The Text:
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
My Exposition:
2 Thessalonians 2:1,
(1) “Now we beseech you”
Paul is urging his readers, the Thessalonians, to receive the Apostolic correction to an error in their understanding.
(2) “brethren”
Paul considers those to whom he writes as truly believing in our Lord Jesus Christ.
(3) “by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Paul is appealing to them on the basis of what he had already taught them about the coming or presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This raises the crucial issue: to which coming, or what aspect of the coming of Christ, does Paul refer? Paul answers this question definitively by his next words:
(4) “and by our gathering together unto him”
This statement is a reference to what Paul had taught them before in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when Paul taught that at the Pre-Tribulation Rapture the dead in Christ would be raised first (1 Thessalonians 4:16), then those alive at His coming would be caught up together with the dead in Christ in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, when we would all be together with the Lord ever after.
Paul, therefore, in this letter of correction to a mistaken view about the Lord’s return being taught by false or mistaken teachers, appeals to what he had already taught the Thessalonians when he was present with them, as well as what he taught them in his first letter to them, our 1 Thessalonians.
Paul corrects the mistaken teaching by direct appeal to what he had already taught them about the Rapture. This teaching is found in our Bible at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and chapter 5.
“Our gathering together unto him” is a direct mention and reference to the doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
2 Thessalonians 2:2
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
(1) “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled”
Paul says they ought not be so disturbed and upset by what the false teachers were telling them.
(2) “neither by spirit”
The false teachers were claiming to teach by the authority of their spiritual gift, or claiming new revelation from the Holy Spirit.
(3) “nor by word”
The false teachers claimed to have a newer word that was more up-to-date than what they had been taught by Paul when he was with them and when he had last written to them.
(4) “nor by letter as from us”
The false teachers had gone so far as to produce a counterfeit letter which they claimed was from the Apostle Paul to convincingly document the supposed truth of their teaching. Their teaching was false because it represented a revised or updated message that changed what Paul had first taught them, not to mention that the source was an imposture.
(5) “as that the day of Christ is at hand”
Paul now specifies what the false teaching was. The Received Text which the King James Version faithfully follows is not correct at this point. Neither is the Majority Text. The correct Greek text here would be translated “as that the day of the Lord is now present.”
The Thessalonians rightly understood that if the Day of the Lord (in their day) was now present, then they were actually in the Day of the Lord.
If that were the case, then they had missed the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. No wonder they were shaken in their minds!
The evidence that surrounded them on every hand would seem to support the idea that they were in the Day of the Lord because they were suffering great or much tribulation. Of course informed believers then and now were surely taught that we must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). But tribulation, though the promised lot of all Christians in the form of persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), is not the same as being in the Day of the Lord at the time of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 6:17; 7:14).
Notice carefully that since some of the Thessalonians were almost convinced that they had missed the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and so had been left behind, this means the event took place in a manner that it was unobserved by them or anyone else. This shows that they had been taught that the Rapture would take place unobserved by the world at large.
This necessary inference is the basis for what is sometimes called “the secret Rapture.” It is a well-founded inference. There are some who would argue that the Rapture is a noisy event involving the “trump of God,” “the voice of the archangel,” and the “shout” of the Lord himself (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This would be to forget what Jesus taught at John 5:28 which surely in part refers to this very event. “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice.” But here is an instance when “all” does not mean “all.” At least not “all” at the same time. The just and the unjust are NOT raised at the same time. The doctrine of the general resurrection of all the dead at one time is a false doctrine. We learn in Revelation 20:5 that the unjust are raised 1000 years after the resurrection of the just. That means, therefore, that the call to resurrection was selective and not heard indiscriminately by everyone in the graves. The unjust did not hear or respond to the call to the just. In a similar manner, the call at the resurrection of the righteous dead in Christ is heard by those to whom the call is directed, not everyone indiscriminately. So much, then, for the mistaken notion of a “noisy Rapture.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
(1) “Let no man deceive you by any means”
Paul takes this as a most serious issue. To him, this was not a mere “in house” disagreement about the timing of the Rapture. He warns, “let no man deceive you by any means.” Therefore, if you are mistaken here, you are deceived.
