Who is the Man of Lawlessness, that Son of Perdition?

Who is the man of lawlessness of 2 Thessalonians 2? And who is his restrainer? The man of sin, that son of perdition, often finds himself in an Antichrist mashup, used to color a shadowy world leader who is said to rise and take over the world in the last days.

In this lesson, we’ll take a closer look at the man of sin and identify a few candidates.

TAKE-AWAYS FROM THIS LESSON

• Establish the timing for the fulfillment of this prophecy
• Review the four different views on the son of perdition
• Become familiar with Josephus’ picture of life during the Great Revolt of Judea
• Answer the question, “Who is the man of lawlessness?”

Touted as one of the toughest passages in the New Testament, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 has defied theologians ever since the early days of the Church. In his City of God, completed by 426 AD, early Church father Augustine of Hippo writes of the general confusion surrounding this passage and its harrowing imagery of the Antichrist.

Who is the Man of Lawlessness (Son of Perdition)?

The only place we see the “man of lawlessness” title in Scripture is in 2 Thessalonians 2. Writing in the early 50’s AD, Paul shifts from discussing Christ’s return on the last day (sometimes called Judgment Day, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12) and now addresses a more immediate concern for the young church in Thessalonica. Time is running out: 20 years have passed since Jesus sat upon the Mount of Olives and predicted a time of terrible tribulation.

For the full lesson transcript, go to https://prophecycourse.org/session/more/man-of-sin/