I & II Thessalonians
Preparing for the Second Coming
Who is the Man of Lawlessness?
Teaching Strategy
The focus of this lesson is on the identity of the Man of Lawlessness. Of special note in this lesson are four theories concerning his identity.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Know: Summarize Paul’s teachings on the second coming of Christ from Thessalonians.
- Feel: Be aware of the Man of Lawlessness and his influence.
- Do: Remain ready for Jesus’ return by faithful living.
Body of the Lesson
Discussion Questions
Below are suggested questions to use during the guided discussion portion of the lesson. There are also suggested responses to questions to help students grasp the various concepts. These are provided to assist the discussion and are not considered as “right or wrong” responses.
Paul is thankful for the faithfulness and perseverance of these relatively young Christians in face of various adversities. Paul is especially thankful for their faithfulness despite the fact that he was not able to remain with them for a long period of time to adequately prepare them to grow. One wonders about the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of young Christians in helping those who earnestly desire to remain faithful and grow spiritually.
Paul also wanted to instruct them about being prepared for the second coming of Jesus and to remove any improper information or unnecessary concern on their part.
The most important thing Paul wishes for them to understand is that our Lord will return and that they should always remain ready.
The Roman Empire – The Roman empire was thought to the be "Man of Lawlessness" because it opposed Christianity, demanded the emperor to be worshiped as a god and it promoted evil. The restraining power was thought to be the Roman government that kept the emperor's power in check. This is an incorrect identity since it does not fit the descriptions from scripture about the Man of Lawlessness being there even to the end when Jesus returns. The Roman emperors have been abolished long ago.
Satan – Some feel Satan is the Man of Lawlessness working behind the scenes to create and promote evil and will actually take on human form. It is felt the Holy Spirit is the restraining influence who will be removed at the end so Satan can take human form and be destroyed by Jesus. However, II Thessalonians 2:9 states that Satan is directing this person. Satan cannot divide himself. There is no indication that the Holy Spirit ever restrained anyone other than a sinful Christian nor can anyone restrain the Holy Spirit's power. Revelation 20:1-3 uses figurative language to show Satan being restrained during the Christian era by an angel, not the Holy Spirit. Satan's power today is much diminished because of our Lord's victory over death.
The Papacy (pope) – The system of the Papacy seems to fit this image very well. It is an apostacy of true Christianity and is very visible. When the hierarchy of the Catholic church was established it caused a separation of ministers from others. It led to the man-made authority of a pyramid system that remains and continues to grow today. There were many other teachings that grew through this movement that are in violation of the scriptures (for example: infant baptism, confessionals, transubstantiation, indulgences and the infallibility of the Pope). However, the Pope as the man of lawlessness falls short because he does not consider himself deity, only claiming authority over religious matters. Furthermore II Thessalonians states that the Man of Lawlessness and the system he brings about will be against Christianity. Even through its mistakes, Catholicism promotes belief in the God of the Bible, faith in Christ and moral standards. It is noteworthy that other Christian movements hold erroneous teachings as well as Catholicism.
The principle of lawlessness – The Bible does not say that the Man of Lawlessness is necessarily an actual man. It might be a principle of evil and rebellion in the world seen in a variety of people and movements throughout history. These movements have tried to rule without respect to God. The Man of Lawlessness will claim to be deity, perform signs and wonders and be visible worldwide. Paul states that our Lord will not return until the man of Lawlessness is being revealed to Christians by our Lord. We will know who he is.
We live in a time when it seems that all the world is in rebellion against God.
Yet, there remain those who seek to faithfully follow our Lord, even during the darkest and harshest of times. These challenges to faith are seen even in the Church as Satan continues to try to drive people away from our Lord. Our role is to believe Jesus' teachings and follow them to the best of our ability so that when He returns, we will not be among the apostate but among the faithful.
God has never hidden His will from us. We must continue to study, internalize and act upon God's will beginning with our initial obedience and following through to faithful living until His return.