The critical Greek texts, based upon better manuscript evidence, use the stronger term for “deceived” here. It is as if Paul is stating by using the stronger term, that to be mistaken on this point is to be very or even greatly deceived. The regular term for “deceive” occurs in a passage of Scripture with this stronger word for “deceive” at 1 Timothy 2:14, where Paul speaks of Adam being “deceived,” using the weaker term, but uses the stronger term in the expression, “but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Thus Eve was greatly deceived, whereas Adam, though deceived, was less deceived than she was.
I believe that Paul, by using the stronger term for “deceived” at 1 Thessalonians 2:3, indicates this deception is not a mere mistake or misunderstanding: it is heresy. Otherwise, why choose the stronger term to label it? The words of the original language of Scripture are not strewn about carelessly; when a particular word is chosen over another more common word, or a stronger term is used instead of a weaker term, we must take notice and observe the distinction intended.
(2) “for that day shall not come”
To what Day does Paul refer? It is clear from the immediate context that Paul is talking about the Day of the Lord. In this phrase Paul is NOT talking about the Day of the Rapture!
But this being the case, it is absolutely clear that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture MUST take place BEFORE the Day of the Lord, before the Great Tribulation, before the appearance of the Anti-Christ. This is the foundation or premise of Paul’s argument in correcting their misunderstanding.
(3) “except there come a falling away first”
The “falling away” is the Apostasy. The Apostasy takes place before the Day of the Lord. Some who believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture have tried to redefine the term “apostasy” here to mean the Rapture itself. That is an unfortunate and misinformed error on their part. The Rapture has already been mentioned in this passage at 2 Thessalonians 2:1 by the expression “our gathering unto him.” It is a major word study fallacy to make “apostasy” refer to the Rapture here. Those who hold to a Post-Tribulation Rapture view often call attention to this error, and rightly so. But this error of some earlier Pre-Tribulation Rapture advocates hardly invalidates the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position, as my exposition of this passage above abundantly proves. There are many who deny the possibility of apostasy, instead declaring “Once Saved, Always Saved.” When such interpreters use one doctrine to get rid of another doctrine, you can be sure they are mistaken. Jesus taught it is possible to stop believing (Luke 8:13) when He taught that some would “believe for a while,” who in time of temptation or testing or tribulation will “fall away,” or apostatize, the very same Greek word used here.
(4) “and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”
The “man of sin” and “the son of perdition” are both names for the Antichrist. The Antichrist appears in person before the onset of the Day of the Lord, and clearly, therefore, before the Great Tribulation, and necessarily AFTER the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Since these things had not yet happened when Paul wrote the Book of 2 Thessalonians, the Day of the Lord had not yet begun at that time. At this date of my writing, it has not happened yet. The Rapture could not have happened either, for it takes place before these events of the Apostasy and the revelation of the Antichrist, which both precede the Day of the Lord, the point and basis of Paul’s whole argument in answer to the false teachers, whose teaching then uncannily parallels the teaching of those who teach the mistaken doctrine of the Post-Tribulation Rapture today.
Greetings Jerry!
I would appreciate some assistance and perhaps some clarity concerning a couple of statements contained within your last paragraph:
“The Antichrist appears in person before the onset of the Day of the Lord, and clearly, therefore, before the Great Tribulation, and necessarily AFTER the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.” and, “The Rapture could not have happened either, for it takes place before these events of the Apostasy and the revelation of the Antichrist, which both precede the Day of the Lord…”
I am attempting to solidify my foundations concerning timelines and common stances on Rapture doctrine. If the Rapture occurs prior to the Apostasy (the falling away) as is posited in your second statement, who remains to fall away from the faith?
