Kingdom Disciples

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.

The saints will be assembled before Jesus on the Last Day, and the wicked will be collected for judgment and cast from his presence . On the Last Day, the righteous and the unrighteous will be “ gathered ” before Jesus, the former for vindication and salvation, and the latter for judgment and condemnation. This event is linked in the New Testament to Christ’s “ arrival ” at the end of the age when he will resurrect the dead, judge the dead and living, terminate the “ Last Enemy, Death ,” and consummate the Kingdom of God.

Jesus refused the political power of Rome when Satan offered it. So, why do we insist on seeking the very thing our Master rejected? The teachings of Jesus and his Apostles in multiple ways summon Christians not to be “ unequally yoked together ” with this world and its values. What humanity needs is the Good News of the Kingdom of God and the salvation provided by Jesus Christ. Since the “ forms ” of this present age are in the process of “ passing away ,” the Church should not waste its efforts on “ working for the meat that perishes ”?

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 .”

The Spirit of the Antichrist is raising up deceivers in the Church, but a final Master Deceiver will appear at the end of the age . The Apostle John applied the term “ antichrists ”, plural, to false teachers who were disrupting his congregations, deceivers who denied that “ Jesus is the Christ ” and “ came in the flesh .” They were driven by the “ Spirit of the Antichrist ” that has been operating in the world since the beginning of human history.

The New Testament warns repeatedly of coming deceivers and false prophets who will cause many to depart from the faith . Jesus warned his disciples about coming “ deceivers ,” “ false Anointed Ones ,” and “ false prophets ” intent on misleading his followers, warnings reiterated and expanded upon in the writings of his true Apostles. He began his ‘Olivet Discourse’ with the stern warning - “ Beware lest anyone deceive you ,” for “ many ” deceivers will come and successfully “ deceive  many .”

The Antichrist Spirit is working to destroy the church from within, especially through deception propagated by false teachers . In popular preaching, the  Antichrist  is a political tyrant intent on conquering the world. However, Jesus and his Apostles were more concerned with the  deceivers  who spread false teachings inside the Church than they were with outside political powers. The New Testament applies ‘ Antichrist ’ and related terms to false teachers that infiltrate the Body of Christ and distort the Apostolic Teachings.

The subject of the Antichrist raises common questions. Who is he? When will he appear? How will we recognize him? What is his “ mark ” or “ number ”? In popular preaching, he is a global political leader who uses military might to subjugate other nations and attack Israel in the Middle East. However, if Satan is truly cunning, why would he do the very thing we expect?

Jesus will not “ arrive ” to gather his “ elect ” until two events occur - The “ Apostasy ” and the “ Revelation of the Man of Lawlessness ,” and they are inextricably linked. It is not just the presence of this figure but his unveiling in the Assembly that will signal the imminence of the “ Day of the Lord .” Not only will he cause many to apostatize, but his identity will be unveiled when he “ sits down ” in the “ Sanctuary of God .”

Paul warned of the coming Apostasy and linked it to the unveiling of the Man of Anarchy when he seats himself in the Assembly . Paul responded to false reports about the “ Day of the Lord ” by pointing to the expected Apostasy and the “ Man of Lawlessness .” Jesus will not “ arrive ” until the “ Apostasy ” occurs and the “ Lawless One ” is revealed. Rumors claiming that the “ Day of the Lord had set in ” were circulating in Thessalonica, disrupting the Assembly – (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

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.

Many saints will apostatize when the Lawless Man, the Son of Destruction, seats himself in the Sanctuary of God . As the Apostle Paul explained, the “ Day of the Lord ” will not come until the “ Apostasy ” occurs and the “ Man of Lawlessness, the Son of Destruction ” is unveiled as he seats himself “ in the Sanctuary of God .” He will appear only after the “ Mystery of Lawlessness ” has run its full course, and he will be destroyed when Jesus arrives on that final day – (2 Thessalonians 2:3-9).

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.

The “ day of the Lord ” will not commence until the “ Lawless One ” is “ revealed in the sanctuary of God .” His arrival coincides with the “ apostasy ,” and he will be characterized by his ability to deceive, especially with “ lying signs and wonders .” Satan himself will equip him to destroy as many saints as possible.

The “ Mystery of Lawlessness ” is active in the world, and especially so in the Body of Christ as it prepares hearts and minds for the “ arrival ” of the “ Man of Lawlessness ” and the “ Apostasy .” It will continue to do so until the appointed time when this “ Lawless One ” will “ come out of the midst ” and be unveiled in the “ Sanctuary of God .” Moreover, he then will employ “ lying signs and wonders ” to cause those who refuse the “ love of the truth ” to betray the Apostolic faith.

Paul has explained why the “ day of the Lord ” has not commenced. Neither the “ apostasy ” nor the “ revelation of the man of lawlessness ” has occurred. Next, he describes the “ mystery of lawlessness ” that is setting the stage for the “ arrival ” of the “ Lawless One .” He will be unveiled when this “ mystery of lawlessness ” completes its preparatory task.

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 . Men spreading rumors in the church of Thessalonica were raising false expectations about the imminence of the “ Day of the Lord ” and the “ arrival ” of Jesus. The Apostle Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be alarmed or deceived by such rumors since two key events must occur before that day comes.