Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 –  ¹ Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

 ⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Paul explains much on what we read in Daniel.  He enters into the temple on the last days, defiles it, and then proclaims himself to be God.

The man of lawlessness is another name for the devil’s last day’s man.  He’s better known as the antichrist.

We spoke about this in a Pre-Tribulation post already, but in verse seven it says he can’t be revealed until He is taken out of the way.  The only one strong enough that is present today of holding back the antichrist is the Holy Spirit.  When He goes, the church goes with Him.

Verses 9 to 12 explain that since people don’t want the truth and be saved, God allows them to be deceived.  Kind of a – If that’s what you want and not Me, here you go.

Those who do want God will call upon the name of the Lord.  It will cost most their lives on this earth during the tribulation.  When I read Revelation, I mean most.  It looks to be the biggest harvest in short period of time.

Revelation 6:9-11 – ⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

Revelation 7:9-10 – ⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

   “Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

We need to do our best to serve the Lord and get out there and reach others, so they may accept him now.  If you don’t know Him yet, I have a page on how to do so in the right upper column.

Daniel 8:23-26 – ²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. ²⁵ He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.

 ²⁶ “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

These verses are in the NIV.  In the King James Version he’s called the king of fierce countenance.

Once again we read that he will attempt to take a stand against Jesus, which to Daniel back then was the Prince of Princes in his vision.  He will be destroyed and by the mighty power of the Lord.

Daniel 9:27 – ²⁷ He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Jesus in Matthew 24 is warning the Jewish people about this moment spoken of in Daniel.

Matthew 24:15-25 –  ¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. ¹⁸ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁹ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

   ²² “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. ²³ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time.

How do we know Jesus is talking to the Jewish people?  He is telling them to pray that this doesn’t happen on the Sabbath.  He is also warning them about the abomination that causes desolation.  That’s when the antichrist defiles the temple.    

The king of fierce countenance, the little horn, the antichrist, the man of lawlessness, all are names of the same guy.  This guy and his counterpart the false prophet get the honors of being the first two thrown into the lake of fire.  Even before Satan, which it was made for him and the angels that followed him.