2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, The Rejection of the Truth and Believing of the Lie

How is it that many of the Pharisees and other religious leaders in Israel failed to see who Jesus was, after all the miracles he performed and the powerful teaching he did? Jesus tells us that they had committed the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:12-32). They had hardened themselves against the truth and chose to believe a lie. The same will occur during the time of the apostasy and man of sin.

^2:9 His coming is patterned after the working of Satan, with all counterfeit miracles and signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with every deceit that advances injustice in those who are perishing. This will result in a failure to love the truth that leads to people being saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them a misleading influence so that they will believe the lie, ¹² in order that all who do not believe the truth, but take pleasure in unrighteousness, will be condemned.

Paul has already described how the man of lawlessness, the antichrist, will be destroyed at Jesus’ coming, but he backtracks a bit to elaborate on the behavior of the man of sin, the beast out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-8). He is energized by and conforms to Satan, performing counterfeit miracles to deceive those who are perishing. People will be so hardened to the truth about Jesus, that would otherwise save them, that they will believe the lie that the man of sin is perpetuating.

The Revelation passage’s description of the man of sin fits with this:

^13:1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. ² And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. ³ One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. ⁴ And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

⁵ And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling that is, those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, ⁸ and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

How is it that the beast, the antichrist, can perform miracles? It has something to do with Satan’s power in him. Satan is the great counterfeiter, with his own trinity, himself, the man of sin, and the false prophet, using whatever power he has, including knowledge, to influence the world. But as Jesus said,

²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:22,23)

God, in His sovereignty, deludes those who are set against the truth so that they embrace the lie of the man of sin. They take pleasure in unrighteousness and so are deserving of condemnation. Jesus’ coming is the climax of the Day of the Lord and the judgment of unbelievers.