Reading: chapter 2 verses 1-12:
Ill:
• A university student was seen with a large "K" printed on his T- shirt.
• When someone asked him what the "K" stood for, he said, "Confused." "
• “But," the questioner replied, "you don't spell ‘confused’ with a ‘K’."
• The student answered, "You don't know how confused I am."
Ill:
Explanation of the rules of cricket.
• You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.
• Each man that's in the side that's in - goes out,
• And when he's out - he comes in - and the next man goes in until he's - out.
• When they are all out,
• The side that's out comes in - and the side that’s been in goes out
• And tries to get those coming in, - out.
Sometimes you get men still in and not out:
• When a man goes out to go in,
• The men who are out try to get him out,
• And when he is out he goes in;
• And the next man in goes out and goes in.
• There are two men called umpires
• Who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out.
• When both sides have been in and all the men have out,
• And both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in,
• Including those who are not out,
• That is the end of the game!
Like that explanation of cricket, tonight’s passage might appear to be a confusing passage:
• I will try and make it as simple as I can;
• But I can’t promise we won’t get tangled up along the way.
A reminder:
• The second coming of Jesus Christ is a major teaching of the Bible,
• The return of Jesus Christ to this world is here, there and everywhere in the Bible.
• There are over 400 Old Testament prophecies,
• And 318 prophecies in the New Testament that deal with the second coming of Jesus!
• A quarter of the Bible teaches the second coming.
• 1 in every 25 New Testament verses refer to it.
• In fact for every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ's first coming (xmas),
• There are 8 verses which look forward to His second coming!
• We know he came the first time,
• So we should be eight times more confident regarding his second coming.
Remember the purpose of Bible prophecy:
• Is not for us to make a calendar,
• But to build character.
• In other words the return of Jesus Christ should affect our daily living.
• It is a daily check up “Am I ready to meet him or will I be ashamed at his coming”.
• The apostle John put it this way in his letter (1 John chapter 3 verse 3):
• “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure”.
Ill:
• A group of young people hanging around on a street corner,
• One of the group suggested they go to a certain night-club.
• One of the group called David said,
• “I think I’ll go home, my parents don’t approve of that place”.
• Sarcastically one of his mates said “Afraid your daddy will hurt you?”
• “No” replied David, “But I am afraid I might hurt him!”
The principle is simple:
• A true Christian will want to please his or her heavenly Father,
• Therefore the thought of seeing him face to face is a motivation to live right.
So the purpose of Bible prophecy is not for us to make a calendar, but to build character.
• Throughout history people have tried to guess the year, month and the day of his return,
• And again and again and again they have been proved wrong.
• The Bible does not give us a date but rather a guideline:
• “Live as though it could be today, plan as though it might be tomorrow”.
• I believe that is how each Christian should respond to this teaching;
• Living life as if Christ could come back today, but planning as though it will be a while.
(a). The Situation (verses 1-2):
The Christians at Thessalonica:
• Were behaving like small un-anchored boats in the middle of a stormy sea;
• They had become the victim of waves and winds and were being blown here and there.
• The storm of confusion was concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ,
• And believers were split and confused over the issue.
• For some it was the only theme of their conversation,
• Others had symbolically ‘lost their heads over it’;
• So shaken up by this topic;
• They had given up their jobs and even stopped working altogether.
• So Paul writes to them and says (verse 2) “do not be shaken/alarmed”
• The return of the Lord will be a ‘blessed hope’ not a ‘dreaded fear’.
(1). Wrong Interpretation (verse 1):
“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him”.
• In his first letter to the Thessalonians; and especially chapter 4 verses 13-18.
• Paul taught them about the second coming of Jesus Christ (“being gathered to him”).
• Verses 5-6 of this chapter also tell us;
• That he taught them from his own lips about this when he was with them in person.
• For reasons we will see in verse 2:
• The Thessalonians had somehow got confused and muddled about this teaching.
• Despite what Paul’s wrote in his first letter to them, and spoke in person,
• Someone had deceived the Thessalonian believers into thinking;
• That they were already living in the Day of the Lord.
• That the second coming had some how taken place.
• Date-setters are usually up setters,
• And that is exactly what happened in Church at the Thessalonica.
(2). Wrong information (verse 2):
“Not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come”.
• From Paul’s comments in verse two;
• Two things may have happened that caused confusion on his teaching.
(A). A FALSE PROPHET.
