The Man of Lawlessness
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2- “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction ”
Like with Matthew 24 where Jesus gives us time parameters to His prophetic prediction, Paul also does this here in the verses following, if we notice them. He writes and we read that:
“What restrains him now”
“Already at work”
“Now restrains”
Paul also told them (Thessalonians), “ you know what restrains him,” implying that his readers/hearers were familiar with the man of lawlessness and as we see in the text is dealing with things happening right around them and then in their time.
In an earlier study, we have seen that the phrase, “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” is in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem not his final return. Is the Lord coming? YES but not for a broken hearted bride whose just hanging in there. We need to understand the context which is about His coming in destruction of the Old Testament city and Old Covenant system. The “gathering” mentioned here is a reference to the Christians fleeing Judea to the mountains and being gathered and protected by the Lord during the destruction of Jerusalem.
Matthew 24:15-16 - “ 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:”
Parallel passage is Luke 21:20-21:
“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.”
By comparing these two together we can let scripture bring light to scripture and we can pinpoint when the abomination of desolation was to happen - “when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.”
Was Jerusalem ever surrounded by armies prior to AD 70? Yes. Did Christians flee the city? Yes. How then could anyone escape if the city if it was surrounded? The roman general Cestius Gallus who led the siege suddenly retreated and in doing so made a way of escape for all those who believed Christ’s prophecy to flee to the mountains.
From these starting points, next we will see that the Thessalonians apparently thought that the coming had already happened.
The fact that the Thessalonians could think such a thing proves that they were expecting a local event to occur in Jerusalem, not a global apocalypse.
This letter to the Thessalonians was written in approximately AD 50, and Thessalonica is hundreds of miles from Jerusalem. They thought Jerusalem had been destroyed. In response to this, Paul writes this:
“Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction” - (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that the destruction of Jerusalem would not come until the rebellion had occurred and the leader of the rebellion, the “man of lawlessness,” was revealed. He then told them what types of things this rebel leader would do.
“He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God”- (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
This is a clear indicator of who could and could not be the “man of sin.” For example, this would have to be a person who would have physically been able to stand in the Temple and proclaim himself God. This would require a person who was living before AD 70, when the Temple was destroyed, because at no time since AD 70 has there been a Temple for the man of lawlessness to stand in and neither is there a future temple prophesied anywhere in the New Testament.
Backdrop:
Nero, having been informed of the defeat of Cestius, immediately appointed Vespasian, a man of tried valor, to lead the war against the Jews. He, assisted by his son, Titus, soon collected at Ptolemais an army of 60,000 men. From there, in the spring of AD67, he marched into Judea, everywhere spreading the most cruel havoc and devastation—the Roman soldiers, on various occasions, sparing neither infants nor the aged. For fifteen months, Vespasian proceeded during which period he reduced all the strong towns of Galilee and the chief of those in Judea, destroying at least 150,000 of the inhabitants.
Among the terrible calamities, which at this time happened to the Jews, those that befell them at Joppa, which had been rebuilt, deserve particular notice. Their frequent piracies had provoked the vengeance of Vespasian. The Jews fled before his army to their ships, but a tempest immediately arose and pursued those who had set out to sea, and it capsized them. The rest were dashed, vessel against vessel and against the rocks, in the most tremendous manner. In this way, many were drowned, some were crushed by the broken ships, others killed themselves, and those who reached the shore were slain by the merciless Romans. The sea for a long space was stained with blood; 4,200 dead bodies were strewn along the coast, and (dreadful to relate) not an individual survived to report this great calamity at Jerusalem. Such events were foretold by our Lord, when he said, “There shall be distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25).
Vespasian, after proceeding as far as Jericho, returned to Caesarea in order to make preparation for his grand attempt against Jerusalem. While he was thus employed, he received intelligence of the death of Nero.
Not knowing what the will of the future emperor might be, he prudently resolved to suspend, for the present, the execution of his design. Thus, the Almighty gave the Jews a second respite, which continued nearly two years. But they did not repent of their crimes; neither were they in the least degree repentant, but rather proceeded to acts of still greater enormity. The flame of civil dissension again burst out and with more dreadful fury.
In the heart of jerusalem, two factions contended for the sovereignty and raged against each other with ruthless and unwavering cruelty. One of the Rebel and faction Leaders was John Levi of Gischala.
John was the main rebel who caused the destruction of Jerusalem. I believe that he clearly fits the description of the man of lawlessness in the above passage.
The Jewish historian Josephus wrote of how John Levi was a selfish, unscrupulous man with persuasive powers who convinced many that he was sent by God to liberate them. Further, John Levi took over the Temple, set himself up in the Temple as the Jewish savior (as God), looted the vessels of the Temple for their gold, and caused the daily animal sacrifices to cease. He also plundered the people, even burning their storehouses of food and causing the great famine that starved tens of thousands to death, and he enlisted aid from the Idumeans, who killed 8,500 of the Jews, including the priests. (Second Thessalonians 2:9 speaks of counterfeit signs, the main one being that John Levi declared that he was God and would deliver the people from the Romans. He commanded the storehouses of food to be burned in faith that God would miraculously deliver them from their enemies. Instead they starved to death.)
Even when the Roman General Titus pleaded that John Levi leave the
that John Levi leave the Temple, so that it wouldn’t be destroyed in battle, John flatly refused. John Levi caused the Temple to be destroyed; without him, the Temple might have been spared, considering that it was one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Paul goes on to explain more about the man of lawlessness:
“Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back [Ananus], so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back [Ananus] will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way”
(2 Thessalonians 2:5-7).
