2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NRSV) As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? 6 And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, 10 and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, 12 so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.
We think immediately of Sunday, the day of worship and rest, as the Lord’s Day. But the term has other meanings in the Bible. It frequently refers to God coming to deal with those who threaten His people. The “biggie” in the Old Testament was what took place in Egypt and at the Sea. God acted to deliver His people from oppressors. Sadly, the term is used by Amos (755 B.C.) and other prophets to describe the day when the Lord would act against His own chosen people, those who fell away from Him and brought harm and unbelief to others.
Strangely, the “biggie,” the Day of the Lord above all others in the New Testament revolves around Holy Week. The Lord God poured out His wrath against all humans by considering Jesus to have done everything against God and He is put to death, “dealt with,” as if God is the one at fault for everything wrong in the world, though we confess Him to be innocent. The full extent of that “biggie,” that Lord’s Day, was that He was raised on Easter morning, which is why we are called weekly to join to worship Him.
It seems that some in Thessalonica thought that Jesus had come back already and restored life to the way it was supposed to be. We pray not. This world is still filled with wickedness of all kinds, masquerading as free will, free choice, free from God to do what one pleases. Paul reminds these early believers that the filth of this world will be removed. Then, Christ will reign fully. The world blinds even our eyes from seeing the degradation and the upcoming restoration. We get caught living as if each day is our own. But He will return. The prince of lawlessness, Satan, will be cast out of any role on this planet and believers will be freed for Christ.
We will turn our eyes to that story of salvation in our worship and Bible Classes. We will restudy the basic teachings of our faith (an extended version of Life with God class) on Sunday mornings in Bible Study and a further walk with the Lord, through Luke’s eyes, in the sermons. Blessed Journey. Blessed Lord’s Day, in HIM!
Pastor Tom Trapp, Mission Pastor
Walking the Emmaus Road with the Risen Lord!
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XV, Number 2, September 2013)