PART I

The two Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonian church, the earliest of the New Testament books, are of the utmost importance to the prophetic student. When the Apostle Paul went to Thessalonica he remained there something like three weeks, establishing the church and building it up in the most holy faith. Difficulties cut short his stay there. Shortly after he arrived in Athens, he sent word back to Silas and Timothy, urging them to come with all speed to him at Athens. They, in obedience to Paul's exhortation, came quickly to him at Athens (Acts 17:15, 16). About this time trouble broke out and involved the newly established church in Thessalonica. Upon learning the conditions that had developed after his departure, Paul sent Timothy back to it to comfort and assist it in this special trial of faith. From the account in Acts we see that the unbelieving Jews were the occasion of part of their trouble, but by reading the second Thessalonian Letter, chapter 2, we see that there were others, probably professed Christians, who were disquieting and troubling the Thessalonian brethren concerning certain doctrinal questions. It is quite likely that, upon the arrival of Silas and Timothy from Thessalonica at Athens, Paul wrote the first Thessalonian Epistle, which he sent by Timothy to the church at Thessalonica. Shortly after that, he wrote his second Letter to the church and was joined in sending it by Silas and Timothy, likewise.

During Paul's visit to Thessalonica he not only preached the gospel, leading certain ones to the Lord, but he gave them thorough instruction, especially in the prophetic word, as is echoed especially in II Thessalonians, chapter 2. The fact that the Apostle gave these raw converts from heathenism profound messages relative to prophecy shows that he considered prophecy as one of the essential and fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures. Evangelists, pastors, and teachers today should make the prophetic portions of the Scriptures figure in their messages in the same proportion as it does in the Word of God. In other words, they should give the same emphasis to prophecy that is given to it in the Word.

The Apostle Peter said that prophecy is to us what a lamp is to one who is in darkness (II Peter 1:17-21). We are to give heed to it, "… as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise" in our hearts.

May I in this connection exhort my brethren in the ministry that they study the prophetic portions of the Word the same as they do any other sections of the Word of God, and that they give the same emphasis to the teaching of prophecy that the Biblical writers did. In exhorting my brethren to do this, I am simply pleading for that which is admittedly scriptural. If the Biblical teaching concerning prophecy is omitted from any brother's ministry, his people become a ready prey to false teachers, who are giving forth false speculative doctrines with reference to prophecy over the radio throughout the whole country. I meet people everywhere who come to me with difficulties, stating that they have heard this, or that, or another teaching over the radio, and that they do not know what is the truth. False teachers are constantly misleading many sincere brethren into error and away from the true, evangelical churches.

Just as this is true today, so it was in the days of Apostles. There were those who were setting forth teachings with reference to the rapture of the church and the day of Jehovah. They were persuading the brethren that the rapture had already occurred, and that the day of the Lord had already burst forth upon the world. This teaching, of course, upset those new converts who had little of the truth-only that which they could take in during a short period of something like three weeks.

Paul realized that the false teachers who were giving trouble throughout the missionary field in which he labored were resorting to three different methods of upsetting the brethren and of setting forth their heresies. He therefore alluded to their methods in the following exhortation: "Now we beseech you, brethren … to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; …" (II Thess. 2:1,2). These false teachers were claiming that they had revelations made to them by the Spirit, which messages were contrary to those that the Apostle Paul had delivered. They were also claiming that their information was derived from "the living voice," the regular apostolic tradition that had been handed down from the day of our Lord. Thus the new converts would be upset by "word." There were still others who were claiming that they had epistles from Paul which taught a different doctrine from that which he had taught them personally when he was with them. False teachers, speculators, and heretics do not hesitate to worm their way into orthodox groups, presenting their error and claiming the authority of even recognized teachers and ministers of the Word. It behooves the faithful child of God to prove all things and to hold fast to that which is good. Especially is this exhortation necessary at the present day, for the Apostles warned us of the prevalence of false teachers in the last days.

There are certain things in II Thessalonians 2:1-12 that must stand out clearly and definitely in our minds if we are to evaluate the message of this paragraph of Holy Writ. These things, in a nutshell, are the following: I. The rapture of the church and the day of the Lord; II. The Antichrist and his activities; III. The world-wide revival and its sweep during the Tribulation Period, which culminates in the conversion of the remnant of Israel at the end of the Tribulation.

I. Rapture of the church and the Day of the Lord

Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; 2 to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; 3 let no man beguile you in any wise; for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. …" (II Thess. 2:1-3). In these verses we see the rapture of the church-"the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; … as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; … and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…" (II Thess. 2:1-3).

What is meant by "the rapture of the church"? The idea of the rapture of a saint is found in its embryonic form in Genesis 5:24: "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." The writer to the Hebrews refers to the same incident in the following words; "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him. …" (Heb. 11:5). Enoch walked the life of faith with God. Suddenly, one day, he disappeared from all earthly surroundings. Where did he go? What was the occasion of his disappearance? The Lord performed a miracle, translating his body into a spiritual, glorified one. Then he was rapidly removed from earth to heaven, where he has been with God ever since. Elijah had a similar experience (II Kings, chaps. 1 and 2). There seems to be a reference to the rapture of the saints of the present Age of Grace in Isaiah 57:1,2: "the righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2 He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds each one that walketh in his uprightness." Note the statement that the righteous perish and that merciful men are taken away, "… none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come" (the evil of the Tribulation Period). Micah, in 7: 1-6, gives us a very graphic picture of the end of this Age of Grace. In verse 2 of this passage he speaks of the godly and of their perishing from this earth and of there being none upright among the people upon earth. This language, read in light of the New Testament revelation, can be interpreted only as a reference to the decreasing number of faithful, loyal, born again children of God upon the earth in the end of the age and of the removal of such from earthly scenes by means of rapture.

