A Glimpse of the Future Part I - 2 Thes. 2.1-8

A glimpse into the future

Part i

God gives us a glimpse into the future so that we can live full of hope and expectancy today.

I.  The Day of the Lord 2.1-3

·       The day of the Lord isn’t just a day.  It is a time period

·       In the future when Jesus will come, rule and make things right

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 (NIV) ¹  Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers,
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.
A.  Guard against being shaken while waiting for the Day of the Lord

My focus tonight is not so much on timetable but on how we should live based on what we do know

The purpose of Bible prophecy is not for us to make a calendar, but to build character.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 2, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 196.

·       Unsettled, alarmed

o   Shaken – wavering, tottering back and forth

§  In essence the Bible is saying “Be settled”  don’t be tossed about to the point of wavering in your faith

·       by prophecy or reports

o   They were facing severe persecution

o   It is easy to lose focus during pain and suffering

o   We become vulnerable to any way of finding relief

·       The day has not yet come

o   They might have been wondering

o   If the day has come – then why aren’t things getting better?

o   Paul assures them, they will know when the day comes

·       Christians do not fear the Day of the Lord – we look forward to it

o   We will be gathered to Him!!

§  Now -  Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) ²⁵  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

§  Future – all believers from everywhere will be gathered together with Jesus - 

·       Now – we assemble ourselves

·       Future – He will assemble us together!!!

B.  Don’t be deceived

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.

·       1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV) ¹³  Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
¹⁴  We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
¹⁵  According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
¹⁶  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
¹⁷  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
¹⁸  Therefore encourage each other with these words.

·       After the church is removed

o   The enemy moves in

·       Two events must happen

o   The rebellion occurs – apostasy

§  Falling away

§  Military term - Abandoning the position

·       Willful – not a mistake

o   The man of lawlessness is revealed

§  The man doomed to destruction – a real person

§  The anti-Christ

II.  The Antichrist

A.  Character

⁴  He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

·       Man of Lawlessness

o   Embodiment of Evil

§  Anomia is antithetical to righteousness
Thoralf Gilbrant, ed., “455. ἀνομία,” in The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary – Alpha-Gamma, (Springfield, MO: Complete Biblical Library, 1991), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "455. ἀνομία".

·       He will oppose and exalt

o   Oppose biblical beliefs

o   Point the attention away from Jesus and toward himself

§  Can you see Satan in this?

·       Set himself up in God’s temple

o   Proclaiming to be God

B.  This truth must be taught in Church

⁵  Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?

·       Paul who was trying to calm them down

·       Reminded them he had already taught them these things

o   Jesus is coming back

o   The great and terrible day of the Lord is coming – those who have rejected Christ will suffer His wrath

o   There will be a great falling away

o   The anti-christ will rise up

C.  His appearance

⁶  And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.

·       What or who is holding Him back

o   The Holy Spirit

o   The Church

·       “So that he may be revealed at the proper time”

o   Never lose sight of the fact that God is in control!!

§  The anti-Christ will lead many astray

§  But we also know during the Tribulation – many will be saved

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.

·       The secret power of lawlessness is already at work!

o   Wow!!   That’s not hard to believe is it

·       Imagine what it is going to be like when

o   The One who holds it back is taken away

§  The Holy Spirit will never completely leave or no one would be saved as Revelation says

§  But His restraining work will be removed

o   Lawlessness will run wild

D.  His End
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 splendor of his coming.

·       The Anti-Christ will be revealed

o   The spirit of anti-christ is already in the world

§  1 John 4:3 (NIV2011) ³  but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

·       The Lord Jesus will overthrow him with his breath

·       And destroy by the splendor of his coming!!

o   Isaiah 11:4 (NLT) ⁴  He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.

Revelation 19:11-16 (NLT) ¹¹  Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.
¹²  His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.
¹³  He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.
¹⁴  The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.
¹⁵  From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.
¹⁶  On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.