Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (2:1–5)

Human history has had its share of evil leaders. The first century saw cruel Roman emperors, such as the mad Nero of Paul’s day or the paranoid Domitian of John’s later years. The twentieth century witnessed a host of evil dictators, most notoriously Stalin and Hitler. Man’s religious history has also been plagued by false christs, false teachers, cult leaders, swamis, gurus, and countless other charlatans and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

But one is coming who will surpass them all, both in the extent of his power and the evil of his person. He will be the most fiendish, wicked, powerful man ever to walk the earth. He is known in Scripture by many names; he is “Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal” (Ezek. 38:2); the little horn of Daniel 7:8, 24; 8:9; the “prince who is to come” (Dan. 9:26); the king who does as he pleases (Dan. 11:36); the foolish, worthless shepherd (Zech. 11:15–17); the beast (Rev. 11:7; 13:1; 14:9; 19:20; etc.). In this chapter, Paul describes him as “the man of lawlessness” (v. 3), the “son of destruction” (v. 3), “that lawless one” (v. 8), and “the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan” (v. 9). But he is best known as the Antichrist (1 John 2:18). Antichristos (“Antichrist”) is a compound Greek word, made up of the preposition anti and the noun Christos. Anti can mean both “against” and “in the place of.” Both meanings are appropriate, for the Antichrist will both oppose the true Christ, and seek to usurp His place.

Anyone who opposes the Person and work of Christ manifests the Antichrist’s spirit: “This is the antichrist,” wrote John, “the one who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22; cf. 4:3; 2 John 7). For that reason John could write that “many antichrists have appeared” (1 John 2:18). The final Antichrist will be the culmination of all the antichrists who have gone before him (1 John 2:18); he will be the consummate and ultimate manifestation of the antichrist spirit.

The spirit of Antichrist has been at work since the fall of humanity and God’s promise of a man to bruise the head of Satan and redeem man from sin and death (Gen. 3:14–15). Since then, Satan has opposed God’s plan of redemption and attempted to thwart the work of the Redeemer. Genesis 6 records that the world had become so totally under his control that when God saw its unmitigated wickedness, He drowned the entire world, sparing only Noah and his seven family members. Later, hoping to destroy the line of messianic promise, Satan incited the Egyptians to attempt to murder all the male Hebrew babies (Ex. 1). Some six hundred years later, the family of Messiah was reduced to a single child (cf. 2 Chron. 21, 22), but Satan was unable to extinguish it. Nor did Satan’s tool, Haman, succeed some four hundred years later in his plot to massacre the Jewish people (Est. 3). God saved them through the courage and wisdom of Esther and Mordecai (Est. 4–9). Those are only highlights of Satan’s relentless efforts to thwart the redeeming work of the Messiah, Christ.

After the Messiah’s birth, Satan, having failed to destroy His forbears, redoubled his futile efforts to eliminate Him. Herod’s barbarous attempt to kill the Lord Jesus by slaughtering the male babies in Bethlehem failed when He and His parents escaped to Egypt (Matt. 2:7–18). In an attempt to kill Jesus at the hands of His own townspeople, Satan incited the synagogue crowd in Nazareth to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:28–30), but they did not succeed because Jesus disappeared. Satan’s temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1–11) and his attempt to use Peter to keep Jesus from the cross (Matt. 16:21–23) also failed. And even when the Jews and Romans cooperated (if only reluctantly by the Romans) to have Jesus killed, they were only doing God’s will. Satan’s brief satisfaction was cut short by the Resurrection (Acts 2:22–24).

Throughout history since then, Satan also has inspired hatred of Messiah’s people, the Jews, through whom (Rev. 7:4–10; 14:1–5) and for whom (Rom. 11:25–27) salvation will come. The persecution, oppression, and pogroms they have endured culminated in the Holocaust brought on by the Nazis in the mid-twentieth century. Islamic animosity and desire to obliterate the Jews is the latest evidence of Satan’s hatred of God’s purpose to redeem the Jews and make His Son their King. But the Antichrist will be the Jews’ worst persecutor as he attempts to thwart the fulfillment of God’s pledge of salvation and a kingdom for Israel. After posing as their protector for the first half of the time of tribulation, he will break his covenant with them (Dan. 9:27). He will then unleash a persecution unparalleled in history—one that will see the eradication of two-thirds of the Jewish people (Zech. 13:8). For pastoral purpose, this unspeakably vile man is the subject of Paul’s second chapter in this letter.

