I had a thought.

[ronniechoate34]

Wanna know what it was? It came to me while I was reading in 2nd Thessalonians.


The Catholic church has used many methods to draw people into her. One proven method has been to appeal to the people with traditions that are pagan in nature, but, they are somehow made holy by the church. This method has incorporated a little bit of everything that is worshiped into at as well as many things that men call god. And the Pope is at in the center of it all. In fact it's like the Pope is worming his way into other religions as if he somehow intends to unify them all.


2Th:2:1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th:2:2: That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th:2:3: 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;
2Th:2:4: 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.


It's just a thought. There may be something to it I don't know. But I'm sure that many people would strongly disagree with me. There may be nothing at all to it anyway.

 

[Vince]

The idea that the Pope is the Antichrist is not new. The Protestant Reformers taught it. While the Papacy certainly has many characteristics of the Antichrist, the Bible makes it clear that the Antichrist is a person, not an organization. Also, the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the Rapture.

The Bible also tells us that many antichrists have entered into the world. So while the papacy is antichrist, it is not THE Antichrist.

 

[ronniechoate34]

Rapture? What do you mean rapture? When will anyone be taken to meet Jesus in the air except on the last day?

 

[JudaicChristian]

The idea that the Pope is the Antichrist is not new. The Protestant Reformers taught it. While the Papacy certainly has many characteristics of the Antichrist, the Bible makes it clear that the Antichrist is a person, not an organization. Also, the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the Rapture.

The Bible also tells us that many antichrists have entered into the world. So while the papacy is antichrist, it is not THE Antichrist.

Rapture! What rapture? Yahshua comes to rescue the people of God during tribulation.

 

[JudaicChristian]

Wanna know what it was? It came to me while I was reading in 2nd Thessalonians.


The Catholic church has used many methods to draw people into her. One proven method has been to appeal to the people with traditions that are pagan in nature, but, they are somehow made holy by the church. This method has incorporated a little bit of everything that is worshiped into at as well as many things that men call god. And the Pope is at in the center of it all. In fact it's like the Pope is worming his way into other religions as if he somehow intends to unify them all.


2Th:2:1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th:2:2: That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th:2:3: 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;
2Th:2:4: 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.


It's just a thought. There may be something to it I don't know. But I'm sure that many people would strongly disagree with me. There may be nothing at all to it anyway.

I had a similar thought myself.

 

[watchman F]

the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the Rapture.

It is curious that you would state this seeing as the scripture posted in the O.P. says the exact opposite.

2Th:2:1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th:2:2: That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th:2:3: 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;
2Th:2:4: 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.

Do you Vince oppose the word of God?

 

[veteran]

Yes, if you look at the 2 Thess.2 Scripture closely, Paul's saying 3 things must happen prior to Christ's coming to destroy that Wicked. 1) a great falling away (apostasy of many believers), 2) that false one must sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God, 3) he must be revealed for who he really is.

The "temple" Apostle Paul was talking about there is not the spiritual temple idea anyway. The reason is because nothing false can sit in the true spiritual temple because Christ is the chief cornerstone and His true Church are built upon the apostles and prophets (Eph.2:19-22). It's not possible for the Antichrist to pollute that. The temple Paul was speaking of is a physical temple, which to Paul would be according to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

 

[Vic C.]

The idea that the Pope is the Antichrist is not new. The Protestant Reformers taught it. While the Papacy certainly has many characteristics of the Antichrist, the Bible makes it clear that the Antichrist is a person, not an organization. Also, the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the Rapture.

The Bible also tells us that many antichrists have entered into the world. So while the papacy is antichrist, it is not THE Antichrist.

Strange that they believed that (I knew they did). The RCC just does not fit the definition of antichrist given to us by John.

Why do so many people stray from the Biblical definition just to entertain man-made beliefs?

The "temple" Apostle Paul was talking about there is not the spiritual temple idea anyway. The reason is because nothing false can sit in the true spiritual temple because Christ is the chief cornerstone and His true Church are built upon the apostles and prophets (Eph.2:19-22). It's not possible for the Antichrist to pollute that. The temple Paul was speaking of is a physical temple, which to Paul would be according to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

Well if Paul was referring to a physical temple, then he must have been pointing to the one that was destroyed in 70 AD.

If there is a future physical temple in our future, then it's not ordained by the LORD. It would violate the Gospel message and the New Covenant.

