Clarify Some Things

Prayer ~ Lord God, You’ve said that Jesus will return for the believers at a time we least expect it…and Jesus Himself said that He doesn’t know the hour or the day…but that we should be ready. I’m ready. I am eagerly waiting to be gathered up with other brothers and sisters in Christ and to meet Jesus in the air. What a day that will be. Come quickly, Jesus!

Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don't believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. Don't you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

 

Meditate. Focus on Jesus—don’t be deceived. Be ready! 

When Paul wrote this some people were thinking that the Day of the Lord had already begun. There are at least nineteen exact matches to that phrase, Day of the Lord, in the New Living Translation of the Bible. It will come at an unexpected time that is described as dark and hopeless, but also as a great and glorious day! It depends on who is viewing the events of that time. For the Christian believers, it will be a glorious day. For the non-believers, it will be a terrible day. It has not happened yet.

-        For see, the day of the LORD is coming—the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger. The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners destroyed with it. Isaiah 13:9

-        The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives. Acts 2:20

 

Model of the Temple
Jerusalem, Israel

When Paul wrote this epistle in about 51 AD the Temple was still standing. He reports that this lawless person, perhaps the antichrist himself, will sit on a throne in the Temple. The Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and would have to be rebuilt for this scenario to occur. There are already plans to rebuild the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. With modern construction techniques and the building material already at hand, it won’t take long once it is started. Destruction and deception. It is going to be a sad day…a truly scary time for those living on earth at that time. Go back to verse one of that passage. Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. We will be gathered to meet Jesus. To me, this indicated that we will not be here on earth when this terrible time of destruction begins. Hallelujah! Gathered to meet Him. That could indicate the very rapture of believers. What mercy God provides for the believers! He hasn’t told us the hour or the day…but He has clarified some things.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ In that day the people will proclaim, "This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!" Isaiah 25:9

 

Memory Verse of the Week ~ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9

 

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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