New Testament · Letter

2 Thessalonians 2

The Man of Lawlessness

Before that day comes, a rebellion must occur and a figure of evil must be revealed. Paul urges the church to stand firm and not be shaken.

King James Version BSB KJV

1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2That 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.

3Let 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;

4Who 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.

5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8And 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:

9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

13But we are bound to give thanks alway 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:

14Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

17Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Understand This

2 Thessalonians 2, explained

What 2 Thessalonians 2 is saying

Paul corrects a false claim—whether from a letter, prophecy, or oral report supposedly from him—that the Day of the Lord has already come. He outlines preconditions: first must come the apostasia (rebellion/apostasy) and the revelation of the ‘man of lawlessness’ (anthropos tes anomias), who exalts himself above every deity and seats himself in God’s temple claiming to be God. A mysterious restraining force (to katechon/ho katechon) currently holds this figure back until his appointed time, when the Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth. Those who perish do so because they refused to love the truth. Paul concludes by urging the Thessalonians to stand firm in the traditions they received.

The background behind it

The identity of the ‘man of lawlessness’ and the ‘restrainer’ has generated centuries of speculation: proposals include the Roman emperor, the Roman state, the Holy Spirit, the preaching of the gospel, or an angelic figure. Paul’s readers apparently understood the reference, but it remains opaque to modern interpreters.

Themes running underneath

The chapter resists both premature eschatological excitement and complacent disregard for evil. The man of lawlessness represents the ultimate anti-God power, yet he operates only within divinely ordained limits. The call to hold to received traditions (paradoseis) anchors believers in apostolic teaching against sensationalist speculation.

Why it still matters

The warning against being ‘quickly shaken’ by false claims about the end times remains remarkably relevant. Grounding in apostolic teaching rather than sensational predictions provides stability in every era of eschatological speculation.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.