As of late, we have studied two very important topics. One focused on how we are, individually as well as collectively, a spiritual temple for the Father’s dwelling (See the post, "Mount Zion, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Temple of God"). The second focused more so on two groupings of sheep - the lean and the fattened, in which the latter are not the Father’s sheep (See the post "The Father and His Sheep"). When we really understand these two topics, it will help us truly understand what the mystery of lawlessness is all about. We will break down 2 Thessalonians 2 with its related precepts to get an idea of how “the man of lawlessness” will present himself. We are warned many times that there will be incredible deception within these “last days” and this “last hour”. My hope is to bring awareness so this would not happen.
Matthew 24:4, 11, 24
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people… 11 And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people… 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
First off, the reveal of “the man of lawlessness” will be before Christ’s return for the rapture/resurrection on “The Day of the Lord”.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
1 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, (Rapture/resurrection) 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
In short, the 7 seals will occur, which will transition into the 7 trumpet judgements, which will then bring about the Day of the Lord. For proving scriptures to understand this accurately, see the post, “The Day of the Lord.”
This tells us this “man of lawlessness” will manifest any time up until the 7 trumpet judgements are complete.
From here, we are told how this “man of lawlessness” will present himself. He will be seated in the temple of God, exalting himself as God.
2 Thessalonians 2:4-5
4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
Paul tells us that the “man of lawlessness” will set himself up in the Father’s temple, exalting himself as God. Please read through our previous post on “Mount Zion, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Temple of God”. This shows us that the Father’s temple is not one of physical nature but of a spiritual nature. The believers that make up the body of Christ, both individually and collectively, make up the Father’s temple in which He will reside.
1 Corinthians 3:16
16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
If this is the case, then a physical man cannot set himself up inside another physical man. This is purely spiritual. The only spiritual being who can set himself up in a physical person, pretending to be God is satan. He sets himself up as the father and authoritative head of the “man of lawlessness.”
Now this begins to present two major questions. The first question is this, “If only those who have been saved and called with a holy calling can be temples, both individually and collectively, how can satan be seated there?” The second question then becomes, “if the collective body of believers make up the spiritual temple of God, then which individual within that body would be the man of lawlessness?”
To answer these questions, we need to first understand what “lawlessness” is. John proceeds to instruct us that those who practice sin practice lawlessness. Those who practice lawlessness are then of the devil.
1 John 3:4-10
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He (Jesus) appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed (the Word) remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother and sister.
Every person on this planet is under one of two beings - satan or the Father. The believer should find himself/herself within God’s hierarchy of authority.
1 Corinthians 11:3
3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
This is exactly how satan is able to sit within the temple of our Father, declaring himself as God. Those who practice lawlessness are of the devil, meaning satan has taken the place of Christ as our head. Satan would then be their father, not the Most High, like Jesus outlines in John 8. Jesus calls out the Pharisees for practicing that which Satan practices (murder and lying) and therefore calls satan their father.
John 8:37-44
37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” 39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
It would be easy to tell ourselves that, “if they were truly saved they wouldn’t be doing those things.” If we dig into what it means to be a murderer and a liar, we would understand that any and all believers begin out as such.
To set the stage, an infantile believer is unacquainted with the Word of righteousness. He/she learns it gradually as they study and begin to practice the life of Jesus.
Hebrews 5:11-14
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become poor listeners. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.
As the infantile Christian learns, they come under the understanding that our Father defines “murder” as such:
1 John 3:15
Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
The definition of “hate” according to our Father is more than to simply detest. It is to go as far as even to “love less.”
Our Father defines a “liar” as such:
1 John 1:6
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
1 John 3:19-20
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.
1 John 2:3-4, 22
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person… 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
A liar is anyone who even declares something about our Father that isn’t true. Let’s use 1 Corinthians 15:12-15 as an example.
1 Corinthians 15:12-15
12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. 15 Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
It is the responsibility of the infantile Christian to grow in respect to salvation and rid himself/herself of character traits of satan (such as lying and murdering). This we all will do if our Father permits.
1 Peter 2:1-3
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
Hebrews 6:1-3
1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits.
