2 Thessalonians 2:8

Text (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming;

Translation and Paraphrase

8.

And then the lawless one shall be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall take away by the spirit (or blast) of his mouth, and do away with by the (shining) appearance of his coming.

Notes (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

1.

The man of sin will suffer a complete ruin at the coming of the Lord. With all the evil and false religion that there is in this world, Christians would be very disheartened if it were not for their confidence in the Lord's return.

2.

The Wicked one (or man of sin) was to be revealed when the one that had been hindering his appearance was taken out of the way. See the notes on 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7.

3.

The Lord Jesus will destroy the Wicked one with the spirit of his mouth. The expression, spirit (or breath, or blast) of his mouth, refers to the power of the presence of Jesus. It does not mean that Jesus shall destroy the man of sin by converting his followers. The word breath does not signify God's truth or instruction, but the execution of his judgment. (See Special Study VI, question 3.)

Numerous references in the Bible contain the expression, breath of his mouth, or similar phrases. Isaiah 11:4: With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. See also Job 4:9; 2 Samuel 22:16; Isaiah 30:27-28; Isaiah 30:33. They all describe the execution of God's judgment.

4.

The word Jesus in our translation of 2 Thessalonians 2:8 is included on quite strong evidence in the ancient manuscripts. Nestle's Greek and numerous English versions include it.

5.

Apparently the Wicked one will continue to exist until the Lord comes, for the Lord shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming, Chapter eighteen of Revelation tells how the great city Babylon (or Rome) will be destroyed, While we do not long to see men perish, nor do we long for vengeance on anyone, we do long to see God's truth be victorious.

6.

This verse speaks of the brightness of his (the Lord'S) coming, Rotherham translates this phrase, the forthshining of his Presence.

Certainly, since the Lord is going to be revealed from heaven in flaming fire (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8), and in great glory (Matthew 24:30), His coming will be bright and overpowering.

The same word which is translated brightness here (epiphaneia), is translated glorious appearing in Titus 2:13; looking for - the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ, See also 1 Timothy 6:14.

7.

Again in this verse we have the word parousia. (See notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:19, par. 7 for its meaning.) Here the Lord's parousia (presence or coming) is connected with the destruction of the man of sin. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15 the parousia is connected with the resurrection and taking up of the saints.

All of this leads us to repeat once more that the Thessalonian epistles rule out the idea that Christ is coming one time to take his church out of the world, and then will come again (a third time) with his church to punish sinners, and set up His kingdom. There is only one parousia of the Lord, and at the parousia the saints will be resurrected and caught up and the man of sin will be destroyed.