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Commentary on "The Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:1–12)"

CAREL STEVENSON

 

Day 3: Monday, September 17, 2012 - Paul's Short Answer (2 Thess. 2:3, 4)

 

Not confused

No! The Thessalonians were not confused, they had been deceived. The author portrays them as being confused, as if to imply that the teaching of Paul or his previous letter had not been clear. The confusion was due to the deception of false teachers alleging they had received a different message from God and even presenting a false letter from Paul. It was not just the second coming, but the Day of the Lord that they believed they were in and this meant that they had already missed the first phase of the second coming, the gathering together or rapture of the church. Furthermore, it appears to me that the author is taking up the roll of the false teacher here with his statement “in some secret way” that is clearly intended to extract the mocking thoughts that I was brought up around whenever the doctrine of the rapture was discussed. We were never taught what the Bible says, just “oh yeah those Sunday worshipers believe in a secret rapture—can you believe it?” From Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 both the Thessalonian church and the author know that there will be nothing secret about the return of our Lord Jesus for his bride the church. Paul is not saying that the Lord could not have returned, he is saying that certain major events would be happening if the rapture had already happened.

This may or may not be an intended meaning behind the author’s statement, but to say “had he not done so, it would not have been preserved for us,” in my view is a backhanded insult to the word of God. The deception of this church, Paul’s subsequent letter, the preservation of the letter and us having it to study today are all ordained by God. This is not the result of happen chance or good fortune—it is God’s will.

A note in verse 3 that I find very interesting is that the more appropriate rendering of the apostasy and the revealing of the Antichrist is that they occur nearly simultaneously. This great apostasy triggers and accompanies the Antichrist and begins the final week of Daniels prophesy.

Verse 4 is quite fascinating; here we see a reference to the temple of God! There will be a temple in Jerusalem in the end times. Be careful here, the author states “so, the description of the man of sin contains elements pointing to both Satan himself and a wicked agent of Satan in the course of Christian history.” This is a set up for the Adventist position that the Catholic Church and the Pope will be the Antichrist. While Daniel makes it clear that Rome will again rise to power, implicating the Catholic Church cannot be supported by scripture and is instead brought in from the deeply heretical writings of Ellen G. White and more specifically the Great Controversy. See "The Great Controversy: Living in a worldview of deception" if you have questions about this.

 

GO TO DAY 4

 

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The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 12

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