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Grace Bible Church 4000 E. Collins
Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717
(307) 686-1516 - Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2
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CORRECTING FALSE TEACHING CONCERNING THE FUTURE 2Th 2:1-3 (03/11/12) Grace Bible
Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl
Hilbert
A. It Related to
their Gathering Together (Rapture) (1) 1. Paul moves to
one of the main purposes of his epistle. There had been false teaching that
the Day of the Lord had already come and that Paul was in error concerning
God’s promise of the Rapture. 2. He begins
with a “request” and it involves the truth of the Rapture. The phrases “the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” and “our gathering together to Him” describe
the Rapture. a) The “coming”
of the Lord Jesus is the Greek word parousia
(par - alongside & ousia -
presence; being present, i.e. coming) and can refer to both the Second
Coming (Mat 24:3, 27, 37; 2Th 2:8) and the Rapture (1Th 2:19; 3:13; 4:15;
5:23; 2Th 2:1; Jam 5:8). b) But the
“gathering together” (episunagōgę, - action of
assembling or gathering together) clearly portrays the Rapture events
where the Lord will meet only believers in the air (1Th 4:15-17). c) The contrast
between the Rapture and the Second Coming are clear in Scripture: (1) Rapture - only
believers will see the Lord (1Th 4:17), Second Coming - the whole
world will see Him (Rev 1:7) (2) Rapture - Christ will
be in the air (1Th 4:17), Second Coming - Christ will come to the
earth (Zech 14:4). (3) Rapture - Christ
will bring rewards (1Co 3:14-15), Second Coming - Christ will bring
judgment (Rev 19:21). d) Paul had
taught that the Rapture would precede the Tribulation and Second Coming, but
false teachers were teaching that Paul was wrong and that the Thessalonians
had missed the Rapture. (1) 1st Coming of
Christ (Joh 1:1, 14) (2) Cross (Gal
4:4) (3) Church Age
(Rom 11:25) (4)
Rapture (1Th
4:13-17) (5) Tribulation
(Mat 24:21) (6)
2nd
Coming of Christ (Rev 19:11-16) B. It Related to
the Day of the Lord (2) 1. The purpose (eis, sometimes as a result) of Paul’s
writing was that they were not to be shaken in their faith in regard to the
doctrine of future events. 2. They were not
to be “shaken” (aor. pass.inf. - saleu,ō - lit. “tossing”, unexpected and disastrous instability,
even earthquake Act 16:26), and that so quickly in the “composure” (nous - mind, mind set) of their minds. 3. They also
were not to be “disturbed” (pres. pass.
inf. - throe,ō
- sudden inward trouble and alarm) in their inward being from false
teaching. 4. This may have
come about through the “spirit” of a false prophet, a “message” presumably by
afalse prophet or presumably Paul, and a “letter” presumably by Paul. 5. It related to
a teaching that the “Day of the Lord” had already come and therefore the
Rapture as well. Paul previously taught the truth concerning the Day of the
Lord (1Th 5:1-2). a) The Day of
the Lord is not a particular day, but rather a time period in which God
triumphantly pours His wrath upon sin. (1) This is not a single day but a period of time filled with
many prophetic events. (LaHaye, Prophecy Study Bible, 1Th 5:2). (2)
Mentioned
frequently in the Old Testament, the Day of the Lord refers to any special
period where God intervenes supernaturally, bringing judgment on the world. (Walvoord,
Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, pg. 486) b) In regard to
eschatology, several future events will unleash God’s judgment which together
constitute the time period of the Day of the Lord. (1) The Day of
the Lord is mentioned as God’s judgment upon the world during the Tribulation
after the Rapture (Joel 2:30-31 cp. Rev 6:12). (2) The Day of
the Lord is mentioned as God’s judgment upon Israel’s enemies at Christ’s
Second Coming (1Th 5:2 cp. Rev 19:11-16). (3) The Day of
the Lord is mentioned as God’s final judgment that destroys the heavens and
the earth. God executes various other judgments prior to this final judgment
(which includes the Great White Throne Judgment) (2Pe 3:10 cp. Rev 20:11). c) If the Day of
the Lord had arrived, the Thessalonians would have missed the Rapture, Paul’s
teaching would have been in error, and they would experience the wrath of God
along with the world. But none of these were true because neither the Rapture
nor the Day of the Lord had occurred then or now. But they will come.