In I Thessalonians Paul emphasized the rapture of the saints before the Tribulation. This is seen in the following passage: "For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come" (I Thess. 1:9,10). These brethren turned from idols to God for the purpose of serving "a living and true God and to wait for the Son from heaven … who delivereth us from the wrath to come." The Old Testament prophets constantly spoke of a period of wrath and indignation, when God would send His judgments upon the whole world in order to destroy the wicked from the face of the globe. Predictions of this character were familiar to the New Testament writers. John the Baptist referred to this same day of judgment by the stereotyped phrase, "the wrath to come." Paul used the same expression in the quotation given above: "… even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come." Certain good brethren see in Paul's use of the Greek preposition ek, which literally means, out of, evidence for believing that the church is not raptured before the Tribulation but is allowed to enter that period of judgment, that is, they will be protected from the effects of the judgments of the Tribulation. To illustrate their meaning, they call our attention to the fact that the Hebrew children were cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, but that they were preserved from the killing effect of the fire by the miraculous power of God Almighty. Though the primary meaning of this preposition, ek, is "out of" in the New Testament period, it was used on many occasions as a synonym of the preposition apo, which primarily means "from," or "away from." While this is true and must be recognized in our interpretation of the Scriptures, we must remember that the original and fundamental idea of ek still was inherent in the word. Frequently the writer had only that thought in mind, as is shown by many contexts.

But it does not have the forced, strained meaning that is put upon it by the interpretation of the passage under discussion; because Paul, in the same Epistle, I Thessalonians, said, "God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. …" (I Thess. 5:9). According to this statement Christians are not "appointed unto wrath," will not enter that period of judgment. For, according to the plan of God, they are appointed unto the obtaining of salvation, that is, deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In I Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 we have a full and clear statement concerning the way the Lord will deliver us from the wrath to come. From this passage we see that the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God. Then the dead in Christ will rise first. The saints living upon the earth at that time will not die, but will be caught up instantly by the power of God and will be brought immediately into the presence of Christ, meeting Him in the air. He then will return to heaven and will take us with Him. Thus the generation of Christians living at the time when the Lord descends from heaven to the air before the Tribulation will never die, but will pass out of this life in the glorious manner thus described. This event is known as the rapture of the saints. That is what Paul refers to in II Thessalonians, chapter 2, where he speaks of the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto Him.

The day of Jehovah, or the day of the Lord, is mentioned often in the Old Testament Prophets. For instance see Joel 1:15 and 2:1. Isaiah, likewise, speaks of it in 2:12ff. Jeremiah also speaks of this same time of trouble, though he does not call it the day of Jehovah. He points to it as a time of unparalleled suffering and distress. He refers to it as "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:4-11). John, in the Book of Revelation, gives us the fullest and most detailed account of the Tribulation in chapters 6-19. It is a period of seven years' duration, during which the judgments of God will fall upon the earth, growing in intensity as the days pass.

From the verses that we have already quoted from II Thessalonians, chapter 2, it appears clear that the false teachers who had come to Thessalonica had tried to convince the brethren that the day of the Lord, this period of unparalleled suffering, had burst forth upon them, and, consequently, that the rapture had already occurred-and they had been left out. Such a presentation of the case was indeed disturbing to those brethren. Paul, therefore, lost no time in getting in touch with them to show the error of these false teachers. Paul's treatment of error should be an example to us to deal firmly, yet in love, with error wherever it shows its head and, if necessary, to deal drastically with it, as Paul did.

PART II

In preceding study we have seen that the rapture of the church occurs before the Tribulation, and that the day of the Lord is the seven-year period with which the present Age of Grace terminates, and which is to be a period of unparalleled suffering because of the judgments of the Almighty God, that come upon the world as a result of the sins of humanity. We wish now to study particularly what the Scriptures say concerning the Antichrist, who is mentioned, and who is to be the dominant character of the Tribulation Period.

"Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; 2 to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; 3 let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except that falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, 4 he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God" (II Thess. 2:1-4).

In this passage the Apostle urged the Thessalonians that they not allow anyone to begule them in any wise "for it [the day of the Lord, the Tribulation] will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…" What will not be except the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin occur first? There is but one possible, logical answer, which is, the day of the Lord, the Tribulation. It is very unfortunate indeed that the King James Version rendered the last clause of II Thessalonians 2:2 as follows: "as that the day of Christ is at hand." The Revised Version, following the original Greek, correctly renders the expression under consideration, "the day of the Lord." The "day of Christ" has two connotations in the New Testament: the day of His coming for His saints before the Tribulation; and the time when Christ shall reign upon the earth, which will be His day. But Paul does not have that thought in mind in II Thessalonians, chapter 2, as we have already seen, but is thinking, instead of "the day of the Lord," that is, the Tribulation Period. Those who were trying to lead the Thessalonians astray literally told them that the day of the Lord has already come. The verb in the original translated in 2:2 "is just at hand" is in the perfect tense and could be rendered more accurately as "is already here," or, "has already come." All who know the characteristics of the day of Jehovah know that that day has never dawned. Thus these false teachers were misguiding the Thessalonian brethren.

