Tuesday 12th November 2019 Prayer Devotion
Scripture Reading:- 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10
Topic:- The Man Of Lawlessness [5]
Text:- 2 Thessalonians 2:10
5. The verbs Paul applies here to lawlessness is the same as language he uses elsewhere of God and Christ. Lawlessness is “at work” (Gk. energeō). See Romans 7:5; Ephesians 2:2.
6. So also the word of God is “at work” in believers. See 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:11, 20; 3:20; Phillippians 2:13.
7. Similarly, if in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 the lawless one will “come” (Gk. parousia), so also Jesus “comes” 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8; There is comment on 2 Thessalonians 2:9. The man of lawlessness will be “revealed” (Gk. apokalyptō; 2:3, 8), just as Paul elsewhere speaks of the revelation of Jesus and His gospel. See comment on 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
8. Finally, the word “mystery” is here applied to lawlessness (for similar evil mysteries, see Revelation 17:5, 7, but elsewhere Paul speaks of God as the author of the mysteries of the gospel, see Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 4:1; 15:51; Ephesians 3:3-4; Colossians 1:26-27; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16.
9. Clearly the lawlessness of Satan seeks to mimic the good work of God in Christ. Yet since God is the one who reveals such mysteries and is sovereign over their timing, it is not surprising to find Paul confident in God’s control over the advent of the mystery of lawlessness. See 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.
10. Lawlessness in the present age (“now”) is not yet as bad as it could be. Only when “he who now restrains it” is removed will the lawless one arise. Various views on this restrainer’s identity were discussed in the preceding verse. Here we note that “until he is out of the way” is an English idiom for the more particular Greek phrase “until he comes from the middle.” The restrainer interposes himself between the people of this age and the fullest expression of evil represented by the lawless one. See 2 Thessalonians 2:2.
I. Jesus Will Reign:
1. Paul returns to the revelation of the lawless one (cf. comment on which will occur subsequent (“then”) to the restrainer’s ceasing his action of holding back such evil. However, lest the Thessalonians become concerned about the power of such evil, Paul quickly assures them that the Lord Jesus will “kill” and “bring to nothing” the lawless one. See 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
2. Jesus will destroy the lawless one by the “breath of his mouth.” In the OT, God kills with his fiery breath, Isaiah prophesied that the messianic “shoot from the stump of Jesse” would kill the wicked “with the breath of his lips.” The word “breath” here ( pneuma) is the same word used for the Holy Spirit, so there may be some indication of the Spirit’s involvement. In any case, the OT messianic resonances are clear: the Messiah’s judgment prevails against all lawlessness. See Job4:9; Isaiah 11:1,4; 30:33.
3. The Thessalonians (and all Christians) need not worry about the approaching time of lawlessness, for Jesus remains Lord, and he will conquer in due time.
Prayer Point:- I rebuke every form of lawlessness and man of lawlessness that are working against my spiritual life and success henceforth by fire, die, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Have A Wonderful Tuesday! www.timogundelejesu.com
Pastor Tim.