The apostle wrote this section to deal with the Thessalonians’ loss of hope and joy through confusion about the end times. He had already given them explicit instruction about both the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13–18) and the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:1–11). Yet only a few months later, they had become confused, again fearing that they had missed the Rapture and were in the Day of the Lord. They knew that the Day of the Lord is God’s final judgment on the sinful world (see the discussion of the Day of the Lord in chapter 12 of this volume). Apparently, even with the apostle’s correctives in the first letter, the intensity of the persecution they were undergoing made them unable to shake the possibility that it had arrived. They were also directly assaulted by the deception of some false teachers. Playing off their confusion, they deceived the believers into thinking that Paul actually taught that the Day of the Lord had come and sought to prove it by producing a forged letter purporting to be from him in support of their teaching. Paul had explained in his first epistle why they could not be in the Day of the Lord (the Day of the Lord is for unbelievers; cf. 1 Thess. 5:4–9). Here, recognizing that due to the efforts of false teachers the truth does not yet prevail, he adds strong evidence to prove that they are not in the Day of the Lord: Antichrist had not appeared, and his coming will occur just before that Day comes.

That Antichrist was to come was common knowledge among the early Christians. John’s readers had “heard that antichrist is coming” (1 John 2:18), and, as previously noted, Paul had taught that same truth to the Thessalonians (2:5). Believers were already experiencing persecution from his forerunners, those who manifested the antichrist spirit.

Besides Paul’s teaching, the Thessalonians knew the final Antichrist had been prophesied in the Old Testament (e.g., Dan. 7, 9, 11) and predicted by the teaching of the Lord Jesus Himself (Matt. 24:15–31).

The final archenemy of the Savior first appears in Daniel 7:8, which describes him as a “little horn” who rises from obscurity to a place of prominence. That same verse describes him as having “eyes like the eyes of a man,” indicating his intelligence, and “a mouth uttering great boasts,” a reference to his oratorical skills and arrogant pride. Verse 21 reveals his relentless hostility against God’s people; the prophet saw him “waging war with the saints and overpowering them.” Verse 23 notes that his kingdom “will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.” His empire, unlike any other in human history, will be worldwide. Verse 25 depicts him as a blasphemer who “will speak out against the Most High.” He also will “make alterations in times and in law,” replacing the world’s religious ceremonies and observances with new ones in honor of himself and introducing a satanically inspired morality.

But Antichrist’s oppression will be divinely limited to “a time, times, and half a time” (v. 25; cf. 9:27; Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:14; 13:5), the last three and a half years of the Tribulation when his reign of terror is in full swing. After that, “[God’s] court will sit for judgment, and [Antichrist’s] dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever” (v. 26), and “the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him” (v. 27).

Daniel 8:23 describes Antichrist as “insolent.” The Hebrew expression literally means that he has a fierce face, indicating that he will intimidate people into submission. That verse also notes that he will be “skilled in intrigue” (cf. v. 25, which also speaks of his shrewdness and deceit); Antichrist will be a deceiver, like his evil master Satan (Gen. 3:13; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9; 20:2–3, 8, 10). Verse 24 indicates that Antichrist will derive his power from Satan (cf. Rev. 13:2). Verse 25 adds that “he will magnify himself in his heart,” speaking again of his arrogant pride; that “he will destroy many while they are at ease,” indicating that he will be ruthless; that “he will even oppose the Prince of princes,” revealing him to be a blasphemer of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Dan. 7:25); and that “he will be broken without human agency,” indicating that God will judge and destroy him (cf. Dan. 7:26).

In Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks (9:24–27), Antichrist is “the prince who is to come” (v. 26). He “will make a firm covenant with the many [Israel] for one week” (v. 27), the seventieth week of years in Daniel’s prophecy; the seven-year Tribulation period. He will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and protector. However, “in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate” (v. 27). Halfway through the Tribulation, Antichrist will show his true colors. He will turn on the Jewish people and commit the defiling act Jesus called the “abomination of desolation” (Matt. 24:15). This will launch the “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21). But his reign will be short-lived (three and one half years), lasting only “until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate” (v. 27). As Daniel 7:26 indicates, God will destroy Antichrist and his kingdom. Revelation 19:11ff. describes that destruction by the returning Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel gives more details of Antichrist’s career in chapter 11. He describes him as a ruthless, arrogant, proud “king [who] will do as he pleases” (v. 36). As he did earlier (cf. 7:25), Daniel depicts him as a blasphemer without parallel in human history who will “magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods” (v. 36). He also “will show no regard for the gods of his fathers” but will forsake the traditional religion of his ancestors. “Nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all” (v. 37); he will ultimately set himself up as an object of worship. That he will show no interest in “the desire of women” could mean he will be a homosexual; at least he will be heterosexually celibate. Some believe this probability, along with many other features, such as his world power and influence, unequalled religious ecumenical power, claim to rule in the place of Christ, and seeking of worship, seals the fact that he will be a pope. But once again Daniel stresses that God will judge him; he “will come to his end, and no one will help him” (v. 45).

This final Antichrist, as Scripture depicts him, has yet to appear on the world’s stage. And since he must appear before the Day of the Lord begins, the Thessalonians’ fears that they were already in that terrible time of judgment were groundless. Based on that truth, Paul made an urgent request of them to properly comprehend the events surrounding the Second Coming. It was to that subject that the apostle turned; the particle de (now) marks a transition from Paul’s prayer report in 1:11–12 to the doctrinal issue of the epistle.

Unlike much contemporary teaching on eschatology, Paul’s motive was not sensational but pastoral. His goal was not to gratify curiosity about the end times but to comfort confused Christians. Therefore, he limited his instruction to what was necessary to correct the error that robbed them of their joy, hope, and peace. And he did so tenderly, kindly, and patiently. He humbly called the Thessalonians his brethren and used the gentle term erōtaō (request), a verb that means “to plead,” “implore,” or even “to beg.” Instead of coming across as authoritarian, intolerant, or overbearing, Paul gently corrected those struggling under this error.

The struggle came, Paul indicates once again (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13–5:11), because they were confused with regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and believers’ gathering together to Him. Though Paul used two expressions, he actually had one event in mind, not two. The Greek syntax uses only one article with the two nouns, making it clear that two complementary elements of one event are in view. This is the sixth mention in these two letters of Christ’s coming (cf. 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23). Of the many aspects of the parousia (coming) of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul focused specifically on the first event, the gathering together of believers to Him in the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13–18). He zeroed in on that event because, as noted earlier, the confused Thessalonians, expecting relief (1:7), instead were suffering severe persecution. That caused them to believe they had missed the Rapture and were in the Day of the Lord.

In verse 2 Paul expressed his concern that the Thessalonians not be quickly shaken from their composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from Paul and his companions, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Spirit likely refers to a false prophet who supposedly received divine revelation (cf. 1 John 4:1–3). Message refers to a sermon or teaching, and letter to a written authority for this doctrine. Taken together, these words indicate the careful and extensive way that this false teaching was presented; it had all the marks of authenticity—divine revelation, proclamation, and the authority of apostolic writing. It is important to see that the Thessalonians’ fear indicates that Paul had taught them that the Rapture of the church precedes the final wrath of God, including the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord (1 Thess. 5:2–5; cf. Rev. 3:10). If he had taught them that they were to go through those judgment periods, they would have been rejoicing because being in them meant that the Lord’s coming was near. Clearly, Paul had taught them that they would be taken up before those times, thus their confusion when they felt like they were in them.

