Is the Pope the Antichrist? What the Bible Really Says in 2 Thessalonians 2

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,” (2 Thessalonians 2:1)

Paul is making an urgent request to the believers in Thessalonica to get moving with the gospel and the Word of God.

In salvation, the issue is “What do you think of Christ”? After salvation the issue becomes discipleship, “What do you think of the Word”? (John 8:32). There has been a turning in their faith from the Word toward fear over present circumstances. Because of very strong adversity and persecution, the Thessalonians immediately thought they had missed the Rapture and were in the Tribulation. This urgent request from Paul was to reawaken God’s call on them of preaching salvation and personally continuing to be in the Word. Their present reaction to fear and world circumstances will destroy them.

“The coming” is the Second Coming and “our gathering together to the Lord” is the day of the Rapture of the Church. Paul mentions both, because one, the Rapture of the Church, introduces the coming of the other, the second coming of Jesus to rule the earth. The Greek word for gathering together is episunagoge and is used only one other place in the New Testament, Hebrews 10:25. It talks of the weekly gathering together of saints in the local church.

Until the final gathering together, there is the weekly gathering together. The Rapture of the Church was mentioned by Paul in the previous epistle, 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Paul is now requesting the believers to “shape up” because the coming of the Lord for His Church is very soon. Paul also used the coming of the Lord in Hebrews 10:25 as an incentive to attend church and urge others to recommit to faithful attendance.

“not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come” (2 Thessalonians 2:2).

The Thessalonians had become disturbed because they thought the Tribulation, the “day of Christ” had already come. They had learned this through a false letter that was supposed to have been written by Paul. It was said to replace his first letter, and fear had spread through the congregation. There were also false ministers in the area saying they had a message from the Holy Spirit saying there was no Rapture. Paul is saying not to believe everything that is said to come from the Holy Spirit, even if all give the same message.

Whatever the Spirit or other ministers have to say, it must line up with the Word of God. False ministers were also preaching sermons saying Rome had already been revived and Nero was the antichrist because he was persecuting Christians and feeding them to the lions. Paul will tell them again that the Tribulation will not come until after the Rapture. Paul is reminding them again to think soberly, using the Word of God as their guide. This all gives a balanced answer to the next coming of the Lord Jesus.

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

The “falling away” is the Rapture of the Church. It would be better translated as “departure.” It was taught, in detail, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 “…caught up together” and mentioned here in verse 1 “…our gathering together to Him.” The Greek noun for departure is apostasia and is used another time in Acts 21:21 and is translated “forsake.” It is usually found in a negative sense and transliterated as “forsake,” “fall away,” or, “depart” from God. But it’s best translated “to depart.” It is a cognate of the verb apostemi, found in Luke 2:37, 4:13, (“departed”), 8:13 (“fall away”), 13:27 (“depart”), Acts 5:37 (“drew away”), 5:38 (“refrain”), etc. The Rapture, or departure, will occur just before antichrist appears. I consider the best translation of this text to be in Kenneth Wuest’s translation of verses 3-4, “do not begin to allow anyone to lead you astray in any way, because that day shall not come except the aforementioned (verse 1) departure (of the church to heaven) comes first and the man of lawlessness is disclosed (in his true identity), the son of perdition.” Verse 4, “who opposes and exalts himself above all that I called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God, showing himself that he is God.”

Biblical Views of Antichrist

The antichrist is called “lawless” because he will use law to destroy divine order and freedom on earth. The greatest good for the greatest number destroys individual freedom. Antichrist begins to be revealed after the departure of the Church. The word for perdition is used for only two people, Judas Iscariot (John 17:12) and antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Both are in the age of Israel, one before the break for the Church to begin, and one after the Church Age ends, before the coming of Jesus to reign over earth. Just as Rome was in existence at the interruption, so it will exist again at the resumption, Rome then revived Rome.

“who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

In Matthew 4:8-9 Jesus was offered the kingdoms of the world and refused. Satan will offer these to the man of sin, and he will accept. It is Satan’s to offer, but he does not have the ability to manage and maintain them. Antichrist, since he is indwelled by Satan, will do the same as Satan and try to exalt himself above God. Just as Satan was cast down, so will antichrist.

This is antichrist duplicating Jesus Christ by being seated on a throne. This will occur in the temple in Jerusalem, reserved for Jesus where He will reign in the millennium. Since the man of sin cannot remain there continually, he places his image there (Matthew 24:15) to be worshipped. He is in Rome and has his image in Jerusalem. This man will die and be revived to further imitate the Lord Jesus. Another way he imitates Jesus is saying he is God and demanding to be worshipped.

