Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20020630.htm

2 THESSALONIANS: BLESSING BY RIGHT ESCHATOLOGY
Part II: Blessing By Being ASSURED Of The Pretribulation Rapture
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-17)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

(1) Though we teach Christ will gather His Church to heaven before the coming Great Tribulation, some evangelicals like Marv Rosenthal in his work, The Pre-wrath Rapture teach we will live under some of the TIME of the antichrist. I have actually read Internet articles WARNING believers to prepare for the Tribulation woes!

What can cause one to wonder about a possible future under an antichrist are events like this past week's circuit court ruling in California: a panel of judges ruled the phrase "under God" in the nation's "Pledge of Allegiance," was unconstitutional! Significantly, this very phrase was added to the pledge by and act of Congress in 1952 to distinguish America from the atheistic Soviet Union during the Cold War! So, with such a ruling, one could fret about a general ANTI-GOD sentiment that sets in motion steps to install an antiGod as well as ANTICHRIST ruler!

(2) Well, were the Church to live under antichrist's reign for his first 3 years of prophesied rule, WE Christians would undergo the following events (according to Scripture as interpreted by prophecy expert, Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, p. 359-361):

(a) We would experience cold war as well as open, worldwide warfare, Revelation 6:2, 3-4.

(c) We would live through a worldwide famine resulting in a man's whole daily wage going to supply meals only for himself, not for his whole family, Revelation 6:5-6.

(d) We would see these problems result in the death of of the world's people, or the loss of 1 billion people, Rev. 6:7-8.

(e) Then, millions of us believers in Christ would be martyred by antichrist's forced because of our faith, Revelation 6:9-11.

(f) Finally, we would experience a great earthquake, the sun and moon losing their light, many asteroids falling to the earth, the skies rolling up like a scroll, mountains and islands shifting out of their places and people seeking death for fear of God's wrath, Rev. 6:12-17!

Well, IF these events mark the FIRST half of antichrist's reign, IS there any SURE way of telling WHEN the rapture will OCCUR relative to antichrist's reign so we know if we should be CONCERNED about life in such a future or NOT?