Actually, false teachers had come to Thessalonica with teaching that reinforced their confusion in order to minimize the glory of Christ’s coming for believers and destroy their hope and joy as well as to build distrust in God’s love, grace, and goodness to His saints. What reinforced convincingly their feelings was that this teaching appeared to have apostolic sanction. It seemed to have been received supernaturally through direct revelation from God via a spirit (prophetic utterance), preached as God’s message, and most convincing of all, written in an authentic apostolic letter. All that supposedly was from Paul himself, and attested by his partners Silas, and Timothy (us). Such forgeries and counterfeit apostolic documents (pseudepigrapha) continued in existence early in the life of the church, crafted and used to deceive many in the following centuries. Accordingly, Paul took special care to verify this letter’s apostolic authenticity by closing it with his own distinctive handwriting (3:17; cf. Gal. 6:11).

This false teaching about the Rapture and the Day of the Lord had a devastating impact on the already jittery Thessalonians, as Paul’s strong, graphic terminology reveals. Having become convinced that the Day of the Lord had arrived, they were quickly shaken from their composure and disturbed. Shaken translates a form of the verb saleuō, which describes a reed blown about in the wind (Matt. 11:7), the shaking of the powers of heaven in the end times (Matt. 24:29), the shaking of the building when the Holy Spirit came (Acts 4:31), the shaking of the prison at Philippi during the earthquake (Acts 16:26), and the agitating of the crowds at Berea by unbelieving Jews (Acts 17:13). Nous (composure) literally means “mind,” while throeō (disturbed) is translated “frightened” in its only other New Testament uses (Matt. 24:6; Mark 13:7). The young believers had been shaken loose from their mental moorings and were adrift on a tossing sea of anxiety and fear, their faith, hope, and joy devastated by deception.

To end the Thessalonians’ confusion, Paul needed to refute the lies of the false teachers. And to allay the Thessalonians’ fears, he needed to correct their misunderstandings about the Day of the Lord. The apostle accomplished both objectives simply by proving that the Day of the Lord could not have arrived. His unarguable point was that God has fixed in the future an unmistakable event that must take place before the Day of the Lord arrives. That event still has not happened. Paul wove that truth into an exhortation to the Thessalonians to be ready for the end times by not being deceived, forgetful, ignorant, unbelieving, insecure, or weak.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED

Let no one in any way deceive you, (2:3a)

Deception easily leads to anxiety and fear, and that was certainly the case with the Thessalonians. As noted above, when false teachers misled them into thinking they were in the Day of the Lord, they panicked. Unfortunately, deception in the church is commonplace, including the countless charlatans who have disturbed many over the centuries with false predictions about the Lord’s return. Of such deceivers Jesus warned, “See to it that no one misleads you” (Matt. 24:4; Mark 13:5; cf. Luke 21:8).

The church faces the constant threat of deception because “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light…. His servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14–15). To avoid being deceived by this constant barrage of demonic lies, believers must “no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14). They must be alert for those guilty of “adulterating the word of God” (2 Cor. 4:2), who “deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting” (Rom. 16:18), knowing that as Christ’s return draws near “evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13), and that already “many deceivers have gone out into the world” (2 John 7; cf. 1 John 2:26; 3:7).

Paul’s command is a strong prohibition. The compound verb exapataō (deceive), a strengthened form of the verb apataō, means “to deceive completely,” or “to delude.” The apostle also used a double negative (mē tis; mēdena), saying in effect, “Do not let anyone by any means or any method lead you astray in any way.” There was really no excuse for the Thessalonians to have been so gullible, despite the seemingly convincing forged letter. They should have realized that Paul would not abruptly contradict in a letter what he had so recently taught them in person and in his first epistle. The Thessalonians’ gullibility was an emotional reaction to the stress of their situation. However, truth is not determined by emotions or circumstances, but by Scripture. Believers must allow biblical truth and theology to rise above every situation.