A. The Rapture
Precedes the Wrath of the Day of the
Lord 1. In 2Th 2:3a,
Paul admonishes the Thessalonians with the exhortation, “Let no
one in any way deceive you.” “Deceive” is the strong word exapata,ō
which can mean to be completely enticed and deluded. Paul would
strengthen their faith by re-teaching on the events of the Day of the Lord
(2Th 2:3-12). The very events along with their chronology as taught by Paul proved
that the Day of the Lord had not yet come. In fact there were several
precursors, signs, or events that would happen before the Day of the Lord
would come. 2. Previously
Paul had taught that believers would be spared from the judgment of the Day
of the Lord and other Scriptures also affirm this truth. a) Paul promised
believers that they would be spared from the wrath of the Day of the Lord
(1Th 1:10; 5:9 cp. 1Th 5:2-5). b) Other
Scripture affirms that the Day of Lord is not meant for believers and
therefore they will be spared from it (Rev 3:10). c) Putting the
sequences together along with the truth that God will spare the church from
the Day of the Lord infers that this will be accomplished by the Rapture. B. The Apostasy
Precedes the Wrath of the Day of the
Lord (2Th 2:3b) 1. Paul said
that “the apostasy” had to come “first” (prōtos - first, Eng. “prototype”) before the
Day of the Lord could come. 2. “Apostasy” (apostasi,a) literally
means to “fall away from ,“ i.e. fall
away from a stand. It can also simply mean to “leave.”). As a religious
term, it means to change loyalties, defect, or rebel against a former
position, specifically a religious belief (cp. Act 22:21). 3. Paul’s
particular statement was not speaking of general apostasy that will always
co-exist alongside of God’s truth and God’s people (1Ti 4:1; Heb 3:12 cp. 2Ti
3:1-5; Luk 8:13). 4. Rather this
is “The Apostasy” (with the definite
article - hę apostasi,a, feminine,
singular, nominative) which could be characterized as the apostasy of
apostasies. This would be a rebellion led by the Antichrist himself that
would cause world-wide rebellion against God and His people Israel. 5. Some see “the
apostasy” with the possible meaning of “departure” (cp. Act 12:10) referring
to the Rapture. Most likely, according to the context and it religious
connotation it refers to the great apostasy that begins in the middle of the
Tribulation (cp. Rev 6:17). C. The
Antichrist Precedes the Wrath of the
Day of the Lord (2Th 2:3c) 1. Not only
would apostasy come first, but the central figure regarding the apostasy
would also be revealed (apokalu,ptō - uncover, unveil to make known) before the
Day of the Lord. 2. He is the
“man of lawlessness” (anomi,as
- without law) specifically with no regard for God’s Law. He is also
called the “son of destruction (apōleai fr. apollumi - to destroy) meaning
that his character and actions will be the epitome of destruction for those
who follow him as well as his own end. 3. He is also
known by other names: “the prince who is to come” (Dan. 9:26) and “the little
horn” (Dan. 7:8), “the beast” (Rev. 13:2–10,18) and also the most Antichrist
A. The teaching
of future events is not an ecclesiastical novelty, or just a way of opting
out of this life, rather it teaches us the mind an purposes of God which
govern the goal of the believer in this life. B. False
teaching shakes the minds and hearts of believers needlessly and can lead
even believers astray if they do not have knowledge of the Scriptures (2Co
4:2; 11:14; Rom 16:18; 2Ti 3:13). C. Strong
biblical and doctrinal teaching strengthens the believer belief by knowledge
and guides believers in right living based on right doctrine (Eph 4:14-16;
2Pe 3:11-14). |
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