"The Lawless One Sits In The Temple Saying He is God,"

The Lawless one sits in the temple saying he is God.

That's our message the text is taken from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And this is the sequel to last week's message.

If you are amazed and bewildered by the crazy things that are happening in the world today as it relates to distortion of truth, conspiracy theories, merciless world leaders, and the downright despicable behavior of people all over the world. Buckle up, it's going to get far worse before it gets better. The tribulation that is just ahead of us will be the worst time for human beings to be alive on the earth. And let us hope and pray that you and I will not be around for this horror show!

In today's text verse four says the lawless one who is, the Antichrist will exalt himself above all that is called God and above anything that is worshiped. And he will sit in the temple of God and declare himself to be God, and will rule the earth with an iron fist! The problem is that, there is presently no Jewish temple. So how will this happen? Will another temple be built in the very near future?

Father we thank You for Your Word, send it forth under the anointing of Your Holy Spirit. We thank You for the listener and pray Father in Jesus name that You will give a good understanding to Your Word in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

What is interesting is that even though he has not yet been revealed verse seven of the text says the lawlessness of the Antichrist is already at work in the world today and has been at work for almost 2,000 years. It has been working secretly behind the scenes and most of us have not been able to detect it. According to the text, the Antichrist himself is being restrained until the body of Christ is removed from the earth.

The question is whether he is here now, or when will he appear? Many sources say he will appear three and a half years into the seven-year tribulation period.

He may be here already, but he will not be revealed until a time in the future when this mysterious restrainer, will be moved out of his way. And both verses 6 and 7 refer to him as being held back until this major move, when what is restraining him is moved out of his way.

And commentators of old say that this restrainer may be a king, the pope, or even the Holy Spirit, or some other power or force. Some say he cannot be the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit will continue to be on the earth during the tribulation, because Souls will still be saved during this time.

However the one group that we know who will be removed from the earth when Jesus Christ returns will be the body of believers in Christ. So maybe, just maybe, the prayers of the body of Christ is this restraining power which prevents the Antichrist from being revealed, until they are all moved out of the way in one clean sweep! Even the name of the Antichrist will not be revealed to the world until the restrainer is removed from the earth.

Now what about the temple? Well one will definitely need to be built, if the Antichrist is going to desecrate the temple. And some have speculated that at the beginning of the tribulation, the Antichrist will make a deceitful treaty with the Jewish people, and this could initiate the rebuilding of the Third Temple successfully. Over the last 2,000 years there have been many unsuccessful attempts to build the third Temple.

This will not be easy to do under present circumstances! You see the Muslims will resist any attempt to do this with all their might, because at the moment, their Dome of the Rock, sits on the site of the destroyed Solomon's Temple. And this Dome is the oldest Islamic monument in the world. A site which marks the spot where they say Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son Isaac. According to Wikipedia, tensions between Jews and Muslims over the Temple have carried over and remain one of the flash points of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A second obstacle is on the side of the Jews because, some rabbis have been saying that, Jewish law prohibits reconstructing the Holy Temple before the start of the Messianic Redemption, which they say has not yet come.

However, permission was granted in the 2 Century to rebuild the destroyed second Temple, but the emperor of that day changed his mind. Later on when the Romans were kicked out of Jerusalem construction of the new Temple began again and stopped. Then in the 4th Century another Temple rebuilding project was started under Emperor Julian the Apostate. But this was also aborted.

Today there are several organizations in Israel that say their goal is to build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount, three separate groups, same goal and so far same result, no temple. These groups are the Temple Institute , The Temple Administration and The Temple Mount faithful Movement. Activity for the rebuilding of The Temple started again in the late 1980s under another group called, The Temple movement project which did not get off the ground.

In addition, the group called The Temple Mount faithful has been trying to prepare Israeli Society to accept and promote the rebuilding of the Temple by making various Temple related items, like a portable altar for sacrifice and other items and this organization is also trying to open avenues to obtain proper worship at the Temple Mount.

One view proposed by them is that, only an altar is needed for sacrifice. Therefore, they say a Temple is not actually needed. Suggesting that, instead of looking for the building of the Third Temple we should be looking for the reinstitution of sacrifices in Jerusalem which requires only an altar, and not a complete Temple. So much confusion surrounds this third Temple.

