2Thessalonians 2 Lesson #16

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
2 THESSALONIANS 2:9-12
LESSON #16
THE “BIG LIE” AND THE STRONG DELUSION

MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 19:9

• IN OUR LAST LESSON, WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO COMES IN THE POWER OF SATAN TO DECEIVE THE WORLD. THE POWER AND PRESENCE OF SATAN IS CALLED THE “MYSTERY OF INIQUITY”. (2THE 2:7)
• WE LEARNED HOW THE FULL POWER AND PRESENCE OF SATAN IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTRAINED BY THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST PRESENTLY IN THE CHURCH OF BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS WHO HAVE THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT.
  • WHEN THE RAPTURE OCCURS, THE CHURCH IS REMOVED FROM THE WORLD AND THE FULL POWER AND PRESENCE OF SATAN IS REVEALED DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• READ 2THE 2:9-12 THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY IN THE WORLD

• “…WITH ALL POWER AND SIGNS AND LYING WONDERS.” (9)
  • THE WORD “POWER” IN THE GREEK IS dunamis WHICH MEANS = PHYSICAL POWER WITH A SPIRITUAL OR SUPERNATURAL SOURCE.
    • IN ACTS 1:8, GOD TELLS BELIEVERS THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE “POWER” BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. THIS IS THE SAME GREEK WORD, dunamis, BUT THE SOURCE OF THAT POWER IS FROM GOD. THE SOURCE OF POWER IN 2THE 2:9 IS FROM SATAN.
  • WHAT KINDS OF SIGNS AND LYING WONDERS WILL SATAN PERFORM THROUGH THE ANTI-CHRIST AND FALSE PROPHET DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD?
    • THE WORD “SIGNS” MEANS = TOKENS OR SMALL SYMBOL.
      • IN OTHER WORDS THESE ARE THINGS THAT APPEAL TO THE NATURAL UNDERSTANDING OF MAN. THESE ARE EVENTS THAT APPEAR TO BE BASED ON GOOD SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION.
    • READ REV 13:3, 12-15 THE WONDERS OF THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET
      • EVENTS THAT APPEAR TO BE MIRACLES SO AS TO IMPRESS PEOPLE:
        • FIRE FROM HEAVEN
        • THE HEAD WOUND OF THE ANTI-CHRIST IS HEALED
          • AT THE MIDDLE OF THE SEVEN-YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL SUFFER A HEAD WOUND.
            • PERHAPS IT IS AN ASSASINATION ATTEMPT.
            • THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL APPEAR TO BE DEAD.
              • WHETHER OR NOT HE IS REALLY DEAD IS UNCLEAR. IN ANY CASE, PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE THAT HE IS DEAD.
          • THE FALSE PROPHET BRINGS HIM BACK TO LIFE.
            • PEOPLE WILL SEE THIS AS A GREAT MIRACLE.
          • THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS EVENT:
            • THERE IS A HOLY TRINITY OF GOD, THE FATHER; JESUS, THE SON; AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
            • THERE IS ALSO AN UNHOLY TRINITY THAT CORRESPONDS BY ROLE IN PARALLEL TO THE HOLY TRINITY. THE UNHOLY TRINITY IS SATAN, THE FATHER OF LIES; THE ANTI-CHRIST, WHO PRESUMES TO BE CHRIST; AND THE FALSE PROPHET, WHO DOES LYING WONDERS.
            • JUST AS THE HOLY SPIRIT RAISED JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, THE FALSE PROPHET WILL SEEM TO RAISE THE ANTI-CHRIST FROM THE DEAD.
              • JUST AS THE BELIEVER TODAY BASES HIS FAITH ON THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO 1COR 15, THE PEOPLE IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WILL BASE THEIR FAITH ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST TO THEIR ETERNAL PERIL.
          • THE FALSE PROPHET WILL HAVE POWER TO GIVE LIFE TO THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST. (REV 13:15)
            • AFTER THE RESURRECTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL BUILD A STATUE OR IDOL OF HIMSELF AND PLACE IT IN THE JEWISH TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM FOR WORSHIP.
              • THE ORTHODOX JEWS, WHO WILL THINK THE ANTI-CHRIST IS THEIR MESSIAH, WILL RECOGNIZE THIS EVENT AS THE “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION” THAT DANIEL SPOKE ABOUT IN DAN 11:31. THEY WILL FLEE JERUSALEM AS PROPHESIED BY JESUS IN MAT 24:15.
            • THIS STATUE OR IDOL WILL APPEAR TO BE ALIVE. THIS MIRACLE WILL CAUSE MANY PEOPLE TO BE DECEIVED IN THINKING THE ANTI-CHRIST IS A GOD.
  • DISCUSSION: WHY WILL PEOPLE BELIEVE THE “LYING WONDERS” IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD? (9)