Paul informed them that this day of the Lord, the Tribulation, would not come until the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed. In other words, the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin both occur before the Tribulation begins. What is meant by "the falling away"? According to Abbot-Smith's Greek Lexicon of the New Testament the word in the original text translated "the falling away" is used in late Greek for a cognate noun, which is used in classical Greek, and which, very frequently, was used to refer to a political revolt. Also this same word occurs in the Septuagint, with the same connotation. But in the New Testament it always refers to a religious apostasy. There is an illustration of this usage in Acts 21:21. There can, therefore, be no doubt concerning our term's referring to a religious, spiritual revolt away from God.

But the suggestion has been made by an excellent brother, a Bible teacher whom we all love and honor, that possibly this term in II Thessalonians 2:3 may not have this connotation. The reason for his suggestion is the fact that the verb from which our word is derived does in one place in the non-Biblical Greek of the sixth century A.D. have the same connotation of "departure, disappearance." See Liddell & Scott's Greek English Lexicon, edited by Jones and McKenzie, under the word opostasisa. The brother to whom I refer made the suggestion that possibly in II Thessalonians 2:3 this term, rendered "falling away," might be translated "departure, disappearance." In this event it would, therefore, refer to the taking away of the saints out of the world, the rapture of the church, before the Tribulation. There is only a very remote possibility that Paul used it with this connotation, since only one other writer is listed as having used it with that meaning. But are we to choose a very indefinite meaning of this term in order to support a doctrine, which in this instance is correct, in order to strengthen our position? Logic says "no." On the contrary, we are to take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the context in which it appears indicates a departure from the obvious meaning. In such an event as that we are simply to take the meaning, or definition, of a word that accords with all the facts of the context and with related passages. Are there any facts in the context of our passage that would indicate a departure from the primary , ordinary, usual meaning of this term? One will look in vain for such. We must therefore conclude that the usual understanding of the term, "falling away," is to be understood as a prediction of the great apostasy from the faith of the end time. That there will be such a general falling away from the faith is attested to by many Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testaments. (See I Tm. 4:1-4; II Tm. 3:1-5; II Tm. 4:1-4.) A glance at the conditions which now prevail throughout Christendom convinces any unprejudiced, unbiased mind that there is a definite defection from the faith, and that it is growing more and more, bidding fair to become a spiritual landslide from the faith as we approach the very end of the age.

A second thing which Paul asserted would occur before the Tribulation is the revealing of the man of sin. The meaning of "revealed" is clear to all. It can only indicate that this one will become known. The thought here is that his identity will become known before the great Tribulation bursts forth upon the world. In order to approach this problem, we must learn what is meant, or rather, who is meant, by "the man of sin… the son of perdition." There are a number of answers given to this question. Some say that Judas Iscariot will be raised from the dead in the end time and will be the man of sin. One reason for this statement is found in John 17:12, where Jesus speaks of Judas as "the son of perdition." The word rendered "perdition" is derived from the which means "to utterly destroy; to kill; to lose; to perish." The source of the word might be seen by translating literally our Lord's language: "…and I guarded them, and not one of the perished, except the son of perishing …" Judas' perishing—losing all hope of eternal life—was expressed by the Hebrew idiom, "the son of perishing." For us to build a theory-that Judas will arise from the dead and be the son of perdition, the Antichrist of the future—upon the language of our Lord is indeed, to say the least of it, most questionable. Others say that Nero, the first Roman emperor to launch a general persecution against the Christians, will be the son of perdition. This is a mere guess, without a scintilla of evidence to support it. There are those who following the theologians of the Reformation, say that the Pope is the man of sin, the son of perdition. There is no valid reason, so far as I have been able to discover, that has been produced, and that would lead us to the positive conviction that Paul was here speaking of the Pope as the man of sin. This interpretation, in my judgement, arose historically because of the demands of the period of the Reformation. There had to be some scriptural proof for the Reformed theologians to castigate the Pope and to consign him to perdition. This passage yielded itself more readily as a weapon against the Papacy of that day and time—as I see things. Finally, the world dictator of the end time, the Antichrist, is considered by many outstanding scholars of spiritual discernment to be the one of whom Paul is here speaking, which proposition I shall proceed to establish, with incontrovertible evidence.

Having mentioned the man of sin, the son of perdition, in II Thessalonians 2:3, the Apostle, in verse 4, speaks of this man of sin in terms of the language descriptive of the willful king of whom we read in Daniel 11:36ff. To make this stand out in bold relief, let me present the case this way: "Paul, of whom are you speaking in your mentioning the man of sin, the son of perdition?" "Oh," replies Paul, in the eleventh chapter of his prophecy. Do you not know what Daniel said about the willful king?" Here is his prediction: "And 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 he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women; nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his father knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. 39 And he shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god; whosoever acknowledgeth him he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price. 40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon" (Dan. 11:36-41).

