He quotes Augustine earlier in the article:
In his City of God, completed by 426 AD, early Church father Augustine of Hippo writes of the general confusion surrounding this passage and its harrowing imagery of the Antichrist.
“Then as for the words, ‘And now ye know what withholds,’ i.e., ye know what hindrance or cause of delay there is, ‘that he might be revealed in his own time;’ they show that he was unwilling to make an explicit statement, because he said that they knew. And thus, we who have not their knowledge wish and are not able even with pains to understand what the apostle referred to, especially as his meaning is made still more obscure by what he adds. For what does he mean by ‘For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now holds, let him hold until he be taken out of the way: and then shall the wicked be revealed?’ I frankly confess I do not know what he means.” (City of God, Book XX, Ch XIX.)
Yes, even Augustine says, “I just don’t know.”
This is an interesting view from the article I linked: https://prophecycourse.org/session/more/man-of-sin/
"The man of sin is John of Gischala, a Jewish robber-baron turned Zealot leader. John fulfills Paul’s 2 Thessalonians 2 prophecy:
He was revealed during Israel’s Great Revolt, prior to the nation’s day of the Lord judgment in 70 AD.
He threw off the Mosaic Law, fueling a crime wave, famine and civil war throughout Jerusalem.
He positioned himself over all Israel as a despotic ruler, both symbolically and literally “taking his seat in the Temple of God,” exalting himself even over the Temple objects of worship.
He was “reduced to nothing” at the Lord’s coming in judgment over Israel by the hand of Rome.
A final word from Josephus:
“Yet did John [of Gischala] demonstrate by his actions that these Sicarii [of Masada] were more moderate than he was himself, for he not only slew all such as gave him good counsel to do what was right, but treated them worst of all, as the most bitter enemies that he had among all the Citizens; nay, he filled his entire country with ten thousand instances of wickedness, such as a man who was already hardened sufficiently in his impiety towards God would naturally do; for the food was unlawful that was set upon his table, and he rejected those purifications that the law of his country had ordained; so that it was no longer a wonder if he, who was so mad in his impiety towards God, did not observe any rules of gentleness and common affection towards men.” (Wars 7.8.1.)
In this talk, we established a basic foundation for the timing of this prophecy, covered the four different views on the son of perdition, and finally, we zeroed in on Josephus’ picture of utter lawlessness in Jerusalem during the Great Revolt of Judea. I believe, as a first-century Jewish eyewitness, Josephus is absolutely one of the best sources we have outside the Bible for understanding the trouble of those days. I believe the man of lawlessness was John of Gischala and I believe the historical account given to us by Josephus makes this clear."
This isn't an easy text, that's for sure. Some would say that your assertion that the "temple" mentioned here is the church is unfounded. They would say that Paul is talking about a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. I don't believe that's the case, but is Paul talking about the 1st century physical temple, the "temple" of the church, or a future rebuilt temple? I would say he's talking about the temple that was standing then in the 1st century.
“Most Christians salute the sovereignty of God but believe in the sovereignty of man.”
— R. C. Sproul
#faith #bible #christian
I agree with David Chilton on that from his book Paradise Restored: "As we have already seen, the Caesars were gods. Each emperor was called Augustus or Sebastos, meaning One to be worshiped; they also took on the name divus (god) and even Deus and Theos (God). Many temples were erected to them throughout the Empire, especially, as we have seen, in Asia Minor. The Roman Caesars received honor belonging only to the one true God; Nero commanded absolute obedience, and even had an image of himself built, 120 feet high. For this reason, Paul called Caesar "the man of sin"; he was, Paul said, "the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God" (2 Thess. 2:3-4)." https://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/docs/pdf/paradise_restored.pdf
Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 6th)
Delight and Desires
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart — Psalm 37:4
Delight in God has a transforming power, and lifts a man above the gross desires of our fallen nature. Delight in Jehovah is not only sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul, till the longings of the heart become such that the Lord can safely promise to fulfill them. Is not that a grand delight which moulds our desires till they are like the desires of God?
Our foolish way is to desire, and then set to work to compass what we desire. We do not go to work in God's way, which is to seek Him first, and then expect all things to be added unto us. If we will let our heart be filled with God till it runs over with delight, then the Lord Himself will take care that we shall not want any good thing. Instead of going abroad for joys let us stay at home with God, and drink waters out of our own fountain. He can do for us far more than all our friends. It is better to be content with God alone than to go about fretting and pining for the paltry trifles of time and sense. For a while we may have disappointments; but if these bring us nearer to the Lord, they are things to be prized exceedingly, for they will in the end secure to us the fulfillment of all our right desires.
#faith #bible #christian
No, I'm kvetching about speculative eschatology that has rendered the church distracted, impotent, and culturally irrelevant. The whole system revolving around the supposed arrival of "The Antichrist" is poison.
I see this development in terminology as a departure from the actual revelation God has given to us. It's a theology based on creative speculation and imagination, grabbing a text from over there and combining it with something else that isn't even talking about the same thing. If we're talking about what antichrist means, how about we stick to what John said in 1 and 2 John (the only places the term is used).