Another source says that in 2015 they completed an altar to restart sacrifices and perform a reenactment of the Passover service. Well in 2017 they performed the first sacrifice near the Temple Mount. And this was viewed as a controversial Act by the Muslims and it resulted in some people being arrested. Then in 2018 they were given permission to perform a reenactment of the Passover service at the foot of the Temple Mount.

But an altar will not be sufficient for this wicked beast who's yet to come he will need an actual Temple to defile according to scripture! This man will be so proud and so insolent that he will be totally despicable. As he exalts himself above everything that is called God and makes himself a God.

He will take a seat in the Temple of God, and make outrageous proclamations about himself. He will have power that will seem like it is the power of God himself. He will be a braggart, and he would be disturbing to every believer in Christ that is still on earth in his day.

And all who are left behind when the saints of God are gathered will still be here on the earth after the body of Christ departs. He will establish himself and many will wonder why the Lord God is allowing him to do the atrocious things that he will do! Believers in Christ around at this time will need the faith of Job in order to hold on.

Nevertheless, we are not to be fearful according to verse 8 of the text. The Word of God says, "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and destroy with the brightness of His coming." Yes friend, the Lord will slay the Antichrist with the power that comes out of His mouth. The Lord will bring an end to his wickedness. He will slay him as a powerful one slays a dragon and brings him to powerlessness.

And then verse 9 goes on to say that this lawless one will will come in accordance to the workings and the activity of Satan. He will come with all power and false signs and wonders. This Antichrist will come with all kinds of counterfeit miracles, deceptive signs and false wonders! He will be 100% fake!

According to verse 10, deceiving those that are perishing, because they refuse to accept and receive the love of truth so that they could be saved. He will draw them in, using unlimited seduction, unrighteousness and will be a trap to all who have not welcomed the love of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they could be saved.

All the spiritually blind who've rejected God's Word that would have brought them salvation will be deceived by him. All those who love the lie more than they love the truth. And many of them are in the world today, I can assure you.

And this is why God will cause them to become deluded, and it will be a powerful delusion scripture says, in which they will not be able to believe the truth even though they try. They will certainly only be able to believe the lie, and believe everything that is false. And the Word of God says that God will send them this strong delusion, and they will be powerless against it, even though the truth is right in front of them they will refuse the truth and accept the lie.

It will be like nothing we have ever seen, and they all will be destroyed, forever condemned for loving evil more than they love the truth. Because they found more pleasure in wickedness and in unrighteousness, and they even delighted in it. According to the Apostle Peter these are, "wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever!"

And finally the Apostle Paul goes on to encourage those who are faithful and have held fast to God's Word. He tells them in the text that we are obligated to give thanks to God for the true believers, the beloved of God. And he said that God from the very beginning chose those for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth.

So yes, God knowing that they would believe His Word and love the truth, chose them from the very beginning for the sanctifying work of the Spirit, which set them apart for God's purpose. He made a pathway for them, that they may come safely through the perilous times, and be led into the place of spiritual maturity, and the belief of the truth of God's holy Word, and they become a holy people.

And then in verse 16, the Apostle leaves us a blessing for all who would read this text saying. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort our hearts and establish you in every good work and every good word."

God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen. You've been listening to this message and perhaps you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As usual we want to give you an opportunity to make that commitment. Please engage your heart and say this prayer after me:

• Father I am a sinner and I'm sorry for all my sins.

• Dear Lord I crave Your forgiveness.

• I want to return to You.

• Thank You for Your forgiveness.

• Today I invite Jesus Christ to come into my heart.

• Dear Lord Jesus make my heart Your home.

• I give You the key to my heart today because I now belong to You forever.

• Please give me the Holy Spirit to lead me into all truth.

• Thank You Lord for saving my soul. Amen.

Welcome friend to the body of believers in Christ. There are so many of us here awaiting the return of the Good Master. In the meantime we want to encourage you to become water baptized as quickly as possible. This is a part of the salvation process called the fulfillment of all righteousness.

Begin reading the Word of God every day. Begin in the Book of John, then go to Matthew, Mark and Luke. Pray daily. Attend at your local church. And one glad morning the Savior will come and receive us all unto Himself. And we shall forever be with the Lord. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.