The Spirit of Lawlessness
2 THESSALONIANS 2:7 – “FOR THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY DOTH ALREADY WORK: ONLY HE WHO NOW LETTETH WILL LET, UNTIL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY”.
The Greek word the Apostle Paul uses for “INIQUITY”, in this passage, literally means “LAWLESSNESS”. Therefore, the “MYSTERY” is one of lawlessness – “ACTING WITHOUT LAW OR RESTRAINT”.
“MYSYERY” – Is the Strong’s Greek word # 3466, “Mysterion”, and is found 27 times in the New Testament Bible, and means: “A hidden or secret thing, not obvious to understanding; a SECRET PURPOSE or council of men or of God”.
The Greek word here for “MYSTERY” typically means: “A truth that is previously unrevealed, but now it’s made known by special revelation”. What is the “Mystery” that is revealed here? Although “Lawlessness” has always been around and has always been known, what was not clear was that someday, “THE SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS”, WOULD BECOME “INCARNATE”, IN “THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS” (“THE ANTICHRIST” – 1 JOHN 2:18)!
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE BEING “DESENITIZED” TO THE “SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS” IN THIS NATION!
It seems to me that there’s a growing “SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS”, as we see crime increasing in our neighborhoods, in our state, in our nation, and around the world. It has become an American tradition for cities of any size to downplay the crime in their neighborhoods to make their city more appealing, hoping people would move into them.
On March 5th, 1770, five people were shot dead, protesting against the British government in Boston. It is where we get the word “MASSACRE” (THE BOSTON MASSACRE) in our English language. Almost exactly 200 years later, on May 4th, 1970, four student protesters, throwing rocks, were shot dead by the Ohio National Guard. By May 21st, 1970, the song “OHIO” was written by “Neil Young” and sang by the band, “Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young”, was recorded and released, and became one of the most “Iconic” protest songs of “The Vietnam War Era”. “FOUR DEAD IN O-HI-O” – Yet today, “FOUR DEAD”, in the streets or in a neighborhood of Chicago, would hardly make national news and probably would only make national news for one day, especially if some “Bigger story” occurred the next day.
May 4th, 1970, is my birthday, and I became 17 years old. I remember that when I first heard that song “Ohio”, how “Emotionally Moved “ I was “Shocked” at the “VIOLENCE” occurring in our nation and around the world. My family did not attend church, and both of my parents had turned away from God when they were teenagers. I was not a Christian at the time, and I was angered by what happened at Kent State University, but felt “Hopeless” to do anything about it. By the last Sunday of September (September 27th, 1970), I gave my heart to the Lord and said to the pastor that I felt like God was calling me to the “Ministry”, and the pastor said, “Great, you can help me witness door to door tomorrow afternoon, on Monday”! The next Sunday, October 4th, my dad came to church and he “Rededicated his life”, and both of us were baptized at the “Camanche Baptist Church”, on Sunday night. Over the following 10 years of my Dad’s life, until his death, my Dad wrote a number of sermons for me to preach, and I still have those sermons today.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the Holy Spirit was speaking to my heart and saying: “You can do something about the LAWLESSNESS that you see around you – YOU CAN TEACH AND PREACH THE WORD OF GOD”!
“LAWLESSNESS” is NOT simply “A REBELLION AGAINST THE RULE OF MAN”. It is NOT simply, “THE REBELLION AGAINST CIVIL AUTHORITY OR THE COMMITTING OF NONVIOLENT/VIOLENT CRIMES, COMMITTED ON THE STREETS OF AMERICA”. These things do provoke God’s wrath, but “THE MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS” goes much deeper than that. It is an OUTRIGHT REJECTION of the truth that is in Christ Jesus – IT IS THE “CASTING ASIDE OF GOD’S HOLY WORD AND HIS COMMANDMENTS!”.
The “SPIRIT OF LAWLESSNESS” is rapidly advancing in our nation today. “IT DOTH ALREADY WORK (NOW). It is a very force behind the legislation that seeks to banish God from our society: the same “Spirit” that Satan used to deceive Eve, when he told her in so many words, “God won’t punish you for disobeying. You can eat the fruit and you won’t have to pay for it”!
THE GREAT “MYSTERY OF GODLINESS”
1 TIMOTHY 3:16 – “And WITHOUT CONTROVERSY (FACTUALLY UNDISPUTABLE) is the MYSTERY OF GODLINESS: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”.
Just as the Lord Jesus Christ is the “Incarnation” of the “Principles of Godliness”, in like fashion, “The Antichrist” will embody the “Principles of Lawlessness”.
Satan is using the same “LIE” on Christians today; day after day, he convinces the masses of believers that they can SIN, WITHOUT PAYING ANY PENALTY FOR IT! It is a demonic scheme to PERVERT Christ Jesus’ “Gospel of Grace”.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:8 – “And then shall THAT WICKED BE REVEALED, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming”:
* THREE GREEK WORDS DESCRIBE “THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST JESUS – 2 THESSALONIANS 2: 8 – EMPHASIZES THE REVELATION OF GOD’S PURPOSE AND PLAN.
(1). “APOKALYPTO” – THE “REVEALING” OF “THE ANTICHRIST” WILL COME FIRST.
(2). “EPIPHANIA” – 2 THESSALONIANS 2: 8 – “APPEARING” EMPHASIZES THE MANIFESTATION OF THE POWER OF GOD TO HELP HIS PEOPLE.