As we mature, we all overcome more and more of the practiced lawlessness within us. Until our hope of righteousness manifests, we all, to some degree, have satan as our head. This is why we MUST be renewed day by day unto Christ-likeness. In that way, Christ will be our head who is under the Most High as his head.
2 Corinthians 4:16
16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.
Ephesians 4:22-24
22 that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
If we backtrack to 1 John 2:22 for a moment, we see that a liar is one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This person is then considered “the antichrist.” This verse begins the explanation of our second question - who exactly is the “man of lawlessness?”
To understand who the “man of lawlessness” is, we need to understand that he goes by other names including the “son of destruction.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3
3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
As well as the name of “antichrist.” Scripture tells us that there are actually many “antichrists” who are already among us.
1 John 2:18
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
These many “antichrists” collectively make up the body of the “antichrist.” This is the exact same idea as the many “believers” making up the body of Christ. There is one main clue to look for in someone who will not be an overcomer of the old self and maintain their position within the body of the antichrist. It is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ.
1 John 2:22
22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
To deny Jesus means to deny his manifestation within the being, or “flesh,” of a sinner.
2 John 1:7
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
This is Jesus’ manifestation within a sinner and not his second coming because Jesus is not coming in the weakness of sinful flesh again.
Hebrews 9:28
28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
This is the mindset that “I’ll never be more than a dirty rotten sinner saved by grace.” They don’t have any intention of overcoming their sin because they think it is unnecessary and/or impossible. We see this through what they practice - righteousness or lawlessness.
Titus 1:16
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.
Just as the “antichrist” is defined as “many” we also see the title of “son of destruction” defined as “many.” However, this one we will need to read between the lines for. Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that the “man of lawlessness/son of destruction” still needs to be revealed. It becomes evident there is more than one “son of destruction” since Judas Iscariot was also named “son of destruction.”
John 17:12
12 While I (Jesus) was with them (the 12 disciples), I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction (Judas Iscariot), so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
Judas cannot be the same “son of destruction” that is still to come unless he is risen from the dead. Instead, our Father gave us Judas Iscariot as an example of the antichrist spirit (or mindset) that still dwells within the church today. This is the same idea as John the Baptist coming in the spirit of Elijah.
Luke 1:17
17 And it is he (John the Baptist) who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Matthew 17:10-13
10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
To understand Judas, and therefore the spirit/mindset of the antichrist, we need to understand what it means to be “called.” See the post “Called to be Perfect” to understand that we are called to manifest sainthood after our born again experience. This is what happened when Jesus called all twelve disciples. He called them to walk with him and produce the righteousness of a saint. This includes Judas. He was considered a genuine disciple and genuinely offered apostleship, which he turned aside from.
Acts 1:17
17 For he (Judas) was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”
Acts 1:24-25
24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
Judas walked 3.5 years with Jesus partaking in all the miraculous works that can only manifest by someone who has legitimate faith.
Mark 9:23
23 But Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.”
Matthew 13:58
58 And He (Jesus) did not do many miracles there (Nazareth) because of their unbelief.
Judas was among them who was going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and partaking in the miracles.
Luke 9:1-2; 6
1 Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing… 6 And as they were leaving, they (including Judas) began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Faith not only allows one to partake in the ministry of Jesus, but only someone of faith can be declared a “friend” of our Father.
James 2:21-23
21 Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
A friend of our Father is someone who knows His will and walks in obedience to it.
John 15:14-15
14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
A friend is also one who is a laborer of the Father - sent into the world to help cultivate the “fruits of the vineyard”, which are the fruits of the Spirit of those being saved.
Matthew 20:8-16
8 “Now when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group to the first.’ 9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. 10 And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go; but I want to give to this last person the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last shall be first, and the first, last.”
A friend is one who has been invited to the wedding feast - one who is called to manifest sainthood represented by the white clothing he should be wearing at that feast (See the “Clothed with Christ” post for more on this).
Matthew 22:11-12
11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.
Now we will see that Judas himself is called a friend by Jesus.
Matthew 26:49-50
49 And immediately Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.
How can this be though? How can Judas (or the man in the parable of the feast) be genuinely called, have genuine faith, be deemed a friend of God, yet be labeled as a part of the body of the “man of lawlessness”? For that answer, let’s look at Matthew 7:21-23.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Our Father’s will is that we would hone ourselves unto righteousness by putting to death our lawless deeds.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
As Judas was manifesting friendship with Jesus, he took part in all the good works the other disciples were doing (think Mathew 7:21 from above). However, there was one sin he refused to be cleansed of - Thievery.
