MAN OF SIN, & THE "FALLING AWAY"
 “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him ...  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the falling away (departure)  comes first, and the MAN OF SIN  is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.  .. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” (2 Thess. 1-4,9)

This passage has been the source of much speculation about who is “the man of sin” and when he will appear on the scene. Because the letter to the Thessalonians was written around 52 AD (about 18 years before the Fall of Jerusalem) it is likely that this passage is about the Fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.  Paul may have been reminding his readers of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 21, that before His return Jerusalem will fall, the Temple be laid waste and the people scattered.  He may be urging the Thessalonians not to be carried away with teaching that the return of the Lord could happen any day.

The return of the Lord will not happen before “THE MAN OF SIN” takes over the Temple and scatters the Jewish people – the departure. The phrase  ‘falling away’ used in this passage can equally be translated as ‘departure’.  (It was translated in this way by pre King James translations.)  In this case Paul was probably referring to the future (70AD) exile or ‘departure’ of the Jewish people from their land as Jesus and the prophets had predicted.

It is reasonable to conclude that the events of 70AD when the Roman general Titus Flavius captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple fulfilled this prophecy. Titus Flavius later became Emperor Titus and proclaimed himself to be a god (exactly as Paul predicted in the above passage).

ANTICHRIST & HUMANISM

In his letter to Timothy, Paul speaks about “the man of God” “that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:17). The “man of God” is a generic phrase that signifies “the godly man”. In Thessalonians he speaks about “the man of sin”. It is possible that this is also a generic phrase for “the ungodly man”. The ungodly man, “man of sin” is man who has declared independence from God and ignores His standards.  In today’s world MAN has thrown off all moral restraint and value systems. He has made himself god deciding for himself what he may or may not do. A society based on this radical humanism is developing throughout the world today. We also see counterfeit signs and wonders operated  by “New Age” adherents and followers of Satan. We need to be aware during these times that all miracles and supernatural phenomena are not necessarily of the Lord. Otherwise we too can be deceived.

It is possible that the systems, which emerge from this atheistic mind set, will converge to produce a major political leader opposed to God’s plan’s and ways - the final Antichrist

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