(3). “PAROUSIA” – 2 THESSALONIANS 2: 8 – “HIS COMING” EMPHASIZES THE COMING JUDGMENT ON THE WORLD AND SETTING UP OF HIS KINGDOM..
“AND THEN” – AFTER THE “HE THAT BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY” (2 THESSALONIANS 2: 7) – THE “RAPTURE (DEPARTURE) OF THE BODY OF CHRIST” HAPPENS – THEN “THAT WICKED ONE (THE ANTICHRIST) WILL BE REVEALED”.
* WHEN WILL “THE ANTICHRIST REVEALING” OCCUR?
* The full “REVEALING OF THE ANTICHRIST” will occur when “The Antichrist” publicly and defiantly opposes and exalts himself above God, and above every so-called “god “or object of worship, and he takes his seat, in the soon coming “Temple of God”, in Jerusalem, displaying himself as being “God”.
THIS WILL OCCUR IN THE MIDDLE OF “THE GREAT TRIBULATION” – JUST AS THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM (OF GOD) IS PREACHED TO ALL THE WORLD (MATTHEW 24: 14) – “FOR A WITNESS TO ALL THE WORLD” (BEFORE THE JUDGMENT OF GOD FALLS ON ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, AT THE END OF THE SEVEN YEAR “GREAT TRIBULATION” PERIOD!
* PLEASE NOTE – “THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD” – CONSISTS OF THE FIRST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, OF “MAN’S TRIBULATION” (GREAT TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES UPON MANKIND), MOSTLY CAUSED BY “THE ANTICHRIST” (MATTHEW 24:6-8).
MATTHEW 24:8 – “All these (things) are the BEGINNING OF SORROWS”.
THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS WILL BE THE “TRUE GREAT TRIBULATION PERIOD” (MATTHEW 24: 21), IN WHICH GOD WILL POUR OUT HIS WRATH UPON THE PEOPLE AND NATIONS OF THE WORLD AND SINCE “THE BODY OF CHRIST” IS NOT “APPOINTED TO GOD’S WRATH” (1 THESSALONIANS 5: 9) – GOD WILL TAKE OUT “THE BODY OF CHRIST”, IN THE “RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH”!
MATTHEW 24:21 – “FOR THEN SHALL BE GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”.
* JUST AS CHRIST JESUS WILL BE “REVEALED” (APOKALUPIS) FROM HEAVEN (2 THESSALONIANS 1:7), “THE ANTICHRIST” WILL BE “REVEALED” (APOKALYPTO) ON THE EARTH (2 THESSALONIANS 2: 3; 2 THESSALONIANS 2:6)!
The Apostle Paul skips over the “Career” of the Antichrist and describes his “Ultimate doom”. It almost sounds, as if he will be destroyed as soon as he is “Revealed but that of course, is not so. He will be allowed to conduct his “Reign of terror”, described in 2 THESSALONIANS 2: 9 – 12, before he is brought down at “Christ JESUS’ SECOND COMING” and comes here to reign here on earth for a thousand years.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:9 – “Even HIM (THE ANTICHRIST), who’s COMING is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders”,
The “Coming” of the “Lawless one” is in accordance with the “Working of Satan”. The Antichrist’s career resembles that of Satan because he is energized by Satan. He will display all kinds of “Miracles and signs and lying wonders”.
Here, it is important to note that not all “Miracles are from God”. The Devil and his agents can perform “Miracles”. “The Man of Lawlessness” will also perform them (REVELATION 13:13-15).
2 THESSALONIANS 2:10 – “And with all DECEIVABLENESS of unrighteousness IN THEM THAT PERISH; BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED”.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:11 –“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”;
2 THESSALONIANS 2:12 – “That they might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness”.
ROMANS 1:32 – “WHO KNOWING THE JUDGMENT OF GOD, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them”.
* Given the “End Times”, that we are all living in now – THE GREAT TRAGEDY IS: “IF WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS NOW, THE VAST MAJORITY OF US WILL BELIEVE IN THE ANTICHRIST THEN”! It says that they all will be judged because of their unbelief and their love of evil. This is reminiscent of LUKE 14:24:
LUKE 14: 24 – “For I say unto you, that NONE OF THOSE BIDDEN (INVITED) SHALL TASTE OF MY SUPPER”.
Tragically, many “Lukewarm Christians” are succumbing to the “Spirit of Lawlessness”. The Apostle Paul says that “The Antichrist” will rise to power BECAUSE people will be blinded and deceived by their own SIN.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:3 – “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there be A FALLING AWAY FIRST and that MAN OF SIN BE REVEALED, THE SON OF PERDITION”;
Satan will deceive masses of people, just as he did with “Eve”, by convincing her of the subtle but powerful lie: “THAT GOD DOESN’T PUNISH FOR SINNING”!
The Apostle Paul says this “Deception” will come, because “They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved”. He then adds, for this reason, “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”.
The Apostle Paul is saying, those who refuse to obey or respect GOD’S WORD FOR THEIR LIVES, will fall under a “STRONG (POWERFUL) DELUSION. At first, they will “WINK” at their sin and justify it. But soon they will actively seek out a message of “EASY GRACE”. In fact, they will invent a “GRACE” that is far beyond what God intended. GOD’S GRACE NEVER LEADS TO A “LICENSE TO SIN” AND ALWAYS LEADS TO “REPENTANCE”!
