Table of Contents

End Time Proof

Now IN the End-Time
The Ten Virgins
The Spiritual Temple
The Man of Sin
Final Eras of the Church
Desolation of the Temple
The End-Time Elijah- Fulfilled

Unveiling the Book of Revelation

Clarifying the Seals of Revelation
First Five Seals Opened
The Sixth Seal of Revelation
The Opening of the 7th Seal
A Time for Two Witnesses

The Revelation of God's Plan for Mankind

Introduction (Plan of God)
The 7th Day Sabbath
Passover
Unleavened Bread
Pentecost
Trumpets
Atonement
Feast of Tabernacles
Last Great Day

The Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2)

The man of sin spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2 is an area of end-time proof that is no longer prophetic in nature, but is now a matter of history for the Church- end-time prophecy fulfilled. Not only did this end-time event revolve around the Church, it actually constituted part of a proclamation- a revelation and sign to the Church that the return of Jesus Christ was no longer being held back, but that now He is coming.

This chapter in Thessalonians has partially been interpreted as being about an event that will happen in the last 3 1/2 years of great tribulation concerning a religious leader who will exert great power during that time. However, this religious leader, who is part of the Beast power referred to in Revelation, is not the same person being spoken of in Thessalonians.

It is easy to understand how these accounts could be mistaken as the same event, but as with so many things that have happened to the Church in recent years, the actual fulfillment of these events should readily reveal to us the truth of the matter.

There is an example we need to follow which was set by the early Church. Although many in the Church believed they understood the will of God concerning the gospel message, they had to face the reality that they were deeply mistaken. They had to repent and change their entire focus and course of action concerning the preaching of the gospel. This was in the matter of circumcision and the gospel going to the Gentiles. As God worked with James, Peter, and Paul, they began to come into harmony with the actual will of God in this matter. Above all, they could not deny what was already happening in the Church because to do so would be denying God. God was giving His Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. How could anyone deny what God was doing? How could anyone resist and stubbornly hold onto an incomplete understanding of the role the Gentiles were to play in God's plan?

We too should not deny events that have happened in the Church, especially when we see that they are in perfect harmony with the word of God. It is not wise to refuse the will of God or the fulfillment of His word. To do so would be to resist God in order to hold onto our own will and selfish design.

Let's begin looking at 2 Thessalonians and notice the context of what Paul is addressing in chapter 2.

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

The subject matter of the context is quite apparent. Notice the phrases: 1) "by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2) "and by our gathering together unto him," 3) "as that day of Christ is at hand," and 4) "for that day shall not come." Paul is very clearly addressing a time which the Church has always looked forward to- the coming of Jesus Christ and the day when all firstfruits will be gathered together unto Him. Paul was explaining that this day would not be at hand until something else occurred first within the Church.

That "something else" is twofold; both tie in directly with each other. These are not separate accounts dealing with the world on the one hand and the Church on the other. Both are about the Church at the end of the age, just prior to the return of Jesus Christ.

Twofold Prophecy Revealed

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (2 Thessalonians 2:3, KJV). Brethren have long known that a "falling away" or "an apostasy" (in the Greek) would take place in the Church. Oftentimes over the past two thousand years brethren have fallen away from the truth. It happened when they left those truths that God revealed to them through the power of His spirit.

What would make this time different from other times when brethren have fallen away? Why would this specific falling away stand out as being unique? We can answer those questions by referring to one primary difference; this time of apostasy would be accompanied by the manifestation of the "man of sin."

Our experience from the recent past cries out to us concerning the fulfillment of this horrible event. There has never been a time within the Church of God when the principle leadership turned against God and betrayed Jesus Christ. However, there is one other account mentioned in scripture where a "son of perdition" betrayed Jesus Christ. These scriptures are telling us that before Jesus Christ could return, there would again be a great betrayal when another "son of perdition" would be revealed. That has happened!

The evidence should be obvious to all, but many will not face this issue or admit its truth. We should be able to stop at this very point in this article and have everyone in the scattered Church be in full agreement that this has indeed been fulfilled, but many do not understand.

Since so many cannot see this or have chosen not to see, the questions must be asked, "Who could be labeled in such a way, as the man of sin and the son of perdition?" This betrayal could not be done by someone outside a direct relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church. It certainly could not be a label for anyone in some false religion because such people have always worked against God and Jesus Christ. This man of sin is unique and has the capacity to betray a great trust gi ven to him.

