The Rapture Misconceptions.

 

2 Thessalonians 2: 1-12.
(Brackets mine)
 

1. Now, brethren, concerning the coming (parousia) (Advent – Presence) (Rapture) of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together (Episunagōgē)(Assembling) to Him, we ask you, 
2 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. 
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away (Apostasia) (Defection from the truth) comes first, and the man (anthrōpos) (Certain man) of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple (naos) (refers to the sanctuary - the Jewish Temple proper) of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 
6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He (katechō) who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 
8 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. 
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
 

This is a passage of scripture that cuts across quite a few false ideas being put forward today.

False idea’s such as:
1. Imminency.
2. The antichrist is a System not a person.
3. The Restrainer is not the Holy Spirit.
 

First let us consider the context of this passage of scripture.
The Apostle Paul is writing to the Thessalonians concerning misconceptions being propagated in the church.
Believers were dying and some of the Thessalonians were concerned that their loved ones had missed the Rapture.
Paul was correcting these lies and falsehoods by declaring that this was untrue because certain things needed to happen before the coming of Christ.
He was saying, do not believe any words that had not come from him and his associates. Any letters or words received in the church, was not from them.
 

First misconception, Imminency:

The only way for the rapture to be truly imminent is to have it transpire before the seven years renewed covenant, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, (Daniel 9:27).
 

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. 

If the Church were required to wait until after the manifestation of certain events, then there would be no doctrine of imminency.
The only view to believe in Imminency is the Pre Tribulation view. Or to be correct, the Pre Covenant view.
The view that says that the seven years covenant is the Tribulation.
Concerning the Rapture of believers referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4. There are those that say the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is “Imminent”. That it can happen at any moment and that there is nothing else to occur prior to Christ’s return.
Imminence means at any moment with no warning.

However this passage of scripture proves that this thinking is flawed.
1 Cor 15: 52 says “In a moment” not any moment.

The only imminence that there is concerning the Rapture is the fact that Christ can come for any one of us at any moment but it is very clear that the Rapture cannot happen at any moment.

The scriptures reveal that there are three things that must happen before the Rapture occurs.

First of all, let us make it quite clear that the Apostle Paul is talking about the Rapture in these verses.

V1. Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him.

The Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Rapture of the church.

Jesus told His disciples in the Acts of the Apostles, “If I go away, I will come again”.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

When Peter, James and John, were watching Jesus at His ascension, the angel said “This same Jesus -  shall so come in like manner”.
Acts 1:11 “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

A cloud received Him and He will return in the clouds.

Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

The Greek word used here is “parousia”, which means advent or presence.
The Rapture is the snatching away of believers from the earth to meet the Lord in the air. “Gathering together”, is Greek, “Episuagarge”. This word is where we get the word Synagogue which means “a gathering”.

So, it is very clear that Paul is referring here to the Second Coming of Jesus, the Rapture, the gathering of the church together in the air.

Next in V3:
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day.

Which day?  The coming of Jesus, the Rapture, the Harpazo.

that Day will not come. “unless”.

Unless what?

Firstly: the falling away (Apostasia) (Defection from the truth) comes first.

Before the coming of Christ, there is going to be a great defection from the truth.

Secondly, and the man of sin (Antichrist – the Beast - 666) is revealed, the son of perdition, 

This is the antichrist spoken of in Daniel 9:27 and the same one that Jesus speaks about in Matthew 24:15.

Thirdly: 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple (naos) (refers to the sanctuary - the Jewish Temple proper) of God, showing himself that he is God.
 

This man, who sets himself up as God, does it in a temple. Which means, there will be a temple for him to set himself up in.
Also, another reason there has to be a third temple is because the antichrist puts an end to the sacrifices.

Daniel 9:27 in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,

So it is quite clear that this text reveals that at least three things must happen before the Second coming of Christ.

1. Apostasy.
2. The man of sin revealed.
3. A new temple built.
 

Second misconception. The Antichrist is a System or some other power?
 

Another teaching that is circulating is that the antichrist is not a man but a system or some other power.

Well! Not according to these verses.
 

3. the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 
4 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.

“The man”, (anthrōpos) (Certain man), exalts “himself”, “he” sits as God
 

6. that “he” may be revealed in “his” own time. 

The man – himself – he – his.

Quite clear that this text reveals a man, not just any man but a specific man.
 

Third misconception. The Restrainer is not the Holy Spirit.
 

Another teaching that is refuted in this passage.

Who or what is the restrainer?

There are many explanations that have been given for this question, some say that it is the governments of the day through the imposing of the laws that restrains the man of sin..
Some believed it was the Roman Empire or the Roman Catholic Church.
Another is that the Restrainer is the Archangel Michael, Or the “Restrainer” is the Old and New Testaments or Gospel preaching.

Again, this passage gives the answer.

7 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. 

The word “He” here is  (katechō).
 

The majority of commentators correctly believe that the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit.
 

Some of these other idea’s can be discarded because they don’t fit the description of [to katechon] and [ho katechōn].
Both Neuter and Masculine at the same time.

Only one of these fits that description, that one is the Holy Spirit as the Bible refers to Him in both forms.
The first  (τὸ κατέχο [to katecho] ) πνεῦμα [pneuma] which is neuter and also ὁ κατέχων [ho katechōn] confirms the personality of the Holy Spirit.

When one examines the text in the light of the original Greek text, it becomes quite clear what this passage of scripture reveals.

There is no Imminency.

Before the Rapture of the church, there will be, an Apostasy, the man of sin will be revealed and a third temple will be built.
 

This passage also reveals that the one who is holding the man of lawlessness back is the Holy Spirit of God.
 

2 Thess 2:7 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.

The spirit of lawlessness is already at work in the world today.
 

However, one day the Lord will remove the Holy Spirit and the Lawless one, the Man of sin will come.

He will do what is predestined and then the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout and the cry of the Archangel and the trump of God and the dead shall rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together  with them in the clouds and so we shall ever be with the Lord.

 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 
 

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

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