2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Many a Christian read through these verses and get two words stuck in their thoughts…”Strong Delusion”. Some may wonder, “is that what is happening in the world today?” We would like to assure you that what is going on in the world today is not a fulfillment of this “Prophecy”. What we are experiencing today is the result of fallen man. It’s unimaginable at how corrupt a person can truly get, but that is the result of a fallen world.
When God sends a “strong delusion”, those that are affected by it have no remedy. Verse 12 says that they will all be damned because they would not believe the truth, but that they only wanted pleasure. We must remember that God is just, and that He is love, and that He is perfect. He has reached out over the ages to everyone. He has given everyone the chance to be saved.
When a person becomes a Christian, they start renewing their mind to God’s holiness. When our minds are being renewed to the mind of Christ, it’s hard to understand how people can continue to reject God, because we see how good God is. But we have to remember that, that is how we used to be before becoming a Christian. That is why it’s so important to witness for Jesus today and get as many people saved as we can.
When we approach these verses in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, it is important to keep the context. The context will always determine what the truth is. These verses in 2 Thessalonians 2 are only dealing with the future. It is a time when all Christians on earth have been taken out or raptured out of this world, to be with Jesus forever.
The fulfillment of this prophecy of 2 Thessalonians 2 will take place after the rapture, which starts the seven year tribulation that is coming upon the Earth. The seven year tribulation is only dealing with people of the world and how they deal with Israel. It’s actually a spiritual battle.
The Holy Spirit through Paul is talking about the day of the Lord. (2 Thes. 2:2-3) I have dealt with the “Day of the Lord” in another article. Please read that article so you can find out what it is talking about and help you understand what the seven years are all about. Because the day of the Lord is not just one day, it’s a span of time. Kind of like if you tell someone “your day will come”, you’re probably not talking about just one day, but a period of time that is unknown to both of you.
We are living in the “Age of Grace” today. The age of Grace extends from Jesus’ resurrection until the rapture. After the rapture, the things spoken of in these verses of 2 Thessalonians 2 will start taking place in a rapid manner. At that time, God will start dealing with the Jewish people once again, God will fulfill the prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled about the Jewish people.
God made a covenant with the Jewish people and He will fulfill that covenant. In the book of Romans 9-11, the Holy Spirit through Paul makes it clear that the Jewish people have been set aside for a time. That time is the church age or you can call it the age of Grace. So when the age of Grace has been completed at the rapture, then God turns his attention to the Jewish people once again, and Paul said all Israel will be saved. That’s the covenant God made with them and it will happen just like He said.
That’s the context of 2 Thessalonians 2 when God starts to fulfill the prophecies about Israel in the end times.
The strong delusion is about the rise of a man that people think will save the world from all the catastrophes that are going on. Hunger and war will be tamed because of him. He will be a nice person at first and people will flock to listen to him. They will think that he has the answers to all the worlds problems. But he is actually a devil in disguise.
People do not want to accept the real God, but they will accept this man as the Messiah of the world. Since they won’t accept God as their savior now, God is going to allow them to have what they want. So the strong delusion is to allow people to accept him as their savior.
The book of revelation tells what this person is really like and what will happen during that time. You don’t want to be here during that time because the strong delusion will be irresistible. If you are part of that delusion, you will be damned for eternity.
You can escape that now by becoming a Christian and know that you will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus. It’s your choice. The Bible says today is the day of salvation. Please don’t wait another day because you’re eternity is in the balance, it’s your choice.
MARANATHA
I’ve included 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 in two different translations for you to read, the English Standard Version and the King James Version.
2 Thessalonians 2 (ESV)
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 quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4. 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. 5. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6. And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10. and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12. in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (KJV)
1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 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. 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; 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. 5. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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: 9. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 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. 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.