WEDNESDAY January 31st
2 Thessalonians 2:7
‘For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.’
I think we would be justified in asking the question, Why on earth didn’t God deal with the devil immediately after he had tempted Adam and Eve into sin and obliterate evil immediately? I suppose knowing our theme I could say it is mystery which we will one day get to understand, but we suffice ourselves in knowing that God knew what he was doing, because he already knew what he had planned in eternity past, and although there is still the presence of both good and evil in the world, one day evil and the forces of darkness will be dealt with once and for all. But until then. . . .
Well, our text talks about the mystery of lawlessness which was already at work in Paul’s day and is still at work today, but with the good news that lawlessness is being restrained. In other words if we think that lawlessness is bad today, there is worse to come for it is going to get worse, but when?
Paul tells us that it will be once the one who now restrains evil is out of the way. And then once the restrainer has gone, the man of lawlessness will be revealed who is the son of destruction.
I think we would all agree that lawlessness is seeming to get worse almost daily as one week passes into another, but this Scripture reminds us that we have seen nothing yet in comparison to what will yet be on this earth.
Now, I am giving my own personal view here, you may feel differently, but I believe that this is pointing to the rapture of the Spirit filled Church being taken up from the earth into the presence of God and immediately afterwards lawlessness will be released on the earth like it has never ever been before as the son of destruction is revealed, the anti-Christ, the lawless one who by the activity of Satan will produce false signs and wonders and deceive those who are already perishing because they have failed to love the truth and to be saved (see verses 9-10).
It is a mystery, and as I have said I have expressed what I personally see in these verses, but it assures us that despite lawlessness, God is still in control, and the whole mystery of the gospel is that we who have come to saving faith will be taken out of this world before this lawless one is revealed and lawlessness reaches a never before reached level. But the continuing good news is, that after the lawless one has unleashed his evil for a little while, the Lord Jesus will appear, will come again and destroy him by the breath of his mouth (V8).
And the mystery of lawlessness concludes when after a period of peace upon the earth, the devil, the beast, the false prophet, that is all those who have unleashed evil upon the earth will be cast or thrown forever into the lake of fire and sulphur where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever Revelation 20.
I end here by reminding us, despite the lawlessness we see all around us, God is still in control!