John 12:4-6
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he kept the money box, he used to steal from what was put into it.
This was the lawlessness he practiced that earned him the words ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Jesus was speaking by faith that even up to the last minute prior to the full manifestation of betrayal, Judas would continue in his “friendship” with him.
Ultimately, as Judas was called to manifest sainthood. He did a decent job of upholding the second most important commandment of loving thy neighbor through his miraculous works and preaching of the gospel. However, he did not uphold the first most important commandment of loving our Father with everything he had. It is by keeping these commandments that we prove our sainthood and live eternally with Him.
Luke 10:25-28
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
His love of money thwarted his love for walking in obedience to the Father’s Word of truth. Only a love for the truth and manifestation of Christ will allow a disciple to grow up into their salvation to be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:10
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved.
2 Timothy 4:8
8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing (manifestation within the believer).
Judas didn’t have this love so he was never born of that imperishable seed to the ceasing of sinful practices.
1 John 3:9
9 No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed (God’s Word) remains in him; and he cannot sin continually (Emphasis on “continually”), because he has been born of God.
Many will be born again but few will be born of our Father’s seed, which is also the same as being born of water.
1 Peter 1:22-23
22 Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
John 3:3-6
3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water (The Word per Ephesians 5:26) and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
Matthew 22:14
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
For Judas, his love of money caused him to wander away from the faith and into condemnation.
Acts 1:24-25
24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
Matthew 26:24
24 The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Luke 6:16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.)
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
We will see these disciples turned antichrists go out from among the elect all the way up through the end of days Tribulation. This will happen until all the gray area is gone. Eventually, the full manifestation of the “man of lawlessness” will be revealed (per 2 Thessalonians 2) as only two people remain on the Earth - the body of Christ and the body of the antichrist. The body of Christ will be snatched away and the body of antichrist will be left behind.
1 John 2:19
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us.
Matthew 24:36-41
36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Right before the final separation of all people on Earth into their respective bodies, we will see the manifestation of the Beast System. Revelation 12 is a summation of the first half of the Tribulation. Here, we begin to see satan ramping up his attacks upon the saints. His main goal is to drag as many believers “back to the Earth” as possible. In spiritual terms, he wants to pull as many away from living in heavenly places and back into earthly places as enemies of the cross of Christ. In other words, he is creating more antichrists.
Revelation 12:1-3
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was pregnant and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon (satan per Revelation 12:9) having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven crowns. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her Child.
Per our study, “Mount Zion, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Temple of God” we know that there are three tiers of glory, or sanctification, a believer can attain - sun glory, moon glory, and star glory. These star glory believers are the least sanctified of all three tiers. These are they that satan sweeps back into the “Earth” as antichrist enemies of the cross of Christ.
Philippians 3:18-19
18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite (to please their sin nature), and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things.
Romans 8:5-8
5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh (Earthly things), but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
If we fast forward slightly to the second half of the Tribulation, this is when the “beasts” are introduced. These “beasts” are also manifestations of the antichrist, son of destruction, and man of lawlessness. This first “beast” is one who comes up out of the sea.
Revelation 13:1-10
1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
The “sea” this “beast” is coming out from is defined by the many peoples, multitudes, and nations, and languages around the world. We determined this because the woman, Mystery of Babylon, is sitting on this beast which would then be upon these “waters”.
Revelation 17:3, 15
3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns… 15 And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the prostitute sits are peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages.
This first beast is the full manifestation and culmination of those, throughout history up to the end, who were never saved and called unto sanctification. Satan began as their head and they won’t ever have an opportunity to allow Christ to be their head.
Revelation 13:2
2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard (Grecian empire), and his feet were like those of a bear (Medio-persian empire), and his mouth like the mouth of a lion (Babylonian empire). And the dragon gave him his power and his throne, and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded (Roman empire), and his fatal wound was healed (Revived Roman empire who rules the world today). And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4 they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” 5 A mouth was given to him speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 All who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slaughtered.