To be deceived about the Second Coming has serious practical consequences, making it essential to understand the truth about the return of Jesus Christ. Such knowledge is important because it produces accountability. Having described the cataclysmic destruction of the heavens and the earth, Peter exhorted his readers, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless” (2 Peter 3:11, 14). The apostle John also wrote of the purifying effect of a proper view of Christ’s return: “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2–3).

A correct hope in the Lord’s return produces not only accountability and purity but also joy. Fearing that they would experience the horrors of the Day of the Lord robbed the Thessalonians of joy. That fear also robbed them of the hope of the Lord’s promise to “keep [them] from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 3:10). To avoid losing the purity and joy of true hope the Thessalonians needed to remember the truths Paul had taught them.

DO NOT BE FORGETFUL

for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (2:3b–5)

This point is closely tied to the first one, since forgetting the truth leaves believers vulnerable to deception. The key to this section is in the last sentence: Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? The imperfect tense of the Greek verb (noting repeated action in past time) translated was telling indicates that teaching about end-time events was a continual theme during Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica. Therefore, what the apostle wrote in this section was not new to the church; he merely reiterated what he had already taught them (cf. 2 Peter 1:12–15). That he taught prophetic truth in the few months he had with the new believers in Thessalonica shows that biblical eschatology, including the sequence of events, is not unimportant, as some think, but is foundational to the Christian faith. As noted above, its purpose was not sensational but practical; had the Thessalonians remembered Paul’s teaching, they would not have lost their joy and hope.

The Thessalonians had forgotten that Paul told them when he was there that the Day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first. Out of all the precursors of the Day of the Lord (e.g., Joel 2:31; 3:14; Mal. 4:5), Paul singled out the apostasy. He was not, of course, setting a posttribulational date for the Rapture (cf. the discussion of 1 Thess. 4:13–18 in chapter 11 and 1 Thess. 5:1 in chapter 12 of this volume); he did not tell his readers that they would live to experience the apostasy and the unveiling of the man of lawlessness. Paul’s point was merely that the apostasy will precede the Day of the Lord. And since the apostasy has not yet taken place, the Day of the Lord could not have arrived.

The basic meaning of apostasia (apostasy) is “revolt,” or “rebellion.” In its only other New Testament appearance it refers to forsaking the Law of Moses (Acts 21:21). The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, uses it three times to express rebellion against God (Josh. 22:22; 2 Chron. 29:19; Jer. 2:19). Thus, the word marks a deliberate defection from a formerly held religious position.

Paul was not referring here to apostasy (defection from the gospel truth) in the general sense. There have always been apostate churches, like that at Laodicea (Rev. 3:14–22), as well as apostate individuals (Heb. 10:25–31; 2 Peter 2:20–22). Such generalized apostasy, because it is always present, cannot signify a particular time period. Therefore, it cannot be the specific event Paul has in mind.

Apostasy will reach its peak in the end times:

But the heightened apostasy of the end times, like the apostasy that has plagued the church throughout its history, is not the specific event Paul has in mind.

Nor does Paul have in mind the apostasy during the Tribulation, of which Jesus warned: “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold…. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:11–12, 24).

Paul’s use of the definite article reveals that he had in mind not a general flow or trend, but a specific, identifiable act of apostasy. The apostasy will be a blasphemous act of unprecedented magnitude. The apostle identified the apostasy by naming the key character connected with it: the man of lawlessness. Understanding who that key person is is a prerequisite to identifying the apostasy event. Anomia (lawlessness) literally means “without law” (cf. 1 John 3:4). This person will be the consummate lawless one; a blasphemous sinner, who will live in open defiance of God’s law. Of all the billions of godless, evil, lawless sinners in human history, his evil influence will be greater than any other’s. Even in the end times, when “lawlessness is increased” (Matt. 24:12), this Satan-energized leader will stand out as the one whose depraved, wicked, lawless leadership sweeps over the whole world—with influence never before seen.

The aorist tense of the verb translated revealed points to a definite time when this man will appear. It implies that he was previously present and known, but his act of apostasy will unveil his true evil identity; he will drop all pretense and the previously hidden wickedness of his character will be fully disclosed. God and the Lord Jesus will not have appeared as his enemies until the time he is revealed.

