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Showing posts with the label Apostasy

Seated in the Sanctuary

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The Man of Lawlessness, the Son of Destruction, will be unveiled when he takes his seat in the House of God - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. Jesus will not arrive in glory until two events occur – The Apostasy and the revelation of the Son of Destruction. Not only will this deceiver cause many believers to apostatize, but his true identity will be disclosed when he takes his seat in the Sanctuary of God.

The Son of Destruction

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Many Christians will abandon the faith when the Lawless One, the Son of Destruction, places himself in the Sanctuary of God . Before Jesus returns and judges the nations, a powerful deceiver will appear. He will lead many believers to deviate from the true faith and betray their Savior. His identity “ will be revealed ” when he takes his place in the Church.

Missing Events

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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:

The Storm

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The New Testament warns of an apostasy before the Day of the Lord caused by the Son of Destruction, the Man of Lawlessness . The New Testament warns us that before Jesus returns, his Church will be invaded by deceivers, including “ false anointed ones ” and “ false prophets .” Before the “ Day of the Lord ” begins, we will be confronted by the “ Man of Lawlessness , ” whom the Apostle Paul links to the “ Apostasy ,” the great “ falling away ” from the faith. That time is upon us.

Beguiling Miracles

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The Son of Destruction will use deceitful signs and lying wonders to mislead many saints into abandoning the Faith – 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9. The “ Day of the Lord ” will not begin until the “ Man of Lawlessness ” is revealed when he “ seats himself   in the Sanctuary of God .” His arrival will coincide with the “ Apostasy .” This Master Deceiver will be characterized by his ability to hoodwink believers using “ signs and wonders .”

Faux Messies

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Depuis sa fondation, Satan a envoyé de faux christs et de faux prophètes pour détruire le Corps du Christ de l'intérieur . La prédication populaire dépeint l'Antéchrist comme un leader mondial totalitaire déterminé à subjuguer les nations de la Terre. Bien que cela puisse s'avérer être le cas, le Nouveau Testament est beaucoup plus préoccupé par les trompeurs et “ les faux oints ” qui travaillent à l'intérieur de l'Église, provoquant confsion et apostasie.

False Messiahs

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Since it was founded, Satan has sent counterfeit christs and false prophets to destroy the Body of Christ from the inside . Popular preaching portrays the Antichrist as a totalitarian global leader bent on subjugating the nations of the Earth. While this may turn out to be the case, the New Testament is far more concerned with deceivers and “ false anointed ones ” who work inside the Church, causing confusion and apostasy.

Impostors and Beasts

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The New Testament warns that false prophets will appear, causing many believers to abandon their faith and betray Jesus Christ . Jesus warned his disciples to beware of deceivers, the false messiahs and false prophets who are determined to seduce his followers and thus destroy the Church from the inside. These warnings are reiterated and expanded in the writings of the Apostles.

The Spirit of Antichrist

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The Spirit of Antichrist is working to destroy the church through deceptions spread by false teachers and charlatans . In popular preaching, the Antichrist is a political tyrant determined to conquer the world. However, only the Apostle John uses the term ‘Antichrist’, and he applies it to false teachers who originated in his congregations.

The Day of the Lord

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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 . In his second letter to the church of Thessalonica, Paul refutes claims that the Day of the Lord is imminent or has even begun. That Day will not arrive until the apostasy occurs and the man without law is revealed, the Son of Destruction, whom Jesus will destroy when he arrives in glory .

Rumors and Disinformation

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( False information about the Day of the Lord caused alarm and confusion among the believers of Thessalonica  – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2). The Apostle Paul addresses false claims about the Day of the Lord in his second letter to the Thessalonians. Incorrect information concerning Christ’s return is disrupting the congregation. Paul attributes the source of the disinformation to either a “ spirit ,” a word (‘ logos ’), or a letter, “ as if from us ”; supposedly, from Paul and his coworkers .

The Beast is Rising!

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To identify the Antichrist, we must first understand what the relevant passages of the Bible say about him, his methods, and his objectives . The subject of the Antichrist raises many questions. Who is he? When will he appear? How will we recognize him? In popular culture, he is a global political leader who uses military might to subjugate other nations and attack the modern nation of Israel.

The Apostasy

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Paul warns of the coming Apostasy, which he links to the unveiling of the Man without Law when he takes his seat in the Church . Paul responds to misleading claims about the imminence of the Day of the Lord by declaring that it will not begin until the Apostasy occurs and the Son of Destruction is revealed. Disinformation about the return of Jesus was circulating among the members of the Thessalonian congregation .

Stand Fast!

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Believers prepare for the Apostasy and the coming Man of Lawlessness by committing themselves to the traditions received from the Apostles . After explaining the coming “ Apostasy ” and the “ Man of Lawlessness ,” Paul instructed believers on how to avoid the coming deception and thereby find themselves standing “ blameless ” before Jesus when he arrives on the Day of the Lord. We must “ stand fast ” by adhering to the teachings and “ traditions ” the Church has received from the Apostles.

His Penetrating Word

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After urging believers to enter God’s “ rest ,”  Hebrews  provides an eloquent description of the powerful Word of God and returns to the subject of the priesthood “ after the order of Melchizedek .” Believers must strive to enter His “ rest ” while the opportunity remains - “ TODAY, hearken to His voice .” In contrast, Ancient Israel refused to believe the words of God and suffered the consequences. In the final analysis, no one will escape from His penetrating Word.

Enter His Rest

The Letter continues with its analogy to Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness, thereby summoning believers not to make the same error of unbelief and fail to enter God’s “ rest .” In the desert, Yahweh decreed that the generation of Israelites that fled from Egypt would not enter the Promised Land. And so, disciples of Jesus who fail to “ hold fast the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end ” will face a similar fate. They will not inherit the promises of God.

Harden Not Your Hearts

After expounding on the “ household of God ” and demonstrating the superiority of the Son  over Moses ,  Hebrews  continues with a lesson drawn from the history of Israel. During its sojourn in the wilderness, the Israelites complained bitterly against the “ servant of God ,” for leading them to a place with insufficient water supplies. Consequently, God decreed that the generation of Israelites freed from Egyptian bondage would not enter the Promised Land.

Hold Fast to the Word!

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Followers of Jesus must cling tenaciously to the Word spoken in the Son or they will drift away from God’s gracious salvation . The Letter’s first literary section concludes with an exhortation and warning. The disciple of Jesus who fails to heed the far “ better word ” God is speaking in His Son will suffer an even “ sorer punishment ” than the rebellious Israelites when they disobeyed the Mosaic Law. The  Torah  was delivered to Moses by angels. Nevertheless, it was God’s word, and therefore, lawbreakers received severe punishments – (Hebrews 2:1-4).

Do Not Drift Away

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The first chapter of  Hebrews  emphasizes the supremacy of the High Priest who now sits at the “ right hand of the Majesty on High .” In the chapter’s second half, the eternal sovereignty of God is described (“ Your throne, O God, is to times everlasting ”), then the qualifications of the Son for the priesthood are stated (“ You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness ”). This leads to the exhortation at the beginning of Chapter 2.

Lawless One Destroyed

Jesus will deal with the “ Lawless One ” at his “ arrival ” or  Parousia . In describing this, Paul employs language from Daniel’s vision of the “ little horn speaking great things ,” originally, an image representing the Seleucid ruler who attempted to destroy the Jewish faith and nation through deceit and persecution.