The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4,
"Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God."
Apparently there was a rumor the Thessalonians heard, that claimed Jesus Christ had already come back for his own. This was taught by the apostles, the Scriptures, the Lord himself: the second coming of Jesus Christ for his own -- believers who have responded to the gospel message and embraced the Lord in faith. Possibly the "persecutions and trials", 1:4, these Thessalonian believers were enduring aided traction to this rumor. The second coming of Jesus Christ will be attended not only by joy and the rejoicing of believers, but also upheaval in the world. The Thessalonian believers may have misread their persecutions as a sign of the Lord's return.
Paul corrects that thought and points out that the Lord will not return until "the rebellion occurs" and a man, "the man of lawlessness" is revealed.
I am just musing here: I have wondered on a number of occasions if this "man of lawlessness" may not be a specific individual, but a "stage" in the devolution of mankind's wallowing in sin. As I say, I'm just musing here.
Recall the account of Noah's flood. Mankind had devolved to a point where God, "saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways." Genesis 6:12. So great was the wickedness, we read, "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, 'I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.'" Genesis 6:5-7.
I have entertained the thought from time to time that possibly rather than an individual, this "man of lawlessness" that precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ is a reference to the people that will be engaged in the "rebellion" Paul speaks of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and not unlike the people in Noah's day. I have thought possibly "the man of lawlessness" is this stage in mankind's development as a whole and would be one where God is rejected and mankind sets himself up to be God.
These would be globalists, like the people at the tower of Babel. People who claim to be able to do those things that really only God can do or legitimately do. People who claim to be able to raise and lower oceans by manipulating the weather. People who take upon themselves the decision for who lives and dies, as in the current practice of abortion and infanticide in our society. People who claim to be able to cast a "social safety net" of welfare, food stamps, free healthcare, minimum wages as if they were our Provider God. People who assume the role of "Creator" to determine if they will be male or female, as in the transgender/homosexuality crowd. People who reject the word of God for their own precepts. People who simply reject God, rewrite history and assume God's position in the world today by their actions and outlook.
As I say, just musing here...
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God."
Apparently there was a rumor the Thessalonians heard, that claimed Jesus Christ had already come back for his own. This was taught by the apostles, the Scriptures, the Lord himself: the second coming of Jesus Christ for his own -- believers who have responded to the gospel message and embraced the Lord in faith. Possibly the "persecutions and trials", 1:4, these Thessalonian believers were enduring aided traction to this rumor. The second coming of Jesus Christ will be attended not only by joy and the rejoicing of believers, but also upheaval in the world. The Thessalonian believers may have misread their persecutions as a sign of the Lord's return.
Paul corrects that thought and points out that the Lord will not return until "the rebellion occurs" and a man, "the man of lawlessness" is revealed.
I am just musing here: I have wondered on a number of occasions if this "man of lawlessness" may not be a specific individual, but a "stage" in the devolution of mankind's wallowing in sin. As I say, I'm just musing here.
Recall the account of Noah's flood. Mankind had devolved to a point where God, "saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways." Genesis 6:12. So great was the wickedness, we read, "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, 'I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.'" Genesis 6:5-7.
I have entertained the thought from time to time that possibly rather than an individual, this "man of lawlessness" that precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ is a reference to the people that will be engaged in the "rebellion" Paul speaks of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and not unlike the people in Noah's day. I have thought possibly "the man of lawlessness" is this stage in mankind's development as a whole and would be one where God is rejected and mankind sets himself up to be God.
These would be globalists, like the people at the tower of Babel. People who claim to be able to do those things that really only God can do or legitimately do. People who claim to be able to raise and lower oceans by manipulating the weather. People who take upon themselves the decision for who lives and dies, as in the current practice of abortion and infanticide in our society. People who claim to be able to cast a "social safety net" of welfare, food stamps, free healthcare, minimum wages as if they were our Provider God. People who assume the role of "Creator" to determine if they will be male or female, as in the transgender/homosexuality crowd. People who reject the word of God for their own precepts. People who simply reject God, rewrite history and assume God's position in the world today by their actions and outlook.
As I say, just musing here...
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment