Image of the Beast

[thephnxman]

Originally Posted by Sean

The Antichrist will not be revealed until the church is GONE.

2 Thessalonians 2
2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 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; 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. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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: 9 even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 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. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

II Thes. 2:3 _ "...for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition..."... (v. 13) "For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way."

The Church will see the falling away (apostasy) and the manifestation of the man of sin: but the world and disobedient will be blind to the truth.
The Holy Spirit will not be taken away, but out of the way, to allow sin to run its course.

The image of the beast will not be discerned except by those who are obedient in the Church, because it will be in man's image: totally carnal (animal) in the spirit, body, and soul!