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The "Man of Sin"
We are told in the Bible that there will come a time when this present evil world will be under the control of an individual that the apostle Paul called; the "man of sin". The Christian churches of today have interpreted the "man of sin" in several ways, and many people are deceived to believe that the "man of sin" has just a "spiritual" application (whatever that means). The modern day ministers seldom very explain the danger of deception, and what deception is designed to do from a satanic viewpoint. Sincere Christians are generally told they are free to believe whatever is "comfortable" for them, and "their Jesus" will somehow overlook what they happen to believe. This pamphlet will show that the power of deception is very real, and must be avoided at all costs! Therefore to understand the "man of sin", the written text of scripture must be believed just as it is written; as this pamphlet will explain. The apostle Paul stated that this individual will sit in the temple of God, and he will somehow be able to show and convince the world that he is God. This is the reason this man will be obeyed and worshipped. Read and study 2 Thes. 2:3-4.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let 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; 4 Who 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. (KJV)
This is incredible! How could a supposedly "intelligent" society be deceived to believe that God himself is sitting in the temple at Jerusalem; when in fact this will only be a man that will impersonate God?! This will be indeed a very clever deception, and the world is presently being spiritually "conditioned" to accept this man as actually being God! Take the time to carefully study 2 Thes. 2:9-12 since these verses explain how this cunning deception will be accomplished and carried out.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (KJV)
According to these verses, the "man of sin" will come on the world scene with the working of a certain fallen angel called Satan the devil. My booklet, "The World Before Adam" addresses the invisible creation, and the powers and dominion of the angels. To explain the "man of sin", it is needful to understand why this certain angel called Satan the devil fell from his highly exalted position in the government of God. This understanding will then explain why Satan desires to be worshipped as God by God's own sons and daughters. Some prophets in the Old Testament write about this particular angel, and it is important to understand why this fallen angel wants to be like God, and most important, be worshipped as God.
The world will witness unbelievable power and miracles from this "man of sin", thinking of course that he is God. Satan will be allowed by God to have all the power with any type of miracle at his disposal to convince the world that he is God! Satan will have to manifest himself and appear as a man, which the world will actually believe is the returned Jesus Christ. This is the lie that's talked about in 2 Thes. 2:11, and God himself will send strong delusion to believe this lie for those that did not believe the truth. God does this deliberately for the very purpose so that they (those that did not receive the love of the truth) will believe this lie! This is also incredible! Why would God, with deliberate forethought, cause his children to believe the lie that Satan is God? Allow me to explain.
The struggle for dominion of this earth has to be settled once and for all, and this is the reason that God will allow "the lie". God will allow Satan to again have dominion over this planet for a period of three and a half years. In the world before Adam, Satan was a perfect angel having dominion of this earth. However this dominion was destined to be taken from him and given to the family of God. As a result of this truth Satan and a third of the angels rebelled against the government of God. Satan knows he is a defeated rebel, however God's sons and daughters will have to be tried and tested to see if they will obey (worship) Satan or if they will obey their Heavenly Father. God's "divine" time schedule has come upon a deceived world for his children to make that eternal decision. This is the purpose of the "man of sin", and why God will convince his children by sending them strong delusion to believe the lie that Satan is God. They then can be judged (damned) accordingly, as was explained in 2 Thes. 2:12. The reason many of God's children will believe this lie is because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. It was not necessarily a question of them receiving only the truth. Paul's statement was that they did not receive (accept) the "love" of the truth. There is a difference, and this is very important to understand! Again review 2 Thes. 2:9-12.
The theme and purpose of New Testament theology is to proclaim that God (through the sacrifice of Christ) has made peace with his people called Israel. My booklet "Lost Israel and the Gentiles" explains who God's covenants were made with. Through belief in the death of Christ, the true Israelites are under grace; and the Spirit of God is made available to them as a help in keeping the commandments of God. These laws can never be kept in perfection, therefore in order for grace to be effective an honest effort must be made to live by the intent of the Ten Commandments. These laws are not "done away", and must be kept in the heart and mind in order to avoid sin. However they cannot be kept according to the "letter", and by the sacrificial laws given to Moses. The purpose of the Ten Commandmentsis explained in my booklet "Repentance and Obedience". What does keeping the Ten Commandments, and the false teaching that the laws of God are "done away" have to do with the revealing of this "man of sin"? This question can only be answered by understanding what is meant by the term "mystery of iniquity". Study 2 Thes. 2:6-7.2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. (KJV)
Thanks to the false teaching done by the modern-day ministers, the vast majority of the modern-day Israelites are under the false impression that they are not true Israel and that God's laws are "done away". It is this deception of not knowing who God's people Israel are in today's world, and the "mystery of iniquity" (2 Thes. 2:7) that will make it possible for Satan to deceive God's children into believing that he is God. ("Iniquity" means lawlessness, or that God's laws are "done away"). Keeping the commandments identifies the true God of Israel! This is the spiritual "insurance policy" that will guard believing Israelites from being deceived! Matt. 24:24 explains that if it were possible the very elect would be deceived to believe the lie that Satan is God!
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (KJV)
It will not be possible to deceive these very few Israelites because they will have the Spirit of God and will know who they are, and they will also be keeping the commandments of God. Those that are not aware that they are true Israel will therefore not be able to identify the God of Israel, and it is certain that they will be deceived. This is the truth that they will not receive and accept when told out of love (2 Thes. 2:10) as to who they really are, therefore by this choice they will be damned. I believe this will be the work of Elijah that will turn the hearts of the true children of Israel to their rightful inheritance that was promised through the fathers. Study Mal. 4:5-6 and Matt. 17:11.
Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (KJV)
Matthew 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. (KJV)To again review 2 Thes. 2:6-7 is to know that the Spirit of God along with grace and peace is the reason that the revealing of the "man of sin" is being withheld during this age of grace. Also the calling of God for Israelites to repent of lawlessness (mystery of iniquity) must take place in this evil world. The total rule of Satan and the Spirit of God cannot exist together in an evil world! Therefore in God's due time, grace and peace along with the Spirit and calling of God will be taken out of the way (2 Thes. 2:7) to allow the rule of the "man of sin". This truth is also explained in my booklet "What is the Church?". Those of God's people Israel that are not worthy to escape the rule of Satan will then have to resist him by giving themselves in death during the great tribulation, in order to be saved. Jesus Christ instructed believing saints to watch and pray always that they be counted worthy to escape this severe time of trouble that will come on this evil world. We can all take comfort in what is stated in Luke 21:36.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (KJV)
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