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The Man of Lawlessness

¹ Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers,² not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter presuming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.

³ Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.⁴ He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.⁵ Do you not remember that I told you these things while I was still with you?⁶ And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way.⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,¹⁰ and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.¹¹ For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie,¹² in order that judgment will come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

Stand Firm

¹³ But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning^(a) to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.¹⁴ To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁵ Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.