Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Paul was reminding the Thessalonians that he had already told them these things in person while he was still with them, so his letter recalls prior oral instruction. What he had told them was that the day of Christ was not immediately at hand, because the falling away must come first and the man of sin must be revealed, who opposes God, sits in the temple of God, works with satanic power and lying wonders, and deceives those who reject love of the truth until they believe a lie and are lost. That power is the Papacy, through which Satan manifests his character, and it consolidates with infidelity and all elements of evil while increasing in power and working under pretense of godliness to take the world captive. Its central effort is to destroy the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and institute a spurious sabbath in its place, which apostate Protestantism accepts, so that oppressive laws enforce a rival worship and those who give God's honor to a man-made institution are left unsealed for judgment. The warning applies now with urgency, for churches that refuse the truth including the first, second, and third angels' messages fall into error amid increasing deceptions and false claims of Christ, yet remembering this teaching keeps people from false paths and the apostasy will end in defeat for falsehood and triumph for truth.
Paul's Earlier Oral Teaching
Paul's question recalls that he had already told the Thessalonians these things in person while he was still with them, so the written warning is a reminder of prior oral instruction about the apostasy and the man of sin. That earlier personal explanation included the events connected with the day of the Lord and the revelation of the man of sin foretold in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. It had covered the events that must take place before Christ's coming, including the rise of the papal power and its opposition to God. Because that teaching had been given while he was with them, the readers should not mistake his message or believe that he taught the day of Christ was immediately at hand.
The surrounding prediction shows that this falling away had already begun to appear among false brethren in the church and would later develop further. After the apostles died, the prediction was fulfilled as some church members departed from Christ's teaching and joined in heathen practices. This departure gradually developed into an apostate form of Christianity. The reminder therefore points back to instruction they had already received before about the matters he was addressing.
Apostasy and Man of Sin
What had been told beforehand was the falling away coming first, then the revealing of the man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped and sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, with the mystery of iniquity already working, the revealing of the wicked one whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming, his coming after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, and God sending strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that all who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness might be damned. The power so described is the Papacy or popery, through which Satan has manifested his character and brought out the principles of his government, and it is now increasing in power. That power combines and consolidates with infidelity, sectarianism, formalism, sin, and all elements of evil for vigorous resistance to God and the truth, while God is dishonored, Christ is rejected, and soul-destroying errors intrude everywhere. It works under Satan's master plan disguised under a pretense of godliness to take the world captive through numerous disguised, subtle, persevering, untiring agents employing every instrumentality with marvelous promptitude and energy, while the children of the world rush into every new opening.
The coming apostasy is Satan's determined effort since Eden to destroy the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, given as the memorial of creation, and to institute a spurious sabbath in its place, so that the memorial of God's works is lost from the mind and worldwide apostasy against God's law is brought about. Leading men and women to disregard the fourth commandment places them on Satan's side of the controversy, for breaking one point of the law is guilt of all. The prophecy applies to satanic efforts to enforce a rival sabbath, in which apostate Protestantism accepts the papal sabbath and oppressive laws will be used against those who refuse to worship it, so God's people are to remain loyal to God's commandments and be guided by His Word.
The prophecy is a figurative outline and delineation of historical events leading down to the close of earth's history, fulfilled directly in historical events that shone out clearly, and it must be applied correctly in light of prophetic fulfillment. Its scenes connected with the working of the man of sin are among the last features plainly revealed in this earth's history. The man of sin shall be disclosed to the world so that who he is and what his work has been will be made plain, and before that disclosure there will be one fierce struggle. At that time the Protestant world is becoming tender and affectionate toward him, while mystic Babylon has not spared the blood of the saints, so God's people must meet the issue as bold and valiant soldiers of Jesus Christ, with their lives hid with Christ in God, wide awake to catch the light that exposes Babylon and the beams from the angel who is to brighten the earth with his glory.
Warning for Present Time
The reminder that these things were told beforehand stands as a warning against rejecting truth and accepting a lie, for churches that refuse the messages of truth will fall into error. That refusal includes rejecting the warning given in the first, second, and third angels' messages.
The warning applies now with urgency, because deceptions, delusions, and impostures will increase, with cries from every quarter, Lo here is Christ and Lo there is Christ, which must not be followed. Remembering the prior teaching and having passed over the ground and acted a part in the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels' messages keeps people from being led into false paths. That safeguard is now joined to the special message to give to the world, the third angel's message.
The foretold apostasy of men and women who have had great light and an abundance of evidence of present truth, together with the seductive working of the enemy in the closing days of earth's history, comes as Scripture said it would come. This must be accepted and submitted to even though it brings grief. While some will have their eyes opened, for many it may be too late to correct the errors they have made.
Those who subvert faith into idolatry by giving to a man-made institution the glory and honor God requires for His Sabbath day and compelling others to worship this idol are left unsealed by God. They are certain to face God's retributive judgments poured out without mixture of mercy upon unrepentant despisers of His law.
These are solemn and fearful days needing daily divine enlightenment. The Spirit of God is surely but gradually withdrawn from the earth, while plagues and judgments already fall upon despisers of grace. Casualties by sea and by land, with fire and floods in towns and cities, forecast shadows of approaching events of greatest magnitude.
The apostasy will end in defeat for falsehood and triumph for truth and righteousness. Although Satan and his allies may appear to win, those who believe a lie will be defeated.
