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The Antichrist
Second Thessalonians 2:3-11
The Bible speaks of an antichrist that will come:
“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 John 2:18)
It is commonly taught (and I, too, believed this for many years) that the antichrist will be a human being who is indwelt by Satan. This is usually believed to be a political figure who will rise to power during the Great Tribulation. We must keep in mind that the Bible is not a political book. The fact that we uncover in the Bible is that the antichrist is Satan himself as he rules within the churches.
The conflict that exists is between Satan and Christ. Christ has His followers who are called Christians or prophets. Satan has his followers and the Bible calls them false prophets or antichrists:
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (2 John 1:7)
We know that the antichrist can’t be a human because he was already in the world nearly 2,000 years ago:
“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1 John 4:3)
This can only be referring to Satan and now that God is revealing to us a lot more detail about the end we can see why it is impossible for the antichrist to be a human indwelt by Satan.
The primary reason the antichrist is commonly thought to be a human is because of Second Thessalonians 2:3-11 so let’s examine that passage…
Verse 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;”
We have seen that the falling away has already taken place (see Study on The Falling Away).
For centuries theologians and Bible teachers have read this verse and concluded that the antichrist would be a human being because he is referred to here as the “man of sin.” That’s a perfectly logical conclusion and we can’t fault them for that. However, now God has unlocked a lot of new information in the Bible (see Study on The Book's Been Opened) and when we piece it all together we see that the antichrist is Satan himself. Actually, this is not the only verse where Satan is spoken of as a “man.” We also see this in Isaiah chapter 14:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms” (Isaiah 14:12-16)
When we start with the assumption that the end-times prophecies are speaking of political events that we could identify by reading the newspaper it is logical that we might also assume the antichrist is a political figure. From there we might interpret the mark of the beast as a literal mark related to politics or economics in some way. This line of thinking does seem reasonable, but it’s built on a foundation that no longer squares with what we are learning from the Bible. Many of us grew up being taught that the man of sin would be a human being, but now God is finally revealing the truths contained in the end-times prophecies and we need to allow God to correct our teachings:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)
I believe the main reason God has used the language of “man of sin” here is simply to assist in hiding the end-times truth. We have had the completed Bible in our possession for over 1,900 years. The only way God was going to keep certain truths hidden is if He wrote about them in difficult language.
As we examine more and more passages that relate to the end times it becomes increasingly clear that the antichrist is Satan himself.
Verse 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.”
This verse is not referring to a literal temple. The temple ceased to be the holy place when Christ died on the cross:
“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent” (Matthew 27:51)
After the cross the believers became the temple:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
The church is the earthly representation of this body of individuals. The Bible often uses the labels for the Old Testament church, such as “Israel” (see Word Study on “Israel”), to refer to the New Testament church. Here God is using an Old Testament label, “temple,” to refer to the church organization as a whole.
The fact that Satan sits in the temple signifies that he is ruling in the churches. God uses the action of sitting to indicate rulership:
“Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.” (Luke 22:69)
Sadly, just as we see in the seven churches of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, people in the churches do not realize that this is going on because, as this verse indicates, Satan shows himself as if he is God. In other words, he comes looking like Christ:
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
“Angel of light” is another way of saying “messenger of God.” The Greek word for “angel” is aggelos, which is also sometimes translated as “messenger.” The Light of the World is Christ (John 8:12, 9:5). The reigning messenger of God is Christ so Second Corinthians 11:14 is saying that Satan comes looking like Christ. What exactly does this mean? It means that Satan brings in doctrines that are not actually biblical, but can very readily be supported by Scripture when certain verses are misinterpreted or read out of context.
The apostasy we saw develop in the churches way back in the first century is made worse as Satan brings false doctrines:
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws…” (Daniel 7:25)
We read in Daniel about Satan casting down truth to the ground:
“And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.” (Daniel 8:12)
We must remember that Satan is very familiar with Scripture and will use it to accomplish his goals, twisting it so that it appears to back up his ideas:
“Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.“ (Matthew 4:5-6)
When we understand this passage properly we can see how impossible it would be that the antichrist would be a human being. No professing Christian would worship a human being in the church. However, it is possible for Satan to rule in the church if God allows him unbeknownst to the church members. Why would God allow such a horrible thing? We will see the answer a few verses later.
We might read this and think, “I would know if Satan was ruling in the church,” but Satan is the master deceiver. He is the father of lies:
“When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.“ (John 8:44)
When he deceives someone they do not realize they are being deceived. As we will see in verse 11, God is not sending out supernatural messages or “feelings” to warn people.
