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. 2 Thess 2:2-3
Paul calls their attention to the day of Christ. What is the day of Christ? He had just showed them a few verses before this in chapter 1.
2 Thess 1:7-10
7And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
So the day of Christ is when he comes to gather the Church and wreck judgment on the wicked.
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;
Deceivers were teaching the day of Christ was at hand. In other words it was imminent. Paul describes several things that must happen before the day of Christ. First a falling away must occur. This will be more than just the normal backslidings of Churches. There will be a massive falling away among believers. Then the man of sin will be revealed.
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.
Paul is obviously getting his teaching from Jesus. In the gospel of Mark Jesus is saying these same things and points us where to find who the man of sin is.
Mark 13:14
14But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
So we will find the man of sin in the prophet Daniel. But where? And dont forget the phrase by Jesus "standing where it ought not".
Paul said he will exalt
HIMSELF ABOVE EVERY GOD and all that is worshipped.
Daniel 11:36-37
36And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
So in Daniels writings we find such a man. A warrior king who lives at the same time as the great tribulation and the resurrection of the dead. He will do exactly what Paul says the man of sin will do.
In the same context I think we can find the temple of God Paul and Jesus and Daniel refer to.
Jesus said the abomination of desolation will be "standing where it ought not". Again in Daniel we find such a thing in the same context of the man of sin who exalts himself above every god.
Dan 11:41-45
41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Note verse 45. This blaspheming king sets up his palace/temple in the glorious holy mountain. This speaks of Jerusalem.
Daniel 9:16
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from
thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain:
He will set up an abominable temple for
HIMSELF. In doing this he is showing that
HE.......IS GOD! The temple of God Paul refers to
IS THIS PALACE in Jerusalem he builds for himself showing himself he is God.
Jesus said in Mark the abomination of desolation will be
STANDING WHERE IT OUGHT NOT.
In Jerusalem. Part 1
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