Note the fact that the king will do according to his will; but he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god. And he will speak great things against the God of gods, the true God. He will not accept the gods of his fathers (he being a Roman [Dan. 9:26], the gods of his fathers are the old Roman gods brought back into existence in the end time); nor will he regard the desire of women (the Messiah, who is thus spoken of, since all Jewish woman or ancient times wanted to be the mother of the promised Messiah); nor regard any of the pagan gods that will be worshipped in the end time. From various passages of scripture we know that, after the church has been removed from the earth by the rapture, idolatry will spread like a prairie fire all over the world. (On this point see Isaiah 2:20-22; 17:7, 8; 57:3-10; Rev. 9:20,21.) The old pagan gods will be brought back by the benighted people of the earth, that they may worship them. All of these will be built into one great world church, or organization, which by John in Revelation 17:5 is called "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Harlots and of the Abominations [idols] of the Earth." The world government will support this great harlot during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation. In the middle of this period, however, the Antichrist-becoming insanely jealous of the love of the people and their devotion to this ecclesiasticism (this diabolical octopus) will, like a bucking broncho, throw Mystery, Babylon the Great, off its back and will destroy this system. He will speak against it and all religion, even blaspheming the God of heaven and opposing all that is called God or that is worshiped. Then he will present himself as God an demand the worship of all mankind. Since Paul identifies the man of sin as this wicked, evil ruler of the end time, we know who this man of sin is.

But Paul tells us that the Tribulation will not begin until after this man of sin is revealed. What is the significance of this prediction? How can the man of sin be revealed before the Tribulation? This question can be answered only by a careful noting of the facts set forth in Daniel, chapter 7. In this chapter Daniel was given a vision of four beasts that emerge from the great sea when the waters are troubled. They come forth in succession and, according to fundamental scholars interpreting prophecy, are symbolic of the four world empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Each succeeds its predecessor in the order given in this vision. The fourth beast is in existence at the time of the end and speaks great, swelling words against the Almighty (Dan. 7:8).

According to Daniel 7:17,23 the beast has a two-fold symbolic significance; In certain connections it symbolizes the ruler of the empire, as in verse 17. But in another connection, as in verse 23, it signifies the kingdom over which the individual ruler reigns. This fourth beast, according to verse 23, is a fourth kingdom upon the earth which is different from all its predecessors, which devours the whole earth, treads it down, and breaks it in pieces. In other words, it becomes a world empire.

In verse 24 we have this prediction: "And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall put down three kings." The angel interpreted to Daniel the significance of the ten horns on this beast by the following prophecy: "And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise…." Out of what kingdom? There is but one answer: the fourth kingdom when it has become a world organization. But out of that world empire there come ten kings. How can this be? Most obviously this world kingdom collapses, falling into ten different divisions, over each of which there arises a dictator. After such a world-shaking event as the collapse of the world empire, each of these ten dictators will have problems with which none of them can cope. Then there will arise another horn, another dictator. He will gain power over the ten and will put down three of the original ten. When he thus gains that much power, he will then speak words against the Most High and wear out the saints of the Almighty. Moreover, he will change the times and the laws and reign with a high hand for "a time, times, and half a time," for three and a half years, the latter half of the Tribulation.

PART III

Now let us visualize the situation as set forth in Daniel, chapter 7. A world organization develops and embraces all languages, tribes, and tongues. It then tramples down our civilization and rules with an iron hand. When that development comes, those who are on the earth at that time, and who know the Scriptures, will recognize the fulfillment of this prophecy in the current political situation. Then that world empire collapses, falling into ten separate subdivisions, over each of which a dictator arises, and in which he seizes the supreme power of the realm. Such procedures have been enacted upon a small scale at different times in various parts of the world. Thus we see in Daniel 7:24 the ten fragments of the world empire, the ten divisions, signified by the ten toes of Daniel's image of chapter 2.

While these ten dictators are grappling with their several problems, there arises out of obscurity a diplomat and politician of the highest order, who will be able to advise each of these rulers how to solve his problems. Of course, he will lay an exorbitant levy upon each king for helping him. Thus world power, prestige, and influence will gravitate into the hands of this newly arrived diplomat. He will become associated with these ten kings shortly after their accession to power in their respective realms. The collapse of the world empire will occur before the Tribulation begins. In stepping forward upon the international scene, this great smooth-tongued diplomat and far-sighted statesman (he will acquire his ability and amiability, together with his sagacity, wisdom, and insight into things from Satan) naturally assumes the leadership of these ten grateful dictators whom he assists so wonderfully. Those living upon the earth at the time of this specific development, and who will know what the prophet Daniel says, will be able to point the finger of identification at this smooth diplomat and say with absolute and perfect confidence: "There is the man of sin, the son of perdition, the Antichrist!" Thus his identity will become known, as Paul says, before the Tribulation begins.

As things move along, this willful king will make a covenant with the Jews for seven years (Dan. 9:24-27).

The little horn, the Antichrist, reigns along with the ten horns, the ten dictators, during the first half of the Tribulation. All this time the willful king, being jealous of the others and aspiring to wear the imperial purple of world dominion, builds up his forces and "in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses"—by giving the adoration due to God alone to his great military machine and putting his trust in it.

Finally, in the middle of the Tribulation, World War II of the Tribulation bursts forth, when the king of the South comes against the Antichrist. Then the king of the North rises up like a whirlwind against him. The conflagration spreads to the entire world, only three countries not being affected by it, namely, Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. In this war three of the original ten kings are killed, liquidated. The seven others simply become rubber stamps, figuratively speaking, in the hands of the Antichrist, who reigns with absolute, unquestioned authority for the rest of the Tribulation, which will continue for a time, times and half a time…" to the end of the period.