The Catholic Church is Not the System. The Pope is Not the Antichrist

For many years Christian ministers and authors have wrestled with the thought that the Catholic Church was the worldwide system antichrist would come from, and he would be the pope in the day the Tribulation begins. It was not held by that many scholars, but there are still some who hold on to that opinion. Let’s look at some scriptural views that deny this view:

1. Antichrist is a person, not a system.

2. The antichrist will be Jewish, a descendant of Abraham.

A. Israel is opposed to the Catholic Church.

B. No Jew has ever been a pope.

C. Zechariah 11:16-17, “For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land….”

D. 2 Thessalonians 2:4,“he sits as God in the temple of God….”

E. Antichrist will be received by the Jews.

F. Antichrist will deny the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22).

G. Antichrist puts himself above God (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

3. Attributes of the antichrist:

A. Antichrist will be a Jew.

• Ezekiel 21:25-27, “Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end….”

• Daniel 11:36-37, “The king…shall exalt and magnify himself above every god…neither regard the God of his fathers….”

• John 5:43,“…another shall come in his own name.”

• John 5:43, “…him you will receive.” He must be a Jew to be received by the Jews.

B. Antichrist will be the son, the offspring of Satan and a woman. He is called in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “man of sin…the son (offspring) of perdition.”

• Genesis 6:2,4 says that fallen angels have had children with women and their offspring were strong giants, mighty men, men of renown.

• Satan will do the same, or already has, to produce antichrist. This lends credence to movies, Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen.

4. Satan is an imitator of God.

A. Jesus sows good seed, Satan sows tares (Matthew 13:24).

B. Children of God versus children of the wicked one (Matthew 13:38).

C. Jesus appointed apostles. Satan has apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13).

D. Angels seal believers in the forehead during the Tribulation. Satan’s man puts a mark in the forehead of his followers (Revelation 7:3, 13:16).

E. God seeks worshippers, so does Satan (Revelation 13:4).

F.      Jesus is light. Satan is an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

G. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. Satan goes about as a lion (Revelation 5:5; 1 Peter 5:8).

H. Jesus has angels. The devil has his angels (Matthew 24:31).

I. Jesus works miracles, so does Satan (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9).

J. Jesus has a throne, so does Satan (Revelation 2:13).

K. Jesus has local churches; Satan has a synagogue (Revelation 2:9).

L. Jesus has a bride; Satan has a whore (Revelation 17:16).

M. God has a vine, so does Satan (Revelation 14:19).

N. God has Jerusalem, Satan has Babylon (Revelation 17:5, 18:2).

O. God has the mystery of godliness. Satan has the mystery of iniquity (1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:7).

P. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Antichrist is the only begotten son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Q. Jesus is the Seed of the woman. Satan is the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).

R. Holy Trinity of God. Evil trinity of Satan (Revelation 20:10).

S. God is the Father. Satan is the father (John 8:44).

5. Antichrist will be born and grow up.

A. He is called the “Seed of the serpent” (Genesis 3:15).

B. He is also called the “son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

“Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?” (2 Thessalonians 2:5)

Paul told them to stop and remember that he taught about the antichrist when he was with them before. These things are not new, but a reminder of what they have heard before. False teachers are responsible for distorting Paul’s teaching on the coming of Jesus for His Church. But they are also responsible for forgetting Paul’s foundation he laid in their lives on the subject.

“And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time” (2 Thessalonians 2:6).

The first two words bring the Thessalonian congregation to the present time.

Two things are brought out in this verse that need to be taught today. The Church, the body of Christ on earth, is presently restraining, keeping antichrist in check, from being revealed. As long as the Church is on earth, antichrist’s time has not yet come. The moment the Church is removed, the restraint keeping antichrist from being revealed will be removed. As long as one believer is on earth, Satan’s man cannot reveal himself.

There is a split second between the removal of the Church and the first of a new group of people being saved as the Tribulation begins. Antichrist will take his position as the world leader in that split second. We are withholding the man of sin from even presenting himself to the world.

The Thessalonian saints are already familiar with the restraint against antichrist. The word for restrain is also found in Romans 1:18 as suppress. Antichrist cannot be revealed until the suppression ends when the Church Age ends as the body of Christ is removed and the age of Israel is resumed.

As long as believers of the Church Age are on earth, Satan is hindered from carrying out his master plan—the great counterfeit of Jesus Christ and God’s kingdom, the antichrist and Satan’s kingdom. He will seek to set up a pseudo kingdom during the Tribulation but will fail. Born-again human beings, who are born again today, have been left here to keep Satan in check and promote God’s kingdom until they are taken.