The Apostasy & The Man of Sin revealed before the Rapture.
2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 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.
2Th 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;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
These verses are paramount in showing that the Rapture of the church will be a Pre Wrath Rapture.
There are scriptures that show us that the church is not appointed to the wrath of God.
1 Thess 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath,(Greek-Orge) but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thess 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The actual hour of temptation or trial, I believe is referring to the wrath of God, which is poured out at the time of Christ’s Return to the earth.
Christians are not appointed to wrath because we are saved in Christ.
Notice, that this is a specific time “the hour” of temptation. It is not referring to the whole of the seven years renewed covenant with many, (the seventieth week of Daniel) but the time at the end of the 70th week and is the wrath of God.
Here are more passages about Babylon’s destruction happening in one hour.
Rev 18:10 standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.‘
Rev 18:17 for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!‘ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,
Rev 18:19 “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!‘
The hour of Christ’s return.
During the Olivet Discourse, Christ says this of His Return.
Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Revelation 3:10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
There is one more reference to Babylon being destroyed in an hour.
Rev 14:7-8and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” [8] And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
Neither is the first three and a half years referring to the wrath of God.
The first three and a half years sees the rise of Antichrist but he only shows his true nature at the midpoint of the seven years.
This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation, (Satan’s wrath).
Jesus tells us in Matt 24, that when the abomination of desolation appears in the holy place, then shall begin the Great Tribulation, (Megas Thilipsis).
This Great Tribulation is not the wrath of God but the wrath of Satan.
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The Pre Tribulationists say that the Rapture will be a secret Rapture, an imminent Rapture, that it can happen at any time and that the Rapture will take place prior to the seven year renewed covenant with many.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
In our text the Apostle Paul is saying that two things must happen first, before the Rapture can take place.
Before we go any further, we must determine the context of these verses.
What is the Apostle Paul referring to in these verses?
2Th 2:1 by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
From v1 it is clear that Paul is referring to the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (the Rapture). (The Parousia), The arrival, the presence of Jesus Christ.
This is what is known as the Harpazo, the Rapture. This is the raising of the dead in Christ and snatching away, those Christians who are alive at His coming.
1 Thess 4: 13 - 18.
13 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.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The raising of the dead in Christ is the resurrection, (Greek, Anastasia). Our snatching away unto Him is the Rapture Greek, Harpazo). The gathering together unto Him of the dead in Christ and those who are alive at His coming, The gathering together, (Greek, Episunaguarge). V2 says the Day of Christ. (The Day of the Lord) (Greek, hēmera Christos) So, the context of this warning is indeed the Rapture of believers from the dead and those that are alive at His coming, being gathered together with Him in the air. The Rapture is the event that begins the Day of the Lord. When the church is removed, it triggers the wrath of God. (Greek, Orge tou Theoú).
Paul is telling the Thessalonians not to be shaken in mind or troubled by anything they hear, that the Rapture has already happened.
He is saying, do not be deceived, for certain things must occur before that day.
2 Th 2:3 for that day shall not come,
Which day?
That day is the day that he refers to in verse one, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, and in V2, The Day of Christ. (The Rapture)
Before the Rapture happens, there are two things that must happen first, they are:
1. a falling away, an “Apostasia”, apostasy. A falling away from the faith.
2. the revealing of the Man of Sin, The Son of Perdition, The Antichrist, The Beast.
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The word “first” is the word “Proton” something that happens before something else.
The word “and” is the word “kai”, showing that there are two things that are connected and must happen before the “Day of Christ”.
Some pre tribulationists, (not all), would have us believe that the words “falling away”, (Apostasia) means a spacial departure, a physical removal, not a falling away from the faith.
However, Apostasia means defection from truth, (“apostasy”): - falling away from the truth, forsake the truth.
Not all Pretribulationist would say this but some do.
The reason they give is, if the apostasy must happen before the day of Christ, then it must refer to the rapture.
However, if this was the case, the text would not make sense and therefore it would be nonsense.
If this was the case, the text would read, for that day (The Rapture) shall not come, except there come a falling away (Rapture) first.
This would not make sense. The Rapture will not happen until the Rapture happens.
According to Matthew 24:15, Jesus said,
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation,(Greek, Megas Thilipsis) such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Here is the revelation of the Man of Sin, the Antichrist.
Here begins the persecution of Israel and the church, which is the wrath of Satan.
Sometime during this period of Great Tribulation, it will be cut short for the Elects sake and the church will be Raptured. Snatched away, Raptured, Harpazoed.
This begins the Second Coming of Christ, first in the clouds and then on the earth.
No man knows the time or the hour but after the Apostasy and the revealing of the Man of Sin, the church will be snatched out of this world and it will trigger the Wrath of God (Greek, Orge), the hour of His wrath.
The church is not removed before the Great Tribulation, (Megas Thilipsis) but is removed before the Wrath of God, (Orge).
The Wrath of God occurs at the Second Coming of Christ to the earth, when His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives. Zech 14: 4.
Conclusion:
We see that these verses in 2 Thess 2:1 -5 supports the Pre Wrath Rapture and not the Pre Tribulation Rapture.
The Great Tribulation will be cut short for the Elects sake and at this point the church will be Raptured.
The Rapture is the snatching of the believers to meet the Lord in the air.
When the Lord returns to the earth with His saints, The Wrath of God begins. Zech 14:4.
Between the opening of the sixth seal in Revelation 6 and the outpouring of God’s wrath, the seventh seal in Revelation 8, which is followed by the seven trumpets and seven bowls of God’s wrath, something happens.
That something is the Rapture of the church.
In between Rev 6 and Rev 8, comes Rev 7.
Revelation 7 shows us the Raptured church in heaven.
Rev 7:9,10.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Notice, it is those who came out of Great Tribulation. They have white robes, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
God cut short the Great Tribulation, before His wrath, on behalf of the Elect.
Here we see those that have come through the Great Tribulation and have been Raptured before the wrath of God begins.
Hence, a Pre Wrath Rapture.
