Page 91 - Prophetic Word Newsletters Archive 2006 by Pastor Randy Shupe

“LET NO ONE DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS…” 2Thess. 2:3
“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
In our last newsletter I gave you these two crucial principles
which must be cultivated if we are going to avoid the pitfalls of
myriads of doctrinal deceptions that surrounds us:
CONSIDERATION OF
WITH OTHER PASSAGES
Harold Horton’s exhortation to always consider
contextual settings of isolated passages remains a timely
word of warning to us today.
These passages in 2Thessalonians are difficult to digest. We must
use a little “Sherlock Holmes mentality” to unravel their true
(1) meaning. There are seven major points that Paul makes in 2Thess.
2:1-7. I have placed numbers (1-7) beside them for quick reference.
Let us begin by considering the context (1) in which we find Paul’s
reference to the two marks he singles out as preceding the coming
of “the Day of Christ” in which God’s wrath (2Thess. 2:9-12) will
release the antichrist and his deception on the earth These two
marks are; “the falling away” and “the man of sin is revealed.” (3)
(2)
Paul opens with (1) a two-point theme which is, “the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.” We
should expect all that follows this twofold theme to contain an
elaboration of these already stated objectives. Therefore “the falling
away” and “the revealing of the man of sin” are to be considered in
relationship to “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” and “our
(3) gathering together to Him.” Remember, these are words of comfort
to the saints with the objective of restoring their diminishing hope in
the rapture. There is little hope or comfort to be found in the popular
notion that before “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
gathering together to Him” t the saints can expect to see first “the
falling away and the revealing of the man of sin.” Context refutes
that theory. Paul goes on to elaborate the fact that the man of sin
cannot be revealed BEFORE “He who is restraining is taken out of
(4) the way” (5). It is “THEN” that the antichrist will be revealed!(7).
(5) That restraining person stated as a “He” can only be the Holy Spirit.
(6) When is He taken out of the way? Context would demand that it
takes place “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
(7) gathering together to Him.” Try to get into Paul’s train of thought!
He is using the truth of the restrainer as an argument that antichrist
CANNOT precede the removal of the Holy Spirit which was given
as a comforter to be with the church FOREVER (see Jn.14:16-17).