2 Thessalonians 2

Paul dealt directly with the false teachers who claimed Paul said the Day of the Lord had already happened.

Verse 3 covered two events that will precede Christ's spiritual coming to Rapture His Church:

1. There will be a falling away.

2. Then, the man of sin (Antichrist) will be revealed.

Doctrine: The Antichrist will oppose and exalt himself against God. He will sit in the temple and claim to be God. We covered this in 1 Thessalonians: Jesus' spiritual coming for His Church will end our current dispensation with the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, which was known as the "Day of the Lord."

The Tribulation is a seven year period that concludes the previous dispensation (the Law) that is re-established and was also known as the "Seventieth Week of Daniel" (Daniel 9:24-27). The first three and a half years of the Tribulation will be a time of peace and safety with the Jews worshipping God in His temple. Halfway through the Tribulation, the Antichrist will declare himself as God and set up an idol (known as "the abomination of desolation") in the temple and cause people to worship it or be killed. Jesus stated (Matthew 24) that Jews who see this event ought to immediately flee in hiding so they would make it through to the end of the Tribulation.

At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Raptures those who became believers during the Tribulation and returns with all the believers at the battle of Armageddon. This physical return to the earth when Jesus will put His Foot on the Mount of Olives was also known as the "Day of the Lord." Verse 4 showed Paul was speaking of the Antichrist at the midpoint of the Tribulation.

This was the only question in this letter, and it was rhetorical. Paul spoke about these events when he was present with them. Notice, Paul did cover "end times" Doctrine with new believers.

Paul referenced that someone was currently restraining the Antichrist so that the Antichrist would be revealed at the right time. Paul stated this to prove that the Day of the Lord had not occurred yet. Notice, the spiritual Day of the Lord will occur just before the Antichrist is revealed and the physical Day of the Lord will occur to defeat the Antichrist.

Paul stated that the One currently restraining the Antichrist will eventually be taken out of the way. Notice, the One restraining was referred to as a HE.

Doctrine: The Antichrist will be revealed after HE that restraineth is taken out of the way. The Lord Jesus will slay the Antichrist, at the end of the Tribulation, with the "breath of his mouth"…with His words.

Remember, the Church is the Bride, a she. The One that restraineth, the only One on earth during our dispensation able to restrain the Antichrist, is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is removed from this earth, then the Antichrist will be revealed. Our dispensation is characterized by the Holy Spirit being upon all flesh and within all believers. When the believers are Raptured prior to the beginning of the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit will leave this earth with the believers. Not only does that conclude our dispensation of personal grace via the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it re-establishes the previous dispensation (the Law) during which the Holy Spirit only dwelt within the prophets. Without the Holy Spirit upon all flesh and within believers during the Tribulation, the only way people can be approached will be logically, like they were during the Old Testament through the Law. The Book of Revelation was written for people who would be on earth during the Tribulation, and the explanation was logical and objective, right down to the number of days between key events. Also, the fact that believers will be missing from the earth and the revelation/influence from the Holy Spirit will also be missing will create an environment where unrighteousness will rule.

Doctrine: People chose not to love the truth, which caused them to not attain Salvation. Everything necessary for Salvation has been provided by God, however, it is the responsibility of the individual to choose to receive it. Paul stated the Antichrist's coming will involve all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceit of unrighteousness. Notice, these signs will not happen until the Church along with the Holy Spirit has been removed.

God will send this "working of error" during the Tribulation as an affliction through Justice (judgment) on those who chose not to believe the truth.

Doctrine: Salvation comes by sanctification of the Spirit and choosing to believe the truth. Notice, all three members of the Trinity were mentioned separately. God provided everything for Salvation, but it is the responsibility of the individual to choose to believe in the truth: Salvation by grace through faith.

When Paul stated: "hold the traditions which ye were taught," he was referring to the Gospel that he preached to them. This was the Apostles' Doctrine: God's Doctrine!

Theme of Chapter 2: Paul went deeper into the Doctrine of the Day of the Lord. The Holy Spirit currently restrains the revealing of the Antichrist. Once the Church and the Holy Spirit are removed from the earth during the pre-Tribulation Rapture (spiritual Day of the Lord) that concludes our dispensation, the Antichrist will be revealed which re-establishes the previous dispensation (the Law) that will be concluded seven years later during the battle of Armageddon, which will be Jesus' physical return to earth (physical Day of the Lord) with all the believers. Paul explained this Doctrine in order to prove neither "Day of the Lord" had occurred at the time of this letter as was being falsely reported about Paul by deceivers.