The second “beast” is one who looks like a lamb (the Christian), speaks like a dragon (lies of leaven doctrine and hypocrisy), and comes up out of the Earth (think Judas Iscariot whose mind dwelled on earthly things). These are those of the antichrist body who reside within the church. They have been saved and called unto sanctification but instead maintain their earthly carnal nature. They never even obtained (or fell from) the star glory sanctification and they continue to mind earthly things as antichrist enemies of the cross of Christ.
Revelation 13:11-14
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the presence of people. 14 And he deceives those who live on the earth (Those who make up the “man of lawlessness”) because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
These are the same antichrist deceivers the apostles continually warned about.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
Acts 20:29-30
29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world.
1 Timothy 4:1-2
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
I want to take a moment to summarize up to this point what we have discussed. The antichrist, son of perdition, the two beasts, and man of lawlessness are all one in the same. They, whether born again or not, are those who walk in the practice of sin and refuse to use the blood and water of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome those practices. They are subtle, blending in as those who appear godly but deny all the power thereof. By their carnality, they maintain satan as their head instead of overcoming their sinful carnal natures and allowing Jesus to be their head. They are worldly and only hear the words of the world while simultaneously rejecting the Word of the Father. In time, they will prove themselves not worthy of their calling to overcome the world and become a saint.
If we continue with 2 Thessalonians 2, we see that once our Father allows the full manifestation of the “man of lawlessness” (coming at the end of the age with the full separation of the body of Christ and body of antichrist) it will be time to eliminate him.
2 Thessalonians 2:6-12
6 And you know what restrains him (the collective body of the man of lawlessness) now, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, (Think Revelation 13 - the collective body of the antichrist including the two beasts) 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved.
Jesus tells us that it is he himself who wants the “man of lawlessness” to remain until he comes. Take note this is after his resurrection. Judas is dead at this point.
John 21:20-23
20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them—the one who also had leaned back on His chest at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who is betraying You?” 21 So Peter, upon seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” 23 Therefore this account went out among the brothers, that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
This coming takes place in the individual as well as the collective body of the antichrist. The antichrist spirit in the individual is eliminated by the Word of God and the manifestation of Jesus in that person in order to place them within the body of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:8
8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth (His Word) and bring to an end by the appearance (epiphaneia = manifestation https://biblehub.com/greek/2015.htm) of His coming;
For the collective body of the antichrist who the Word and manifestation of Christ didn’t happen in, Jesus will eliminate him at his second coming with the sword of his mouth.
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Matthew 10:34
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Revelation 19:11-21
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
This period of time when the “man of lawlessness” is revealed then eliminated has been summarized in the parable of the wheat and weeds. The wheat (the plant which bears the fruits of the Spirit/character of Jesus) will be taken into the “barn” while the weeds (the fruitless plant which did not manifest the character traits of Jesus) will be burned with unquenchable fire.
Matthew 12:24-30; 36-43
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. 27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”... 36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.
Notice how there were only two types of seeds planted, good seed and bad seed, within the field (people). The good seed is the Word of God.
Luke 8:11
11 “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God.
This is the unleavened bread (word) of sincerity and truth. Any spoken word that either adds to, or takes away from this is the leavened lies of satan. The Old Testament gives us physical pictures of spiritual truths. It was a part of the OT law that one would not plant two types of seed in their fields otherwise the whole field would be defiled.
Deuteronomy 22:9
9 Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled.
Leviticus 19:19
19 ‘You are to keep My statutes. You shall not cross-breed two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment of two kinds of material mixed together.
This idea of planting our fields with one kind of seed threads into our clothing as well (pun completely intended).
Deuteronomy 22:11
11 “You shall not wear a material of wool and linen combined together.
Leviticus 19:19
19 ‘You are to keep My statutes. You shall not cross-breed two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment of two kinds of material mixed together.
These garments made with multiple materials represent how a person lives. A garment made with a single material is what happens when that person lives completely clothed in Christ and nothing else.
Revelation 19:8
It was given to her (the bride of Christ) to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Multiple materials demonstrate a person who still lives how they wish to outside of faith. The enemy produces antichrists within believers and non-believers alike by planting his seeds and weaving his material into our hearts. By this, he is dismantling the truth which sanctifies unto Christ-likeness.
