(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV]) Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV]) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
All of the studies found here, whether book studies or topical studies, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history recorded in the Word of God and in any ancient records from many, which records support it, plus archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, nor lexicons, nor concordances, nor commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief, apostasy, and a falling away from God Himself. We do not need them. That Word of God, written and preserved for us in our own language, is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and as the New Testament was for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc.
Tyndale Bible
Coverdale Bible
Matthew's Bible
Great Bible
Geneva Bible
Bishop's Bible
King James/Authorized Bible
There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:
(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
(1 Thessalonians 2:13 [KJV])
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!
Introduction/Start of study
2 Thessalonians Chapter 2: OUR BLESSED HOPE, THE RAPTURE
(John 14:2 [AKJV/PCE])
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
This set of two letters to the Christians in Thessalonika is about persecution, the intense amount that first came from the Jews, now from the Romans. The Christians were to bow down to statues of Caesar, which were literally placed all over the Roman Empire. If not, then they were The Romans would take a keg of wine, dedicate it to the gods Venus or Caesar, and then sprinkle it all over the food supply in the marketplace. Eating it were eating things sacrificed to idols, worshipping a false god, which they refused to do, steadfastly. if they refused, they were called out, marked, persecuted. This got so bad that they thought that they were in the Great Tribulation, that they missed the Rapture, or that this Pre-Tribulation Rapture was a false teaching. They were upset that they were lied to, not realizing that they were under The Great Judgment of the Great Tribulation. Paul had to fix this false teaching them, showing them to order of vents, with the Pre-Tribulation Rapture being the first event, which could happen at any time, including then. Paul assured them that God knew, God was watching and God will take vengeance for them, so endure it. The fact that they were upset that they had missed the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is because they thought that they were in the Day of the LORD, having missed the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Had they thought that it was at the end of the Great Tribulation, they would have been rejoicing that they were about to see the end of it all and the return of the LORD. The second key to unlocking them is the Restrainer, the Holy Ghost on earth in the Church
The Day of Christ is only mentioned three times, all of them referring to the Rapture of the Churh, not the Final Judgment of the earth in the Great Tribulation, as one can see in reading every verse in the two testaments about the day of the LORD, sometimes judgment on a nation or nations with finality and fire then, sometimes referring to the Great, Final Wrath of God in Revelation, coming soon It is all determined in the context of the verses
The apostasy must happen: revival was literally breaking out all over because of the Gospel and the persecution (vv .1-3)
The Temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem: the Temple was still up, about to be taken down, not since rebuilt "in times of trouble" (Matthew 24:15)
The Restrainer (Holy Ghost) must be removed (vv. 6-12)
In no place in Scripture is the Rapture referred to as any sort of falling away, apostasy, anyone leaving the LORD. In afact, all action is done by the LORD, not
the Church, as we simply are raptured; He raptures us as an action
(Matthew 24:15 [AKJV/PCE])
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
(Revelation 11:1-2 [AKJV/PCE])
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
At the onset of the ministry, door opened, all was for a reason, as n them getting saved, spreading the gospel throughout the city, making disciples, remaining steadfast and growing
Brethren means Paul is speaking clearly to Christians, not unbelievers
Here Paul mentions two events, the "coming" and the "gathering", which are one event, mentioned in 1 Thessalonians chapter four
THE PERSECUTION, THE DISPERSIA
(Matthew 10:16-25 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
(Acts 1:8 [AKJV/PCE])
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
(Matthew 28:19-20 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(2 Thessalonians 2:1 [AKJV/PCE])
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Brethren, meaning they were Christians, believers
The coming and the gathering, one event, in summary, 1 Thessalonians 4
THE COMING AND GATHERING: 1 THESSALONIANS 4
(1 Thessalonians 4:15 [AKJV/PCE])
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The persecution of the saints in the first entury made them bold, so that the Gospel spread throughout the empire and beyond, to the rest of the world, as Jesus told them it would.
"by letter as from us" is referring to the fact that there were flaming hereticks who took Paul's first letter to them and edited it, making it look like it ws from him when it was not, making it look like the Rapture had already happened!
How easy was this to believe? Well, they were being persecuted, martyred, beaten, imprisoned, so badly that they literally though as anyone might going through that, that they were in the Great Tribulation!