• THE NATURE OF MAN IS SUCH THAT MAN HAS A TENDENCY TO BELIEVE WHATEVER HE SEES WITH HIS EYES.
  • YOU CAN OBSERVE THIS TENDENCY WHEN YOU GO TO SEE A MAGICIAN. HIS SLIGHT OF HAND APPEARS TO DEFY GRAVITY AND OTHER UNIVERSAL LAWS OF PHYSICS.
  • IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS TENDENCY THAT GOD TELLS THE BELIEVER TO WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT.
    • THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS WHO SEEK AND BELIEVE IN EVERY MIRACLE THAT COMES ACROSS THEIR PATH. THEY TRAVEL GREAT DISTANCES TO OBSERVE THE LATEST MIRACLE, WHETHER IT IS A HAZY FORM OF JESUS ON THE SIDE OF A BUILDING OR AN APPARENT SUPERNATURAL HEALING.
      • YES, IT IS TRUE GOD DOES MIRACLES TODAY, BUT EVERY MIRACLE IS NOT FROM GOD. THE BELIEVER NEEDS TO DISCERN THE SPIRITS BEHIND THESE THINGS. (1COR 2:14 HEB 4:12)
• THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THE GOSPEL IN THE WORD OF GOD, WILL CHOOSE BY THEIR OWN FREE WILL TO BELIEVE IN FALSE MIRACLES. (10)
• THESE NON-BELIEVERS IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WANT TO CONTINUE IN THEIR UNRIGHTOUSNESS. THEY DO NOT WANT TO REPENT OF THEIR SIN.

