In the previous blog we saw in particular what Paul teaches in the 1st Thessalonians letter. The 2nd Thessalonians letter is a sequel to the first letter. This is evident not only from the numbering, but also from what Paul writes. He had previously written to them that the day of the Lord will come to this world as a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2), but not to them. For they were accurately informed of the times and seasons (1 Thess.5:1), they were not in darkness, so that day would not overtake them (1 Thess.5:4).
Yet Paul also talks about this event in the 2nd Thessalonians letter, because his readers were confused.
2 Thessalonians 2
1 But we ask you, brethren, concerning the presence (Greek: parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ and our union to Him,
2 That your minds may not be quickly stirred, nor may you be alarmed, either by a spirit, or by a word, or by a letter from us, as if the day of the Lord were now.
parousia
Paul is going to talk about the parousia, just like in 1 Thess. 4:15. In 1 Thessalonians 4 he speaks about those who remain alive until the parousia. They are changed in an instant and receive a resurrection body and, together with the already deceased believers, who are resurrected on that occasion, they will be caught up to a meeting of the Lord in the air.
our union with Him
He calls this event in 2 Thess. 2:2: our joining together to Him, or as other translations say: our gathering together to Him. The Greek episunagoges is made up of the preposition epi = on and sunagoge = meeting or gathering. It is an upward meeting, for we are caught up to the meeting of the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17).
troubled
The Thessalonians were agitated by teachings other than what Paul had delivered to them and were troubled. They were deceived and thought that the day of the Lord had already come. But the day of the Lord would come for this world after a period of peace and security, for it would be followed by sudden destruction that would be inevitable, like labor in a pregnant woman (1 Thess. 5:3). Note that the judgments in Revelation are also associated with birth pangs (Rev.8:13; 9:12; 11:14).
The day of the Lord would come in connection with other events and the Thessalonians knew this very accurately earlier (1 Thess. 5:1). They could therefore expect that day and that day would not overtake them like a thief (1 Thess.5:4). But apparently they forgot or were not steadfast, so Paul writes them a second letter.
3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for first must come the separation, and the man of lawlessness be revealed, the son of destruction…
distancing
The most striking thing in the above representation is the word distancing. This is the translation of the Greek word apostasia, which is made up of the elements: from + to stand. It is rendered in most translations as apostasy, in the sense of a religious apostasy. This noun appears one more time and in the other verse it is indeed about a religious apostasy (Acts 21:21).
aphistemi
But as a verb (aphistemi) it occurs 14 times in the New Testament and is rendered: depart (Luke 2:37), depart from Me (Luke 13:27), hold back (Acts 5:38). ), left him (Acts 12:10), forsaken (Acts 15:38), broke away (Acts 19:9), etc.
All these times involve literal and physical distancing. There are also texts that involve religious distancing, such as in 1 Tim.4:1. But the context must show why it is happening. In 2 Thess. 2:3 it would be better to translate it neutrally as distancing, so that the reader wonders who is distancing himself and from what.
waste?
The man of lawlessness will cause a religious apostasy, which is described in the next verse. But does the distancing also speak of this waste?
It is much more logical that distancing is a term for the snatching away. After all, that is Paul’s subject in this chapter: the parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ and our union to Him (:1). The snatching away is also a distancing, the ecclesia will distance itself from this earth until a meeting of the Lord in the air. Later we will see confirmation that the distancing is indeed the same as the snatching away, because Paul gives an indication of this in this chapter.
4 the adversary who exalts himself against everything that is called god or object of reverent worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, to demonstrate that he is God.
idolatry
This man of lawlessness will put himself in the temple and show himself that he is God. Daniel also spoke of this (Dan.12:11) and Jesus in His “discourse concerning the last things” also points to the idolatry that will take place in the holy place (Matt.24:15). Jesus calls for people to flee quickly when they see this, because there is little time left, because it is the beginning of the great tribulation (Matt.24:16-21).
5 Do you not remember that I said these things to you while I was still with you?
Paul reminds them that he had discussed these things with them. Apparently that had disappeared or they had started to doubt because of the other teachings they heard. Be that as it may, we can be grateful for that, because it was reason for Paul to write this 2nd letter to them.
6 And you know what now holds back, until he is revealed in his own due time.
the holding back
And now, you know what’s holding back, it literally says. There is something that restrains the revelation of the man from lawlessness. Why cannot the man of lawlessness reveal himself yet? The most logical thing is that the answer is in this same section and we don’t have to look for it in other places.
The subject of this passage is what is called being taken away in 1 Thess. 4:17 and what is called in verse 1 of this passage: our union to Him. Earlier we saw that distancing is also a term for this event.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work until the one who currently restrains is removed from the midst, 8 and then the lawless one will be revealed.
Note the parallel between the earlier verse 3 and verses 6-7.
3… first must come the distancing and the man of lawlessness be revealed.
6 And you know what is now holding back until it is revealed…
7 … until he who restrains at this time is removed from the midst,
8 and then the lawless one will be revealed.
Before the man of lawlessness is revealed, distancing must come.
But also: before the lawless one is revealed, what is holding back must be removed.
What is holding back is: the distancing, that is: the snatching away.
Deze blog in het Nederlands lezen (read this blog in Dutch).