Introducing the Man of the Hour - Part Two

So the Apostle John confirms that the present antichrists that are growing in our world today are the precursor to the real antichrist who is still to appear. But when will this “man of the hour” be identified? 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 gives us some answers to this question. This passage of Scripture is born out of a misunderstanding by the church at Thessalonica regarding future events. This church had been wrongly taught that the Day of the Lord had already come and that they were currently living in the tribulation period. The persecution that they were facing as a church seemed to confirm this fearful reality. As a result, the church was “shaken” and “disturbed.” The word “shaken” speaks of being tossed around violently as in an earthquake. Believing that this was true had literally upset their entire lives causing them to exist in a continual state of worry and fear. Paul is writing this letter to this troubled church to assure them that they had not missed the coming of Christ and that they were not in fact living in the tribulation.

In verses 3-12, Paul gives two markings of the tribulation period. Both had to be true if the tribulation were occurring. The first was the coming of the apostasy, or the great falling away of so many who professed to be followers of Jesus. But more so than that, for the tribulation to be happening, there also had to be the appearance of the Antichrist. In verse 3, the Antichrist’s designation is given as the man of lawlessness, meaning defiant to all law, and the son of destruction. His determination is seen in verse 4 where he opposes every god and exalts himself above every god. He will ultimately take his seat in the Jewish temple (which will obviously be rebuilt) displaying himself as God.

According to verses 5-8, there is a supernatural deterrence to Satan’s plan to bring about his “man of the hour.” There has been and still is today a restrainer who is currently holding back Satan’s strategy. I believe that the text best supports that this restrainer is the Holy Spirit of God working through the church in holding back evil’s full force. Paul teaches that this restrainer must be removed before the Anti-Christ can appear and the tribulation begin. I believe this will happen through the rapture of the church. This means that the rapture must happen prior to the Antichrist being revealed and the tribulation beginning. So when will the Antichrist be revealed? It will happen immediately after the rapture of the church (see 1 Thessalonians 4). Though we cannot know the exact date, I believe the rapture of the church could happen at any time.

Paul then jumps ahead to the end of the tribulation and the demise of the Antichrist making it clear that in the end the Lord will destroy him and that he will have his place in the Lake of Fire (see Revelation 19:20). But before his ending occurs, his deception will affect millions (1 Thessalonians 2:9-12). This will be due to supernatural power which comes directly from Satan (Revelation 13:2) with the purpose being to deceive people through amazing signs and wonders. I believe that this deception will be directed toward those who heard the Gospel prior to the rapture but did not receive it. I believe that those who rejected Christ before the tribulation will be caused to believe the deception of this coming “man of the hour.”