GhostontheNet
March 21st 2004, 06:01 PM
I ask this question because I've not seen a complete commentary on this issue but have some of the data. Does Nero, Vespasian, or someone else fit in with the man of lawlessness? I'll quote the relevant passage first. 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 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. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Thessalonians 1-12 ESV I see two interpretations about the parts with the coming (Parousia in this case) and gathering together of the saints. The first would be to link this to the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which would futurize the passage. The second would be to link this to Revelation 14:13, and Matthew 22:1-14 where the Kingdom of Heaven seems to wait until the fall of Jerusalem if a past fulfillment on this Parousia is required, especially with a Parousia in the middle of the man of lawlessness text. As to the man of lawlessness, I don't know how one could accuse either Nero or Vespasian of the sort of worship commented on above, though I suppose Josephus wouldn't comment on something like this to his patron and the other writers may not care about Vespasian saying he's YHWH. Paul comments the mystery of Lawlessness is already at work and has a restrainer preventing it from being unleashed now, this would make sense with men alive at the time but not yet active in eschatological events. Nero died in 68 A.D. and Vespasian in 79, I therefore wonder how either could be said to be killed by the Parousia. Unlike Nero, Vespasian could be said to be something of a miracle worker, Seutonius in the Twelve Ceasars X(Vespasian)7. writes of a faith healing by Vespasian, and the other factors in this passage are also workable. In the end I find I'm missing much data on this, anyone have some to make a stronger case for fulfillment?