Events Prior to the Lord’s Second Coming
Introduction
Paul wants to clarify some things about the coming of Jesus Christ.
Focus on what you understand. Don’t let your primary focus be on what you do not understand.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 NLT
2:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?
Examine the Scriptures:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 NLT
Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming
2:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.
- Paul wants to clarify some things about the coming of Jesus Christ.
Review:
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NLT
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
- Christ’s return will be a powerful, public, unmistakable, transforming, and triumphant event.
- All believers — resurrected and transformed — are united.
- All Christians will be with the Lord forever.
Christians face a bright future:
1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT
10 And they (people talking about the church in Thessalonica) speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 NLT
9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.
John 14:1-3 NLT
14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
- Jesus will rescue (has already rescued) believers from the terrors of the coming judgment.
- Non-believers will face the terrors of the coming judgment.
Pictured in Isaiah.
Isaiah 13:6-9 NLT
6 Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
the time for the Almighty to destroy.
7 Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
Every heart melts,
8 and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
their faces aflame with fear.
9 For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
and all the sinners destroyed with it.
Isaiah 13 announces judgment against Babylon, and verses 6–9 describe that judgment using the prophetic phrase “the day of the LORD.” This expression carries both an immediate historical fulfillment and a future prophetic fulfillment.
The ultimate “day of the LORD” will occur when Christ returns to judge the world.
This future day will involve:
Judgment of the wicked
Destruction of evil powers
Establishment of Christ’s kingdom
Deliverance of God’s people
- Babylon’s fall was a historical example pointing toward this final, universal judgment.
2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun.
The Thessalonians were alarmed by the false claim that the day of the Lord had already begun.
Believers were troubled, thinking they were already in the time of divine judgment.
The Thessalonians may have believed that they had been “left behind” or missed the resurrection.
Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.
Matthew 7:15 NLT
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
Matthew 24:11
Jesus Speaks about the Future
11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.
Matthew 24:24 NLT
Jesus Speaks about the Future
24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.
2 Peter 2:1 NLT
2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.
1 John 4:1 NLT
4:1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.
Acts 17:11 NLT
11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
- Don’t be fooled by false teachers.
- False teaching often produces fear, confusion, and instability.
- False teaching is part of the last-days environment.
3 Don’t be fooled by what they say.
For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.
- Two events will occur before the day of the Lord. Neither has happened yet.
-
-
- There is a great rebellion against God.
-
-
-
- The man of lawlessness is revealed.
-
there is a great rebellion against God
Matthew 24:11-14 NLT
11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
1 Timothy 4:1 NLT
Warnings against False Teachers
4:1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.
A large-scale falling away from the truth.
A widespread rejection of God and His authority.
the man of lawlessness is revealed
A future individual characterized by complete opposition to God.
The appearance of a specific individual often identified as the Antichrist.
Later called “the son of destruction.”
He represents the climax of human rebellion.
4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
This person will:
Oppose all true worship.
Exalt himself above God.
Claim divine authority.
Seek worship for himself.
Daniel 11:36-37 NLT
36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. 37 He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all.
Daniel 11:31-32
31 “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. 32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.
Matthew 24:15 NLT also in Mark 13:14
15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)
***More about the man of lawlessness in our next lesson.
5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?
This teaching was not new to the Thessalonians. Paul had already taught them about the day of the Lord when he was with them in Thessalonica.
Their confusion resulted from forgetting or being misled.
- This teaching was not new to the Thessalonians.
Application for believers today:
Do not be shaken by false teachers.
Measure all teaching against Scripture.
Remember that Christ’s return is a hope, not a threat, to believers.
Remain faithful even in times of increasing deception.
Message for us. Get ready now
Matthew 24:40-42 NLT
40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