• Paul mentions a false prophecy that had been spoken,
• Remember in the early Church the New Testament was not complete.
• You may only have had one or a few pieces of the New Testament.
• And the Thessalonians had accepted this false message as being true.
To help the Christians understand God’s mind on certain issues:
• Some in the Church had the gift of prophecy,
• They could give insight & clarity as to what God meant about certain issues.
• Now there were guidelines to apply when a prophet spoke;
• E.g. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 29:
“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said”
ill:
People often say to me:
• “God has given me a word or a song, or poem to share etc”.
• They would be wiser to say; “I think God has given me….”
• Some without doubt have been from the Lord for that situation.
• Others are the persons ego (centre stage, look spiritual) or the person is misguided.
Ill:
• Humours story.
• Girl who came to vicar and said “The Lord has given me this poem to read”
• Minister looked at it and it was pure drivel!
• So he took it, tore it up and threw it in the bin.
• The girl looked shocked,
• So the minister explained; “The Lord gave and the Lord took away!”
(B). A FALSE LETTER.
• A letter had arrived at the Church which they believed was from Paul,
• But it was false. Paul had never written it.
Ill:
• This type of thing was very common in the early Church,
• Although it nearly always took place after the death a great leader.
• Letters often circulated (mainly in the second century) claiming to be authentic,
• But they were actually false,
• Some of the false letters have survived to this day;
• And when you study them, you can see how different they are in style and content.
The Thessalonian Christians:
• Read this letter not realising it was false;
• And along with the false prophecy believed that…………either….
• Paul had changed his mind concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ;
• Or more likely they had misunderstood what Paul meant in his first letter to them.
• So in this chapter Paul will correct the false idea;
• That the Day of the Lord has already come:
Note (a reminder):
• Paul he is talking about events that will take place after the Church has been taken;
• Theological word is: “Raptured” or “snatched up”
• The word ‘rapture’ is a word not found in the Bible (ill: Trinity),
• It is a Latin word ‘rapio’ which means ‘to seize’ or ‘to snatch away’.
• When the Bible was translated into Latin (before we had an English Bible);
• The word ‘rapio’ or ‘raptured’ meaning ‘to snatch away’ started to be used.
• So it is still a good word to describe the event Paul teaches in;
• 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13-17.
In our type of Churches:
• We believe what’s called a ‘pre-millennium’ understanding of the second coming.
• That word simply means ‘pre’ (before) millennium (1,000 years)
• We believe Jesus will return to planet earth,
• Before he sets up his earthly kingdom, 1,000 year reign.
• Some Christians believe a different interpretation;
• Note: we all agree Christ is coming, but Christians interpret this in different ways.
Quote: Tony Campolo:
“I have no-idea when Jesus is coming back.
I’m on the welcoming committee not the planning committee!”
• Now in our type of Churches:
• We believe in the ‘pre-millennium’ interpretation:
That is the second coming of Jesus is in two parts;
• Part 1 secretly in the air,
• Part 2 visibly on the earth.
• Part 1 he is coming secretly for Christians;
• And we will meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 17 & 1 Corinthians 15).
• As soon as this happens there will be 7 years of tribulation,
• Jesus spoke of this in Matthew chapter 24.
• After the seven years of tribulation;
• The Lord will return visibly to planet earth (part 2 of his coming).
• Where he shall set up his earthly kingdom, a 1,000 year (millennial) reign.
• After that will be the final judgement and then a new heaven & earth.
Now because the Thessalonians had got the order of events confused:
• Paul In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 1-12:
• Writes to correct their misunderstanding.
Ill:
• Like me saying to you that Prince Charles has been made king,
• You would say; impossible!
• One: why is it not mentioned on the news;
• Two: for that to happen the queen must step-down (abdicate) or die!
• And neither of those things have happened.
• So I think you are telling me false information.
• Paul will use exactly the same logic with the Thessalonian Christians:
• In fact he mentions three things that must occur before "the Day of the Lord."
The first thing that must happen before the coming of the day of the Lord is . . .
(1). A REBELLING (verse 3).
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction
• The N.I.V. refers to a time of rebellion,
• The King James Bible talks about a "falling away".
• The word means much more than a falling away from the faith (like apostasy),
• In classical Greek, for example, it referred to a military or political revolt or rebellion.
• In the Septuagint (Sept-u-a-gunt ) the Greek translation of the Old Testament;
• It was used to denote rebellion against God.