John was not only a rebel leader, but also a false messiah. He claimed godhood by taking over the Temple, and the only person who stood in his way was the Jewish Chief Priest, Ananus. Ananus had tremendous diplomatic skills and had been able to negotiate peace treaties with Rome many times before. Ananus was literally able to restrain the full-scale rebellion that John Levi was aiming to accomplish. That is why Paul referred to the one who restrained, who must be taken out of the way.
Even Josephus noted that once Ananus (the one who restrains) was killed, then the destruction of Jerusalem began:
“I should not mistake if I said that the death of Ananus was the beginning of the destruction of the city, and that from this very day may be dated the overthrow of her wall, and the ruin of her affairs.”- Josephus, The Jewish War, 313
As Josephus recorded, this happened exactly as the apostle Paul laid out for the Thessalonians: - “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming”- (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
When the “coming of the Lord” occurred with the destruction of Jerusalem, John Levi was finally dealt with. He was the cause of the rebellion, which led to the attack by the Romans. John was a deceiver who declared “lying signs and wonders” (2 Thess 2:9–12) and caused the people to burn all the storehouses of food, claiming he was God and would provide for them! Then he set up his militia in the Temple, murdered all the priests, and caused not only all of Jerusalem to be destroyed, but even the Temple, which the Romans didn’t want to harm. John Levi was so evil it boggles the mind!”
Although there are two theories about abomination of desolation. One with John Levi and the other the Romans with their pagan symbols, I believe in light of Pauls passage to the Thessalonians along with Matthew 24 that John levi looks to be a perfect match.
When we think about this passage from the perspective of its original recipients, it does not make sense that Paul would have written a mysterious passage that would be of no value to his original readers and would have no value until 2,000 years in the future.
The “secret power of iniquity” was already in operation in the first century; this culminated in the AD 70 judgment of iniquity (see 2 Thess. 2:7).
The “secret power of iniquity” hasn’t been in operation for 2,000 years waiting for our future. Instead, Paul was clearly talking about an evil person in the first century and another person who was restraining this evil. John Levi and Ananus fulfill this passage and hermeneutically fits for an origin audience and author original intention.
Melting the Elements
2 Peter 3:10-13 – “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
Set the stage - “Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles (2 Peter 3:1-2).
In this letter, Peter is going to remind his readers about some specific words and commands given from (1) the Old Testament, (2) Jesus, and (3) the apostles. He hasn’t told us yet what He is referring to, but he will in the next verses.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Peter has now clarified that he is referring to Jesus’ promise that He would “come,” which as we learned previously, is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem. The historical context of Peter’s writing is “between AD 30 and AD 70. At that time, the Jews were bringing tremendous persecution upon the Christians. The Christians were clinging to the hope of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 that judgment was about to come upon Jerusalem and the religious system. As we see in the above passage, the Christians were being mocked for believing that Jesus was actually coming to bring judgment upon the Temple.
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth [Ge] are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly (2 Peter 3:5-7).
Peter is now responding to the mocker’s statements by showing how God has judged before and affirming that God will judge again.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8).
If there is one passage that is abused more than almost any other, it is 2 Peter 3:8. Countless people have used this passage to make prophetic mathematics work in their wild end-time theories. Yet Peter is simply quoting from Psalm 90:4; he was not proposing a formula by which to figure out the end of the world. “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4).
Peter was not saying that to God time is nebulous or relative. Peter was quoting from a psalm that speaks of how time is of little value or importance to an infinite eternal God. Time is real to God, but not in the same way as it is for us.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance - (2 Peter 3:9).
In Matthew 24:34, Jesus said His words would come to pass within a generation. Here is a simple equation for the timeframe of his prophecy: AD 30 -AD 50, midway through the prophesied generation, but He chose to wait until the last moment of His forty-year prophecy so that people would have more time to repent.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire...
(2 Peter 3:10).
The phrase the elements will be destroyed is tremendously significant in understanding this whole chapter. Since it appears again in the passage, I will address this phrase further in a moment.
...and the earth... (2 Peter 3:10).
The word for "earth” used here in the Greek is ge, not kosmos. Ge is the word for “land,” whereas kosmos is the word for “the whole world.” This is not about the destruction of the planet earth (kosmos), but it is about the destruction of the land of Israel (ge).
Again peter referring to old prophets (which foretold destruction of Jerusalem and coming of a New covenant) says in essence Judgment is coming and heaven and earth will pass away and were looking for the new in which righteousness dwells. This is not a new planet but a new covenant, new era.
Peter makes this even clearer to his first century audience by using the word “elements”. This word “elements” is the Greek word stoicheion, which is - “principles and or rudiments.” This form of the word only appears 7 times in scripture.
Galatians 4: 3,9 - “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:… But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?”
Colossians 2:8,20 - “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ…Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,”
Hebrews 5:12 – “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”
In every case it is dealing with either principles or rudiments of the Old Covenant. This is not the word for elements such as gold or zinc, earth, or the physical world. This is not a prophecy of the dissolving of the world but a dissolving of an Old Covenant.
Peter said in his first letter that they were already going through a fiery ordeal, purifying fire for the believer and judgment on unbelievers and it came to full flame in A.D. 70 and the elements got burned up. The Old Covenant system with all its trappings were done away with by God and HE will never re-establish them.
In context, the author was expressing regret that he had to teach his Jewish readers how the basics of the Law foreshadowed the work of Christ in order to implore them to leave those principles for the sake of a new and better covenant (see Heb. 5:12–14; 6:1; 7:22; 10:1). The apostle Peter was not talking about the destruction of the elements as in the elements of the periodic table. He was writing of the destruction of the elements of Judaism.
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