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
For more on these ideas, see the posts, “The Parable of the Sower,” and “Clothed with Christ.”
Isaiah tells us how satan has encapsulated believers all over the world by sowing his seed and weaving his material into our clothing by the end of the age.
Isaiah 4:1
1 For seven women (the seven churches that encompass all believers from Revelation 2-3) will take hold of one man (Christ) on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread (Feast upon leaven doctrines) and wear our own clothes (Live how we want to), only let us be called by your name; take away our disgrace!”
It is through the Tribulation that our Father will fully eliminate the antichrist spirit by the word of his mouth and his manifestation within the flesh. By doing so he will cleanse those who are seeking to be overcomers of the seed and material of satan and fully divide the body of Christ and the body of the antichrist by the Day of the Lord.
Isaiah 4:2-6
2 On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth (The fruit production of the saints) will be the pride and the beauty of the survivors of Israel. 3 And it will come about that the one who is left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain. (See the post “Mount Zion, Heavenly Jerusalem, and the Temple of God” for more detail on this cleansing and remnant of Zion and Jerusalem)
Revelation 7:13-15
13 Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
It is the non-believer (those of the first beast) that are easy to identify as having the antichrist spirit. However, it is those of the second beast, those within the seven women who have managed to creep in unnoticed, distorting the truth as they go.
Jude 1:1-25
1 Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into indecent behavior (Or lasciviousness/license to sin) and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I want to remind you, though you know everything once and for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and all the things that they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain (the way of the first born - the carnal sinful “man of lawlessness” nature within everyone prior to being cleansed), and for pay they have given themselves up to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the ones who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars (Think fallen star glory sanctification), for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. 14 It was also about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. 17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.
2 Peter 2:1-22
1 But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their indecent behavior, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people 8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority. Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling, 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children; 15 abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet. 17 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. 18 For, while speaking out arrogant words of no value they entice by fleshly desires, by indecent behavior, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”
Hebrews furthers this idea of “a dog returning to its own vomit”. It tells us that our Father takes no pleasure in those who allow their antichrist spirit to overcome them by shrinking back into the sins they had once overcome through their experiential heart knowledge of our Father.
Hebrews 10:26-39
26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth (This is a sanctifying experiential heart knowledge of the truth - https://biblehub.com/greek/1922.htm), there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being made a public spectacle through insults and distress, and partly by becoming companions with those who were so treated. 34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Which is what Judas did) 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ~ 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;) 37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. 38 But My righteous one will live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not among those who shrink back to destruction (Hence the term, “son of destruction”), but of those who have faith for the safekeeping of the soul.
Our Father will ensure the full separation of those “hidden reefs within our love feasts” by sending a deluding influence on those who do not love the truth but take pleasure in lawlessness as described in Jude and 2 Peter 2.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
Paul speaks about this “deluding influence” when he also wrote to the Roman believers who were acting like “sons of disobedience,” which again is just another name for “son of destruction.”
Romans 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, 27 and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, 29 people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 2:1-16
1 Therefore you have no excuse, you foolish person, everyone of you who passes judgment; for in that matter in which you judge someone else, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, you foolish person who passes judgment on those who practice such things, and yet does them as well, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will repay each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life; 8 but to those who are self-serving and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, He will give wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of mankind who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek, 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who does what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.
Let us continue to grow into an absolute love of the truth and not fall back into the sins of the world we are conquering. In this way, we would prove we are sons of righteousness and no longer sons of disobedience, which the “man of lawlessness” is. We once walked according to the course of this world and of the spirit that is now working in the sons of lawlessness. Now, we are dead to these things. Therefore, we rid ourselves of the “man of lawlessness” with his anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech. We no longer lie to one another, since we stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it.
Ephesians 2:1-3
1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins, 2 in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.
Ephesians 5:3-5
3 But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Philippians 3:18-19
18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things.
Colossians 3:5-11
5 Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.
So let us remain in the promises and commandments of our Father's love so we would be washed. As the “man of lawlessness” in each of us is being eliminated by the breath of His mouth, we are being perfected in love as a member of Christ. In this way, we would be found blameless and confident before our Father on judgment day.
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
1 John 4:16-17
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, we also are in this world.
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