2 Thessalonians 2:8

Then. Those who hold that the one “taken out of the way” (v. 7) is the Roman Empire understand “then” to refer to the time that papal Rome ascended to power (see on Daniel 7:8). Those who hold that the one “taken out of the way” is the Antichrist (see below on “that Wicked”), believe that “then” applies to the time still future, when the papacy will experience a brief period of revival (see on Revelation 13:3), following which its true nature will be exposed (see on Revelation 17:16, 17), or, in a wider application, to the time when Satan, the supreme Antichrist, takes a personal part in last-day affairs, only to have the falsity of his claims to deity exposed (see on 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

It should be remembered that the apostle is not attempting to give a complete doctrinal outline of last-day events, but is seeking only to provide the Thessalonians with such prophetic information as will keep them from being deceived concerning the time of the Saviour’s return. We, therefore, should not expect a complete chronology of events that precede “the day of Christ.”

That Wicked. Greek ho anomos, literally, “the [one] destitute of law,” hence, “the violator of the law,” “the lawless one,” or “the wicked one.” The reference is to the “man of sin” (v. 3), or the “mystery of iniquity” (v. 7). According to one view “the lawless one” is the papacy (see on v. 4; cf. GC 356, 579). According to a second view, he is not only the papacy, but more importantly, Satan himself, the supreme Antichrist, as he impersonates Christ just before the last day (see on verses 4, 9).

Revealed. Greek apokalupto (see on v. 3). Applied to the papacy this would refer to its assumption of power following the decline of the Roman Empire. The reference could also be to the time yet future when the papal power will be revived (see on Revelation 13:8), and to the time when following this brief period of revival the true nature of the system will be unveiled, or exposed (see on Revelation 17:16, 17).

Applied to Satan, the revealing, or unveiling, would refer to his attempted counterfeit of the coming of Christ (see on v. 9).

The Lord. Textual evidence is divided (cf. p. 10) between this and the reading “the Lord Jesus,” a reading that harmonizes with the context, which speaks of Christ’s glorious return.

Shall consume. Greek analisko, “to expand,” “to use up,” “to consume,” “to destroy.” Textual evidence is divided (cf. p. 10) between analisko and the reading anaireo, “to take away,” “to abolish,” “to put out of the way,” “to slay.” See below on “shall destroy.”

Spirit of his mouth. That is, the breath of his mouth (cf. on Luke 8:55; Revelation 19:15). There may be an allusion here to the wording of Isaiah 11:4.

Shall destroy. Greek katargeo, “to make idle,” hence, “to render null and void” (see on Romans 3:3). This latter meaning fits well into the picture of the fate that awaits the papacy or, more basically, Satan at Christ’s second coming (cf. on Revelation 20:1-6). The papacy ceases to exist, and Satan’s carefully laid scheme collapses.

The words of this verse have sometimes been used to describe the destruction of the wicked at the second coming of Christ. It is true that the wicked living at that time will suddenly be slain, but Paul is here dealing with the fate of “that Wicked,” “the wicked one,” not with that of the wicked in general.

Brightness. Greek epiphaneia, “an appearing,” “an appearance,” a word that was often used in classical Greek to describe the glorious appearing of the pagan gods. In the NT it is exclusively used for the glorious advents of the Lord Jesus, both the first (2 Timothy 1:10) and the second (1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13).

Coming. Greek parousia, the word generally used for Christ’s second coming (cf. on 2 Thessalonians 2:1; see on Matthew 24:3).