Assuming the false prophet is THE capital A Antichrist is a huuuuuuge leap with zero textual basis.
Why do you equate the beast or the false prophet with the term antichrist, since John the author does not, and he's the only one in Scripture that uses the term elsewhere in his letters?
There is no singular antichrist figure. The Bible doesn't use the term in that way at all. Check it out for yourself https://read.lsbible.org/?q=antichrist
What does John say an antichrist is?
Escape from the eschatological madness concocted by the premillenial dispensationalists in the 1800s. Their system of "end times prophecy" was unheard of before then.
Read The Great Tribulation by David Chilton. Free in PDF https://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/docs/pdf/the_great_tribulation.pdf
Here's the blurb "Are we living in the Last Days? Are the signs of our times the Signs of the End? Is the Great Tribulation just around the corner?
For almost three generations evangelical Christians have answered these questions with an unequivocal "YES"!
In this challenging new book by David Chilton, all the prophetic passages of Scripture dealing with the End Times are re-examined with careful attention to every revealing detail. And his conclusions are nearly as startling as the prophesies themselves.
The Great Tribulation is the kind of sane, balanced, and easy to understand introduction to End Times theology that Christians have needed from a long, long time." #faith #bible #christian
If you look at the parallel passage in Luke 21, the abomination of desolation is explained as "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies". The Bible tells us clearly what it is. There's no need for speculation.
Jerusalem was surrounded and the temple destroyed in 70AD, as Jesus predicted.
Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 3rd)
In God's Time
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry — Habakkuk 2:3
Mercy may seem slow, but it is sure. The Lord in unfailing wisdom has appointed a time for the outgoings of His gracious power, and God's time is the best time. We are in a hurry; the vision of the blessing excites our desire, and hastens our longings; but the Lord will keep His appointments. He never is before His time; He never is behind.
God's word is here spoken of as a living thing which will speak, and will come. It is never a dead letter, as we are tempted to fear when we have long watched for its fulfillment. The living word is on the way from the living God, and though it may seem to linger, it is not in reality doing so. God's train is not behind time. It is only a matter of patience, and we shall soon see for ourselves the faithfulness of the Lord. No promise of His shall fail; "it will not lie." No promise of His will be lost in silence; "it shall speak." What comfort it will speak to the believing ear! No promise of His shall need to be renewed like a bill which could not be paid on the day in which it fell due - "it will not tarry."
Come, my soul, canst thou not wait for thy God? Rest in Him and be still in unutterable peacefulness. #faith #bible #christian
Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 2nd)
Heavenly Wealth
No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly — Psalm 84:11
Many pleasing things the Lord may withhold, but "no good thing." He is the best judge of what is good for us. Some things are assuredly good, and these we may have for the asking through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Holiness is a good thing, and this He will work in us freely. Victory over evil tendencies, strong tempers, and evil habits, He will gladly grant, and we ought not to remain without it.
Full assurance He will bestow, and near communion with Himself, and access into all truth, and boldness with prevalence at the mercy seat. If we have not these, it is from want of faith to receive, and not from any unwillingness of God to give. A calm, a heavenly frame, great patience, and fervent love - all these will He give to holy diligence.
But note well that we must "walk uprightly." There must be no cross purposes and crooked dealings; no hypocrisy nor deceit. If we walk foully God cannot give us favors, for that would be a premium upon sin. The way of uprightness is the way of heavenly wealth - wealth so large as to include every good thing.
What a promise to plead in prayer! Let us get to our knees.
#faith #bible #christian
I'll check this out. Have you listened to Tower 4? https://pca.st/podcast/3ef0bbd0-e53e-0138-e7d7-0acc26574db2
New article in the local paper by my pastor: Psalm 2 calls us to be on right side.
"The second psalm is an amazing song of victory. God triumphs over his enemies and spoils the plans of the kings of the world.
He does this primarily by installing the Messiah as his king, over all the rest of them, and by promising the whole earth as the Messiah’s possession. This psalm is quoted in the New Testament, including by Jesus, as an explanation for the suffering and resurrection of Christ, and as a promise of enduring, future victory over evil for the people of God.
Jesus is the star of the show in this song.
However, you’ve never heard any believer anywhere say that Psalm 2 is his favorite. It doesn’t make us happy. Nobody’s hollering over the second psalm. Christians don’t cling to it; memorize it; or, walk at all in its clear tones of victory.
I’ve spent some time wondering why that is. I’m convinced there are a few “turn offs” for evangelical believers here, but only have time to discuss the first one.
Psalm 2 opens with the rulers of the world conspiring together to get rid of God and God’s anointed one, the Messiah. In verse 3, their stated desire is: “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
These conspirators join forces to escape the rule of God.
Bonds and cords signify the law of God, with its commandments and moral demands, with its warnings that the wicked will be judged and punished.
