“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;” – Second Thessalonians 2:3The above quotation is frequently used as a time marker for those who look forward to the Coming of our Lord Jesus, myself included. We expect the events of this passage to occur in rapid succession. First the rebellion, then the revealing of the man of lawlessness.
There is a problem with this view of this passage. We cannot expect the events noted above to happen quickly in one day. Another problem is one of assumption. We assume the rebellion will be noteworthy and that we will probably see it on television or read about it in the news.
I have come to realize that we are currently living in the time of rebellion. It was not a noteworthy event, but a change in our culture in America and around the world. It is broadly accepted that we now live in a post-Christian age. The Church and Christianity are no longer considered major components of society. Wiccan witchcraft is growing faster than the Church. There are more Muslims in the world today than Christians. The creation is worshiped, but not the Creator. This is rebellion.
I base my realization on several events that took place during the 1960s: living together instead of getting married became acceptable, drug use became acceptable, rebellion against authority became the rule of the day, and prayer and Bible reading were removed from our schools. It is also interesting to note that during this time Israel captured Jerusalem in the Six Day War, The key to prophetic timing is Israel.
It was also during the 1960s that the ministers and leaders of the mainline Christian denominations openly began questioning the Word of God and the promises and miracles it contains. Second Timothy 3:1-4 describes the evil of the last days. This passage concludes with “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:” This verse always reminds me of men who hold positions in the Church, but do not believe God’s Word. This, too, is rebellion.
I personally believe the rebellion of Second Thessalonians 2:3 has occurred.
All that remains is the revealing of this person we generally call the Anti-Christ. Again, we assume that he will be revealed for what he is. Perhaps, this person is already on the stage of current events. This person may have already been revealed as a leader who does not hold the Lord or His Church in high esteem.
The Day must be near. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!