The title man of lawlessness has been identified with many different individuals, including Antiochus Epiphanes, Caligula, Nero, and in the last century, Hitler, Stalin, and others. But the close association of the man of lawlessness with the Day of the Lord rules out historical persons; otherwise, the Day of the Lord might have come centuries ago. The man of lawlessness cannot be Satan, for he is distinguished from the devil in verse 9. Nor can this be a reference to a principle of evil, for the text specifically identifies him as a man. He can be none other than the final Antichrist.

Paul further described the man of lawlessness as the son of destruction. The expression son of is a Hebraism indicating a close association, or of the same kind, just as a son shares his father’s nature. The Antichrist will be so completely devoted to the destruction of all that relates to God’s purpose and plan that he can be said to be destruction personified. He, however, belongs to destruction (apōleia; “ruin,” not “annihilation”) as the one to be destroyed. He is fixed for punishment and judgment; he is human trash for the garbage dump of hell.

Only one other individual in Scripture shares the dubious distinction of being named son of destruction: Judas (John 17:12; the NASB translates the same Greek phrase “son of perdition”). The title is thus reserved for the two vilest people in human history, controlled by Satan (John 13:2; Rev. 13:2) and guilty of the two most heinous acts of apostasy. Judas lived and ministered intimately with the incarnate Son of God for more than three years—a privilege granted to only eleven others. Yet after observing Jesus’ sinless life, hearing His wisdom, and experiencing His divine power and gracious love, Judas betrayed Him. Amazingly, he was so much a son of destruction that the glories of Christ that softened the eleven hardened him.

Monstrous as that apostasy was, it pales in comparison to the act of future apostasy Antichrist will commit. Judas betrayed the Son of God; Antichrist will proclaim himself God. Judas desecrated the temple with the money he received for betraying Christ (Matt. 27:5); Antichrist will desecrate the temple by committing the abomination of desolation (Matt. 24:15). Judas, apparently without influencing others, went astray, a tragic, solitary disaster (Acts 1:18–19); Antichrist will lead the world astray into destruction (Rev. 13:5–8).

After initially posing as the friend of religion (cf. Rev. 17:13), Antichrist will suddenly reveal his true nature when he commits blasphemy against God and opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship (cf. Rev. 13:15–16). Energized by Satan and aided by the false prophet, Antichrist will have immense power to successfully demand that the world worship him (cf. Rev. 13:1–17). Satan, who has always longed to be worshiped (cf. Isa. 14:13–14), will fulfill that desire vicariously through the worship accorded Antichrist. Antichrist will exalt himself by taking his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. The temple, the symbol of God’s presence, is the most fitting place for Satan to orchestrate the ultimate act of blasphemy—a wicked man displaying himself as being God. This apostasy, to which Paul refers here and which Jesus called the “abomination of desolation” (Matt. 24:15), referring to Daniel’s prophecy, will take place at the midpoint of the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27). It will initiate God’s judgment on the world through Antichrist’s reign of terror during the second half of the Tribulation. At the end of that three-and-a-half-year period, Christ will return in glory to destroy Antichrist’s kingdom and all the ungodly. The Lord Jesus will cast him into the lake of fire along with his false prophet (Rev. 19:11–21).

Paul’s point is clear. The apostasy, Antichrist’s blasphemous self-deification and desecration of the Temple, is a unique, unmistakable event that precedes the Day of the Lord. Since that clearly has not happened, the Day of the Lord cannot have arrived. And it never will for believers.

We need not fear the judgment of that Day. Believers are “not in darkness, that the day would overtake [them] like a thief” (1 Thess. 5:4). We are waiting for Jesus to return from heaven (1 Thess. 1:10) and gather us to Himself (2 Thess. 2:1; cf. John 14:1–3). We look for the true Christ, not the Antichrist. Only those who are deceived and forgetful risk losing the confident hope and expectant joy of Christ’s return before the Day of the Lord.