Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him
2 Thessalonians 2:1a (ESV)
that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed
2 Thessalonians 2:3b (ESV)
whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
2 Thessalonians 2:8b (ESV)
The three short quotes above come from Paul’s description of the man of lawlessness. This is a person “who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thess. 2:8). It is common to identify this man of lawlessness as the antichrist.
Paul begins by introducing the coming of our Lord Jesus. The word translated here as “coming” is “parousia.” This is a word commonly used in relation to the second coming of our Lord. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 parallels 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:23 in describing the parousia as a time when believers are gathered to the Lord Jesus.
But, Paul says, that day will not come until the man of lawlessness is revealed—the man whom the Lord will kill and bring to nothing at his coming. So, in this discussion, Paul explicitly ties together two things that will happen at the parousia of our Lord. We will be gathered to him, and the man of lawlessness who leads the world astray will be destroyed.
Paul goes on to encourage the Thessalonian church to stand firm (2 Thess. 2:15). The man of lawlessness was coming. The power of Satan would be under full display (2 Thess. 2:9-10). And many would be led astray by him.
But the Lord is coming. And, when he does, the man of lawlessness will be destroyed. And we will be gathered to our Lord to be with him forever. So encourage each other with these words (1 Thess. 4:18).
