Before the Lord Jesus comes and we are gathered together to Him, a worldwide revolt against authority will occur and Antichrist will take his seat in the Temple of God.

The Christians in Thessalonica had become excited because of the resurrection and ascension of the saints of which Paul had spoken in his first epistle to them. Apparently some of them had quit their jobs and had become disorderly, spending their time in unprofitable talk and gossip.

Therefore Paul wrote to them a second time. He exhorted them to settle down and go back to work, because certain events must take place before the Lord comes and the resurrection and ascension unite us forever with the Lord Jesus and with one another.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the coming of the Lord] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 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. (II Thessalonians 2:3,4)

Jesus spoke of the coming "abomination" of man making himself God and of the desolation that always results when man makes himself God:

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)

It appears that the Temple of God will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then the current trend toward the ascendancy of man over God will find fulfillment in a Satan-filled person who goes into the Holy of Holies, sits between the wings of the cherubim, and declares that he is God. The Lord God of Heaven immediately will cause great tribulation to erupt on the earth because of such blasphemy.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)

We understand there have been many antichrists in the world since the first century.

Why is it taking so long for a human being to boldly declare himself to be God, establishing his position with satanic signs and wonders? It is because there is an opposing force.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [restrains] will let, until he be taken out of the way. (II Thessalonians 2:7)

We can observe on every hand the signs of the working of the spirit of lawlessness. People are being taught in schools and universities that man is in control of the earth. The elevating of man over God produces rebellion—a despising of authority.

What force is restraining the full revelation of lawlessness and man-centeredness? It is the force of Christ through the Holy Spirit in the saints.

In order for the full maturing of the "tares" to take place, the restraining force must be removed from the path of Antichrist.

If it is Christ through the Spirit in the saints who is restraining the full manifestation of Antichrist in the world, then the saints must be overcome in some manner if Antichrist is to come to full revelation. This is what will take place.

To be continued.