This is the verse for this stunning Bible verse about a power who would exalt itself against God. When would that power arrive? Many people believe that this falling away is people leaving the church at the end times. Is it biblical? Let us find out as this power Paul tells us comes around his time and lasts until the end.
What does the Bible truly say about the falling away? 2 Th 2:1: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,” So here we see it is talking about the second coming. But should we conclude that this falling away is in the end times? We need to read the context to find out.
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. Because the church has been lukewarm, because the church has not done her job in helping others to expose this evil world, then the return of Jesus was delayed. Two thousand years from Paul to now is still at hand compared to the 4,000 years from creation to Jesus.
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. What does the falling away mean in the Bible? Who is the son of perdition, the man of sin? Most reformers called the man of sin the same power as the Antichrist and Babylon.
It is the papacy. So the falling away has to do with one thing: the coming of the man of sin, the son of perdition. So it is not to do with people leaving the church, but the rolling inside the church of false beliefs.
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. This falling away, this verse says, is about a power who would enter the church.
It says he sits in the church of God, claiming to be God. Who only claims to be God? Satan and the pope. Later we will see that it cannot be Satan; then it can only be fulfilled by the pope. What does the falling away mean in the Bible? It is a satanic power claiming to be Christian that will make Christians fall away from the pure truth of the apostolic church. The truths given by Jesus to the apostles would be corrupted and changed.
It would not be a total eradication of all the truths, as it says it is only a falling away, not an entire departure. But adding satanic beliefs to the church is what the Bible calls Babylon and Antichrist.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? This is a prophecy, given by His to Paul. This is a center event in Revelation and Daniel.
This is the power that would bring in the mask of the beast, that would bring the Inquisition.
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. A power was hindering him from coming in the church. It is paganism, which we see somewhere else as the daily. When the three tribes were taken away, Ostrogoths, Heruli, Vandals, then the papacy entered the church and brought in many satanic beliefs.
Millions of Christians trusted this power and started to believe satanic beliefs such as Christmas, Sunday worship, nuns, penances, priests, confessions, eternal hell, and immortality of the soul, which pagans and Satan worshippers practiced for centuries.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
The three tribes out of the way, pagan Rome transformed into papal Rome could start to make people fall away from the truth.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Here the Bible tells us to the second coming. So this power would start around the time of Paul and fall all the way to the second coming.
The papacy has been in existence since around 300 and still exists today. This prophecy is correct and proves the Bible has to be true.
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. Now we enter something interesting, as yes, there are many good Catholics. But the Bible plainly says that the initiation of this church was done by Satan. This is to lead away from the truth of the Bible.
Most Catholics do not read the Bible and trust priests for their beliefs. The signs and wonders we see, Mary apparitions all over the world, appearing with a baby. The Bible says the dead know not anything. Mary is in the grave. Then these apparitions could only be manifestations of satanic angels.
10 And with all inconceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. What does the falling away mean in the Bible? Here we have a clearer view of the falling away: it is entering in the church all deceitfulness of unrighteousness. False beliefs, false doctrines being thought as biblical.
Who will receive those beliefs? Those who do not care about the truth enough to search for it and take time to study from Genesis to Revelation what the Bible teaches, rather than what the priest teaches.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. So studying a little deeply we find out that God tells us that the falling away is in fact the strong delusion. What is a delusion? It is someone, or a group of people, believing they are right when their belief comes from Satan. But deep down they are really convinced that they are right. Yet they cannot prove it from the Bible.
But the only way we can know if something is true is if we can show where to find it in the Bible. Who brings the strong delusion? God. What does God make them do? Believe a lie. Could it be that because these people are not honest they reject the truth? Yes. And could it be that because they reject the truth God gives them strong delusion and makes them believe a lie? Yes. What does the falling away mean in the Bible? Question: are these people who believe a lie Christians? Atheists? Pagans? No, they are Christians.
This is the stunning fact that the modern church is missing. Most Sunday Christians are taught that all Christians go to heaven. They are taught that as long as you believe in Jesus you will go to heaven. This is totally unbiblical. In fact, most of the book of Revelation, the Gospels, and the letters of Paul are about claiming to be a Christian and belonging to Satan. What does the falling away mean in the Bible? It is falling away from the truth of God.
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. We see it is so important for God that we believe the truth.
People think that what they believe does not matter. Some people do not take much time in seeking the truth. But God puts a damnation on people who believe unrighteousness or a lie. What is seen as totally unimportant for humans today is of superb importance for God. As someone who rejects truth is dishonest, this is how God will judge. All honest accept truth, all dishonest reject truth. It is like a car who has bad exhaust pipes; it will not pass the smog test. When someone has pleasure in distorting the truth and deceiving themselves and others, they are condemned by God.
I see that two things are very important for a human being to please God: 1. honesty 2. humility. As pride is the basis of all evil. And someone cannot be on God’s side and love to lie and deceive others.
13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. On the other side, here God marks those who will go to heaven. Belief of the truth leads to salvation. These God chose for salvation.
They are sanctified through suffering and trials, because God sees something precious in them.
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who make it to heaven are honest, and God leads them into all truth. If we never heard some truth we are not responsible to follow it. But once we hear and refuse to follow it, then we receive the all defencelessness of unrighteousness and strong delusions. Then we fall away. What does the falling away mean in the Bible? This is the falling away: God, by sending truth, sifts his church between those who love and those who do not love the truth.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Here the word tradition means the truth. The translation is instruction or precept. Because of the falling away, in this chapter Paul urges the believer that one day the man of sin, the pope, will come to bring in damnable heresies. This will cause a falling away from the truth for many Christians. A motivation to keep what the Bible teaches. In these end times also most Protestant churches have fallen away as they have rejected the first angel’s message given by William Miller.
They also have fallen and are in a state called Babylon, as the mother fallen church is. Many now can hear the three angels for the first time and take their position for the truth.
16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. Also because God loves you so much, then we can give this love back to Him in being honest. But humbling our hearts and recognizing when we have believed lies. Instead of keeping our comfortable false beliefs.
We follow Jesus wherever He sends us. Then we can know that He can establish us in every good word, every truth, every Bible teaching that is from Him. Repeat after me: Father God, help us to walk in your truth. Help us to leave false beliefs that are not found in your word, so we can please you in not practising evil and pagan beliefs that do not proceed from you. Forgive our sins, bless, prosper, and heal us. Please give us your righteousness in the name of Jesus. Amen.