Today was Week 98 of Rightly Dividing the Word of truth…our study / overview of Paul’s epistles to believers in this dispensation of the grace of God. Paul is the only apostle to speak directly about the Day of Christ – Philippians 1:6,10, the rapture of the Church Age saints, because he is our apostle, the apostle to the Gentiles.
The three great days revealed in the Bible that are yet in our future:
- The Day of Christ, also known as the Rapture of all church age believers. This is the next great event on God’s celestial calendar of events. It ushers in the seven year tribulation period. Paul mentions this mystery at least 18 times in his letters. Romans 13:11-14, 1 Corinthians 1:8, 3:13, 5:5, *15:50-54*, 2 Corinthians 1:14, Philippians 1:6,10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Timothy 1:12, 4:1,8, 1 John 2:28, 3:1-3
2 Timothy 4:1,7-8: I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick (the spirituallly alive – Ephesians 2:1) and the dead (the spiritually dead) at his appearing (the day of Christ – the rapture) and his kingdom (the 2nd Advent, the physical return of Messiah King Jesus) ; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing (the day of Christ – the rapture).
Remember – Things different are not alike. Things different are not the same. Christ’s appearing and Christ’s kingdom are separated by the seven year tribulation period.
- The Day of the Lord, also known as the 2nd Advent, the literal, physical return of Messiah King Jesus to establish his everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 9:6-7) beginning with the 1,000 year millennium. He will purge the world of all wickedness, beginning with the battle of Armageddon and ending with the judgment of the nations – Matthew 25:31-46. Every book from Isaiah to Malachi, except Daniel, specifically mentions the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is mentioned 24 times, and “that day”, a synonymous phrase , is mentioned 107 times from Isaiah to Malachi. Malachi 4:1-6, Matthew 3:1-3, 11:10-14, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 24:36, Luke 10:12, Luke 17:31, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 19:11-16, 16:16 (Ezekiel 39), 17:12-14, Daniel 2:42-45
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6: But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.For 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.But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
We walked through the teaching of the Lord, in Matthew, concerning John the Baptist and his connection to Elijah’s appearing in the tribulation, just before the 2nd Advent. John preached the gospel of the kingdom in Matthew 3, as Jesus preached it in Matthew 4. He sent the apostles out in Matthew 10, preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. If John was a picture of Elijah, then the gospel of the kingdom of heaven is what Elijah (and Moses) will preach in Revelation 11 – Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 11:12-14: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Malachi 4:4-6: Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Matthew 24:13-14: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
We ended our study today looking at Paul’s use of “The Day of the Lord” in 1 Thessalonians 5, and “that day” in 2 Thessalonians 2. Please open the attached document to see a simple overview of this powerful chapter.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,That 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.Let 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;Who 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.
- The Day of God, that moment in eternity future, after the millennial kingdom is finished, and the Great White Throne Judgment is in progress, or completed, when God destroys this world, and creates new heavens and a new earth, as pure as original creation completely without the curse of sin. 2 Peter 3:10-14, Revelation 21:1-2
Isaiah 65:17: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isaiah 66:22: For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. (The nation of Israel will once again be the head of all the nations in eternity future!)
We will complete our exploration these three great days this coming Sunday.
UNDERSTANDING 2 THESSALONIANS CHAPTER TWO
2 Thessalonians 1 & 2 was written to encourage the persecuted believers who thought they were in the tribulation, because of the circumstances. Paul closed 1 Thessalonians with the promise of the return of the Lord to receive His Bride, the church. Read 1 Thess 4:13-18 to review the promise of the rapture of the Church. Also, read 1 Cor 15:50-57, and 1 John 3:1-3.
In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul speaks of the Day of the Lord — this is a 2nd coming statement that deals with the physical return of Christ in Rev 19:11-21, to establish the physical kingdom that He will rule for a 1,000 years with a rod of iron. Paul explains to the believers the conditions of the world, and that “they shall not escape” — those who are on the earth at the Day of the Lord. He comforts the church by telling them in v.9 it does not apply to us because God has not appointed us to wrath.
2 Thessalonians begins with Paul encouraging the church in their tribulation that they are suffering, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God. No matter what the world dishes out to Christians, God will dish out far worse on the world in the tribulation. Now, to chapter 2…
2 Thessalonians 2
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
(This is the reaffirming of 1 Thess 4:13-18 of the rapture of the Church, being caught up to the Judgment Seat of Christ — 1 Cor 3:11-15; Eph 5:25-27; Romans 14:10; 2 Cor 5:1-10)
2 That 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.
(Paul gives us a phrase to help us identify the rapture of the church — the day of Christ. It is not the day of the Lord, which is the literal 2nd coming of Christ to rule & reign that we discussed earlier.
The day of Christ is when the church is removed from this world. Paul uses this term at least 18 times in his letters to the church Age saints.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
The Holy Spirit is given responsibility to perform the good work in all who are born again until the day of Christ or the rapture of the Church.) So, verses 1 & 2 deal specifically with the church age, which ends at the rapture / day of Christ.)
