2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

Someone asked me what my view on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 is. Here was my response:

2 Thes. 2:2-4 has nothing to do with any rapture of anyone. There is no "pre-trib" or "post-trib" rapture mentioned in any of those verses. Verse 1 is the only verse that mentions a rapture and it says nothing about the timing of it. It just says that Paul beseeched the Thessalonians by it, that they shouldn't be troubled about the Day of Christ. So I think it is silly to argue (directly) from the passage that the rapture of the BOC is "pre-trib" or "post-trib". The passage does not mention either one.

Also, the post-tribber doctrine of the "day of Christ" being the same thing as the rapture is a joke. Nobody would be "troubled" about the rapture being at hand. Paul just got through COMFORTING them by teaching about the blessed hope in 1 Thes. 4:13-18. Not to mention that Paul clearly states that the rapture is at hand (Rom. 13:11-12, Phil.3:20-4:5).

Paul does imply that the events regarding the 70th Week concern the Jews. The "falling away" is about the Jews (Dan. 11:33-38) and the temple of God is about the Jews (2 Thes. 2:4). Besides that, under grace, a Jewish temple would not be "of God" nor would it be a "holy place" (Matt. 24:15). So it is obvious that 2 Thes. 2:3-4 has nothing to do with the gentiles under grace.

Paul concludes the chapter by saying that the Thessalonians would be saved from the deception of the Man of Sin (2:13). They were "called" to this salvation by Paul's gospel (2:14) "to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" which does occur at our rapture (Phil. 2:20-21, Col. 3:4). Those in Daniel's 70th week aren't all going to obtain salvation from it because many of them will be deceived, take the mark, etc. The calling to salvation is by BELIEVING Paul's gospel (2:13-14), not by believing the gospel of the kingdom and enduring to the end (Matt. 24:13-14).

There is a lot of "pre-trib" and "post-trib" bias read into 2 Thes 2, but in reality the passage does not state when our rapture is. It also does not say directly who will be going through Daniel's 70th week, but Paul's mention of the falling away and the temple clearly imply that it will be the Jews. It really doesn't make sense for 2 Thes. 2 to be the big battle ground passage on the rapture.

Here's a post I did on 2 Thes. 2:3 and the "falling away"
http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/what-is-falling-away-of-2-thes-23.html

Eli "Hoss" Caldwell