Tuesday 7th October
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
“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 worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” (NIVUK)
In seeking to clarify matters for the Thessalonians, and provide truth with which to combat deception, the authors make clear that although they do not know when the day of the Lord will arrive, they know it will follow a great uprising, a rebellion against God, that will be obvious to everyone. Until, and unless, that happens they need not fear that they have ‘missed’ anything.
Is your first instinct now to reflect on those in charge on earth now and ask that question? Are they the one seeking to unite everyone against God and draw people’s allegiance and faith? In this matter we are aided by two thousand years of history where we can name many people who have sought to claim that mantle but in fact simply gone on to death.
The Thessalonian believers do not have that gift of hindsight – they know not of the great Genghis Khan, or Saladin, or Hitler, or Stalin, or Pol Pot or any number of people in any number of countries who destroyed the lives of many and demanded faith and allegiance. Their confusion is understandable.
Ours is less so. We should look at the events around us with eyes wide open – knowing that evil will rise in forms similar to this in all times and places – but not deceived that this signals the end of the world. There will be wars and rumours of wars, but this will not be the end (cf Matthew 24:6-8). It will be something truly cataclysmic indeed if the events and people of history are anything to go by. Do not be alarmed.