(2 Thessalonians 2:2 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
We are not called to be swayed by sudden "revelations" when we now have what they did not even have, the whole counsel of God, Genesis (6,000 B.C. to Revelation (90 A.D.)
They were shaken in mind because they thought that they missed the Rapture, which means that they must have been taught by Paul, et al that the Rapture preceded the Day of the LORD, not followed it!
Either that, or they thought that Paul taught them a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, and he taught them a false doctrine, because it ws now going to be at the end, since they thought that they were now IN the Great Tribulation!
Letter "as from us" means they got letters, falsely edited/written and passed around like they were from Paul
The Day of Christ appears here and in Philippians twice, and refers to the Rapture, not the Day of the LORD, as that day was and always will be judgment day for nations, Old Testament and new
The context here and in Philippians means it is a joyous day of hope, our hope, not exactly what the Day of the LORD will be to the unbelieving nations when God judged/judges them one day soon!
There is no hope in going through the Great Tribulation, seeing unbelievers die by the millions through every imaginable terror that God will throw at the earth, worldwide, where even islands will flee away!
(Revelation 16:20-21 [AKJV/PCE]) And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
THE DAY OF CHRIST, VERSUS THE DAY OF THE LORD
(Philippians 1:10 [AKJV/PCE])
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
(Philippians 2:16 [AKJV/PCE])
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
(Isaiah 2:12 [AKJV/PCE])
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
(Isaiah 13:6 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
(Isaiah 13:9 [AKJV/PCE])
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
(Isaiah 34:8 [AKJV/PCE])
For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
(Jeremiah 46:10 [AKJV/PCE])
For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
(Lamentations 2:22 [AKJV/PCE])
Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD's anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.
(Ezekiel 13:5 [AKJV/PCE])
Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.
(Ezekiel 30:3 [AKJV/PCE])
For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.
(Joel 1:15 [AKJV/PCE])
Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
(Joel 2:1 [AKJV/PCE])
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
(Joel 2:11 [AKJV/PCE])
And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
(Joel 2:31 [AKJV/PCE])
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
(Joel 3:14 [AKJV/PCE])
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
(Amos 5:18 [AKJV/PCE])
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
(Amos 5:20 [AKJV/PCE])
Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
(Obadiah 1:15 [AKJV/PCE])
For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
(Zephaniah 1:7 [AKJV/PCE])
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
(Zephaniah 1:8 [AKJV/PCE])
And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
(Zephaniah 1:14 [AKJV/PCE])
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
(Zephaniah 1:18 [AKJV/PCE])
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
(Zephaniah 2:2 [AKJV/PCE])
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you.
(Zephaniah 2:3 [AKJV/PCE])
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
(Zechariah 14:1 [AKJV/PCE])
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
(Malachi 4:5 [AKJV/PCE])
¶ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
(Acts 2:20 [AKJV/PCE])
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
(1 Corinthians 5:5 [AKJV/PCE])
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
(2 Corinthians 1:14 [AKJV/PCE])
As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:2 [AKJV/PCE])
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
(2 Peter 3:10 [AKJV/PCE])
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
(2 Thessalonians 2:2 [AKJV/PCE])
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.
People took Paul's first letter to them and had rewritten it, making it still look like it was from Paul, and changed it to say what Paul never said, that it was at the end of the Tribulation, so they thought that they were now in the Great Tribulation!
Why would that bother anyone who already thought that they were going to go through the Great Tribulation? If Paul told them that they were, they would not be "soon shaken in mind, or be troubled"
This second epistle was to correct that error which was deliberately injected into the false epistle being circulated through the church there
(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 [AKJV/PCE])
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; 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.
The Great Tribulation cannot start until after the two things about to be listed by Paul here
Namely, the Great Apostasy and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, in times of trouble
The difference is that they were under a revival, due to the Gospel spreading, and because persecution always brings it to make the church grow
The other difference is that the the Temple in Jerusalem was still standing, not in need of being rebuilt, being destroyed decades later in 70 A.D.
