Page 90 - Prophetic Word Newsletters Archive 2006 by Pastor Randy Shupe
P. 90
CEMBER 2006~ 91
THE ERRONEOUS DOCTRINE OF THE LAST DAYS
“NOW, BRETHREN,
CONCERNING THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
AND OUR GATHERING TOGETHER TO HIM,
WE ASK YOU,
NOT TO BE SOON SHAKEN IN MIND OR TROUBLED,
EITHER BY SPIRIT OR BY WORD OR BY LETTER, AS IF FROM US,
AS THOUGH THE DAY OF CHRIST HAD COME.
LET NO ONE DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS;
FOR THAT DAY WILL NOT COME UNLESS THE FALLING AWAY COMES FIRST,
AND THE MAN OF SIN IS REVEALED, THE SON OF PERDITION…
DO YOU NOT REMEMBER THAT WHEN I WAS STILL WITH YOU I TOLD YOU THESE THINGS?
AND NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IS RESTRAINING,
THAT HE MAY BE REVEALED IN HIS OWN TIME.
FOR THE MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS IS ALREADY AT WORK;
ONLY HE WHO NOW RESTRAINS WILL DO SO UNTIL HE IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY.
AND THEN THE LAWLESS ONE WILL BE REVEALED…”
2 Thess. 2:1-7
Paul wrote the above exhortation to the believer in order that “no one would deceive you by any means”, and
yet one of the greatest doctrinal deceptions has been birthed from the mistranslation and misapplication of
his comforting words to a shaken church that had been robbed of its biblical hope of a pre-wrath rapture.
The three great abiding doctrines are “faith, hope and love” (1Cor. 13:13). In Paul’s first epistle to the
Thessalonians he commends them for manifesting all three:
“WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD ALWAYS FOR YOU…REMEMBERING…YOUR WORK OF FAITH,
LABOR OF LOVE, AND PATIENCE OF HOPE IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST…” 1Thess. 1:2-3
However, in Paul’s second epistle, he can only commend them for possessing two out of the three:
“WE ARE BOUND TO THANK GOD ALWAYS FOR YOU BRETHREN, AS IT IS FITTING,
BECAUSE YOUR FAITH GROWS EXCEEDINGLY, AND THE LOVE OF EVERY ONE OF YOU ABOUNDS… 2Thess. 1:3
Paul omits praising their “hope” for it is greatly lacking due to the circulation of false letters written in Paul’s
name that promoted the concept that “the Day of Christ” (Day of the Lord-day of God’s wrath) had already
begun. “Caesar Nero”, which totaled 666 in Greek numerics, was being proclaimed to be the dreaded
antichrist. Paul writes this second epistle with the purpose of restoring hope in the hearts of God’s people.
This newsletter is dedicated to the same purpose.