In the middle of the Tribulation, at the end of World War II of the Tribulation, the willful king will arrogate to himself the honor and the worship that belong to God alone. He will go to Jerusalem and stage the greatest demonstration of superhuman (diabolical) power that the world ever has or ever will see. Those whose names have not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world, their eyes being blinded to spiritual things, will give honor and glory and praise to this willful king.

Having learned who the man of sin, the son of perdition, is, namely, that he is the willful king of Daniel, chapter 11, we can now return to our passage in II Thessalonians (chap. 2) and notice the text more particularly. In verse 3 Paul is talking about the falling away from the faith and the identification, or revealing, of the man of sin. Both of which events occur before the day of the Lord begins, before the Tribulation. Then, in verse 4, in order to let us know of whom he is speaking, Paul describes this man of sin in terms of the attitude and actions of the willful king in the middle of the Tribulation, as we see in Daniel 11:36ff. Thus, in II Thessalonians 2:4, Paul has moved forward in his thinking to the middle of the Tribulation Period and the great and world-shaking events that occur at that time. It is of the utmost importance that we see these facts; for if we do not, we cannot understand the rest of the prophecy.

Verses 5, 6, and 7 constitute a reminiscence. This fact is evident from the word remember, with which verse 5 begins. Let us now look at these three verses: "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way." It is evident from verse 5 that Paul had taught the Thessalonian Christians about the rise of the willful king, the man of sin, the Antichrist. He had told them of his rise and his coming into prominence before the Tribulation. He likewise had told them about the Tribulation and about World War II of the Tribulation and its results—the Antichrist being lifted to the pinnacle of absolute world domination. According to verse 6 Paul said that, since he had taught them these things, they therefore knew the thing of which he was speaking in this chapter. "For," said the Apostle, "the mystery of lawlessness doth already work…" the conjunction "for" introducing verse 7 shows that this verse is explanatory of the things referred to in verse 6. Since verse 6 is tied indissolubly with verse 5 by the particle "now," and since verse 7 is linked with verse 6 by the conjunction "for," verses 5,6, And 7 constitute one literary unit. And since verse 5 is obviously a reminiscence of what he had taught them while he was with them personally, verses 5-7 are discussing the things mentioned in verse 4: the events that will occur, as set forth by Daniel 11:36ff., in the middle of the Tribulation. From this conclusion there can be no logical escape. Recognizing the parenthetical nature of verses 5-7, we can logically read verse 8 immediately after verse 4, for it takes up the thought of verse 4, which precedes the parenthesis.

But before explaining this connection, let us note a very significant fact which is buried in the context of the original. All nouns in the Greek are in one of the three genders: masculine, feminine, an neuter. Gender in Greek, as in German does not have a sex connotation. In verse 6 Paul speaks of "that which restraineth," using the relative pronoun in the neuter gender. In verse 7 speaking of the one restraining, he declared that "there is one that restraineth now," or, "he who restrains." Here he uses the masculine gender.

The restraining power, influence, or person referred to here is often interpreted as the Holy Spirit in the church. Those taking this position say that the restraining power is removed when the church is raptured, for with the church the Holy Spirit will depart from the world. There can be no doubt in mind of any thinking, serious person that the Holy Spirit in the church does hinder, to a certain extent at least, the spread of evil and its activity. All must admit that there is truth in such an interpretation.

But the question here is, Was Paul talking about the Holy spirit in the church? I see great difficulties in accepting this position. One of these is as follows: the word church, in the Greek language, is in the feminine gender. The word for Spirit is in the neuter gender. If Paul were talking about the Holy Spirit in the church, certainly he would have used his pronouns in those two genders that are involved in the words, church and Spirit, namely, the feminine and the neuter genders. Did he do that? The answer is, no. What did he do? He used the neuter and the masculine gender. Paul certainly knew how to use the Greek language. The fact that he did not use the feminine gender, but rather employed the masculine, causes me to question very seriously the correctness of said interpretation.

Another fact in this context prevents my accepting the interpretation now under consideration. We have already seen that in verse 3 Paul was talking about the period before the Tribulation. In order to identify the man of sin, who is revealed to the world before the Tribulation, the Apostle spoke of him in terms of that which he does in the middle of the Tribulation. Since in verse 4 we are in the middle of the Tribulation Period, since verses 5-7 are parenthetical and deal with the events mentioned in verse 4, the cause hindering the development of lawlessness is removed in the middle of the Tribulation. Is the church raptured in the middle of the Tribulation? There are some excellent brethren who answer this question in the affirmative. But, according to my studies, I have never been able to accept that position. I am absolutely convinced that the church will be removed, as I have already said before in these articles, before the Tribulation begins. Christ, as we have already seen will deliver us from the wrath to come, for we are not appointed unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation from the wrath through the Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess. 4:13-5:11). If the Holy Spirit in the church is not the restraining force of power, what then is that power? Who is the one restraining until he be taken out of the way? The answer to this question is to be found, as I am convinced, in the record of Daniel 11:36ff., when studied in the light of the facts set forth in Daniel, chapter 7. This willful king reigns along with the ten other dictators during the first half of the Tribulation. Even though he, the Antichrist, has the pre-eminence, nevertheless he does not have the liberty and the freedom which he wishes, but is held in check by the others. When, however World War II of the Tribulation Period bursts forth upon the world in the middle of the seven years of judgment and three of the ten kings are liquidated and the rest of them become simply rubber stamps—yes men—then, and not until then, does this willful king have freedom of action to pursue his favorite phantom. When, however, those three kings who are liquidated are removed from the scene of action, all human restraints are removed. Then the Antichrist moves forward in his self-willed, determined manner without any limitations whatsoever. Of course, he will, as we learn from various scriptures, be energized and assisted by Satan himself. (See Rev., chap. 13.)

