Truth Triumphs – ProliferateTruth.Net

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 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. 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; 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.

The “falling away” is something that has the potential to have happened several times since the first coming of the Lord. It has, in fact, happened several times, so it’s nothing particularly unusual. The “son of perdition,” the “Man of sin,” will be revealed before the Lord takes us home. And a look at prophetic history, directly from Revelation, shows that seven years will pass after this man has been revealed, after which Christ will return in the second coming.

In the rapture, Christians will rise to meet the Lord (1 Thess 4:13-17). In the second coming, Christ will come to meet men and will set foot on earth (Rev 19:11-21), with the intention of conquering and imprisoning Satan and his followers. The saints will return to earth with Him at that time. The two are distinct events, not similar to each other at all. Further, the rapture is not at all referred to or mentioned in Revelation, unless you count Revelation 4:1, which some have interpreted to be a veiled reference to the rapture. I don’t necessarily subscribe to that interpretation, since the passage does not specifically say Christians rise here. But if there’s any place the Rapture might fit, it would probably be here.

So, putting all this together, we look back to 2 Thess 2:1-4, and summarize what the passage itself says:

1) Our being gathered together to the Lord is a reference to the rapture.

2) Two things must happen before we are gathered to Him:

First, a falling away, which may mean apostasy in the church, or a general turning from the Lord by the entire world. And …
Second, Antichrist will be revealed.

3) As soon as Antichrist is revealed, God intends to take us away. And,

4) Antichrist will reign on earth seven years, after which Christ will return to establish the millenial kingdom on earth.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 is a wonderful confirmation of the pre-tribulation rapture of the church, rather than a post-tribulation rapture.

One more passage to make note of: Matthew 24, esp. v. 36: “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Cross references include: Matt 24:42, Matt 24:44, Matt 25:13; Zech 14:7; Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7; 1Thess 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Rev 3:3; and Rev 16:1). Applying this to a post-trib scenario, one could conclude that, if indeed we were to be taken seven years after this Antichrist would be revealed, we could predict the day, and perhaps even the hour, in which Christ would return. But these passages clearly tell us, that’s impossible.

There’s no way for us to know when the final falling away will occur, nor when Satan’s antichrist (the final one, that is, after all the attempts he’s made these two thousand years!) will be revealed. But when it does happen, WE ARE GONE! Revelation 3:10: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” HALLELUIAH!