2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NASB)
2 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
Theme: Learning and trusting in God’s Word regarding the end-times is needed to calm our hearts as we observe and experience evil in this world.
1) Don’t be easily shaken or deceived – Believers should be discerning about end-times prophecies (2:1-3)
2) Remember to trust God’s Word – The Day of the Lord will come after the Antichrist is revealed (2:3-8)
3) Have eschatological hope – The Lord Jesus will conquer the Antichrist and those who fall for him will be judged (2:8-12)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