Remembering what we have learned above, namely, that verses 5-7 constitute a parenthesis in the argument which explains in detail why and how it is that the Antichrist will, in the middle of the Tribulation, oppose all that is called God or that is worshiped as God and will take his seat in the temple of God, saying that he is God, let us now read II Thessalonians 2:8 as if it followed verse 4 immediately. Viewed in this light, the passage reads thus: "… he (Antichrist) that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God … 8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming …" The adverb then of verse 8 manifestly refers to the time when the willful king sets himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped as God and sets himself forth to the people as God. But a study of Daniel, chapter 11, shows that he does this thing in the middle of the Tribulation Period. Hence, in the middle of the Tribulation the lawless one is revealed for the second time. In what sense is he revealed this time? Not as to his identity, because that is made known before the Tribulation. But he is revealed as to his character—his being the lawless one, an individual who has no regard for law, or respect for God or man. He manifests this type of character in the middle of the Tribulation, when he assumes dictatorial powers.

Paul speaks of the Antichrist's coming and of its being according "to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceit of unrighteousness …" (II Thess. 2:9, 10). Of what coming is the Apostle speaking? The answer to this question is probably found in Revelation 13:3 and 17:8. In World War II of the Tribulation it seems that the Antichrist receives the stroke of death, that he actually dies, but that his spirit is brought back from Sheol by Satan. His spirit re-enters his body; hence he comes back to life again. At that time, according to Revelation, chapter 13, Satan gives him his throne and power. Then he puts on a mighty demonstration of super-natural power, performing miracles at Jerusalem as is seen in Revelation, chapter 13.

So far as human authority is concerned, this willful king will have absolute, unquestioned power and will act according to the dictates of his own will and his human and satanically inspired desires. Woe be unto the world and those living in it at that time!

PART IV

And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (II Thess. 2:8-12).

In the preceding study we have seen that the revealing of the man of sin in the middle of the Tribulation is the making known the type of character he is, the lawless one, the willful king. When he thus stages his great demonstration of supernatural, satanic powers at the time of his going to the city of Jerusalem, "he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God." The purpose of such superhuman, diabolical powers is to convince the people of the world that he is God and that men must worship him alone; for there will be actual manifestations of satanic power, and signs and lying wonders (to support the lie that the antichrist is God). Every kind of trick of deception and of unrighteousness will be practiced in order to cover up any possibility of detection concerning the nature of the power and the falsity of the claims that will be put forth by this willful king.

Though this demonstration of power will be staged for the purpose of convincing all men that the Antichrist is God and must be worshiped, all will not be convinced. There will be only a certain class of people who will be deceived. The Apostle Paul speaks of them as "them that perish." God will allow him to display this power, might, and authority in order that those that perish may be deceived and, consequently, that they may be lost.

Who constitute this group of those that perish? The answer is to be found in the clause following this expression: "… Because they (those perishing) received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (vss. 10-12). Now we know who comprises this company: those who receive not the love of the truth, but who have pleasure in unrighteousness. We see from this statement that they will have had an opportunity of receiving the truth, but spurn it and have pleasure in unrighteousness. This statement shows that the truth, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, will have been given to all men, but a certain portion of the human family refuses to receive a love of the truth and prefers to engage in the pleasures of unrighteousness. Who at this future time in the Tribulation Period will give the truth to the world and let even those who do not want the truth have an opportunity of hearing it?

The question just asked is to be answered by an investigation of the passages of scripture which look forward to this special time of the Tribulation. To Abraham, God said that He would bless all nations in him and in his seed (Gen. 12:3, 22:15-18). These scriptures promise that the blessing of God will flow out to the entire world through Abraham's literal descendants, Christ himself being the Seed par excellence. The sacred hymn writer, in Psalm 67:1,2, foresees Israel's pleading for mercy and for God's blessings, "that thy way may be known upon earth, thy salvation among all nations." Since the Jewish people have never prayed in this manner, and since the Word of God cannot be broken, we may be certain that they will yet pray as here foretold and will give forth the truth to all nations. This prayer and prophecy are in perfect alignment with the original passages in Genesis to which reference has already been made.