Paul was reminding the Thessalonians that he had already told them these things in person while he was still with them, so his letter recalls prior oral instruction. What he had told them was that the day of Christ was not immediately at hand, because the falling away must come first and the man of sin must be revealed, who opposes God, sits in the temple of God, works with satanic power and lying wonders, and deceives those who reject love of the truth until they believe a lie and are lost. That power is the Papacy, through which Satan manifests his character, and it consolidates with infidelity and all elements of evil while increasing in power and working under pretense of godliness to take the world captive. Its central effort is to destroy the Sabbath of the fourth commandment and institute a spurious sabbath in its place, which apostate Protestantism accepts, so that oppressive laws enforce a rival worship and those who give God's honor to a man-made institution are left unsealed for judgment. The warning applies now with urgency, for churches that refuse the truth including the first, second, and third angels' messages fall into error amid increasing deceptions and false claims of Christ, yet remembering this teaching keeps people from false paths and the apostasy will end in defeat for falsehood and triumph for truth.
Paul's Earlier Oral Teaching
Paul's question recalls that he had already told the Thessalonians these things in person while he was still with them, so the written warning is a reminder of prior oral instruction about the apostasy and the man of sin. That earlier personal explanation included the events connected with the day of the Lord and the revelation of the man of sin foretold in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. It had covered the events that must take place before Christ's coming, including the rise of the papal power and its opposition to God. Because that teaching had been given while he was with them, the readers should not mistake his message or believe that he taught the day of Christ was immediately at hand.
The surrounding prediction shows that this falling away had already begun to appear among false brethren in the church and would later develop further. After the apostles died, the prediction was fulfilled as some church members departed from Christ's teaching and joined in heathen practices. This departure gradually developed into an apostate form of Christianity. The reminder therefore points back to instruction they had already received before about the matters he was addressing.
Apostasy and Man of Sin
What had been told beforehand was the falling away coming first, then the revealing of the man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped and sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, with the mystery of iniquity already working, the revealing of the wicked one whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming, his coming after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, and God sending strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that all who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness might be damned. The power so described is the Papacy or popery, through which Satan has manifested his character and brought out the principles of his government, and it is now increasing in power. That power combines and consolidates with infidelity, sectarianism, formalism, sin, and all elements of evil for vigorous resistance to God and the truth, while God is dishonored, Christ is rejected, and soul-destroying errors intrude everywhere. It works under Satan's master plan disguised under a pretense of godliness to take the world captive through numerous disguised, subtle, persevering, untiring agents employing every instrumentality with marvelous promptitude and energy, while the children of the world rush into every new opening.
The coming apostasy is Satan's determined effort since Eden to destroy the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, given as the memorial of creation, and to institute a spurious sabbath in its place, so that the memorial of God's works is lost from the mind and worldwide apostasy against God's law is brought about. Leading men and women to disregard the fourth commandment places them on Satan's side of the controversy, for breaking one point of the law is guilt of all. The prophecy applies to satanic efforts to enforce a rival sabbath, in which apostate Protestantism accepts the papal sabbath and oppressive laws will be used against those who refuse to worship it, so God's people are to remain loyal to God's commandments and be guided by His Word.
The prophecy is a figurative outline and delineation of historical events leading down to the close of earth's history, fulfilled directly in historical events that shone out clearly, and it must be applied correctly in light of prophetic fulfillment. Its scenes connected with the working of the man of sin are among the last features plainly revealed in this earth's history. The man of sin shall be disclosed to the world so that who he is and what his work has been will be made plain, and before that disclosure there will be one fierce struggle. At that time the Protestant world is becoming tender and affectionate toward him, while mystic Babylon has not spared the blood of the saints, so God's people must meet the issue as bold and valiant soldiers of Jesus Christ, with their lives hid with Christ in God, wide awake to catch the light that exposes Babylon and the beams from the angel who is to brighten the earth with his glory.
Warning for Present Time
The reminder that these things were told beforehand stands as a warning against rejecting truth and accepting a lie, for churches that refuse the messages of truth will fall into error. That refusal includes rejecting the warning given in the first, second, and third angels' messages.
The warning applies now with urgency, because deceptions, delusions, and impostures will increase, with cries from every quarter, Lo here is Christ and Lo there is Christ, which must not be followed. Remembering the prior teaching and having passed over the ground and acted a part in the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels' messages keeps people from being led into false paths. That safeguard is now joined to the special message to give to the world, the third angel's message.
The foretold apostasy of men and women who have had great light and an abundance of evidence of present truth, together with the seductive working of the enemy in the closing days of earth's history, comes as Scripture said it would come. This must be accepted and submitted to even though it brings grief. While some will have their eyes opened, for many it may be too late to correct the errors they have made.
Those who subvert faith into idolatry by giving to a man-made institution the glory and honor God requires for His Sabbath day and compelling others to worship this idol are left unsealed by God. They are certain to face God's retributive judgments poured out without mixture of mercy upon unrepentant despisers of His law.
These are solemn and fearful days needing daily divine enlightenment. The Spirit of God is surely but gradually withdrawn from the earth, while plagues and judgments already fall upon despisers of grace. Casualties by sea and by land, with fire and floods in towns and cities, forecast shadows of approaching events of greatest magnitude.
The apostasy will end in defeat for falsehood and triumph for truth and righteousness. Although Satan and his allies may appear to win, those who believe a lie will be defeated.