2 Thess 2

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Esaias

(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. This man of sin is opposed to God, exalts himself above everything called God or that men worship, establishing himself as if he were God, and he sits in the temple (church) of God, making himself out to be as if he were God, usurping the divine prerogatives of the Spirit.

Concerning dispensational rapturism's false idea that "the man of sin will be a leader who will sit in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem" (which apparently is a belief shared by post-trib futurists and preterists* see note at end), I would remark that such is not what Paul is teaching.

There is no teaching in Scripture of a rebuilt physical Temple, a replacement of the Jerusalem temple whose destruction was prophesied by Christ during His Olivet Prophecy (Matthew 24). As I have already shown, Paul, Peter, Jude, and John, as well as Matthew, taught about a coming apostasy based on the teachings of Christ Himself. Yet there is no mention anywhere by either Christ or any of the apostles about rebuilding the temple that Christ said would be torn down.

Also, a supposed "Antichrist Temple" built by Antichrist could hardly be called the "temple of God", anymore than the current St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City can be called a temple of God.

Thirdly, there are two words translated as "temple" - hieros, and naos. Paul NEVER uses the term naos to refer to the physical temple in Jerusalem. He ONLY uses that term to speak of the church. Allowing Paul to interpret himself, it becomes obvious that "temple of God" in 2 Thessalonians ch 2 is the church, not some physical building in Jerusalem.

Each of these three reasons are sufficient by themselves to debunk any belief of the apostles in a future rebuilt temple occupied by Antichrist. Together, they not only shut the door on the idea, they lock it and throw away the key.

*Note: Many Preterists, as far as I know, believe like dispensationalists and post-trib futurists that the man of sin would occupy the physical temple. They see it as future to the apostle's writings, and fulfilled during the events of Jerusalem's siege and destruction in AD 70. I'll let them explain how, as honestly I haven't a clue, other than that's what I have been told by preterists. Not all preterists believe this, however, according to my understanding.