The first half of the Great Tribulation period is a time when there is a false peace with Israel and the nations, the anti-Christ (hereinafter referred to as AC) making a false, three and a half year covenant with Israel, as there was a complete and unique disruption on earth, similar only to the actual advent of the Flood of Noah's day, when the door was shut to the ark and suddenly all water broke loose, except here it will be chaos, all hell breaking loose, after the confusion of the Rapture, then a false peace with the covenant, then the anti-Christ breaks that covenant, then it is the time of Jacob's trouble
(Daniel 9:25 [AKJV/PCE])
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
APOS'TASY, n. [Gr. a defection, to depart.]
An abandonment of what one has professed; a total desertion, or departure from one's faith or religion.
The desertion from a party to which one has adhered.
Among physicians, the throwing off of exfoliated or fractured bone, or the various solution of disease.
An abscess.
(2 Thessalonians 2:5 [AKJV/PCE])
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
They forgot because of the false letter, simple as that.
Paul had warned everyone that this sort of thing would happen to them
(Acts 20:29 [AKJV/PCE])
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
(2 Thessalonians 2:6 [AKJV/PCE])
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
The "he" is the Holy Spirit resident in the church body, indwelling the members, in us who are saved
The "he" is repeated three times here, so that we understand it
The only way to take away the Holy Ghost resident in the church is to take away the church body, as in the Rapture
(2 Thessalonians 2:8 [AKJV/PCE])
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:
And THEN the anti-Christ will be revealed, not before
The spirit of His mouth is the Word of God, His Word, by which He merely has to quote it and the enemy will be consumed, destroyed
A blinding brightness over a dark kingdom, exposing the lies of the anti-Christ
(Ephesians 6:17 [AKJV/PCE])
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
(2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 [AKJV/PCE])
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Every attribute of the antiChrist is from the serpent: all earthly spiritual power, ability to deceive with subtlety, wickedness, sin, unrighteousness, and his followers will die forever in hell, having dedicated themselves to him, rejecting God's love and His truth
God is Love, God is Truth, and both are offered, both to be received freely if we want His salvation
THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH
(1 John 4:8 [AKJV/PCE])
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(John 14:6 [AKJV/PCE])
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(Ephesians 4:15 [AKJV/PCE]) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
(2 Thessalonians 2:11 [AKJV/PCE])
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
This is already partly happening, whether God has sent it as muchnow as He will then, but billions are deluded.
Covid was the perfect example of this strong delusion, so imagine if God sends a much stronger one like He will when the AC omes on the scene
(2 Thessalonians 2:12 [AKJV/PCE])
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The main reason one will deliberately deny Christ and seek salvation is because they love their sin
They enjoy their sin by denying it is sin and that they are sinners, mocking in every way anyone who points it out, calling all evil relative, making it all just your opinion, denying the truth
(2 Thessalonians 2:13 [AKJV/PCE])
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
God opens the eyes of those who want to see, as long as they admit that they are spiritually blind
(John 14:5 [AKJV/PCE])
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
(John 14:8 [AKJV/PCE])
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
(2 Thessalonians 2:14 [AKJV/PCE])
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The gospel, according to my gospel, our gospel
That is what we are called to also, to worship God, now and into glory, forever to live with Him
We are all called, many will reject
(Matthew 22:14 [AKJV/PCE])
For many are called, but few are chosen.
(Matthew 20:16 [AKJV/PCE])
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
PAUL'S GOSPEL, "MY GOSPEL", "OUR GOSPEL"
(Romans 2:16 [AKJV/PCE])
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
(Romans 16:25 [AKJV/PCE])
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
(2 Timothy 2:8 [AKJV/PCE])
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
(2 Corinthians 4:3 [AKJV/PCE])
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
(1 Thessalonians 1:5 [AKJV/PCE])
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
(2 Thessalonians 2:15 [AKJV/PCE])
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
Those traditions taught are from God's Word, through them or by reading, not by Pharisees, Saduccees
MAN'S TRADITION VS. GOD'S TRADITION
(Matthew 15:3 [AKJV/PCE])
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
(Matthew 15:6 [AKJV/PCE])
And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
(Mark 7:13 [AKJV/PCE])
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 [AKJV/PCE])
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
God the Son, and God (the Spirit), God our Father, the Trinity
God loved us first, consoles us through everything, gives us hope and patience, comfort, enables us to stand strong for Him, do His Work, being His feet and hands on earth