Repeatedly, the New Testament warns of the coming “apostasy,” which it links to the future “man of lawlessness.”
In Thessalonica, Paul was responding to false
reports that claimed the “Day of the Lord had set in.” But that could
not be true since two key and related events had not taken place. And the “man
of lawlessness” will propagate deceptions that will cause many Christians to
apostatize, including “lying signs and wonders.”
- (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) - “That no one may deceive you in any respect. Because that day will not set in, except the apostasy come first, and there be revealed the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself on high against everyone called God or any object of worship, so that he, within the sanctuary of God, will take his seat, showing himself that he is God.”
Not
coincidentally, Paul’s warning echoes the words of Jesus spoken on the Mount of
Olives. The Thessalonians were not to be “troubled”
or “deceived by anyone.” Likewise, when his disciples asked Christ about
his coming, he warned them to “Beware lest
anyone deceive you, for many will
come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and deceive many. And
you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not troubled,
for these things must come to pass; but the end is not yet” – (Matthew 24:4-6).
Before the end, disciples will experience deception
that causes many to “stumble and betray one another.” Moreover, “many false
prophets will arise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of the many will wax cold… And there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive even the elect” – (Matthew 24:10-12, 24).
So, also, the “man of lawlessness” will
have his own “arrival” or ‘parousia’, one that will be “according
to the energizing of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders.” He will offer “every deceit of unrighteousness to them that perish; because they received not the love of the
truth” – (2 Thessalonians
2:9-12).
In Paul’s letter, “apostasy”
translates the Greek noun apostasia, meaning “fall away,
apostasy, defection.” And in the Greek scriptures, it is applied consistently to
defection from the true faith - (Matthew 5:31, Acts 21:21, 1 Timothy
4:1, Hebrews 3:12).
The biblical figure behind Paul’s “man of
lawlessness” is the malevolent ruler from several of Daniel’s visions,
called variously, the “little horn,” the “king of fierce countenance,”
the “leader,” and the “contemptible one.” And the Apostle’s
description of his actions clearly alludes to the relevant passage from Daniel:
- “And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done” – (Daniel 11:36).
In Daniel, the “indignation”
refers to the assault by the “little horn” against the “saints.” He
“waged war against the saints of the Most-High,” “wore out the saints,”
cast down “some of the host of heaven and the stars to the ground,” “destroyed
the saints,” had “indignation against the covenant,” and through “flattery,
corrupted such as acted wickedly against the covenant” - (Daniel 7:21-25,
8:10, 8:24, 11:30-32).
The verbal links are clear. Paul is using this figure and its attack on the “saints” of Israel to portray the end-time “man of lawlessness” who, likewise, will wage war against the saints with deceit and “lying wonders,” all with the intent of causing their apostasy.
Years later, Paul warned
Timothy about this end-time apostasy. The time will come when “some will
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils.” In the last days, “evil men and howling imposters will wax worse and worse, deceiving and
being deceived.” Indeed, considering what was
coming, Timothy must:
- “Preach the word, and be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside to fables” – (1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:13, 4:1-4).
The
Apostle Peter also warned of future “false prophets” and “false
teachers” who will disseminate false doctrines, and who will otherwise wreak
havoc within the church:
- (2 Peter 2:1-3) – “But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom, the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingers not, and their destruction slumbers not.”
Near the end of the first century, John spoke
of the coming “antichrist,” but of more immediate concern were the “many
antichrists” already active WITHIN HIS CHURCHES. By
the time he wrote his epistles, the “last days” were underway. As
evidence of this, he pointed to the “spirit of antichrist” that was at
work through the deceivers and “false prophets” that had originated from
within the church – (1 John 2:18-22, 4:1-3).
Thus, Scripture provides a consistent
warning. Before the return of Jesus in glory, the church will experience the “apostasy.”
Moreover, closely linked to it will be the malevolent figure of the “man of
lawlessness, the son of destruction,” the “antichrist.” All
Christians have been forewarned explicitly and repeatedly by the “traditions”
of the Apostles that have been handed down to us in the pages of the New
Testament. We ignore these warnings at our peril.
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