Notice what else is said about this person. "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). This kind of description should not be foreign to God's people. We should understand such an expression and what it means.

First, we need to consider the kind of circumstance where someone could be described as one who sits in the temple of God. Is this a physical temple that is yet to be built? The answer should be clear to all who have their roots in the Worldwide Church of God at least as far back as the early 1980s. Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong spoke on this subject several times in those days, and you will find the following quotations on pages 245 & 246 of his book, Mystery of the Ages.

The CHURCH is the spiritual Body of Christ- not a secular or worldly organization, club, or institution. Yet it is HIGHLY ORGANIZED.

Notice how thoroughly organized: 'Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.' Notice the Church is a FAMILY, even as GOD is a divine FAMILY- 'the household of God.'

Continue: 'And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building'- the Church is a building 'fitly framed together' (WELL ORGANIZED- and all parts joined and functioning together in harmony and team-work)- 'groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit' (Ephesians 2:19-22). This scripture plainly reveals the temple to which the glorified world-ruling Christ shall come at his soon Second Coming. There is no scripture foretelling the construction of a material temple in Jerusalem before Christ's appearing. The 40th chapter of Ezekiel, however, describes the building of a temple after the return of Christ.

The Church, then, is to grow into a HOLY TEMPLE- the spiritual TEMPLE to which Christ shall come- even as he came to a material temple of stone and metals and wood the first time."

Yes, those in the Church of God are described as being a holy temple, which is spiritual. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Understanding this truth will help us to understand what we are being told here in 2 Thessalonians 2 and in other scriptures as well.

No one could be in the spiritual temple of God unless they are a part of the Body of Christ, the Church of God. This verse is not talking about someone who sits down to relax in a chair, but someone in authority who is set in the Church bearing authority. This word in the Greek actually means to "cause to set," as to set, appoint, or to confer a kingdom on one (from "The World Studies Dictionary" of Spiros Zodihiates).

Consider the following six places that this same word is used in scripture.

1) "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28).

2) "And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom" (Matthew 20:21).

3) "Saying, The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:" (Matthew 23:2).

4) "When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha" (John 19:13).

5) "If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church" (1 Corinthians 6:4).

6) "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Revelation 3:21).

There has been only one man in this modern age that was "set" in the Church of God who had been given great trust and authority, who betrayed Jesus Christ and was found to "oppose" God. "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

This is the same thing that mankind did from the very beginning. Adam and Eve began to decide for themselves what was right or wrong. They no longer looked to God as the true source of all that is right and good. God alone determines good and evil. By taking on a prerogative that is only God's, they raised themselves above God. "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" (Genesis 3:22-24). It was for this very reason that mankind was cut off from God.

We have lived through a time when a twofold prophecy was fulfilled which marked a specific time in man's history and announced that Jesus Christ was going to return to this earth. This was a sign to the Church that He is now returning. The fulfillment of this twofold prophecy was to conclude at a time when there would be a "falling away" from the truth that God had delivered to His people coupled with the influence of a leader who was set in great authority within the Church. This leader would rebel, betray a great trust given to him, and even oppose God by raising himself above God by taking on a prerogative that is God's alone- determining what is true and false, what is good and evil, what is right and wrong- turning from the truth that was once delivered to him.

If we can be true to God and faithfully acknowledge what we have witnessed as God's people, we will readily admit that a great falling away has occurred. That falling away was as destructive as it was because of the unfaithful leadership of Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. who set out to destroy what God had built. Can we as God's people be honest and faithful before God with those things we have witnessed? Does our recent history agree fully with the faithful and true word of God?

In the days of Sardis, God told the Church that it was spiritually dead and that what they had remaining was ready to die. They only had three foundational truths remaining, so God ushered in a new era for the Church in which doors were opened to restore truth to His apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. As Mr. Armstrong was nearing death in January of 1986, he was moved to transfer his authority as the earthly head of the Church from himself to Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. That transfer of authority was made very clear to the Church, so much so that Mr. Armstrong was moved to say that "our very salvation depended upon" faithfully following and supporting that transfer. That was Mr. Armstrong's final "binding and loosening" decision upon the Church. But when Joseph Tkach, Sr. turned from God and changed the very foundational doctrines of the Church, God had already taught us what we are to do in any such circumstance- we are to flee spiritual fornication and idolatry! When Lucifer rebelled against God, none of the angels were to stay around and support him, rather they were to flee and remain faithful to God.

