The Anti-dote to the Anti-Christ

2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

One of the false teachings that was circulating among the Thessalonians was the assertion that Jesus had already returned.  Paul confirms that this is false and describes the true conditions which will be present when Jesus returns.  Paul teaches a big precursor to Jesus' coming is when "the man of lawlessness comes to deceive as many as possible".  His deception will reach its height when he sets himself up in the temple to be worshipped as God. The temple here could mean literally the "Jewish temple", or more could mean figuratively a "holy place where God is worshipped".  Jesus and Daniel refer to this as the "abomination that causes desolation".  The bottom line is that this man of lawlessness, also called the "anti-Christ" is an important key to Jesus' return. 

There are many figures in history who were said to be the anti-Christ, including Hitler and the Pope. The Pope was referred to as the "anti-Christ" in the 16th century by Luther and many other reformers.  It is important to distinguish between THE anti-Christ and a spirit of being anti-Christ.  Many who are not the anti-Christ have a spirit of being anti-Christ.  This would include those who actively undermine the church like satanists, and also those who persecute and kill Christians for confessing their faith.  The anti-Christian spirit seems to be gaining ground in our culture as Christians are becoming an increasingly scorned for holding to basic Christian beliefs and morals.  

We usually associate the anti-Christ in dramatic Hollywood style but it seems as though the anti-Christ will come back masquerading as someone appearing to do good but seeking those who will eventually worship him. In the meantime believers need to worry less about the anti-Christ and focus more on being in Christ.  As a believer lives in the power of the Holy Spirit, he or she can easily distinguish truth from error, the gospel from false teaching.  We also never need to be afraid of the "evil one" because "greater is He that is in us, than he that is the world."