The Son of Destruction Is Coming
2 1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in your thinking or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken message or a letter seeming to come from us, claiming that the day of our Lord has already come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the one doomed to destruction, 4 who opposes and sets himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of our Father, proclaiming himself to be God. a a v4 Here 'God' is left plain because it is the lawless one's false, self-exalting claim — a counterfeit of the Father he sets himself against. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now, so that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is through Satan's working, with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with every wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Because of this our Father sends them a powerful delusion, so that they believe what is false, 12 so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.
Stand Firm in the Father's Calling
13 But we ought always to give thanks to our Father for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because our Father chose you as firstfruits to be saved, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught by us, whether by our spoken word or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.