Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye 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. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
Many mistakenly believe that 1 Thessalonians 4’s calling out of the believers, the Rapture, or as the Bible terms it, the Translation of the body of Christ, is connected to the events described in 2 Thessalonians 2. In 1 Thessalonians, the Lord does not return to the earth, but instead calls the believers away from it. In contrast, 2 Thessalonians 2 discusses the Lord’s physical return to the earth, which will occur only after a significant departure from the truth and the revelation of the Antichrist, who will sit in the temple and declare himself to be God.
The falling away will be when those left after the Translation of the body of Christ turn to and worship the anti-Christ.
Revelation 13:7-8 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The saints that the anti-Christ makes war against are those who refuse the mark and will not worship him.
The temple will be the one that the Jews are preparing to build at this time. It will be the tribulation temple or the third temple. The anti-Christ will sit in the temple and proclaim himself God halfway through Daniel’s seventieth week.
1 Thessalonians 5, Tells us that the Rapture or Translation of the Church comes as a thief in the night as far as the world is concerned. It does not give any events that have to happen first as in 2 Thessalonians 2 and the return of the Lord to the earth.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
The world shall be astonished and shocked at the Rapture, but we are not as the world and do not live in the darkness it does. We should know the times and seasons so that day should not come as a surprise to us.
1 Thessalonians speaks of things that have been taking place now, between the Cross and Tribulation. 2 Thessalonians speaks of things to come.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
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