But when will the truth be given and the people of the earth turn to the Lord? Isaiah 17:7,8 answers this question: "7 In that day shall men look unto their Maker, and their eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. 8 And they shall not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they have respect to that which their fingers have made, either the Asherim, or the sun-images." Isaiah uses the phrase "in that day" to refer to the Tribulation Period. Thus in vision he sees the bulk of humanity turning to God, giving up their idols which they will have accepted, and turning to god. In Isaiah 24:1-20, we have a vivid, graphic description of the Tribulation Period. In the midst of the horror, persecution, an suffering of the time of judgment, there will be a mighty turning to God as is seen in verses 13-16a: "These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout ; for the majesty of Jehovah they cry aloud from the sea. 15 Wherefore glorify ye Jehovah in the east, even the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea. 16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the righteous." Confirmation of this position is found in Isaiah 26:9. But if men, in general, will not turn to the Lord now when the gospel is preached, how can we hope that they will turn to Him in vast hosts during the Tribulation? That question is answered in the verse just mentioned: "… when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." We are told that man's extremity is God's opportunity. God does not have an opportunity to speak to the hearts of men today, because they are engrossed in the cares, responsibilities, and pleasures of life. But when they are brought to the end of self by the judgments, of the Tribulation, then, and then alone, will they listen to the gospel message, which will at that time be proclaimed. Then the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Because the phrase, "the inhabitants of the world," is used, we can interpret the prediction only as indicating that the greater portion of the human family will turn to the Lord when His judgments are in the earth, that is during the Tribulation Period.

Finally, let us now turn to the seventh chapter of the Book of Revelation for the classical passage which deals with the world-wide revival in the Tribulation Period. In order that we may see the setting of this revival, it becomes necessary for me to call attention to the general outline of the book of Revelation. The last book of the Bible falls into three general divisions: "the things which thou sawest" (chap. 1); "and the things which are"(chaps. 2 and 3)—the seven churches, which reflect the course of the history of the church through the centuries; "and the things which shall come to pass hereafter (after the church age)" (chaps. 4-22)—The Tribulation and that which follows.

Chapters 4 and 5 give us a vision of the throne of God in heaven as it will be set for judgment (Ps. 9:7). The chronological order of events as they will occur during the Tribulation is set forth in chapters 6,8,9,15, and 16. These judgments consist of the seal judgments, which cover probably the first quarter of the seven years of the Tribulation. Chapters 8 and 9, which give the trumpet judgements, set forth the terrific plagues of God that will fall upon the earth during the second quarter of the Tribulation. Chapter 16, which describes the bowl judgments, portrays graphically the series of judgments that fall upon the earth during the latter half of the Tribulation. Chapter 15, however, prepares one for the understanding of these bowl calamities found in chapter 16. The other chapters (7 and 10-14) give the stage setting, as it were, in order that we might understand the situation when these judgments fall. Chapters 17,18, and 19, inserted in the record (according to the Law of Recurrence), give in detail the destruction of Babylon the harlot in the middle of the Tribulation (chap. 17), the great ecclesiastical octopus which will have the world in its clutches during the first half of the Tribulation; the destruction of Babylon the city—which will be rebuilt—at the end of the Tribulation (chap. 18); and the marriage supper of the Lamb and the second coming of the Lord to fight in the war of the great day of God the Almighty, also at the end of the Tribulation (chap. 19).

Upon His return to earth, our Lord lifts the curse and sets up His reign of righteousness upon the earth and reigns for a thousand years—as we see from Revelation, chapter 20. The reign of Christ is followed by the unloosing of Satan for a little season, during which short period he deceives the nations upon the earth. At this time there is a demonstration against Christ's reign, in the form of a mighty youth movement and march against Jerusalem. The fire comes down out of heaven and consumes these participants in this anti-Christian exhibition. Immediately after that the material heavens and earth flee away—vanish: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them" (Rev. 20:11). Then the judgment of the great white throne is set, before which the lost are raised and to which they are brought to hear their fate and their doom pronounced.

After the judgment of the great white throne, there will be the creation of the eternal order consisting of the eternal heavens and the eternal earth. Then the eternal Jerusalem will come down out of the new heaven upon the eternal earth. This will be the home of the blessed forever and ever.

Chapter 7 of Revelation is sandwiched between chapter 6, which gives us the seal judgments, and chapters 8 and 9, which present the trumpet judgments. What do we see in chapter 7? In the first place, there is the sealing of 144,000 Jews, twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. These are literal Jews, who are sealed so that none of the judgments of the Tribulation can affect them in any way. This group has never yet been formed. It never will be called forth until the Tribulation has begun. There cannot be a single Gentile among them. I am thoroughly aware that there are those who claim that the group to which they belong are the ones of whom John is speaking; but such claims are fallacious, because they are not Jews, and because the time has not come for bringing the 144,000 into existence. Those making claims to being members of the 144,000 are simply deluded and misguided.

Immediately after we read of the sealing of these 144,000 Jewish servants of God, we are told that John saw a vision of an innumerable host of people from every nation, tribe, tongue, and language standing before the throne of God, which indicates that they are saved people. Hear the Apostle : "9 After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 and they cry with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb" (Rev. 7:9,10). This host, undoubtedly, are groups of people from every nation, tribe, tongue, and language, who are redeemed, and who are ascribing their salvation "unto our God, who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb."

John was interested in this mighty throng of saved people. One of the elders, an angelic being, spoke to John and asked him if he knew who these people were. To his question John replied, "My lord, though knowest." Then this angelic being explained the situation entirely to John in the following words: "These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in this temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them" (Rev. 7:14,15).

Who are they? The inspired Apostle John said that the angelic assembly are those who "come out of the great tribulation," and who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This host is innumerable. There is no method by which they can be counted. They come out of "the tribulation, the great one." In this last sentence I have rendered the Greek literally. The idiom, thus translated, lays the emphasis both upon the idea of the Tribulation and also upon the fact that it is the great one, the greatest tribulation of all time. Can any one who is saved now during this age be in that group? The answer is a most emphatic denial. These people whom John saw hear the Word during the Tribulation, accept Christ, wash their robes, and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are saved during the Tribulation and come out of it.

