2Thessalonians 2 Lesson #15

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
2 THESSALONIANS 2:6-8
LESSON #15
THE RESTRAINER AND THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 36:12

• READ 2THE 2:6-8 THE RESTRAINER
  • THE RESTRAINER (OR THE ONE WHO HINDERS) (6)
    • WHO IS IT THAT RESTRAINS EVIL IN THE WORLD TODAY TO PREVENT THE ANTI-CHRIST FROM APPEARING ON THE WORLD SCENE BEFORE THE TIME IS RIGHT?
      • THERE ARE VARIOUS SUGGESTED INTERPRETATIONS FOR HIS IDENTITY THAT HAVE COME DOWN TO US THROUGH TIME:
        • THE ROMAN EMPIRE OR HUMAN GOVERNMENT AND LAW.
          • THE ROMAN EMPIRE OR ANY HUMAN GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUALLY FAILED TO RESTRAIN EVIL IN THE WORLD. IN FACT, TO THE CONTRARY, HUMAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE DONE MUCH TO PROMOTE EVIL IN THE WORLD AS WELL AS INHUMANITY TO MANKIND.
        • SATAN
          • SOME BELIEVE THAT SATAN IS RESTRAINING THE FULL EXTENT OF EVIL IN THE WORLD TODAY. THIS IDEA WOULD BE CONTRARY TO REASON. SATAN DOES NOT HAVE FULL POWER IN THE WORLD TODAY. GOD RETAINS FULL POWER. THEREFORE, IF IT WERE NOT FOR GOD, SATAN WOULD PROMOTE AS MUCH EVIL AS HE COULD.
        • AN ANGEL OR THE ANGEL MICHAEL (DAN 10:21 DAN 12:1)
          • THESE VERSES TALK ABOUT MICHAEL AND THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. HOWEVER, MICHAEL IS NOT TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. INSTEAD HE HAS A PART TO PLAY IN THE TRIBULATION, PROTECTING THE JEWS FROM COMPLETE ANNIHILATION BY THE ANTI-CHRIST. (REV 12)
        • THE HOLY SPIRIT
          • IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CONVICTS THE WORLD OF SIN (JOH 16:8). THEREFORE, IT IS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT A PERSON REALIZES HIS SIN AND RECEIVES CHRIST AS HIS SAVIOR. IF THE HOLY SPIRIT WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE WORLD, NO PERSON WOULD BECOME SAVED IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION WE CAN SEE A GREAT MULTITUDE OF BELIEVERS COME OUT OF THE TRIBULATION. (REV 7:9, 13-14) THEREFORE, THE HOLY SPIRIT MUST BE PRESENT IN SOME WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET SAVED.
            • THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH HISTORY:
              • IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES:
                • THE HOLY SPIRIT DID NOT INDWELL BELIEVERS.
                • THE HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTED BELIEVERS TO PERFORM SPECIFIC TASKS FOR GOD.
                • THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME AND WENT FROM TIME TO TIME FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES.
              • IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES (THIS PRESENT CHURCH AGE):
                • THE HOLY SPIRIT PERMANENTLY INDWELL’S BELIEVERS.
                • THE HOLY SPIRIT ANOINTS BELIEVERS TO PERFORM SPECIFIC TASKS FOR GOD.
                • THE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTIZES WITH POWER, INDWELLS, SEALS, FILLS, AND GIVES GIFTS TO BELIEVERS.
              • IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD:
                • THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE WILL BE MUCH LIKE THAT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TIMES.
        • THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
          • THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST LIKELY INTERPRETATION.
          • THE TRUE BODY OF BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE WORLD IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
            • THE TRUE BODY OF BELIEVERS HAS THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST THAT CARRIES THE TRUTH AND WITNESS TO THE WORLD.
            • THE TRUE BODY OF BELIEVERS HAS THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT THAT CONVICTS OF SIN.
  • THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY (7)
    • THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY WILL RUN RAMPANT IN THE WORLD WHEN THE CHURCH OF TRUE BELIEVERS IS REMOVED IN THE RAPTURE.
      • WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY?
        • THE WORD “MYSTERY” IN THE BIBLE MEANS = SOMETHING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN AND IS NOW BEING REVEALED.
        • THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY IS THE PLAN AND PROGRAM OF SATAN THAT HAS BEEN IN THE WORLD SINCE THE TEMPTATION OF ADAM AND EVE AND GENESIS 3.
          • IT’S PURPOSE HAS BEEN TO BLIND AND DECEIVE MANKIND ABOUT THE LOVE AND GOODNESS OF GOD AND THE TERRIBLENESS OF SIN AND EVIL.
          • IT IS SATAN’S PLAN TO CONTROL THE HEARTS OF MEN AND TO GAIN WORSHIP FROM MAN.
        • IT IS WHEN THE CHURCH IS REMOVED THAT GOD WILL ALLOW SATAN FREE REIGN OVER THE EARTH WHICH WILL ALLOW GOD TO POUR OUT HIS WRATH ON ALL EVIL.
          • WHEN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD COMES UPON THE EARTH, THE FULLNESS OF EVIL AND SIN WILL BE REVEALED. THERE WILL BE NOTHING TO HINDER MAN FROM EXPRESSING HIS FULL DEPRAVITY.
      • THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY (8)
        • AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, THE EVIL IN THE WORLD WILL BE DESTROYED.
          • THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET WILL BE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE (ETERNAL HELL).
          • ALL NON-BELIEVERS LIVING ON EARTH AT THE TIME OF CHRIST’S COMING WILL BE KILLED.
          • SATAN WILL BE BOUND FOR 1,000 YEARS.
        • CHRIST WILL ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS. IT WILL BEGIN WITH:
          • SOME MORTAL HUMAN BEINGS:
            • LIVING GENTILES WHO ARE BORN AGAIN AND SURVIVE THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
            • LIVING JEWS WHO ARE BORN AGAIN WHEN THEY SEE HIM COME AND RECEIVE HIM AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING.
          • SOME NEWLY RESURRECTED HUMAN BEINGS:
            • DEAD GENTILES WHO ARE BORN AGAIN BUT DIED DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. (THEY GET A NEW RESURRECTED BODY AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING.)
            • DEAD JEWS WHO ARE BORN AGAIN BUT DIED DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. (THEY GET A NEW RESURRECTED BODY AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING.)
            • DEAD OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE. (THEY GET A NEW RESURRECTED BODY AT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING.)
          • RAPTURED CHRISTIANS FROM THE CHURCH AGE WHO RECEIVED THEIR NEW RESURRECTED BODIES AT THE RAPTURE. THAT’S US!
• SUMMARY:
  • GOD’S PLAN FOR THE WORLD CONSISTS OF A FALLING AWAY FROM TRUTH IN THE LAST DAYS. THEN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH WILL TAKE LIGHT AND TRUTH FROM THE WORLD. THIS WILL ALLOW THE ANTI-CHRIST TO BE REVEALED DURING THE PERIOD OF THE TRIBULATION. THE ANTI-CHRIST’S REIGN WILL CONSIST OF EVERY KIND OF EVIL. CHRIST WILL COME AND DESTROY IT ALL AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.

HOMEWORK
2THESALONIANS 2:9-12
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF 2THE 2:1-8
  • ARE YOU PRESENTLY A LIGHT TO THIS EVIL WORLD? IN WHAT SPECIFIC WAYS ARE YOU DOING YOUR PART TO HINDER SIN IN THE WORLD?

• PREPARATION FOR 2THE 2:9-12
  • READ 2THE 2:1-12
    • WHY WILL PEOPLE BELIEVE THE “LYING WONDERS” IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD? (9)

• WHAT IS THE STRONG DELUSION OR LIE THAT PEOPLE ON EARTH WILL BELIEVE DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD? (11)

• WHY DO YOU THINK THIS “STRONG DELUSION” WILL COME FROM GOD?

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 19:9