In the case of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2:
• It signifies an insurrection against God.
• A rebellion, a revolt, out & out hostility towards the things of God.
(b). A REVEALING (verse 3-4).
• Every rebellion needs a leader;
• And we are told the leaders name of this rebellion.
• The leader is called ‘the man of lawlessness’,
• He is also called ‘The man of sin’ and also ‘The Antichrist’.
• He is not called ‘lawless’ because he never heard God’s law,
• But because he openly defies it!
“Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God”.
This “Man of lawlessness” when he is revealed:
• He will oppose every form of religion,
• And he will arrogantly exalt himself as God.
• Following his desecration (violation) of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem,
• A great tribulation such as the world has never known will plague the earth.
Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 verses 15 and 16 and 21, gave this invitation:
“The time will come when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about (chapter 11):
the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place………...
21For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world has ever seen or will ever see again.
• Before the coming of the day of the Lord.
• The man of lawlessness, man of sin, must be revealed.
• That man may well be living today!
• We don’t know (much speculation on various Christian websites)
What we do know is:
• His appearance as Antichrist, however,
• Will not occur until someone else is taken out of the way first.
• That brings us to the third thing that must occur before the coming of the day of the Lord.
• There must be . . .
(c). A REMOVING (verse 6-8).
“And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming”.
• Paul teaches that the ‘Day of the Lord’ cannot come;
• Until (verse 6) "He who now holds it back . . . be taken out of the way."
Question:
• Who is the “One who holds it back (hinders)”?
• Who is this restrainer the one who must be removed?
Answer:
• A number of theories have been suggested down through the years.
• Some say it is the Roman Empire.
• Others say it's the Jewish state.
• And still others believe it is human government in general.
• Some say it refers to the gospel and the influence of its message;
• Others say it is the Holy Spirit himself.
I believe this verse refers to the Holy Spirit:
• Is he who indwells the church, the body of Christ.
• According to Matthew chapter 5 verse 13,
• The followers of Christ are “The light of the world” "the salt of the earth."
• They are an influence in the world that holds back the corrupting power of evil.
• The very presence of Christians, shining as lights in a world of darkness:
• And proclaiming the Word of God is a hindrance to wickedness.
• With the Christians gone “”caught up” (raptured),
• There is no ‘salt & light’ in the world and so sin can run wild for a period of time.
• Verse 8: whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow sin & lawlessness;
• With the breath of his mouth.
• The same powerful word that brought creation into being,
• Will again sound out and defeat this man of lawlessness.
The main point in this passage of scripture:
• Is to instruct these Thessalonian Christians,
• That the next major event on God's prophetic calendar is not the Day of the Lord.
• But the rapture of the church.
• And with the Christians (temple of the Holy Spirit) gone.
• Only then can the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) be revealed.
• Only then can the "rebellion” or “falling away" occur.
Final thoughts:
(a). For those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour:
• The realization of His imminent return should cause us to live;
• So that we will not be ashamed when He does appear.
• The realization of His imminent return should cause us to witness;
• We might be anticipating heaven, but for many they will be left behind for judgement.
• The realization of His imminent return should cause us to give;
• To give of our talents, gifts, money, homes for his glory while we have the opportunity.
(b). If you are not a Christian, if you have never placed your trust in the Lord Jesus:
• The realization of His imminent return should act as a wake up call;
• God offer of salvation is always ‘now’ we are never promised tomorrow!
• Let me ask you; “Are you ready to meet Jesus?”
• You still have opportunity tonight!
Quote: Are You Ready@ (Bob Dylan).
Are you ready, are you ready?
Are you ready to meet Jesus?
Are you where you ought to be?
Will He know you when He sees you
Or will He say, "Depart from Me"?
Are you ready, hope you're ready.
Am I ready, am I ready?
Am I ready to lay down my life for the brethren
And to take up my cross?
Have I surrendered to the will of God
Or am I still acting like the boss?
Am I ready, hope I'm ready.
When destruction cometh swiftly
And there's no time to say a fare-thee-well,
Have you decided whether you want to be
In heaven or in hell?
Are you ready, are you ready?
Have you got some unfinished business?
Is there something holding you back?
Are you thinking for yourself
Or are you following the pack?
Are you ready, hope you're ready.
Are you ready?
Are you ready for the judgment?
Are you ready for that terrible swift sword?
Are you ready for Armageddon?
Are you ready for the day of the Lord?
Are you ready, I hope you're ready.