Wicked people feel the law of God as bonds and cords. Chains and shackles. God promises prosperity, peace, and abundance to those who keep his commandments; but sinners convince themselves that real freedom is found in breaking through all the boundaries.
As with the packs of elk we see outside of town, a fence-line is something to be gracefully hopped over, and nothing more.
Freedom means only following your own desires.
The trouble is that modern evangelicals view the law of God in basically the same way as the conspirators. They have convinced themselves that Christ came to loosen up all the rules for us. When they hear the good news, that Jesus sets us free from the curse of the law, they jump to believing that the law itself is that curse. Having a law at all is the bad thing we need to be delivered from.
So, in a song of victory that is only 12 verses long, modern church people find themselves in some amount of agreement with the bad guys starting at verse 3. They too desire freedom from the chains.
This was not, however, Christ’s attitude toward the law of God, nor that of the New Testament writers. The curse of the law, which is very real, and from which we do need deliverance, is not that the law exists in the first place. It’s that those who fail to keep it are in terrible trouble. The requirements are good and holy. My failure to meet up to them is why I need a savior.
Once we’re clear about what side we’re on, the second psalm is suddenly much better news."
Gordan Runyan is pastor of Tucumcari’s Immanuel Baptist Church and author of “Radical Moses: The Amazing Civil Freedom Built into Ancient Israel.” Contact him at: reformnm@yahoo.com
https://www.qcsunonline.com/story/2023/11/01/opinion/psalm-2-calls-us-to-be-on-right-side/25279.html
#faith #bible #christian
Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 1st)
Perfection and Preservation
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it — 1 Thessalonians 5:24
What will He do? He will sanctify us wholly. See the previous verse. He will carry on the work of purification till we are perfect in every part. He will preserve our "whole spirit, and soul, and body, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." He will not allow us to fall from grace, nor come under the dominion of sin. What great favors are these! Well may we adore the giver of such unspeakable gifts.
Who will do this? The Lord who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, out of death in sin into eternal life in Christ Jesus. Only He can do this: such perfection and preservation can only come from the God of all grace.
Why will He do it? Because He is "faithful" - faithful to His own promise which is pledged to save the believer; faithful to His Son, whose reward it is that His people shall be presented to Him faultless; faithful to the work which He has commenced in us by our effectual calling. It is not their own faithfulness, but the Lord's own faithfulness, on which the saints rely.
Come, my soul, here is a grand feast to begin a dull month with. There may be fogs without, but there should be sunshine within.
#faith #bible #christian
"The tragedy of our day is that we have reduced our understanding of the Gospel to merely a message of justification by faith. The Gospel is surely not less than sinners being given peace with God, but it is about far more than just personal forgiveness.
The Gospel is the Good News of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23). The problem with modern evangelicalism in the West is that many would not be able to tell you why the Reign of God on earth is Good News.
When Jesus announced that the time was fulfilled and that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, the call was to repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15). The King had come, and heaven had invaded earth when the Second Person of the Trinity entered his own fallen creation.
The question remains: Why is the Kingdom Good News?
Because God is doing more than just taking sinners to heaven with him one day.
The Messiah's rule entails the reconciliation, renewal, and restoration of all things to God in Christ Jesus. It is about the salvation of the entire fallen cosmos, not just the salvation of individual sinners (Colossians 1:15-20).
God's means of accomplishing this mission is the Church, his blood bought, Spirit empowered people.
They are called out and sent forth into the world with His message and authority to bring all things into subjection to Christ.
This world is not a throwaway. God is zealous to right every wrong and overturn the effects of sin's curse as far as they are found.
Eternal life is not only a future prospect but a present reality. We are new creatures in Christ, and God is partnering with us to advance His Kingdom in every area of life until the world is subdued by his power.
Jesus is Lord. The nations and the ends of the earth are his inheritance. God will redeem his people, and he will establish justice in the earth.
That's Good News worth proclaiming." --Jeff Durbin #faith #bible #christian
Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 30th)
Thorough Cleansing
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you — Ezekiel 36:25
What an exceeding joy is this! He who has purified us with the blood of Jesus will also cleanse us by the water of the Holy Spirit. God hath said it, and so it must be, "Ye shall be clean." Lord, we feel and mourn our uncleanness, and it is cheering to be assured by thine own mouth that we shall be clean. Oh, that thou wouldst make a speedy work of it!
He will deliver us from our worst sins. The uprisings of unbelief, and the deceitful lusts which war against the soul, the vile thoughts of pride, and the suggestions of Satan to blaspheme the sacred name - all these shall be so purged away as never to return.
He will also cleanse us from all our idols, whether of gold or of clay: our impure loves, and our excessive love of that which in itself is pure. That which we have idolized shall either be broken from us, or we shall be broken off from it.
It is God who speaks of what He Himself will do. Therefore is this word established and sure, and we may boldly look for that which it guarantees to us. Cleansing is a covenant blessing, and the covenant is ordered in all things and sure. #faith #bible #christian
Amen. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."