So the question is, are we going to trust the Bible or our own feelings? Our feelings may say, “I will know if Satan is ruling in the church,” but the Bible doesn’t say that. The only reason anyone will know Satan is ruling in the church is because the Bible says so. If we don’t listen to the Bible, then we aren’t going to know any other way.
Verse 5
“Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”
Verse 6
“And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.”
This appears to be a reference to the Early Rain, during which Satan was bound so that his ability to deceive the world was greatly reduced (see Study on The 1,000-Year Reign). At the end of the Early Rain, Satan was loosed which identifies with the “man of sin,” who is also Satan, being revealed. At the time this was written Satan was bound or “withheld,” but he would be “revealed” later as the man of sin. I think perhaps that is how we are to understand this verse.
Verse 7
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”
The Greek word for “way” here is mesos, which is found 50 times in the Bible and is almost always translated as “midst.” The teaching of this verse is that He [Holy Spirit] that restrains sin will be removed from the church. The statement “the mystery of iniquity doth already work” is acknowledging that sin has always existed in the church. However, the binding of Satan during the “1,000-year” reign restrained it to a high degree (see Study on The 1,000-Year Reign). This chapter in Second Thessalonians is speaking about the Great Tribulation and it is during this time when the Holy Spirit has been removed from the churches, referred to in this chapter as the temple where Satan has taken his seat.
Some teach that this verse is saying that God will remove the Holy Spirit from the world during the Great Tribulation, but that contradicts the fact that, as we have learned, a great number of people will become saved during the Great Tribulation, specifically during the Latter Rain period (see Study on The 144,000). Salvation can only occur when the Holy Spirit is working. Therefore, since a great multitude is saved during the Great Tribulation the removal of the Holy Spirit must be more localized, and the verses that both precede and follow speak of Satan ruling within the church.
This surely is an almost impossible thing to imagine, that God would remove the Holy Spirit from the churches and allow Satan to rule within them. We find out in the Bible that this is because God has brought judgment upon the church for its nearly 2,000 years of apostasy. This fact will be seen in the coming verses and is developed in more detail in the Study on Judgment on the Church.
Verse 8
“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”
The “spirit of his mouth” is the Word of God. We know this because the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God:
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17)
And we read about Christ coming with a sword that goes out of His mouth to bring judgment:
“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15)
This all reminds us that it is the Word of God that judges the unsaved:
“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law” (Romans 2:12)
“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” (James 2:12)
Throughout the Great Tribulation it will appear as though Satan is winning as he rules within the church, but in the end he will be destroyed and Christ will be the victor. This verse is a reminder of that wonderful fact.
Verse 9
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
This verse is not indicating that the antichrist and Satan are two different beings. It’s very similar to what we read in Second Corinthians:
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
We can read this and think, “My pastor is not a minister of Satan, come on!” But every church thinks it is faithful to the Word of God. This verse is not speaking of a situation where a pastor gets up and says to his congregation, “Worship Satan!” Satan is the master deceiver. As this verse indicates, these ministers, who are unknowingly forwarding the work of Satan, are seen as ministers of righteousness in their congregations. Someone who intentionally and openly identifies himself with Satan would never be referred to as a minister of righteousness. The ministers in view here are those who truly believe they are serving God and appear to be preaching the true Gospel, but in actuality they are forwarding the work of Satan. In First Timothy chapter 3 God lists the qualifications to be an elder in the church and in verse 6 He warns that these individuals can fall into the work of Satan:
"Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil."
The deception is absolute; everyone is fooled. We will also find in a later verse that God is actually blinding those in the church. This is such a horribly sad situation, but we have to face these ugly truths in our day.
The “signs and lying wonders” are a direct reference to the supernatural spectacles that are so popular in our day: tongues, dreams, visions, “slain in the spirit”, etc. Satan uses these tools to appeal to the emotions of those in the church who will let their “holy experiences” override what is found in the Bible.
The Greek word translated as “signs” here is semeion and is a word that identifies with supernatural spectacles. Jesus performed miracles to prove that His Gospel was the true Gospel:
"And many other signs [semeion] truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:30-31)
The gift of tongues was also classified by God as a supernatural miracle:
“Wherefore tongues are for a sign [semeion], not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.” (1 Corinthians 14:22)
The Greek word “for” in the phrase “tongues are for a sign” is the Greek word eis, which can also be translated as “into.” This phrase should be understood as “tongues are a sign” or “tongues fit into the role of a sign.”
The gift of tongues is no longer distributed by God. Many of us may look around at the churches that incorporate tongues and wonder, “How can that be possible, that all of this is not coming from God?” If this is new information to you, then you are strongly encouraged to see the Study on Tongues for a much more detailed explanation of how we can know that the tongues of today is not coming from God.
