Questions about 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

  1. What does the text say is the main topic of the discussion?
    1. It concerns the Judgment Day.
      • No, it very clearly says...
      • 2 Thessalonians 2:1
        Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him... (NIV)
      • The main topic is clearly the Coming of the Lord and our being gathered to him. Please note that these two events go together. When the Lord comes, he will, before he does anything else, gather up his body the church.
    2. In concerns the rebellion of God's chosen people.
      • No. Please read (a.) above.
    3. It concerns the man called the beast.
      • No. The passages talk about the beast, and the rebellion, but the main topic is the Coming of the Lord and of the rapture. Please read (a.) above.
    4. Right Answer!It concerns the event commonly called the rapture of the Church.
      • Yes, this topic is about the Coming of the Lord and of the rapture, or the catching up of the body of Christ. Notice that these two events are linked together. The Lord will soon some from heaven and the first thing that he will do is gather up his body, the true church. Now it is important to understand that he will NOT gather all that think that they are in the church. Only those people that truly believe, and have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, will be taken. Most people that think that they are Christians are not. Also none of the people that openly reject the gospel message will be taken, regardless of their "goodness."
      • People frequently tell me that they believe in God and are "good people" so they believe that they will "go to heaven when they die," but God is very clear about the fact that to reject the Son is to reject the Father.
      • 1 John 2:22-23
        Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist -- he denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (NIV)
      • This passage is speaking of a person what openly rejects Jesus as the Son of God. But what of those that claim to love the Lord Jesus Christ, but in their heart of hearts, do not and their lives give testimony to this lie and self-deception.
      • Romans 10:8-10
        But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (NIV)
      • This passage is frequently pointed out to me by those that claim to be Christians but are not. Yes, if you profess Jesus is Lord, you will be saved, IF you truly believe it in your HEART. Those that really believe the gospel message are truly seeking to know God, so that they can be changed inside. My friends, it is not a matter of how much of the Bible you know, but of how much you let the power of God transform you into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
      • 1 John 2:3-6
        We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (NIV)
      • I have given an expanded answer to this question because it is of such critical importance. There are so many church going people that do not truly know the Lord. If what I am saying strikes fear in you, then good, but please don't attack me and accuse me of preaching salvation by works. Make sure that you are seeking the truth in love and with a sincere heart.
      • 1 Timothy 1:5
        The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (NIV)

     

     

  2. What fear is Paul trying to quell in the Thessalonians?
    1. Right Answer!They were afraid that the Lord had already come and gathered the true Church, and they must have been found unworthy because they were still there and not with the Lord.
      • Yes, the Thessalonian church correctly understood that they, that is, the true church, would be spared the "hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth," that is, the day of the Lord. The Thessalonian church at that time was suffering severe persecution, and someone had evidently told them that the persecution that they we enduring was the Day of the Lord, and they had therefore been rejected by the Lord. Well, I tell you, if any that are waiting for the Lord thought that they had been rejected, well I believe that they would be greatly upset by this belief. This is what Paul is trying to calm them about. Paul is telling them that the Lord will not come until the "abomination that cause desolation" sign has come, this is the sign that reveals the beast. Now this is vitally important to us today. We, that is the church, are waiting for the abomination sign too, knowing that the Lord will soon come after it.
      • Now, if we know that the church will see this sign, and we know that the sign is in the middle of the seven year period, then we know that the church will not be taken at the beginning of the seven year period as so many people teach.
    2. They were afraid that the beast would persecute them.
      • They were afraid of that, yes, but they were more afraid that the Lord had rejected them. See (a.) above.
    3. They were afraid that they would be deceived.
      • No, Paul was concerned that they might be deceived, so he was writing them this letter, so that they would understand the truth.
    4. They were worried that the Lord would never come.
      • No, this is completely not true. They fully believed that the Lord would come. Someone told them that the Lord had come, and that he had rejected them, and that the persecution that they were experiencing was the fiery furnace of judgment.

     

     

  3. What "fact" did the Thessalonians think they saw that confirmed their fear?
    1. They thought that Nero was the Antichrist.
      • This may be some of what they feared. I don't know when Paul wrote this letter and when Nero was Rome's ruler. I have had people go on about Nero being the 666 man, so I just put that in as a false answer.
    2. They thought that the Roman army was the prophesied legions of darkness from the Lost Book of Odenel
      • No, I made that up about the lost book of Odenel.
    3. Because the Jews were reportedly returning to Israel they though that the Kingdom of Israel had been restored.
      • No, the Jews were also being persecuted.
    4. Right Answer!They thought that the sever persecution that they were experiencing was the Day of the Lord that comes after the Lord returns from heaven to gather his church.
      • Yes, this is the reason. We today in the western world cannot truly understand the persecution that the early church experienced. They frequently went through periods of severe and fearful persecution, where many lost their lives.

     

     

  4. If they had entered the time of God's wrath, would their fear have been justified?
    1. Right Answer!Yes.
      • Yes, the time of the fiery furnace will be the worst time that the world has have experienced.
      • Matthew 24:21
        For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now -- and never to be equaled again. (NIV)
      • For those that find themselves in the day of the Lord, and know what it means, it will be a time of great fear and regret.
    2. No.
      • No, see (a.) above.