When we view this chapter in the light of the information which we have already gleaned, namely, that God intends to bless all nations in and through Abraham's literal seed who are sealed for service in the first part of the Tribulation; and when we see the results of the preaching of the Word—an innumerable host of converts from every nation, tribe, tongue, and language—then we can come to but one conclusion: namely, that these 144,000 Jewish evangelists are the ones who conduct this mightiest of all soul-saving campaigns in the first part of the Tribulation and lead the greater part of humanity to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ: "…for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9).

But one wishes to know more about these 144, 000 Jewish servants who conduct this mighty soul-saving campaign. They are certainly not in the church; for, if they were, they would be taken up at the time of the rapture, which occurs before the Tribulation, as we have already seen. But these Jewish servants are here on the earth in the first part of the Tribulation. They evidently learn the truth after the church is gone, and in the first part of the Tribulation. How can they? God never gives any one a hypodermic injection of Biblical knowledge. Paul had to study to show himself unto God, and so did Timothy. Paul urged Timothy to bring the parchments and the books to him, when he was in Rome. He was a student of the Word. All people who have a knowledge of the Bible today are students of it. When we visualize the situation that is presupposed in Revelation, chapter 7, we come to this conclusion; namely, that we who have the truth now must give it to Israel at the present time, before the rapture. Our giving the Word of God to the nation of Israel is like the sowing of seed in a dry, barren field which has, however, a few moist spots here and there. The seed that is sowed broadcast will remain in the dry soil of indifference; but that which lights in the moist spots—in the hearts of those seeking the truth—will germinate and produce fruit immediately. Thus it is that we must now scatter the seed, the Word of God, all over the dry soil of uninterested Israel, not counting the cost, and look to God for the increase.

There are here and there moist spots, honest truth seekers into whose hearts the seed falls today and who accept the Lord. Of course, they are added to the body of Christ and will be taken up at the time of the rapture. But this seed that we are now sowing in Israel is falling on the dry ground of particularly uninterested hearts. When, however, the judgments of the great Tribulation begin to fall upon them, this seed will germinate in the hearts of 144,000 Jewish men, "Apostle Pauls" of that future time. They will arise in the strength of their God. They will take up, figuratively speaking, the banner of Prince Immanuel, that is dropped by the ascending church, and they will go forward as a mighty phalanx for God proclaiming the truth to all nations. They will do it in the power of the Spirit and will win untold hundreds of millions of people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in the first part of the Tribulation.

What a wonderful opportunity of investing in the Lord's cause by helping in the seed-sowing in all Israel! By doing this, a person will be helping to prepare these future evangelists, who will bring hundreds of millions of souls, those that have never even once heard the truth, to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. No greater investment in God's cause can be made than that of giving the truth to these future evangelists and of preparing them for that major role, which they are yet to play in the history of the world.

Practically all the honest hearts who are seeking the truth during the first part of the Tribulation will accept the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them, however, will go home to glory by way of the chopping block, as we see in Revelation, chapter 6. But there will be great hosts of people who will not receive a love of the truth as it is presented by these Jewish evangelists. On the contrary, they will have pleasure in unrighteousness. When people have had an opportunity of receiving the truth and spurn it, preferring the sordid thigs of this life in preference to the blessings of God for time and eternity, then God sends them strong delusions in order that they might believe a lie and be condemned.

That is exactly why God permits the Antichrist, in the very middle of the Tribulation, to stage the greatest display of superhuman, diabolical power that the world ever witnesses. When, therefore, the Antichrist goes to Jerusalem, sits in the Jewish temple (rebuilt), and performs miracles which probably will be broadcast to the world by radio and by television, then those who will have gone through the revivals that sweep the world in the first half of the Tribulation, and who spurn the truth and have pleasure in unrighteousness, will be blinded and hardened and will be caused to believe the lie of Satan and of the Antichrist.

The Antichrist at that time—in the middle of the Tribulation—will demand that all people worship him as God. Moreover, he will require that they take his name, or the number of his name, on their right hands and on their foreheads. The unsaved, who will have rejected the truth and had pleasure in unrighteousness, will readily take the mark of the beast. By so doing, they seal their doom for time and for eternity. The Antichrist, by his actions at that time, brings the work of God throughout the world to a standstill. The prophet Habakkuk saw this, the stopping of the work of God in the midst of the years of wrath. He therefore prayed for God to revive His work in the midst of these years of wrath. "O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the years; In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2). In answer to that petition and doubtless to the petitions of many myriads of others, the work of God will be revived in the middle of the Tribulation Period; but because of the times and the character of the latter half of the Tribulation, it will be impossible for the work of God to go on in the open, mighty, and manifest way in which it does during the first half of the Tribulation. In my judgment, the preaching of the gospel will, to a certain extent, go underground. There will be a silent testimony which will be indeed very powerful and forceful, for the gospel will be preached, nevertheless, at that time. This fact is set forth by the announcement of the angel "flying in mid heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people" (Rev. 14:6).

Many of those who turn to the Lord during the latter half of the Tribulation will, like their fellow martyrs during the first part of the Tribulation, go home to glory by way of the chopping block.

"Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be:

Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth is His name,
from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

"And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever."

Martin Luther