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The Antichrist Most Definitely Is Not a Person! 13

Here Paul affirms that no word, letter, nor inference came from him that Yeshua’s second
coming was imminent. In fact, he says, it is not. He goes on to say that something that they know
about has to happen first:

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away
comes first –

The Greek word that is here translated “falling away” is apostasia -- defined by Strong’s
Concordance as “defection from the truth.” This was not a falling away from religion into atheism,
but rather a falling away that would develop within the realm of the Christian church. This is apos-
tasy, and as such should be sought in the visible church -- not outside the church. Paul says right be-
low this that the man of sin will come after the falling away. In verse 6 he says –

And now you know what is restraining [him], that he may be revealed in his own time.

In verse 7 Paul continues by saying “that which is now holding back [Antichrist] will con-
tinue to do so until it be taken out of the way.” Paul is stating here that something that now exists in
his time -- that they knew about -- “that when I was still with you I told you these things,” was hold-
ing back the Antichrist.

Paul told them about the fourth beast when he was among them. He told them that as long as
the Roman Empire stood the Antichrist would not come because it would rise up out of a shattered
Roman Empire and then “the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts
himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is God.” He is to arise out of the church, which is the true Temple from the
time of the coming of the holy spirit to this day; “...showing himself that he is God.” This is the very
same description as the little horn of Daniel and the lamb-like beast of Revelation 13. He takes upon
himself the power of the Roman Empire but masquerades as the Lamb sitting in the Church!

Paul is reminding them that he told them and that they know what it is that holds back the
Antichrist –

Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

He does not tell them plainly by name in his letter who or what it is -- even though it is some-
thing they both know. In verse 6 Paul writes: “And now you know what is restraining that he may be
revealed in his own time.”

He further states that the kind of thing Antichrist will bring is already at work -- “For the
mystery of lawlessness [iniquity] is already at work” (verse 7). Paul then repeats that the entity that
they both knew about, which they had talked about while he was still with them, would continue to
restrain the coming of Antichrist until he or it was taken out of the way: “only he who now restrains
will do so until he is taken out of the way.” Therefore Paul, knowing the Book of Daniel, could say:
“after the departure of the Roman Empire, as we all know from Daniel; ‘then the lawless one will be
revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness
of his coming’” (verse 8).

The Berean Voice July-August 2002