Bible Passage Scripture Block

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t be deceived by anyone by any means, since that day [the Lord’s return] will not come before the rebellion and the man of lawlessness is revealed. He is the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself against any so-called god or idol and will take his seat in the temple of God and proclaim himself as God.

Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessalonica sometime before for the First Jewish-Roman War when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. He is assuring them that “the day of the Lord” has not come yet (vs 2), and won’t before two things happen: “the rebellion” and the revealing of the “man of lawlessness” (vs 3). This seems to be an abbreviated explanation since Paul had already told them about “these things” in person (vs 5). More broadly, the Thessalonians in particular were being told by false teachers that Jesus had already returned and were afraid that they had somehow missed it and that those Christians they knew that had died would not be raised anew (1 Th 4:13ff).