BRUCE C WEARNE looks at what II Thessalonians 2 says about the “mystery of lawlessness”…
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, even if [it is] hidden from sight, hidden, that is, until the one required to exercise restraint is disclosed and swept aside. And then the lawless one will be disclosed whom the Lord Jesus will destroy [utterly] by the breath of His mouth and bring him to nothing, overwhelming him completely by the radiance of His appearance.
This one [will be disclosed] by the appearing so that Satan’s power, and signs, and wonders, will be shown to be nothing but a complete lie, coinciding with every kind of deception, that arises from the wickedness of those on their way to complete destruction and this is because they resolutely refused the love of truth [extended to them] in order to be saved.
And in this sense God sends upon them the fabrication of error to believe a lie in order that a judgement may come upon those who took pleasure in their lack of right-standing at the expense of the truth – II Thessalonians 2:7-12/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne.
SUCH IS HIS RADIANCE: II Thessalonians speaks of the time when Jesus will overcome the lawless one “by the radiance of His appearance”. PICTURE: Marcus Dall Col/Unsplash
“God is so in control of those who oppose Him that they are completely oblivious of this in their darkened lawlessness. He has sent the delusory perception upon their consciousness. That then is the foreshadowing of His judgement in its fullness.”
Sin is but a trick with mirrors. It is a conjuring with after-images in the shadows, originated by a crook who is frightened about coming out of the darkness into the light.
What we have translated by the opening sentence here is in the Greek dense and requires care. It is admittedly my attempt to present Paul’s teaching about the full consequences of lawlessness which are not yet fully disclosed. But what is certain to him is that when the full extent of rebellion against God is revealed it will become evident that it is nothing but a groundless seeking to assert itself against the majesty of God Himself. Its hitherto strategic and deceptive restraint is revealed as a lying ruse, part of its effort to wreck havoc and lawless ruin. But God Himself is not deceived by it.
But when the one exercising this restraint is “called out”, then his refusal to live in the light will be exposed for its pure arrogance. This is indeed the “mystery of lawlessness” as it is described in John’s Gospel: “For everyone who engages in mayhem hates the light and avoids the light, to avoid having his works exposed. But the person doing what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen his works have been in [response to] God”. (John 3:20-21)
Meanwhile, in the time before the “lawless one” is revealed by the momentous act of the Lord of the heavens and the earth, life is to be lived with a sober understanding of just what is at stake.
It is clear that the task of the believer is not to expose the full extent of the wickedness that rules with its dark and shadowy deceits. Only the Lord who is the Light of the World can do that. It is in the Lord’s power to finally put down evil; the darkness will be utterly dispersed by the light.
God has arranged it that those delighting in unrighteousness (ADIKIA) will not only have wrong beliefs in any abstract sense. Wrong beliefs suggest adherence to a “way of life” from the heart, a lifestyle constructed as a lie, a living defiance of the truth.
This is a delusion sent (PEMPEI) by God. This is the way of life foreshadowed by God’s restrictions upon His image bearers from the outset. To disobey is to be destined for destruction, even if those embroiled within this apostasy continue to maintain their impact on the world around them. Their works have all the endurance of a deceptive trick with mirrors.
God is so in control of those who oppose Him that they are completely oblivious of this in their darkened lawlessness. He has sent the delusory perception upon their consciousness. That then is the foreshadowing of His judgement in its fullness. This is the destiny of those who work in order to thumb their noses at the Good News which they reject and can only see the prospect of God’s future judgement which they vainly try to repudiate by continuing their mayhem.
OPEN BOOK: II THESSALONIANS – WHEN ALL WILL BE REVEALED
BRUCE C WEARNE looks at what II Thessalonians 2 says about the “mystery of lawlessness”…
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, even if [it is] hidden from sight, hidden, that is, until the one required to exercise restraint is disclosed and swept aside. And then the lawless one will be disclosed whom the Lord Jesus will destroy [utterly] by the breath of His mouth and bring him to nothing, overwhelming him completely by the radiance of His appearance.
This one [will be disclosed] by the appearing so that Satan’s power, and signs, and wonders, will be shown to be nothing but a complete lie, coinciding with every kind of deception, that arises from the wickedness of those on their way to complete destruction and this is because they resolutely refused the love of truth [extended to them] in order to be saved.
And in this sense God sends upon them the fabrication of error to believe a lie in order that a judgement may come upon those who took pleasure in their lack of right-standing at the expense of the truth – II Thessalonians 2:7-12/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne.
SUCH IS HIS RADIANCE: II Thessalonians speaks of the time when Jesus will overcome the lawless one “by the radiance of His appearance”. PICTURE: Marcus Dall Col/Unsplash
“God is so in control of those who oppose Him that they are completely oblivious of this in their darkened lawlessness. He has sent the delusory perception upon their consciousness. That then is the foreshadowing of His judgement in its fullness.”
Sin is but a trick with mirrors. It is a conjuring with after-images in the shadows, originated by a crook who is frightened about coming out of the darkness into the light.
What we have translated by the opening sentence here is in the Greek dense and requires care. It is admittedly my attempt to present Paul’s teaching about the full consequences of lawlessness which are not yet fully disclosed. But what is certain to him is that when the full extent of rebellion against God is revealed it will become evident that it is nothing but a groundless seeking to assert itself against the majesty of God Himself. Its hitherto strategic and deceptive restraint is revealed as a lying ruse, part of its effort to wreck havoc and lawless ruin. But God Himself is not deceived by it.
But when the one exercising this restraint is “called out”, then his refusal to live in the light will be exposed for its pure arrogance. This is indeed the “mystery of lawlessness” as it is described in John’s Gospel: “For everyone who engages in mayhem hates the light and avoids the light, to avoid having his works exposed. But the person doing what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen his works have been in [response to] God”. (John 3:20-21)
Meanwhile, in the time before the “lawless one” is revealed by the momentous act of the Lord of the heavens and the earth, life is to be lived with a sober understanding of just what is at stake.
It is clear that the task of the believer is not to expose the full extent of the wickedness that rules with its dark and shadowy deceits. Only the Lord who is the Light of the World can do that. It is in the Lord’s power to finally put down evil; the darkness will be utterly dispersed by the light.
God has arranged it that those delighting in unrighteousness (ADIKIA) will not only have wrong beliefs in any abstract sense. Wrong beliefs suggest adherence to a “way of life” from the heart, a lifestyle constructed as a lie, a living defiance of the truth.
This is a delusion sent (PEMPEI) by God. This is the way of life foreshadowed by God’s restrictions upon His image bearers from the outset. To disobey is to be destined for destruction, even if those embroiled within this apostasy continue to maintain their impact on the world around them. Their works have all the endurance of a deceptive trick with mirrors.
God is so in control of those who oppose Him that they are completely oblivious of this in their darkened lawlessness. He has sent the delusory perception upon their consciousness. That then is the foreshadowing of His judgement in its fullness. This is the destiny of those who work in order to thumb their noses at the Good News which they reject and can only see the prospect of God’s future judgement which they vainly try to repudiate by continuing their mayhem.
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