The Countdown Has Begun

This end-time event is unprecedented in all the history of the Church. Tha t is why such rebellion and destruction is spoken of as being abominable to God, because it sets out to destroy the very temple of God- the temple that He Himself is building. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:" (Matthew 24:15-16). Yes, all who escape that desolation will have had to obey God in order to escape, by fleeing as He commanded. And then they must continue to flee any destructive power working to weaken the temple of God. The abomination that is still working to make the temple desolate is not confined to the Worldwide Church of God.

The verse we have just read in Matthew, concerning the abomination of desolation that is upon the temple, is the very culmination of what Jesus was telling the disciples would be the sign of His coming. He spoke of those things that would lead up to this great end-time event, which would be the very sign that the end-time has come. This is the very same sign being spoken of in 2 Thessalonians that explains more fully the primary cause of desolation that was to come upon the Church and the great apostasy that would be revealed.

As we continue the story in 2 Thessalonians, we should begin to see more clearly why this unique event is so pivotal to end-time prophecy. Notice the brackets that have been added to give explanation in the following verses.

"And now ye know what withholdeth [Greek- restrains, holds back, detains] that he [the man of sin] might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [Greek- restrains, holds back, detains] will let, until he [the man of sin] be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:" (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).

What is being restrained, held back, or detained from happening? It is the same context that Paul was addressing in this entire subject matter found in verses 1 and 2, "now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." The very return of Jesus Christ was being held back until this event occurred in the Church.

But this event should be noted for what it is. It is a revelation to the Church that this long-awaited event is now going to occur. It is like a great announcement revealing that the countdown for His return has begun. Prophetic fulfillment of end-time events would now begin to unfold before our very eyes. It is God's word to us that the way for the coming Jesus Christ has now been opened, illuminated- no longer being held back! Do we have eyes to see?

This twofold prophetic fulfillment of 2 Thessalonians is a cry to the Church that the bridegroom is coming and that we are to be making ourselves ready. That should be our focus now more than ever- preparing for the soon coming Kingdom of God.

This is the only great event spoken of by God to His Church that announces the countdown has begun- marking a specific time in nearly 6,000 years of human history declaring that Jesus Christ is now coming.

Notice and remember that when this man of sin was revealed, when this son of perdition was made manifest so you could clearly see his rebellion and opposition to God, that it was precisely 40 Sabbaths to the day and hour that his life came to an end. Was this of God or just a coincidence? Is a judgment containing the number 40 a declaration of the very judgment of God? Do we remember the flood that lasted 40 days and nights because of the rebellion of man. Do we remember the wandering of the church of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years because of their rebellion? And, do God's people today remember that a man in great authority said that the Sabbath was no longer a sign for God's people? Is it any wonder that on the very Sabbath that Joe Tkach, Sr. said the Sabbath was no longer commanded for God's people that God Himself gave a judgment upon him that would be accomplished exactly 40 Sabbaths later- to the hour?

Now we should better understand- "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness [illumination] of his coming:" (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Yes, God said He would destroy the man of sin and that these events would illuminate the very coming of Jesus Christ.

Does anyone dare stand before God and deny what we have witnessed in these matters? Yet far too many deny these and other end-time events that have been unfolding before our very eyes. It is indeed a very shameful thing to deny God and to fail to be a true and faithful witness of the Word of God!

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan 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. And 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" (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12).

God makes it clear that, for such an event to occur within the environs of the Church, this man of sin would be empowered by Satan with great strength to deceive through a cunning show of charisma and other outward signs that would work to delude others. This lying spirit would move in an astonishing way- a lying wonder- upon the Church because of the Church's failure to zealously love the truth that God had restored. This is a God-given ability that must be sought after because this is "agape"- God's love that must be working in us in order to have such desire and affection for His truth. But as Matthew 24 warns about the end of this age, the love (agape) of many shall wax cold.

Again, these warnings could only be to the Church because only those called by God can receive this kind of love into their lives. "...if we love [agape] one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:12-13).

The only ones that can be saved- the only ones that can be deceived- the only ones who are able to believe the truth are those God has called. Yes, this prophecy is about the Church, it is not about a deceived religious world around us. "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).


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