2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

A word of Warning, continued

VERSE 9 “Whose presence [shall be] according to an in working of Satan, with all manner of mighty work and signs and wonders of falsehood.” (Rotherham’s Version)

The translators of this particular verse (as shown below) have completely distorted the text giving it a completely different meaning then that which is intended.

Rather than referring to the coming (parousia: presence) of our Lord Jesus they make it to appear to be referring to the presence of the Lawless one instead.

Note some of the following translations.

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie.” (NIV)

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders.” (ESV)

“The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders.” (Good News Translation)

“The man of sin will come with the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous and wonderful signs. But they will be lies.” (God’s Word Translation)

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.” (NKJV)

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” (AV)

The words “even him,” supplied by the translators in the AV, should be deleted for Paul’s intended meaning to be clearer.

Verse 8 talks about Jesus’ “coming”: “whom the Lord [Jesus] … shall destroy with the brightness of his coming [parousia, presence].”

Verse 9 continues with the same thought: “whose [Jesus’] coming [presence] is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” Just as Satan, the god of this world, is present but invisible as a spirit being, so Jesus can be present but unseen at his Second Advent because he is an invisible spirit being.

The Greek word rendered “after” can be variously translated. The correct thought is that Jesus’ Second Presence is to be “accompanied by [or with] the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

Thus Verse 8 and 9 as taken from the original Greek text reads:

“And then will be revealed the Lawless one whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and annihilate by the appearing of his presence. Whose parousia (presence) is with (or accompanied by) the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

Comment: The word “after” is important to consider here lest we think it means that Jesus’ Second Presence will occur afterwards, that is, after Satan’s power, signs, and lying wonders cease. Instead, Jesus’ presence is during the energetic working of the Adversary. Most likely, Satan will manifest even greater and stronger delusions with all power, signs, and lying wonders in the not to distance future.

Reply: When we consider Jesus’ presence to be a period of time, then sometime in or during the period of his presence, there will be a spectacular (in the evil sense) display of lying and deceitful wonders. In the Second Volume, “Man of Sin” Chapter, page 359, the Pastor gave a rendition of this verse that is slightly different from the King James.

“Whose presence is with [accompanied by or during] an energetic operation of Satan [Satanic energy and action] with all power, and signs, and lying delusions.”

Although not in the King James Version, the word “during” is appropriate because it expresses a period of time. Unfortunately, the usual concordances present the Greek kata, translated “after” in the King James, as signifying something with place or location when it is used with the accusative case, and they drop out the application of time, which is listed in Liddell and Scott (page 749, eighth edition, example VII) as one of the interpretations of the preposition.

Comment: The word “all” in “all power and signs and lying wonders” is very significant in regard to the future testing’s that will befall the Church.

Reply: Yes, the Greek word is energeia, indicating great energy, an energetic operation.

Comment: The energetic operation corresponds to Rev 16:13, 14.

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

Reply: Let us start backwards. The 16th chapter of Revelation is talking about the great day of God Almighty and the battle of Armageddon. Deceptive influences are pictured by three symbols, namely, the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet.

Out of the mouth of these systems will come forth froglike spirits, which symbolize great declarations and boastings. The systems will issue warnings to maintain the status quo, but Christ will found his Kingdom, his government, on the ruins of the present systems.

The account says “ALL power,” and who is doing this? Satan—a POWERFUL being. He will use all manner of deception, signs, and lying wonders, and “all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish” (Verse 10). This somber matter involves many different strata of society, but the bottom line for us is how it affects the consecrated the Church.

However, professing Christians in the nominal systems, as well as civil authorities, will also be affected. In fact, when this time comes at the end of the age, ALL will be deceived except the Very Elect (Matt. 24:24).

The following three paragraphs on 2 Thess 2:9–11 are excerpts from the article “All Deceivableness of Unrighteousness.”

“The intimation is that the severity of the testing will come first to the saints. In whatever proportion our doctrines (professions, beliefs) include fallacies, errors, in that same proportion will be the severity of our testing. Those whose faith structure contains little of wood, hay and stubble will suffer least; while those who have more of these combustibles will suffer the more.

“Be it noticed that all the creeds handed down to us contain many errors and that the test of our loyalty to the truth was our willingness to renounce these and to replace them with the gold, silver and precious stones of the divine Word. For one reason or another, this matter of confessing error and relinquishing it is a severe trial to many.

Many even after having been presented the truth cannot let go of the errors they have long been taught as truth, this is generally due to a lack of humility, the ability to admit that one may be in error. Meekness and humility are essential to overcoming the errors of the professing church, without which one is destined to suffer great lost in the trial coming.

It tests loyalty to God and his Word. It tests humility of heart. It tests willingness to confess our errors. It tests love for the brethren. However trifling the mistake, it requires an overcoming courage to declare it, to renounce it. [In other words, if we find out that what we have been holding is wrong doctrine, it is very difficult, in humility of heart, to have the courage to say that we now think differently.]

Pride one of the most daunting vices generally stands in the way, especially amongst those who have been the most active in promoting errors and who now realize they may have erred in their understanding.

This has been the procedure for the past three hundred years, as God’s people have emerged more and more from the smoke of the ‘dark ages.’ Because of these difficulties and tests the progress out of darkness into the full, clear light has been slow. At every step of the journey light and truth have been slandered, opposed, vilified, persecuted, and the advocates of truth have been pilloried and roasted either figuratively or literally.

“But we cannot hope thus of all—especially now when the light of truth is shining so much more brightly and when the Lord is especially testing the loyalty or disloyalty of those professing his name, with a view to their separation and to the determining of their eternal destinies. No doubt some who will be of the Great Company will be more or less deceived of the adversary by the strong delusions of this hour. Such in their blindness and deception may set forth darkness for light and light for darkness. They may do it with great positiveness (fully convince that what they promote is truth), but scarcely, we think, with bitterness [they are a little off track, but at least they do not manifest a bitter attitude]—anger, malice, envy, hatred, strife—works of the flesh and of the devil.” (R4583)

In the phrase “all power and signs and lying wonders,” what would be the “signs”? What kind of “signs”?

“Signs” are something visible. For example, the world will see the “sign” of the coming of the Son of man (Matt. 24:30).

We continue once again with our look at Verse 9 in our next post.