2 Thessalonians 2:3-9

Expanded Bible

³ Do not let anyone ·fool [deceive] you in any way. That day of the Lord [v. 2] will not come until the ·turning away from God [great rebellion; apostasy; Matt. 24:11–12; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1–5; 2 Pet. 2:3; Jude 18] happens and the Man of ·Evil^[a] [Wickedness; ^LLawlessness; ^Cprobably the Antichrist; 1 John 2:18; Rev. 13], ·who is on his way to hell [^Lthe son of destruction; John 17:12], appears. ⁴ He will ·be against [defy; oppose] and ·put himself above [exalt himself against] any so-called god or ·anything that [any object that; or any place where] people worship [Is. 14:13–14; Ezek. 28:2–9; Dan. 11:36] ·and [or so that] he will even go into the Temple of God and sit there and ·say that he is [present himself as] God.

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I told you that all this would happen? ⁶ And ·now [so] you know what is ·stopping that Man of Evil [^Lrestraining him; holding him back; 2:3] so he will ·appear [be revealed] at ·the right [the proper; ^Lhis own] time. ⁷ The ·secret power [or mystery] of ·evil [lawlessness; wickedness] is already ·working in the world [or at work], but there is one who is ·stopping that power [restraining it]. And ·he [or it] will continue to ·stop [restrain] it until ·he [or it] is taken out of the way [^Cthis restrainer may be the Holy Spirit or human government, among other possibilities]. ⁸ Then that ·Man of Evil [^Levil/lawless one; 2:3] will ·appear [be revealed], and the Lord Jesus^[b] will ·kill [destroy] him with the breath that comes from his mouth [Is. 11:4] and will ·destroy [annihilate; put an end to] him with the ·glory [brightness; splendor; or appearance; manifestation] of his ·coming [arrival; presence]. ⁹ ·The Man of Evil [^L…who; 2:3] will ·come [arrive] ·by the power [or at the instigation; ^Lin accordance with the work/activity] of Satan ·and will have [or with; accompanied by] ·all kinds [or every kind] of ·false [counterfeit] ·miracles [powers], signs, and wonders.