2 Thessalonians 2

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The apostle is very careful to hinder the spreading of an error which some among them had fallen into, concerning the coming of Christ as being very near, ver. 1-3. Then he proceeded to confute this error he cautioned them against, by telling them of two great events that were antecedent to the coming of Christ, viz. a general apostle, and the revelation of Antichrist, concerning whom the apostle tells them many remarkable things about his name, his character, his rise, his fall, his reign, and the sin and ruin of his subjects, ver. 3-12. He then comforts them against the terror of this apostle, and exhorts them to stedethiest, ver. 13-15. And concludes with a prayer for them, ver. 10, 17.

1. NOW we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, at that the day of Christ is at hand. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means: 4. For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of fix be revealed, the son of perdition: 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above

all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself; that he is God. 5. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6. And now ye know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. 7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letcteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and tying wonders, 10. And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a joy: 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

An error of a dangerous tendency had, it seems, crept into the church of the Theilssionans, that the coming of Christ to judge the world should be in their days. Whether this arose from their mistake or what the apostle had mentioned in his former epistle, or was broached by some who vouched his authority to support what they advanced; he is himself to confute the assertion, and to rectify their judgment in this matter.

1. He solemnly warns them not to be troubled with needless fears and apprehensions. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him; by all the hopes you entertain of meeting him with joy in that day, I adjust you, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, from the gospel which ye have embraced, and toiled to and fro with every wind of doctrine; nor be revealed by any allusions which may be advanced, or misconstructions which may arise; neither by spirit, by those who pretend to speak under divine inspiration; nor by word, however confidently any may advance this notion; nor by letter, as from us, either counterfeiting our hand, or perverting our meaning; at that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: the consequence of such a perfusion would be very dangerous; and when you found yourselves disappointed of your vainly nailed expectations, it might shake your faith in the truth of the whole gospel revelation. Note, (1.) One way in which the arch deceiver strikes at the faith of God’s elect, is by endeavouring, through his emiliaries pretending to revelation, or a knowledge of the prophetic word, to raise groundless hopes in their minds, and from the disappointment of them to suggest, that the whole may be a delusion. (2.) The we cannot fix the time of Christ’s coming, yet nothing is more certain, than that he that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry: may we without fear or dismay be ready to meet him. (3.) However dispersed God’s people now may be in different regions, and living in different ages, they shall one day be gathered together around the throne of Jesus, and so shall be ever with the Lord.

2. He confutes the error which was broached, by shewing, that many events, which would require much time to fulfil them, must precede the second coming of Christ.

(1.) There must be first a general apostle. For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, from the doctrines of the gospel, and the practice of godliness, which shall usher in the reign of Antichrist.

(2.) The rise of the antichristian power is described, v. 3-10. To whom what is here spoken belongs, hath been matter of much dispute: I cannot but own, with the best protestant commentators, my full conviction, that the popish hierarchy is the subject of this prophecy; wherein we have,

(1.) The names of this person, or rather state, here spoken of. The man of sin, the son of perdition, that wicked son; which do not point out any individual, but a succession of men, carrying on the same destructive designs; whose wicked practices and horrid delusions will be the cause of perdition to multitudes, who will perish with them.

(2.) When that man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, he may be known by these characters. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; assuming all power in heaven and in earth; undertaking to enact laws contrary to God’s word and will; and setting up himself above kings and emperors, yea, and above the angels too, who are called Gods in Scripture; Is that he at God, accepting divine perfections, sitteth in the temple of God, the church, where he hath erected his unhallowed throne; shewing himself that he is God; assuming the blasphemous titles of, our God the pope, God upon earth, &c. uturing divine authority over the bodies and consciences of men; pretending to pardon for by his own power; and speaking great swelling words of blasphemy. Remember ye not, says the apostle, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things.