Now as He [Jesus] sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet." (Mark 13:3-7)
In the previous lessons, we studied Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica, and how he encouraged that young church, reiterating the foundation of their faith, ...and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, evenJesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (I Thessalonians 1:9-10) This wrath to come caused the recipients of his first letter to have some additional questions, especially the part concerning the "rapture", For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17) Therefore, Paul was convicted to send them another letter to answer their questions and reassure them about what must happen before Christ returns.
In the previous lessons, we studied Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica, and how he encouraged that young church, reiterating the foundation of their faith, ...and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, evenJesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (I Thessalonians 1:9-10) This wrath to come caused the recipients of his first letter to have some additional questions, especially the part concerning the "rapture", For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17) Therefore, Paul was convicted to send them another letter to answer their questions and reassure them about what must happen before Christ returns.
Paul, Silvanus [Silas], and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:1-8)
The church in Thessalonica was going through a lot of difficulties, For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. (I Thessalonians 2:14-16) Paul was trying to encourage them through their suffering not to give up because the suffering we go through on earth is temporary, compared to the suffering and vengeance God will take on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, for eternity.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:9-12) These Gentile converts in Thessalonica needed to understand, just like all of us do that Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) If Christ Jesus has overcome the world, we will also! When He comes in that Day, God will fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified.
Christ will be glorified in us and we will be glorified in Him. Peter explained the assurance and confident expectation we need to have, while we wait for the Day of the Lord, when Christ Jesus returns. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. (I Peter 1:6-9) All that we may go through for having faith in Christ Jesus may cause us to be treated very unkindly by the world, but that's just the genuineness of your faith is being tested. Remember, in the previous lesson we reviewed that we are a triune being, body, spirit and soul. Then the dust [body] will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) But all that we go through while we're here, as long as we keep our faith, hope and trust in the Lord Christ Jesus, will lead to the salvation of our souls.
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (II Thessalonians 2:1-4)
The Thessalonica church was going through so much persecution that they thought the day of Christ had come, and that they had missed it. Paul was correcting them and letting them know "that certain events must take place before Christ will return." (Strong's Bible) We will study more about the man of sin, the son of perdition when we study the books of Daniel and Revelation. But God spoke through the prophet Daniel over 2,500 years ago, and described this man that, He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time." (Daniel 7:25) “Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means." (Daniel 8:25) This still has not happened yet, because the temple has not been rebuilt in Jerusalem, and this man will sit as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. But he shall be broken without human means. (read Revelation 19-20)
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2:5-12)
Jesus said it this way, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:18-21) When will the Day of the Lord come? No man knows the day nor the hour. The world may think we're crazy to work while we wait for a Savior to return, that they don't even believe is real. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18)
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:1-8)
The church in Thessalonica was going through a lot of difficulties, For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. (I Thessalonians 2:14-16) Paul was trying to encourage them through their suffering not to give up because the suffering we go through on earth is temporary, compared to the suffering and vengeance God will take on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, for eternity.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:9-12) These Gentile converts in Thessalonica needed to understand, just like all of us do that Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) If Christ Jesus has overcome the world, we will also! When He comes in that Day, God will fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified.
Christ will be glorified in us and we will be glorified in Him. Peter explained the assurance and confident expectation we need to have, while we wait for the Day of the Lord, when Christ Jesus returns. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. (I Peter 1:6-9) All that we may go through for having faith in Christ Jesus may cause us to be treated very unkindly by the world, but that's just the genuineness of your faith is being tested. Remember, in the previous lesson we reviewed that we are a triune being, body, spirit and soul. Then the dust [body] will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7) But all that we go through while we're here, as long as we keep our faith, hope and trust in the Lord Christ Jesus, will lead to the salvation of our souls.
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (II Thessalonians 2:1-4)
The Thessalonica church was going through so much persecution that they thought the day of Christ had come, and that they had missed it. Paul was correcting them and letting them know "that certain events must take place before Christ will return." (Strong's Bible) We will study more about the man of sin, the son of perdition when we study the books of Daniel and Revelation. But God spoke through the prophet Daniel over 2,500 years ago, and described this man that, He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time." (Daniel 7:25) “Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means." (Daniel 8:25) This still has not happened yet, because the temple has not been rebuilt in Jerusalem, and this man will sit as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. But he shall be broken without human means. (read Revelation 19-20)
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2:5-12)
Jesus said it this way, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:18-21) When will the Day of the Lord come? No man knows the day nor the hour. The world may think we're crazy to work while we wait for a Savior to return, that they don't even believe is real. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18)
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