That phrase "that day shall not come" as found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is totally ignored by those who have bought into the pre-trib rapture theory.
Paul is writing to the church as Thessalonica, telling them not to worry about the rumor that the Day of the Lord was at hand. He goes on to give signs that would indicate the timing, and he says: "don't be deceived. The Day of the Lord will not come until there's a falling away and the Antichrist appears."
Read it for yourself:
2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 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;
What? That's doesn't line up with what the Pre-trib Rapture theory espouses. In that false teaching, christian dead and alive, will be gone before the Antichrist is revealed.
Paul then goes on to describe how to recognize the Antichrist:
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Paul says that "when you see this person sitting on the throne in the "temple of God" claiming to be God, then you'll know that's the Antichrist and that the Day of the Lord is at hand.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Here it says that the brightness of the Lord's coming will bring an end to the Antichrist's claim and reveal the truth.
Another way to recognize the Antichrist arrival/appearing will be all the "power, signs and lying wonders" of Satan
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Who will be deceived? The unrighteous? Those that "received not the love of the truth."
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Here it is very clear that the Lord's coming will not be until after the appearance of the Antichrist. Because there is nowhere in the Bible that talks of a "secret" coming of the Lord, there can only be one Second Coming. Not a half-coming, where He sneaks in and snatches out believers all kind of sneaky.
No. Instead we see that the Day of the Lord comes in with a lot of noise (trumpets), earthquakes and fire. More...
Paul is writing to the church as Thessalonica, telling them not to worry about the rumor that the Day of the Lord was at hand. He goes on to give signs that would indicate the timing, and he says: "don't be deceived. The Day of the Lord will not come until there's a falling away and the Antichrist appears."
Read it for yourself:
2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 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;
What? That's doesn't line up with what the Pre-trib Rapture theory espouses. In that false teaching, christian dead and alive, will be gone before the Antichrist is revealed.
Paul then goes on to describe how to recognize the Antichrist:
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Paul says that "when you see this person sitting on the throne in the "temple of God" claiming to be God, then you'll know that's the Antichrist and that the Day of the Lord is at hand.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Here it says that the brightness of the Lord's coming will bring an end to the Antichrist's claim and reveal the truth.
Another way to recognize the Antichrist arrival/appearing will be all the "power, signs and lying wonders" of Satan
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Who will be deceived? The unrighteous? Those that "received not the love of the truth."
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Here it is very clear that the Lord's coming will not be until after the appearance of the Antichrist. Because there is nowhere in the Bible that talks of a "secret" coming of the Lord, there can only be one Second Coming. Not a half-coming, where He sneaks in and snatches out believers all kind of sneaky.
No. Instead we see that the Day of the Lord comes in with a lot of noise (trumpets), earthquakes and fire. More...
