2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Paul writes to the Thessalonian Gentiles in northern Greece. The brethren of the Thessalonian church were being deceived by false teachers concerning, “the day of the Lord.” They thought the catching away of the church had passed, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, and the day of judgment was coming upon them. So, Paul writes to correct this misunderstanding. He writes,
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (day of Christ) shall not come, except there come a falling away (defection) first, and that man of sin (antichrist) be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
In verse 1 we read, “by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,”
This cannot be the Second Coming, why? because when Jesus returns at the end of the great tribulation, speaking of his 2ed coming, there will be “no gathering unto Him.” But in 2ed Thessalonians there is a gathering unto the Lord, therefore, 2 Thessalonians has to be a reference to the Rapture of the church before the tribulation begins.
In Zechariah 14:3-4 we read concerning the events of his second coming, events that cannot be applied to 2 Thessalonians 2.
“Then shall the LORD go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle. And his (the Lord’s) feet shall stand that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives, shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the North, and half of it toward the south.”
Acts 1:11, “Ye men of Galilee (the apostles), why stand ye gazing up into heaven: this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner (the same way) as you have seen him go into heaven.”
Jesus was alone when he was lifted up into heaven, and will return the same way, at the same place, and alone on the Mt. of Olives.
Isaiah 63:3 gives us a view into the future concerning Jesus return, the days of God’s vengeance. We read in,
Verse 3, “I (the Lord) have trodden the winepress ALONE; and of the people there was NONE with me:”
Verse 4, “For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”
Hebrews 10:30, “For we know him (Jesus) that hath said, vengeance belongs unto me, I will recompense (repay), saith the Lord.”
2 Thessalonians 4:15 speaks of a “falling away first.” So, what does falling away mean: Synonym’s are, to forsake, defection, apostasy: Greek is, “apostasia.” In these last days, an apostasy, a defection from our Lord and His holy word will happen in great numbers.
Except there come an apostasy first: apostasy or neglect of the essential principles of Christian truths; and/or a total abandonment of Christianity itself. There will be a corruption of Christ’s doctrines, that will render the whole system of salvation incapable of providing it.
Let me give you an example of this, the acceptance of same sex marriage in evangelicals has increased from 14% in 2007 to 35% in 2018, and going up. There’s only one state in America where the majority of its people oppose same-sex marriage, that state is, Alabama.
So here we stand in the last days, most of the world’s population standing on the edge of a cliff waving their fists and shaking their heads at Jesus Christ, just as they did at the cross.
Mark 15:29, “And they (the people) passed by railed on him, wagging (shaking) their heads,” — “Likewise the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.”
Let me leave you with this, “because it may be politically correct, or because our Supreme court has legalized laws that break the ordinances of God, in His eyes, and in the body, soul and spirit of true Christians, it will never, ever equal morality, nor will God forgive it.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com