Missing Events

Two events must occur before the Day of the Lord begins: The Apostasy and the unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness in God’s House.

Certain men were spreading rumors in the church of Thessalonica, raising false expectations about the imminence of the arrival of Jesus. The Apostle Paul warned the congregation not to be distracted or deceived by such reports. Two pivotal events must occur before that day:

• “Now, we urge you, brothers, concerning the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him; so that you not be quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand. Let no one seduce you in any respect, because except the apostasy comes first and the man without law, the son of destruction, is revealed, HE WHO OPPOSES AND EXALTS HIMSELF ABOVE ALL THINGS THAT ARE CALLED GOD or sacred, so that he sits in the sanctuary of God, presenting himself that he is god” – (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Note the verbal allusions to the passages from the Book of Daniel, see below).

• “And he shall do according to his will, and the king will exalt and magnify himself against all gods, and he will speak great swelling words, and he will prosper until the indignation is accomplished. For it is coming to an end” - (Daniel 11:36, from the Septuagint version).

• “And the yoke of his chain shall prosper. There is guile in his hand; and he will magnify himself in his heart, and by cunning he will destroy many. And he will stand up for the destruction of many, and he will crush them as eggs in his hand” - (Daniel 8:25, the Septuagint or LXX).

[Photo by Agê Barros (São paulo, brasil) on Unsplash]

The Day of the Lord will not begin until the Apostasy occurs and the man without law is unveiled. The term “first” in the Greek sentence could mean that the Apostasy will precede the unveiling of this man, or that both events will occur concurrently.

The Apostasy and the unveiling of the Son of Destruction are inextricably linked. This deceiver will spread the deceptions that blind believers to the truth, causing many of them to abandon the faith of Jesus, and he will be characterized by lawlessness and destruction.

The English term ‘apostasy’ translates the Greek noun ‘apostasia’, (αποστασια), meaning “falling away, apostasy, defection.” In both the New Testament and the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, this term applied to the betrayal of the true faith - (For example, Matthew 5:31, Acts 21:21, 1 Timothy 4:1, Hebrews 3:12).

The expectation of an apostasy before the end of the present age is common in the New Testament and originated with Jesus, who also linked “lawlessness” to future disruptions and betrayals among his followers. For example:

• “Then, many will be caused to stumble, and they will betray one another, and they will hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and deceive many. And because of lawlessness COMING TO THE FULL, the love of the many will grow c0ld” - (Matthew 24:10-12. Note the allusion to Daniel 8:23 [“When their sins are coming to the full”]).

• “In later times, SOME WILL DEPART FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons” - (1 Timothy 4:1. Note the verbal allusion to Daniel 11:35, Septuagint [“And some of those who understand will fall”]).

• “For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine. But having itching ears, they will gather to themselves teachers after their own lusts, and they will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside to myths” - (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Paul applies two designations to this end-time deceiver: “The Man of Lawlessness” and “the Son of Destruction.” The image of a man who causes lawlessness and destruction is based on the Little Horn described in the Book of Daniel - (Compare Daniel 7:7-25, 8:9-25, 11:31-36).

The Apostle’s purpose in Second Thessalonians is to protect believers from misinformation about Christ’s return and the Day of the Lord, and to prepare them for this future attack by satanic forces. Note, for example, Paul’s reference in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 to “the Mystery of Lawlessness” that is working already to cause the Apostasy and unleash the Son of Destruction on the Church.

Rather than providing a list of signs by which we may determine the timing or nearness of the Day of the Lord, Paul points to missing events. And this is to demonstrate that the Last Day has not yet arrived, and it will not do so until these two expected events occur.

-----

[Citations of Old Testament passages in this article are based on the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint. Text printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS represents quotations and verbal allusions from the Old Testament. The Septuagint is represented by the Roman numeral for ‘seventy’ or LXX based on the Latin name of the translation, ‘Interpretatio septuaginta virorum’]

[PDF Copy]

SEE ALSO:

• Rumors and Disinformation - (False information about the Day of the Lord caused alarm and confusion among the believers of Thessalonica – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

• The Day of the Lord - (Jesus will arrive to gather his saints on the Day of the Lord, but only after the apostasy and the unveiling of the Son of Destruction)

• Gathering His Elect - (The saints will be gathered before Jesus on the Last Day, but the wicked will be collected for judgment and cast from his presence)

• Deux Événements Manquants - (Deux événements doivent se produire avant que le Jour du Seigneur ne commence: l'Apostasie et le dévoilement de l'Homme sans loi dans la Maison de Dieu)