Will the Church See Antichrist?

Here's what Paul said...

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 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. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day (the day Jesus returns in judgment and we are gathered together to Him) will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 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 - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (ESV).


Paul also said not to let anyone deceive you concerning that day...


Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 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. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day (the day Jesus returns in judgment and we are gathered together to Him) will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 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 - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (ESV).


What else does Paul tell us the church will see?


Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 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. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day (the day Jesus comes and we are gathered together to him) will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 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 - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (ESV).

What Paul wrote does not take away the Blessed Hope.  What it does take away is the assumption and teaching that Christ could return at any moment.   We have been given clear markers of what we will see before Jesus returns and gathers us to Himself.

I urge you to be a student of the Word.  Take this passage and compare it with what Christ taught us in Matthew 24 and Mark 13...they line up perfectly...

Jesus:  "And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake" - Mark 13:37.