• WHAT IS THE STRONG DELUSION OR LIE THAT PEOPLE ON EARTH WILL BELIEVE DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD? (11)
  • THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS WHO SAY THE “BIG LIE” WILL BE THE ANTI-CHRIST’S EXPLANATION OF THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. THE WORLD WILL NEED SOME EXPLANATION OF WHY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR ALL OVER THE WORLD.
    • I AM SURE THERE WILL BE SOME ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN OUR DISAPPEARANCE. HOWEVER, I PERSONALLY, THINK THE “BIG LIE” WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CHRISTIANS.
  • ACCORDING TO THE CONTEXT OF REV 13, SATAN, BEHIND THE ANTI-CHRIST, WILL DESIRE MAN’S WORSHIP. THIS DESIRE HAS BEEN PRESENT IN THE WORLD SINCE GENESIS 2.
    • THROUGH HISTORY THERE HAVE BEEN MANY EXAMPLES OF THE SPIRIT OF ANTI-CHRIST (1JOH 4:3) SUCH AS HITLER, NAPOLEON, STALIN, SADAM HUSEIN, ETC. HOWEVER, NO ONE PERSON HAS YET FULFILLED THE ROLE OF “THE ANTICRIST” OF REV 13.
    • THE “BIG LIE” SEEMS TO BE THE GREAT DECEPTION THAT THE PERSON OF THE ANTI-CHRIST IS A GOD THAT MEN SHOULD WORSHIP. WHEN THEY WORSHIP THE ANTI-CHRIST, THEY WILL BELIEVE THEY WORSHIP JEHOVAH, THE CREATOR, WHEN IN FACT THEY WORSHIP SATAN.
      • PEOPLE WILL SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT THIS EVIL MAN WILL COME FROM THE HOLY GOD, JEHOVAH, WHEN IN FACT HE COMES FROM SATAN.
        • JEWS WILL BELIEVE THE ANTI-CHRIST IS THE MESSIAH PROMISED BY THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, FOR WHOM THEY HAVE WAITED ALL THESE YEARS.
        • GENTILES WILL BELIEVE THE ANTI-CHRIST IS THE ANSWER AND SOLUTION TO ALL THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS.
• THIS “STRONG DELUSION” WILL COME FROM GOD. (11)
  • 2THE 2:11 TELLS US THAT THIS STRONG DELUSION COMES FROM GOD. WE WOULD THINK IT WOULD COME FROM SATAN. WHY WOULD GOD SEND THIS STRONG DELUSION WHEN HE DESIRES THAT MEN KNOW THE TRUTH? WHY WOULD A LOVING GOD DO THIS?
    • THIS SITUATION IS SIMILAR TO THE BOOK OF EXODUS WHEN IT TELLS US THAT GOD HARDENED PHARAOH’S HEART. (EXO 4:21)
      • PHARAOH HAD DECIDED IN HIS HEART THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO LET THE ISRAELITES LEAVE EGYPT. GOD PUT PHARAOH IN A POSITION TO FORCE HIM TO REVEAL THE CONDITION OF HIS HEART.
        • HARDENING THE HEART:
          • THE HARDENED HEART OCCURS THROUGH A PROCESS OF DECISIONS BASED ON MAN’S FREE WILL:
            • -1- PEOPLE HEAR THE TRUTH.
            • -2- PEOPLE DECIDE BY FREE WILL NOT TO RECEIVE THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH. (2THE 2:10)
            • -3- THEN GOD PUTS THEM IN A DESPERATE POSITION TO BRING PRESSURE ON THEM. IT IS AS THOUGH GOD GIVES THEM ANOTHER CHANCE TO REPENT.
            • -4- WHEN THEY DO NOT REPENT, GOD GIVES THEM OVER TO WHAT THEIR OWN FREE WILL DESIRES. (ROM 1:21-32)
            • -5- THE GRADUAL PROCESS IS COMPLETE AND GOD HARDENS THEIR HEART.
  • IT IS THE PROCESS OF HARDENING THE HEART THAT WILL OCCUR IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WITH NON-BELIEVERS. THEY WILL BELIEVE THE LIE THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST IS JESUS CHRIST. THEY WILL WORSHIP THE ANTI-CHRIST BELIEVING THEY WORSHIP GOD. INSTEAD THEY WORSHIP SATAN.
  • GOD’S PURPOSE FOR THIS STRONG DELUSION:
    • THE PURPOSE IN THE PLAN OF GOD FOR SENDING A STRONG DELUSION ON THE WORLD IS TO SEPARATE THOSE WHO WILL CHOOSE GOD FROM THOSE WHO WILL NOT. (12)
      • “…THAT THEY ALL MIGHT BE DAMNED WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH…” (12)
        • TODAY MANY PEOPLE DO NOT SEE THE TRUE NATURE OF EVIL EVEN WHEN IT IS VERY OBVIOUS TO BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST. HOWEVER, IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE FULLNESS OF EVIL WILL BE PRESENT. PEOPLE WILL BE FORCED TO MAKE A DECISION BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN. THERE WILL BE NO GREY AREA, ONLY BLACK AND WHITE. THERE WILL BE NO SITTING ON THE FENCE, HALTING BETWEEN 2 OPTIONS.
          • READ REV 13:16-18
            • FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD TO THE END, THE FALSE PROPHET WILL HAVE WORLD POWER OVER THE ECONOMY. PEOPLE WILL MAKE A CHOICE. THEY MUST ACCEPT THE MARK OF THE ANTI-CHRIST TO PURCHASE FOOD. IF THEY DO NOT RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE ANTI-CHRIST, THEY WILL DIE.

• APPLICATION:
  • AS WE DRAW CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE EVIL DECEPTIONS OF SATAN BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED AND SUBTLE. HOW CAN THE CHRISTIAN AVOID BELIEVING THESE DECEPTIONS?
    • STAY IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER AND REPENTANCE.
    • DON’T NEGLECT YOUR SALVATION BY AVOIDING FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS.
    • STUDY THE BIBLE TO BE ABLE TO DISCERN TRUTH.

HOMEWORK
2THESSALONIANS 2:13-17 AND 3:1-5
This is a self-study. Please do not send homwork answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF 2THE 2:9-12
  • IN WHAT WAYS CAN YOU PERSONALLY AVOID SATAN’S DECEPTIONS IN YOUR LIFE TODAY? BE SPECIFIC.

• PREPARATION FOR 2THE 2:13-17 AND 3:1-5
  • READ 2THE 2:13-17
    • MAKE A LIST OF COMMANDS TO CHRISTIANS.

• READ 2THE 3:1-5
  • PAUL TELLS US VERY PRACTICALLY WHAT THE BELIEVER SHOULD DO WHILE HE WAITS FOR THE LORD TO COME IN THE RAPTURE. MAKE A LIST OF THE THINGS THAT SHOULD OCCUPY US.

MEMORY VERSE: 2 THESSALONIANS 3:3