Charles Taze Russel, the founder of the heretical Jehovah’s Witnesses cult, infamously predicted that the time of the Gentiles would be over and Christ would return on Oct 1, 1914. Later he changed the date to 1915, then 1918. Other JW leaders dated the beginning of the kingdom at 1925, 1929, 1942, and 1975. JW’s currently believe that 1914 marked the end of the Gentile Times and the beginning of the transition period from human rule to the Thousand Year (Millennial) Reign of Christ. I wish we were transitioning, but I don’t think we are.

Obviously, we would disagree with the JWs on their eschatology.

Eschatology, the study of end times events, is a controversial topic. People have many different views on these things. Some people do not think it’s important—the topic does not matter to them. It does not really matter. But Paul must have thought that it was fairly important; most of 2 Thess pertains to eschatology.

2 Thess chapter 2 is an extended discussion of the Parousia—the 2^nd Coming of Christ in glory. Parousia is the Greek word for “presence, arrival.” It’s translated as “coming” in today’s passage.

In this chapter, Paul is responding to some questions the people of Thessalonica had concerning the 2^nd Coming. They were “shaken in mind” and “troubled” about this, because some false teachers had been claiming that the “day of Christ is at hand” (.2). So this chapter gives us some information about when Jesus will return and what kind of things must happen before Jesus returns.

Paul’s particular concern in chapter 2 is to correct the church’s misunderstandings concerning the timing and nature of Christ’s 2^nd Coming—the Parousia.

Sadly, there is still a good bit of misunderstanding concerning this topic. But if we understand what Paul is telling us here, it will dispel much of that error.

Paul teaches three things in this passage to correct any misunderstandings of the Parousia.