[berned]

I'm SO glad you posted from 2nd Thesselonians, Chpt 2. Let's go over it.

7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back...

This is The Holy Spirit, who is embodied in the souls of US, THE CHURCH...

... will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

THAT is the Rapture!...

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,...

This references the AntiChrist, spoken of in great detail in Revelation...

whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming

THIS is the 2nd Coming. Let's review...

First the Rapture of the Church, THEN the Antichrist during the seven years of the Tribulation, THEN the 2nd Coming, which will destroy the antichrsit.

Isn't this pretty much what the "Left Behind" series portrays? Of course they take some artistic liscence, (because no one knows the hour-by-hour outline of every thing that will happen) but isn't that essentially what the L.B. series portrays?

The Left Behind series is getting tens and tens of MILLIONS of souls to think about End Times, (which will lead many of them to the Bible and many eventually to the Lord) who would otherwise be curled up with some kinda meaningless Steven King escapism. That's not a good thing?

[ValerieUSA]

The end times approach to salvation is the method of greedy and power-hungry cultists and false prophets. Beware. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

[yendu bwam]

The Left Behind series is getting tens and tens of MILLIONS of souls to think about End Times, (which will lead many of them to the Bible and many eventually to the Lord) who would otherwise be curled up with some kinda meaningless Steven King escapism. That's not a good thing?

You're right, Berned. Overall, it's a good and great thing - to remind people of the ultimate 2nd coming of Christ - especially for those who have forgotten the wonderful meaning and essence of the first coming.

[alexandria]

The Left Behind series is getting tens and tens of MILLIONS of souls to think about End Times, (which will lead many of them to the Bible and many eventually to the Lord)

Amen! Thank you, berned, and you have Freepmail!

[Texas Yellow Rose]

	II THESSALONIANS
2 THESSALONIANS 2:1 Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him, Paul is saying; I'm here again to get a few things straight concerning the second coming of Christ and our gathering together to him. 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by any letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Don't be fooled or confused, and don't let  I Thessalonians confuse you. 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. What day is Paul talking about?  The Lord's day.  Paul is saying that the gathering back to Him shall not happen, until there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.  Who is the man of sin?  Who is this son of perdition?  It's Satan.  What does perdition mean?   It means sentenced to death.  There has only been one entity who has been sentenced to die and that is Satan.   Some scholars and people say that this is Judas.  But that won't fit.  You see, Judas was not sentenced to death.  He repented and later died from his wounds. 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. So what is Paul saying?  He's saying don't let my first letter fool you.  Christ is not coming back until Satan is revealed sitting in the temple of God, claiming to be God. 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. The subject here is Satan.  The word "Letteth" is a transitive verb. This means you cannot change the verb that's being used.  The subject and object here is Satan sitting in the temple of God. "He who now let's", who is this? Who holds Satan now? Revelation 12:7   Michael the Arc Angel  holds satan. Satan's evil spirit is live and well on this earth today. But he is not here personally. II Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. What lie? Satan's lies. God wrote this Bible for you.