“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4)
Last Sunday morning, about an hour before church it was announced by a major news outlet that Russia had placed their nuclear forces on high alert. The scenario which has been the subject of many movies rose up to be a clear and present danger to the future of the world – at least to those reporting the announcement who stated to their audience that “today would be a good day to go to church.” Many things went through my mind as I considered the implications for the world and I reviewed the scriptures which assure us that whatever mankind may do to destroy itself, those things do not affect the time line and plan of God for the events which will culminate in the end of the world as we know it and the beginning of the new heaven and new earth prophesied by (Revelation 21:1). I’d like to spend a little time with you, reviewing these passages so that you may find strength in God for the times of trouble which we find ourselves in now and for future times of trouble.
I’d begin with the following statement:
The followers of Christ should be anchor points in our world, people who are found to be strong and at peace while others around them are panicking and shaken by the events and circumstances unfolding before our eyes.
Why?
First, we are to be so strong because our hope is tethered to heaven itself (Heb. 6:19-20):
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19–20)
Not only does Jesus secure our eternal inheritance so that no matter what may happen on earth below we are eternally connected to God in heaven but we also have God’s promise and faithfulness to keep it and all His promises reinforcing our hope (or confident expectation) of our final salvation in Christ Jesus.
Secondly, we have God’s word which tells us what to expect in the days leading up to the end of all things and the new beginning promised in Revelation. To begin with we have this word found in (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18):
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
We have a promise from the scripture that those who believe in Jesus will not see the wrath which is to come upon the whole earth (Thessalonians 1:8b–10): “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” Instead, and before His wrath begins to be vented upon the people of the world through the Great Tribulation spoken of in Revelation, “we who are alive and remain shall be caught up…” or “raptured” literally taken out of this world like Enoch (see Gen. 5:24). This event could happen at any time but until it does, no matter what threats to human existence may arise, the wrath of God upon mankind leading to God’s great reset of all things will not occur.
In addition, the text we began with also offers us a few “conditions” which will have to be fulfilled as well before those days come to pass:
- Apostasy – (v.3a) “the falling away.” This falling away is not a reference to moral decline of the world but rather to the moral and spiritual decline of the church. It is literally a departure from the faith and the word of God (1 Tim. 4:1):
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”
This “departure” is already occurring as professing Christians willfully ignore and or turn away from Biblical truth and toward the false teachers and teachings which are flourishing today:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3–4)
- The appearance of Anti-Christ – (v.3b) “the man of sin is revealed.” Possessing the qualities of the “son of perdition” which is a reference to the other great betrayer of Jesus Christ – Judas (see John 17:12) who worked deceitfully against the plan of God in Christ Jesus; anti-Christ will “oppose God” and like Satan before him, “exalt himself…above God.” In the Old Testament, the description found here is used of Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 11:36–37):
“Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.”
While the “spirit of anti-Christ” (1 John 4:2-3) has been present since the days during which Jesus did His work among men for their redemption, Anti-Christ has not yet been revealed nor has the temple been rebuilt in which he will sit pretending to be God.
- That which is restraining must be taken away (2 Timothy 4:5-8): “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” Many suggestions have been made as to who or what the restrainer of anti-Christ is and the lack of anything more than Paul’s words in (v.6) “you know what is restraining” makes it impossible for us to be dogmatic about the point.
I believe that the Holy Spirit is the restrainer; I also believe that when the church is raptured, the Holy Spirit who works through the church, the proclamation of the Gospel and specifically through every Christian to counter and restrain both the spirit of anti-Christ as well as the Anti-Christ himself will be depart. Whatever the case, it is clear that God is in control of the one who restrains as well as his removal. After His departure, lawlessness will abound and the man of lawlessness will be revealed and because “those who are perishing” did not “receive a love of the truth that they might be saved,” (vv.9-10) “God will send them strong delusion (v.11) that they should believe the lie.” The lie being that the Anti-Christ is God.
We also have a series of events which Jesus identified in (Matt. 24) as things which will happen (v.14) “before the end will come.” False teachers, (v.5), “wars and rumors of wars” (v.6), international conflict (v.7), “famines, pestilences (plagues), and earthquakes (v.7) are all “the beginning of sorrows” (v.8). Next, the severe and extensive persecution of Christ followers (v. 10), more false teachers (deceivers) (v.11) and lawlessness leading to Christian lovelessness (v.12), along with the global proclamation of the gospel (v13) will take place before the end will come.
If we believe these words, we will be unshakable in the face of such events because of the promises of God to we who believe.
But what about the timing of these events?
Consider the words of Jesus in (Matt. 24:32-44):
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Much can be said of this, suffice it to say that we live in times like the days of Noah – days characterized by weddings, celebrations and the routine of regular living along with a willful ignoring of God, His Son, His Spirit, His preacher and the proclamations found in His word. If we see (v.40-41) from the lens of Noah’s flood then we understand that those taken are taken in death (or judgment) and those who are left remain safe in Jesus Christ. The simple fact is that while we get hints of the nearness of the end of all things and the beginning of a new heaven and new earth upon which all who believe in Jesus Christ will dwell forever with God – we do not know when He is coming and the best we can be is (v.44) “ready.” Only after we are ready can we help others to be ready as well.
As I thought about these things last Sunday, I entertained another thought; I wondered whether or not, given their current situation, and life threatening circumstances Ukrainian Christians would scoff at, doubt , deny or discount the truths we are considering. Would fear control them or would faith in Jesus keep them strong? Would their response to these words be different than ours as we discuss them in comfort and safety?
I doubt that believers, tethered to heaven by faith in Christ Jesus would discount or deny these truths – I believe they would be rather, strengthened by them. But they did not come to be so resolved either for their God or their nation over night.
It occurs to me that readiness for the return of Christ and the patience to endure whatever hardship while waiting for His coming is not to be a last-minute consideration and that being resolved to cling to the “anchor of our souls” so that we would “not be soon shaken” by the things happening around us needs to be decided BEFORE those days come!
“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2–10)
Are you ready?
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