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "I know we teach the Church will escape the Tribulation as Christians will be raptured' BEFORE it begins. Yet, some authors INSIST we will live under SOME of antichrist's reign, and current events make me WONDER! Any HELPFUL suggestions?"
  1. When Paul wrote his second epistle to the Thessalonians, they were troubled in hearing from SEEMINGLY REPUTABLE sources that they were THEN undergoing the TRIBULATION: (2 Thess. 2:1-2)
    1. Paul wrote to counter a view by "spirit" (a prophetic utterance), by "word" (a teaching) or by an alleged letter from Paul's team that the "day of the Lord" had come (2:1-2 NIV; Bib. Kno. Com., N.T., 717).
    2. [Though the KJV reads "day of Christ" at 2 Thess. 2:2b, the Greek N.T. manuscript evidence heavily favors "day of the Lord," cf. UBS Grk. N.T., p. 715 with Nestle's Novum Testamentum Graece, p. 524 and Kilpatrick's Hay Kainay Diathaykay, p. 628.]
    3. We learned the "day of the Lord" was a technical term for Paul's Hebrew readers of the Old Testament predictions on God's final judgments and establishment of His Kingdom, Ibid., B.K.C., N.T.
    4. Well, Paul's readers, new converts to Christ, were experiencing persecution for the faith (Acts 17:5-8); hence, they became upset at what they thought was a REPUTABLE source teaching them such persecutions marked the start of the Great Tribulation!
  2. Accordingly, Paul wrote to COUNTER such teaching and to SETTLE his readers with the OPPOSITE, TRUE belief:
    1. Paul wrote to counter such teaching as FALSE, 2 Thess. 2:1-3a:
      1. In contrast to what some party claimed to upset them, Paul wrote his readers were to be SETTLED regarding the rapture, 2:1-2.
      2. Then, opposite the stance that the "day of the Lord," or the Great Tribulation had arrived, Paul called his readers not to be deceived by ANYONE nor by any means (whether by an alleged prophetic oracle, alleged teaching or alleged epistle from anyone) into thinking the Tribulation had begun, 2 Thessalonians 2:3a.
    2. Paul also wrote to settle his readers with the opposite, true belief:
      1. Describing events that were to occur before the Tribulation, Paul revealed the Tribulation had NOT YET arrived, 2 Thess. 2:3b-5:
        1. First, Paul claimed a full "falling away" from all Bible truth by the false CHURCH had to come, 2:3b: (a) the "falling away" (KJV) or "rebellion" (NIV) comes from the term, apostasia that means "abandonment, rebellion," Arndt & Gingrich, Grk.-Engl. Lex., p. 97. (b) Thus, the false Church will totally abandon all Bible truth it once held, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N.T., p. 718.
        2. Second, with all BELIEF in Scripture gone, the antichrist will have room to be unmistakably revealed to BE the Biblically prophesied antichrist in a event in time, 3:3c: (a) The word "revealed" (KJV & NIV) is in the aorist tense, meaning the man of sin's revelation as antichrist will occur at an event, Ibid., UBS Grk. N.T.; The Analy. Grk. Lex., p. 42; Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N.T. (b) His revelation as antichrist will be attended [in keeping with Scripture prophecy] by his opposing God and exalting himself above all that is called or worshipped as God, and that as the allegedGgod will sit in the Hebrew temple to present himself as God by deceiving miracles, 2 Thess. 3:4, 9.
        3. Third, antichrist's appearing would be RESTRAINED until that restraining influence on evil would be removed, 2:6-7. [Though the Holy Spirit is not here named as the "Restrainer," He would be the only Power strong enough as GOD to hinder the antichrist who is empowered by Satan, cf. 2 Thess. 2:9.]
      2. Paul then explained why these events COULD NOT occur until AFTER the true Church had been raptured to heaven, 2:10-14:
        1. The antichrist's appearing and deception is God's judgment on those who have rejected Christ's Gospel, 2 Thess. 2:10-12.
        2. Yet, as true Christians have believed that Gospel, they are thus innocent of that judgment, so God will SAVE them FROM that judgment by "rapturing" them to heaven, 2:13-14.
      3. Hence, Paul called his readers to hold to his initial teaching of the Pretribulation Rapture so as to be settled in living, 2:15-17.
Application: To be SETTLED on prophecy, (1) trust in Christ's death for sin to be justified by God, Jn. 3:16; Rom. 3:23-26. (2) Then, RESIST all teaching that the Church will live under ANY of antichrist's rule, for (a) his very APPEARING is GOD'S judgment on those who have REJECTED Christ just the OPPOSITE what Christians do! (c) That means the Rapture is PREtribulational so Christians can escape this divine judgment! (3) Armed with this belief, we live a stable life in God's comfort!

Lesson: Any belief the Church will experience ANY of ANTICHRIST'S RULE is to be RESISTED, for he CAN NOT APPEAR until AFTER the Church is taken to heaven by GOD SPECIFICALLY to AVOID him! >

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Weeks ago, while shopping in a convenience store for a newspaper article I needed, I noticed a newsstand tabloid telling of the Second Coming of Christ!

It claimed the sign of Christ's appearing had been seen by many above the Roman Catholic Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Israel. Thus, the paper suggested Christ's return was weeks away!

[The story ran when some terrorists were still being held up in the Church as it stood surrounded by Israeli tanks and soldiers!]

In reading these headlines, I felt sadness for those who would buy the paper and read it out of concern for their future. I knew people must buy such papers for their printers to afford to stay in print, and so I was bothered to see such false "hype" on newsstands that only take advantage of the fears of those who are exposed to world news reports.

Wonderfully, the knowledgeable Christian can look at such a headline and say to himself, "No, (1) Christ's appearing at His Second Coming to earth will not occur just in one location like the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, for the sign of His coming will be seen WORLDWIDE according to Matthew 24:27. (2) Besides, Matthew 24:23-26 explicitly WARNS us AGAINST FALSE claims of Christ's return, warning us not to believe a story that He is in some specific location in an inner room or in the desert. Indeed, that passage tells us many false prophets will perform many miracles to deceive people regarding that Second Coming. (4) Also, I know Scripture in Jude :14 with 1 Thess. 4:13-5:10; 2 Thess. 2:1-17 and Daniel 9:27 together with Zech. 14:4 and Acts 1:11 reveals Christ will return to earth WITH His Church that has been raptured 7 years before, and, since I now know Christ, and I am HERE and NOT in the SKIES with Him, no such sign of Christ has appeared over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem! This tabloid is presenting FALSE information, so I can RELAX, buy what I need in this store and go on living my life in God's peace!"