God no longer performs spectacular miracles such as tongues and healings that visually defy the laws of medicine. Yes, He may heal people today but not in the way Jesus did. The kind of healing where someone’s mutilated hand is miraculously restored, those kinds of healings are no longer performed by God. Why not? Because the purpose of those miracles were to prove the legitimacy of the Gospel. Now we have the completed Word of God and are instructed to live by faith (Hebrews 10:38).
However, Satan imitates God in order to lead people astray:
"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." (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
Just as Jesus proved the genuineness of His Gospel through miracles Satan is attempting to do the same thing today by coming with signs and wonders:
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs [semeion] and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:24)
We are warned not to be trapped by this attraction to spectacular miracles:
“But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign [semeion]; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas” (Matthew 12:39)
Verse 10
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
We find a lack of love for the truth when we examine the seven churches (see Study on The Seven Churches) and the falling away (see Study on The Falling Away). These studies are indicative of the Early Rain in general. No church intentionally teaches false doctrines, but the reason so many false doctrines exist is because of a lack of love for the truth. Theologians and pastors will always say they want to teach truth. However, the problem arises when we allow our human-based idea of justice, our imperfect logic, or our previously-taught beliefs keep us from approaching the Bible without any preconceived notions.
It is because the churches are reading the Bible in light of what they already believe to be true that we have so many different doctrines. This is a lack of love for the truth. This is approaching the Bible with the attitude, “God, you are not going to teach me anything because I already know what Your Word says.” No professing Christian would consciously utter that statement, but that is what we are doing when we go to the Bible with assumed doctrines already in our minds.
Verse 11
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”
This is a very ominous statement. Those in the churches are not guaranteed God’s protection from being deceived. He has watched the churches rebel against Him as they have tolerated sin and false doctrines for nearly 2,000 years. Remember, the Israelites thought all along that they were in fact living for God:
“Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.”
(Hosea 8:1-2)
They thought they were right with God, but in fact they had been rebelling for centuries and after tolerating centuries of rebellion God finally brought destruction on them. And remember, God used Israel’s enemies to destroy it.
Likewise, God’s toleration of the New Testament church’s rebellion has come to an end and He is bringing His judgment on it through its enemy, Satan. This is precisely why Satan was loosed from being bound. This is why God has allowed Satan to take his seat in the church. This is what the Great Tribulation is all about. Now that God has removed the seals we can see that the Bible has a lot to say about this horrible event.
For many of us it is hard to swallow that God would blind His people, but this is not the only place we read about God blinding those that claim to be His followers:
“And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)
When we study the book of Jeremiah we discover that, though it is written in the setting of Judah, it is actually addressing the churches of our day (see Study on The Book of Jeremiah). In that book we find a reiteration that God is sending spiritual blindness among those who claim to be His people:
"Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not" (Jeremiah 5:21)
Those who refuse to heed these warnings, those who assume all is well, will be accommodated by God as He further blinds them. God hardens hearts for His purpose. What is His purpose in doing this? We read that God intentionally hardened Pharaoh’s heart for the express purpose of ensuring His judgment was carried out:
“And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments” (Exodus 7:3-4)
He hardens hearts to bring destruction:
“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:20)
God hardening hearts is akin to blinding people.
The Bible is filled with warnings of impending judgment that mankind has ignored. We just seem to think, “No, that won’t really happen.” Some think, “I just don’t believe God would do something like that.” It’s amazing that even with all the examples and direct warnings we read in the Bible that mankind still prefers to base his beliefs on how he thinks a just God should act.
Conclusion
The churches have been falling away ever since the beginning of the Early Rain in the first century. God brings judgment upon the churches by removing the Holy Spirit from them and allowing Satan to rule within them. Satan causes the churches to fall away further. The churches continue their lack of love for the truth, though they don’t realize this because Satan is deceiving them and God is furthering this by sending them strong delusion.
The revealing of the man of sin (Satan, who is the antichrist) coincides with the loosing of Satan after the “1,000-year” reign. Those passages are speaking of the same event which occurred at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. If we take the timeline diagram from our Study on The 1,000-Year Reign and add the details from this study we arrive at the following diagram:
The fact that Satan himself is the antichrist becomes clearer the more passage we examine. There are a great many pieces to this end-times puzzle and they all fit together to reveal truth. We can’t fully see the solid truth of any one piece until they are all put together. This is why we must examine everything.
To see how these events fit in with the rest of the end-times events see the End-Times Events Timeline.
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