John Piper preached on this topic, and I am pleasantly surprised because I have never heard any reformed preachers, the big names, who preached on it. Mostly on all things except this sensitive topic. Many preached in cultural issues, psychological, philosophical issues, but basically none have preached on this. This is a topic that Pentecostals love to handle, because it touches on the supernatural, and even sensational, though not very well. But to hear a man of such scriptural strength and sharpness in exegesis, I feel encouraged. Not many preachers want to touch on this.

That lawlessness man is a man, not a spirit.  Not an angel. But an incredibly powerful, charismatic, world-class leader that will eventually proclaim himself to be God. He is sent from Satan, propelled by the secret power of lawlessness. By that name itself, he will cause chaos, anarchy.

The Man of Lawlessness will come first before the Return of Christ

2 Thessalonians 2:1–2 (NIV) Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ will not happen until the rebellion occurs, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. So don’t be alarmed by any hearsay prophecy, word of mouth, or teaching.

He will perform signs and wonders and exalt himself over everything to proclaim himself God but  is doomed to destruction

Though very powerful indeed, in controlling the world with mighty demonstrations of signs and wonders, he will be eventually be doomed, destroyed by the Lord Jesus. So there is nothing to be afraid of him, though he will cause one heck of havoc and destabilize the world. The world will be marveled at his power, that many will succumb to him. The bible already says those who rejected the bible will be delusion by him.

2 Thessalonians 2: ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

People who are being deceived are those who refused to love the truth and so be saved

He will perform all sorts of display of power through signs and wonders to deceive those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth, the truth of the Bible. Those who are being deceived by the man of lawlessness are those, who first of all, refused to love  the truth of Jesus in the Bible.

Notice it says “….who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved”. The only reason they are perishing and being deceived by the man of lawlessness is because they refuse to love the truth. It’s not enough just to know the truth of the Bible, or even do bible study of the Word, and try to follow to obey the Word, but actually you would need to love the bible. Why? Because it’s going to be tough to be a loyal Christian to the faith in Christ, in this more and more godless end time, when liberals take the helm, redefining culture and sexuality. Christians better love the truth, for you to combat the heresy that will begin to flood the market and putting pressure on God living Christians to compromise to give into the trend.

It’s the Truth that Protects you from being deceived by the Lawlessness Man

It’s interesting only those who do not love the truth will be deceived. It’s kind of no brainer to say that it’s the truth in our lives that keep us from being deceived by this big nasty evil lawlessness coming. Its anti-Christ basically. It’s the truth that protects you.

Anyone who spins the bible to their own ends, their own agenda, will all be deceived, and there will be no return. In other words, you cannot and will not be deceived by the man of lawlessness until you refuse to love the truth of the Bible in Jesus Christ. God will protect you from the power of lawlessness if you believe and walk with the truth in Jesus Christ. Therefore whatever you do now on earth in your life, determines what’s going to happen in the end time, when that lawlessness happens. From looking around what’s happening round the world, and in America, that doesn’t sound to be too far away.

2 Thessalonians 2:⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, ¹² in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

God will send them a strong delusion so they continue to be deceived and had pleasures in unrighteousness and be condemned

It’s amazing that v11 says “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion”. It’s like God tops it up. The word delusion means deceived, note that the words “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion…” The word “therefore..” must refer to what’s before that. God send a strong delusion because of v10 that says …because they refuse to love the truth and be saved.” Simple as that.

In other words, the Satanic forces cannot deceive anyone of us, unless and until we ourselves refuse to love the truth. It’s an act of refusal on loving the truth. Maybe they are only liking the truth, spinning around the truth of the Bible, bending here and there to twists to their liking, that kind of people, will be deceived by the lawless one , and be given a strong delusion by God himself! What’s that delusion for? It’s to make them to believe in what’s false. I mean they merely refused to love the truth, and now they ended up in being under delusion, and believing what’s false, and had pleasure in unrighteousness, and therefore condemned. They will go to hell. Suffering in eternal anguish and agony.

Many will grow cold because of the increase of lawlessness but those endures to the end will be saved

Matthew 24:11–14 (ESV)

¹¹ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony and then the end will come

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The contrast of the evil works of Satan, will be the Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be spread even more to the whole world. Not just the western world, or African or some parts, but the whole world. They will be preached as a testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ!

And then the end will come. I don’t believe that the gospel has been preached to the whole world, as the redemptive narrative has spread beyond Jerusalem. I believe the whole world, every nation. We are almost there.

Please LOVE the truth of the Word of God. Amen.