The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Your Eschatology?

Now, let’s look at the surrounding vss in 2 Thess. 2:4 to establish the context, and I’m using the NASB95…

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 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. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.[2 Thessalonians 2:1-12]

As we see, the immediate context is to you & your. Now, who exactly are they? The Thessalonians Paul was writing to. As highlighted in the above, now was the time of his restraint(not millennia later but at the time of Paul writing to them) and that he was already at work(as Paul attests in the above and not at work millennia later). I believe it was Emperor Nero who was the man of lawlessness and I’ll provide an article by Dr. Kenneth Gentry, Jr. why I believe it’s him.

Let me add this: why would Paul warn ppl of something that’s happening millennia later? That’d be like me knowing where you live and God showing me that on March 26, 3156 where you live at, Russia, China, Italy, Germany, England, Brazil, and Columbia were going to obliterate where you live at on that day and me warning you to flee from there. Why would I warn you to flee when it’s more than 1,100 years later that will take place? It’s fruitless to warn ppl of something that’s to take place millennia later is my point.