 

[JudaicChristian]

The idea that the Pope is the Antichrist is not new. The Protestant Reformers taught it. While the Papacy certainly has many characteristics of the Antichrist, the Bible makes it clear that the Antichrist is a person, not an organization. Also, the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the Rapture.

The Bible also tells us that many antichrists have entered into the world. So while the papacy is antichrist, it is not THE Antichrist.

Strange that they believed that (I knew they did). The RCC just does not fit the definition of antichrist given to us by John.

Why do so many people stray from the Biblical definition just to entertain man-made beliefs?

The "temple" Apostle Paul was talking about there is not the spiritual temple idea anyway. The reason is because nothing false can sit in the true spiritual temple because Christ is the chief cornerstone and His true Church are built upon the apostles and prophets (Eph.2:19-22). It's not possible for the Antichrist to pollute that. The temple Paul was speaking of is a physical temple, which to Paul would be according to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

Well if Paul was referring to a physical temple, then he must have been pointing to the one that was destroyed in 70 AD.

If there is a future physical temple in our future, then it's not ordained by the LORD. It would violate the Gospel message and the New Covenant.

Well there were the Catholic and Christian wars were millions over the years died.

 

[imaninvestigator]

Has anyone read the booklet 'The Antichrist' by Larry D. Harper? I got it in the mail yesterday and found his information interesting. According to his research the rapture dose not occur until after the appearance of the antichrist. He uses the writings of Irenaeus and Hippolytus, two of the early Church fathers. I have not finished the research and was doing that when I came across your conversation. Give me your thoughts on this.

 

[veteran]

The "temple" Apostle Paul was talking about there is not the spiritual temple idea anyway. The reason is because nothing false can sit in the true spiritual temple because Christ is the chief cornerstone and His true Church are built upon the apostles and prophets (Eph.2:19-22). It's not possible for the Antichrist to pollute that. The temple Paul was speaking of is a physical temple, which to Paul would be according to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

Well if Paul was referring to a physical temple, then he must have been pointing to the one that was destroyed in 70 AD.

If there is a future physical temple in our future, then it's not ordained by the LORD. It would violate the Gospel message and the New Covenant.

Yes, it would violate The Gospel and New Covenant. But there's no reason to assign the 70 A.D. destruction of the temple to what time Paul was talking about in 2 Thess.2, for he also showed in 1 Thess.5 that Christ's coming and a destruction by Him would occur in a day when the deceieved would be saying, "Peace and safety". Were the deceived in 70 A.D. Jerusalem proclaiming a time of "Peace and safety" when the Roman army came to destroy Jerusalem? If so, then how is it our Lord Jesus did not return then, like what Paul showed in 1 Thess.5?

And what does it mean today, with the group of orthodox Jews in today's Jerusalem that have the materials ready to build another temple there, as they also plan to reinstitute the Old Covenant ritual sacrifices and Levitical priesthood, etc.? They're looking for the coming of Messiah along with that too.

 

[watchman F]

Has anyone read the booklet 'The Antichrist' by Larry D. Harper? I got it in the mail yesterday and found his information interesting. According to his research the rapture dose not occur until after the appearance of the antichrist. He uses the writings of Irenaeus and Hippolytus, two of the early Church fathers. I have not finished the research and was doing that when I came across your conversation. Give me your thoughts on this.

I read it, it was an excellent commentary. He is dead on and so were they. The rapture occurs at the post trib 2nd coming of Christ 42 month after the reign of the anti christ starts.

 

[imaninvestigator]

Are you a fan of George Ladd or Robert Gundry?

 

[archangel_300]

I've always interpreted 2 Thessalonians as being Satan entering the church and spewing out false doctrines and heresies so that the way of truth becomes distorted and the gospel is diminshed.
If you take a look at today there are plenty of heresies and false doctrines that have permeated the church to deceive people. Satan always attempts to mix lies with the truth to confuse. Notice in the next couple verses the coming of Satan in this fashion is accompanied by "power, signs and lying wonders". Do a google search on "signs and wonders"... I wouldn't be suprised if this is what the scripture is referring to. (I mean no offense to any that practice this type of thing)

Also comparing with the verses in Matthew 24... what is the sign of Christ's return?
What is Christ's first answer "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many".

There will be plenty of false prophets and false Christs running around to deceive as many people as they can and I think this is the type of attack Satan will mount as his last ditch attempt to take as many people as he can to hell with him. But it all boils down to infiltrating church and pretending he is "God".