3 Let 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;
(V.3 begins an explanation of the tribulation, which we are not part of, because the day of Christ occurs in v.2. The precursor to the tribulation will be the great falling away. Read 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and 2 Timothy 4:1-4 to deepen your understanding of these perilous times we live in.
Paul now uses a third term to describe a future event — “that day”. We have the day of Christ — the rapture of the church; the day of the Lord — the 2nd coming of Christ to establish the millennial kingdom; and now “that day” which describes the events leading up to and including the 2nd coming. “That Day” is used 107 times from Isaiah to Malachi. Zechariah 12 – 14 uses the term “that day” at least 12 times to describe the events concerning the return of the Lord to avenge Israel. Zechariah 14:1 uses the term “the day of the Lord”.
2 Thess 2:3 gives us the order of what will happen in the tribulation, after we are gone, and before the return of the Lord to establish his kingdom.
1. A falling away must occur. The last days of the Church Age, and into the tribulation, religious people, who are not truly saved, will fall away from the truth fo scripture. Israel must also fall away from the Law of Moses in order to accept the Antichrist as their Messiah. This falling away occurs in the first half of the tribulation, when there is peace in Israel. The Antichrist makes a peace treaty with Israel for the world. Read Daniel 7 – 12. The Assyrian, or man of sin, or beast, or little horn, or the prince is discussed and how he seeks to control Israel and ultimately destroy the nation.
2. The man of sin is revealed. how? Matt 24:15 reinforces Dan 12:11-12, that the abomination of desolation is set up in the Temple – an idol – for the nation of Israel to bow down and worship. This is a direct violation of the 10 Commandments. Jesus said, when you see this, run into the wilderness. This is the event that reveals the man of sin – the son of perdition or son of destruction. He is revealed as the man of sin half way through the tribulation. Up to that moment, he is the savior of the world.)
4 Who 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.
(His character is revealed in v.4 of what sort of man he truly is. He proclaims himself to be God. This is clearly tribulational. He does not act this way until the abomination of desolation reveals him as the man of sin. Jesus called Judas the son of perdition in John 17:12. Rev 17:8 speaks of the son of perdition, also. it sure seems like Judas fits the profile of the Antichrist.)
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
(Paul reminds the believers of teaching they received when Paul was there with them concerning this very issue of future events. It is easy to get things twisted, if you do not keep certain facts together. The day of the Lord is not the day of Christ!)
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
(Paul brings us back to the present with the phrase “And now…”. There is a force keeping the the antichrist from revealing himself until it is time for him to be revealed. What is the force that is withholding? The power of the Holy Spirit – John 16:7-11)
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (withholds) will let (withhold), until he be taken out of the way.
(The mystery of iniquity is the mystery of antichrist. The force that is withholdiing the antichrist is a person – “He who now letteth”. This is a direct inference to the Holy Spirit. He will be taken out of the way at the day of Christ – Phil 1:6. Even though the Holy Spirit will be in the world during the tribulation. His responsibility will be to seal the two witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish witnesses. He will bot permanently seal anyone else, like we experience in this dispensation of the Age of grace.)
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
V.8-10 show what will happen in the world after the Holy Spirit and the Church Age saints are taken out of this world. The Antichrist is the embodiment of Wickedness – “that Wicked”. He is empowered by Satan to do signs and lying wonders, deceiving those who will perish!)
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
(V. 11-12 reveal what happens to those who follow the Antichrist. These people described here are the Tares and Bad Fish in Matthew 13:24-50. These are the wicked who are taken out of this world in Matt 24:36-41. Jesus gives us the illustration of the days of Noah. The flood took the wicked away and left the just. These wicked people are the goats of Matt 25:31-46.
Those who take the mark of the beast are part of this group of Wicked. Rev 13:8-18 and 17:8 both state that those who worship the Antichrist, the beast, never had their names in the Book of Life. Omniscient God did not even bother to write their names into the Book of Life, because He knew from the foundation of the world that this group of people will follow the Antichrist to the end!)
Conversely, the Wheat, Good Fish, those who are left in the field and the mill, and the sheep are all the righteous of the tribulation who reject the Antichrist.)
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
(Paul ends this chapter with encouraging words to keep standing firm in the truth of the Word of God. Understand that even though you are going through tribulation in your life, you cannot be going through the tribulation, because you are not called unto wrath. The day of Christ (rapture of the church) occurs before the man of sin is revealed. The man of sin is revealed before “that day” – the literal, physical return of Christ to establish his kingdom on this earth.)
So, in a nutshell, this is a simple understanding of the greatest doctrine concerning the church in these last days. Jesus is coming soon! I am looking for him to come and receive us up to the Judgment Seat of Christ to be prepared for the Marriage supper of the Lamb in Rev 19.