Rev. 13:14-15), and the entire world economy (Rev. 13:17).
d. The source of his power-Satan (2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:4).
e. His rise to power -a. It involves a great miracle (Rev. 13:3-4). b. It involves a peace pact with Israel (Dan. 9:27). c. It involves the overthrow of other kings (Dan. 7:8,24).
f. The characteristics of his rule-a. He rules by miracles and deception (Rev. 13:11-15; 2 Thess. 2:9-12). b. He rules by terror, persecution (Rev. 13:15). c. He rules by force (Rev. 13:16-17).
6. The end of the antichrist
a. Antichrist will be overthrown at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and cast into the lake of fire to suffer eternal torment (2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:19-21).
Illustration 2: Antichrist’s Foremost Type
The Jew-hater Antiochus IV Epiphanes is history’s foremost type of the Antichrist. He was the first person in history to persecute a people exclusively for their religious faith. Always before, a conquered people were required to accept the god of the conqueror, or the god of the conquered people was, added to the list of other gods already worshipped. But the malevolence of Antiochus IV (ca. 212-163 BC) is truly unique. The Jews called him “the devourer, the unjust one in purple, the cruel, the rejecter of light.”
Here are some instances of his malevolent actions: A big group of faithful Jews were caught in a cave observing the Sabbath. The entrance was sealed and fires set to suffocate them. Two mothers had circumcised their infants. They were paraded about the city with the infants tied to their breasts and finally thrown over the wall. Eleazar, an aged scribe, was put to death for refusing to eat swine’s flesh. A mother was forced to watch as her seven sons were tortured to death. She followed them to the grave as she too refused to conform to the edicts of Antiochus IV. These are but an indication of the horrors perpetuated upon the Jews by Antiochus IV, who murdered with abandon.
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
III. Remember ye not (2 Thess. 2:5)
A. This teaching was nothing new to the Thessalonians; Paul had taught them about the day of the Lord when he was with them in Thessalonica. He called on them to recall those lessons. For the first time in this epistle Paul wrote that he personally had taught them. He said this in order to emphasize the truth of his message, as he was the chief spokesman in Thessalonica. Paul did not regard prophetic truth as too deep or unimportant or controversial for new Christians. He believed it was a vital part of the whole counsel of God, so he taught it without hesitation or apology.
IV. Conclusion:
The Day of the Lord will not come unless three specific events will happen, namely: a falling away of the church in apostasy, the removal of the restrainer of the man of sin, and the manifestation of the man of sin. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon, are you ready to meet Him? Repent from your sins now and receive him as your personal Saviour before it’s too late.