     

     

  5. What two things does Paul tell them that must take place before the Lord will come from heaven to gather the Church?
    1. The city of Jerusalem must be destroyed, and the Temple thrown down.
      • No, Paul says nothing in this passage concerning Jerusalem nor the temple.
    2. Right Answer!The rebellion must occur and the man of lawlessness must be revealed.
      • Yes, the rebellion that is referred to us usually attributed to the apostasy of the church, but I believe that it is talking about the rebellion of the Jews.
      • Daniel 8:13
        Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled -- the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" (NIV)
      • Here we see something of the rebellion. The rebellion has to do with the "many" in Israel that back the Antichrist. They, in effect, formally reject Jesus as the Messiah, and sign the seven year treaty with the man from the confederated Europe. The reason that he leader of the confederated Europe is frequently called the Antichrist, is because he is one that proclaims that Jesus is not the Christ.
      • 1 John 2:18-23
        Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
        20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist -- he denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (NIV)
      • It is evident that this man from Europe, the Antichrist, makes some sort of agreement with the "many" in Israel, to the effect that the Jews can rebuild the temple in Jerusalem so that the "real" Christ can come. This act of rebellion toward Jesus will take place before the day of the Lord and the Church will see it. This is what Paul is saying.
      • The second thing that Paul says that the church will see is the act of final rebellion, that is, the man from Europe will himself enter the temple and claim that he is the Christ. Then the Lord will come from heaven and gather the true church, but woe to the "many" in Israel that supported that man.
    3. The secret power of lawlessness must be at work and there must be severe persecution against the Church.
      • No this is not what he said.
    4. Satan will come with 666 as the sign of his power and his Nazi-like troops with him.
      • No, the beast with his Nazi-like troops will start right after the Church is taken.

     

     

  6. What is the one definite sign that Paul said that they would see before the Lord comes for the Church?
    1. The man with the 666.
      • No, the beast, whose number is 666, will be revealed, but it is how he is revealed that Paul tells them that they will see.
    2. The professed leader of the "church" would claim to be the Christ.
      • No, this is not what Paul said.
    3. Right Answer!The sign of the abomination that causes desolation, that is the beast will enter the temple in Jerusalem and claim to be the Christ.
      • Yes, the Church will see this, BEFORE the Lord comes and gathers the church.
    4. Jesus would come and overthrow all the enemies of God.
      • No, this does not come before the Church is taken, but after.

     

     

  7. Do those that are perishing believe the false 'truths' of Satan and the beast?
    1. Right Answer!Yes.
      • Yes, this is important to understand. People that are deceived don't know that they are deceived. People always have this notion that they know the truth and it is the other guy that is deceived. Also please understand that false prophets don't know that they are false prophets. They always think that they are true prophets. This is very important to understand. Just because someone is sincere that doesn't mean that they are right.
      • The Pharisees, and the Sadducees, of the first century didn't think for a minute that they were deceived. They sincerely believed themselves to be in God's will and that Jesus was not who he claimed to be. Likewise, most church leaders today would oppose the Lord if he came to them in bodily form.
      • Don't think that when the Antichrist comes that he will appear evil. He will look good to the world. Even is vocal opposition to Jesus Christ will only come at the end.
    2. No.
      • This is not correct. Those that are perishing will believe.

     

     

  8. Will the beast's 'ministry' be accompanied by what looks like signs and miracles and wonders?
    1. Right Answer!Yes.
      • Yes, this is what the Bible says. The beast will look like something good. He will say what people want to hear.
    2. No.
      • This is not correct. The beast will show up on the scene after it appears that he was dead, and then "risen from the dead" he will claim to be the Christ.

     

     

  9. Why do those that perish die?
    1. Because they were never baptized in a church.
      • This is not he best answer.
    2. Because they did not work to make the world a better place.
      • We, as Christians, are not called to make the world a better place. Only people that have their faith in the world try to make it heaven on earth.
    3. Because they did not read the Bible.
      • This is not the best answer. It is not those that read the Bible that are justified, but those that believe its message and live in faith with God.
    4. Right Answer!Because they refused to love the truth, and instead they delighted in wickedness.
      • Yes, this is what the passage says. Those people that do not come to the truth don't because they like something else better.

     

     

  10. In the eyes of the people of the world does the beast man look evil?
    1. Yes.
      • No, the people of the world will think that he is good, at least until it is too late.
    2. Right Answer!No.
      • This is the right answer. The nature of being deceived is that those that are deceived don't know it, or else they would not have been deceived.

     

     

  11. Will it be difficult for Jesus to defeat Satan's forces?
    1. Yes.
      • This is not the right answer. Satan has never posed any problem for God. Satan is only a tiny speck compared to the full brilliance of the sun, when compared to God.
    2. Right Answer!No.
      • Right! Satan is no match for the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. Jesus will ultimately destroy him with the splendor of his coming.

     

     

  12. What does this passage say concerning the possibility of the Church being 'raptured' before the beast commits the abomination that causes desolation event?
    1. That the Church will be taken three and a half years before the sign.
      • No, Paul said very clearly that the church would see the sign.
    2. That the Church will be taken when a report comes from the church elders that tells them of the soon to come event.
      • No, he told them that this would not be the case.
    3. It could happen, if God so wills it.
      • No, there is no possible variation in God's plan.
    4. Right Answer!It will not happen.
      • Yes, the church will NOT be taken before the sign.

     

     

  13. Since the event that Paul said that the Church would definitely see, that is, the man of lawlessness declaring himself to be God in the temple, occurs at the midpoint of the seven year period, is it possible that the church will be raptured at the start of the period?
    1. Yes.
      • No. The most common "theory" of the "rapture" is that the church will be taken at the beginning of the seven-year period. This is called the "pre tribulation rapture theory" and this cannot be true. God's plan is not subject to what people think, or how many think that way, but to what is already written. God will do what he said he would do. We must try to understand the one thing that agrees with every passage in the Bible. In the passage from Thessalonians Paul clearly and plainly says that the church will see the sign that occurs at the midpoint of the week, so it is impossible for the church to be taken at three and a half years before this sign.
    2. Right Answer!No.
      • This is the right answer. See (a.) above.

 

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