2 Thessalonians 2:2, commentary and pictures

Paul warns believers not to be shaken in mind or troubled by any claim that the day of Christ is at hand, has arrived, or is immediately imminent, whether it comes by spirit, by spoken word, or by letter falsely presented as from him and the apostles. He had not taught that Christ would come in the lifetime of his hearers and had given no such message by special revelation, so the claim misrepresented his teaching on the timing of the return. That day would not come until the falling away had taken place and the man of sin was revealed, with the papal power foretold in Daniel still to arise, war against God's people, trample on God's law, and do its deadly and blasphemous work. Expectation of Christ's return is no reason to abandon ordinary work or wait idly for immediate deliverance, but calls believers to remain steadfast in faith and continue their appointed work. Teaching that the coming is immediate confuses faith and prepares disappointment that leads to unbelief, and fanatical movements that claim divine authority and set dates for unfulfilled prophecy bring the same confusion when they fail, so the church is to watch, pray, prepare, and work faithfully, for no one is given the day or hour of His appearing.

Words and Historical Setting

The warning is not to be quickly unsettled in mind or alarmed by any assertion that the day of Christ is at hand, has already arrived, or is immediately imminent. That protection applies whether the assertion comes through a supposed spiritual revelation, through spoken teaching, or through a letter falsely presented as coming from Paul or the apostles. Paul had not taught that Christ would come in the lifetime of his hearers, and he had not given such a message by special revelation. The false claim therefore misrepresented his teaching on the timing of the return and was to be rejected as his. Such misrepresentation could confuse faith, and the disappointment when the expectation failed could lead to unbelief.

The Thessalonians had misinterpreted their instruction and had come to believe that the Lord would be revealed in the clouds immediately. That misunderstanding made it necessary for Paul to explain the truth about Christ more clearly. The explanation he gave left teaching important for all time. The same warning exposes premature declarations that Christ has already come. Such declarations were found among former participants in the 1843 and 1844 movement, alongside claims of advanced light on the restitution of all things. Discernment is therefore called for to distinguish true expectation from premature declarations that the coming has occurred, while others are still seeking truth.

Prophesied Events Before Return

The day of Christ would not come before the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin, so prophesied religious developments had to take place first. Teaching otherwise could confuse faith, and disappointment when the expectation failed could lead to unbelief. Paul did not teach that Christ would come in his hearers' lifetime, but pointed to events that had to happen first. A false claim that he had warned of Christ's immediate return by special revelation was to be rejected as his.

The papal power described in Daniel was still to arise, wage war against God's people, and trample on God's law. The church therefore could not expect Christ's coming until that power had done its deadly and blasphemous work.

The verse belongs to a prophecy of a great apostasy that had already begun to appear among false brethren in the apostolic church. That apostasy would develop into the falling away and the revelation of the man of sin, the son of perdition.

The coming will be preceded by Satan's working with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. This deception is Satan's last mighty effort because his time is short, aimed to deceive and destroy not only the unbelieving world but the great mass of professed Christians who have not received the love of the truth. Advocates of truth today must therefore expect greater difficulties and more determined opposition than the early Reformers.

The surrounding passage shows that churches that refuse God's warning messages reject the truth and accept a lie. Those that refuse the first, second, and third angels' messages are identified with fallen Babylon.

Steadfast Faithful Waiting

The verse warns against being alarmed or unsettled by claims that the return of Christ is immediately at hand, whether those claims are presented as spiritual messages, spoken teaching, or letters falsely attributed to Paul and the apostles. Such a claim had led some to abandon their ordinary work, but the day will not come before the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin, so expectation of the return is no reason to give up responsible daily duties. The claim that Paul taught the day was already at hand is rejected, and believers are not to let expectation of immediate deliverance lead them to abandon their duties or wait idly. Instead they are to remain steadfast in faith and continue their appointed work, sharing the truth and persevering in daily life despite opposition.

Teaching that the coming is immediate or has already arrived confuses faith, and disappointment when the expectation fails can lead to unbelief. The unsettling message may come as a supposed spiritual revelation, a spoken message or report, or a letter falsely presented as coming from Paul. Paul did not teach that Christ would come in the lifetime of his hearers and had not given such a warning by special revelation, but pointed to events that had to happen first, including the falling away and the revealing of the man of sin. Misrepresenting his teaching on the timing of the return is therefore to be rejected as his, since false claims of an imminent coming confuse believers and end in disappointment and unbelief when expectations fail.

In view of the final gathering of His people, false and fanatical movements may bring deception by claiming divine authority and announcing dates for unfulfilled prophecy. Such predictions lead to confusion and unbelief when they fail. The church is still to look for the return of Christ while watching, praying, preparing, and faithfully working, for no one is given the day or hour of His appearing.