Thank you for any insight and I absolutely enjoy your “New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge”. One day my hope is to have the “Nelson’s Cross-Reference” in my library as well.
Many Blessings to you Jerry and thanks for your tremendous efforts!
John
Greetings again Jerry!
I have been following up on my own question in regards to the term “falling away” as found in II Thess. 2:3 in the Authorized Version. In other Bible translations, e.g. the English Standard Version, the translators’ choice for the word “αποστασια” is “rebellion” versus the AV translators’ choice of “falling away”. It would seem perhaps, that in terms of the timeline you have explained, that “rebellion” may be a better term to describe the remaining populations’ behavior on Earth than “falling away”. For if true Believers are gathered away prior to the tribulation period, then only the non-believer would be left and therefore, what would these remaining people “fall away” from? So the later translators’ choice of “rebellion” would comport to the remaining population becoming totally self-involved, base and “rebelling” against any notion of God. Without the presence of God’s Spirit found within the believers who made the gathering Paul wrote of in verse 2:1 , it would then make sense that the ensuing chaos would naturally create an environment that ushers in a leader with promises of peace(and perdition!).
… Then, again, I may not have a proper ken of 1611 English when “falling away” is used within the text! 8)
I am far from being a Koine Greek or New Testament Biblical scholar in any way….lol…I am, however, giving a college try of sorting out and making sense of a difficult topical study such as timing of Raptures!
As an aside, I have begun using Gray’s “Synthetic Bible Studies” with my cross-reference studies and have discovered the capstone for a well-rounded Bible study method. Upon reading a selected text, chapter or book multiple times over as prescribed by Gray, one gets a certain feel and understanding of what the author is trying to convey to their intended audience. (Hmm…how many times do you think these letters and books were read, re-read and memorized through the centuries without a canon…I believe there might be something to that!) Include “Real Bible Study” between readings and a recipe is created for growing out of the milk drinking stage of spiritual development!
Thank you again Jerry for any insight you may have to offer. I look forward to reading your responses.
Many Blessings to you Jerry,
John
Dear John,
I am glad to read your comments and questions here.
You are fortunate to have access to my first book, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Though it is available in electronic or digital format, that format is not as complete as the original printed edition, for the publisher unwisely left the Topic Number Index out.
I have Gray’s work on Synthetic Bible Studies in my own library here if I recall correctly. I also have his Christian Workers Commentary in a wide margin format to accommodate personal notes, a volume I inherited from my elderly friend Uncle Frank. That is so many years ago now that I have reached the age he was then! I guess that makes me elderly, too, but I still feel young so far.
You raise an interesting question about the nature of the Apostasy mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and who would be present to commit apostasy if all the true believers were previously raptured. It is highly possible, though not certain, that there may be a considerable Interval between the Pre-tribulation Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ in power and great glory. I’ve noticed in reading George N. H. Peters that there are quite a few events which may take place in that Interval. See his indexes under “Interval.” While some of the events Peters lists (like the return of the Jews to their homeland in Israel) have actually taken place, at least in part, already, rather than during the Interval, there are plenty more events Peters listed which have not taken place yet. I made quite a list myself in my own Bible studies of those events, but computer hard drives being as extensive as they now are, I would have to do some searching to find that list again.
You are most likely very correct in observing that Apostasy is Rebellion. That bears further study.
Given the possible extended time element involved, it is very possible that after the Rapture there will be many who become saved. Yet that will be a time of increasingly great difficulty, and I would assume there will be many who either turn away from true faith in Christ under the pressures of persecution, or who through deception are drawn into error so as to depart from the faith once delivered.
In Internet discussions on the Timebomb discussion site I discovered in my own Bible study, done to answer some of the questions raised there, that Matthew 13:30 may possibly provide further insight to the process of what is taking place in the times Paul refers to involving the great Apostasy, and how it could be that there are genuine believers who turn away from the true faith.