Identifying the Man of Lawlessness

Comment by johnamos880 on 2014-07-02 15:31:41

Before you retain the notion that the MOL is the GB, mull on the following for a while.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one seduce YOU in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. 4 He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called “god” or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god…9 But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents 10 and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing,
Daniel 11:32 “And those who are acting wickedly against [the] covenant, he will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words…36 “And the king will actually do according to his own will, and he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; and against the God of gods he will speak marvelous things. And he will certainly prove successful until [the] denunciation will have come to a finish; because the thing decided upon must be done. 37 And to the God of his fathers he will give no consideration; and to the desire of women and to every other god he will give no consideration, but over everyone he will magnify himself.
Rev 13:13,14 And it performs great signs, so that it should even make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind. 14 And it misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that were granted it to perform in the sight of the wild beast
Rev 13:5 And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given it, and authority to act forty-two months was given it. 6 And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his residence, even those residing in heaven.
Daniel 7:25 And he will speak even words against the Most High, and he will harass continually the holy ones themselves of the Supreme One. And he will intend to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a time, and times and half a time.
Daniel 7:8 I kept on considering the horns, and, look! another horn, a small one, came up in among them, and there were three of the first horns that were plucked up from before it. And, look! there were eyes like the eyes of a man in this horn, and there was a mouth speaking grandiose things.
Daniel 8:25 And according to his insight he will also certainly cause deception to succeed in his hand. And in his heart he will put on great airs, and during a freedom from care he will bring many to ruin. And against the Prince of princes he will stand up, but it will be without hand that he will be broken.
1 John 2:18 Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as YOU have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour.

• Reply by Nightingale on 2014-07-02 16:13:00

  Yes. I used to think that MOL might be the GB but nowadays I think this is the more likely option.

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-02 16:30:22

  You have quoted many scriptures, but given no application. So I'm going out on a limb here and inferring that you mean to tie them all together into a single fulfillment that involves the man of lawlessness and the antichrist. Since, Paul's words make it clear that the man of lawlessness existed in his day, I think there is a danger in trying to tie end-of-times prophecies in with his warning as it may dull our senses by causing us to believe the MOL is not with us yet. In fact, he has been at work deceiving Christians since the first century.

  • Reply by johnamos880 on 2014-07-02 18:15:37

    Quote- Since, Paul’s words make it clear that the man of lawlessness existed in his day, I think there is a danger in trying to tie end-of-times prophecies- End quote
    1 John 2:18 “even now there have come to be many antichrists”
    There were antichrists as well back then, surely those antichrists won’t be the one on scene in the end, likewise any MOL from Paul’s day will not be the one on scene in the end.
    2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one seduce YOU in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first
    Daniel 11:32 “And those who are acting wickedly against [the] covenant, he will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words
    What is the apostasy that has to come first mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3???
    Who leads the apostasy mentioned in Daniel 11:32???
    2 Thessalonians 2: 4 He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called “god” or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god
    Daniel 11: 36 “And the king will actually do according to his own will, and he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god;
    How many separate individuals can there be on scene in the end at the same time that can be said to “lift himself up over everyone who is called god or an object of reverence”/ “exalt himself and magnify himself above every god”???
    Likewise:
    [Daniel 11: 36…and against the God of gods he will speak marvelous things.
    Daniel 7:8 this horn, and there was a mouth speaking grandiose things.
    Rev 13:5 And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given it, 6 And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God,
    Daniel 7:25 And he will speak even words against the Most High,]
    2 Thessalonians 2:10…and with every unrighteous deception…11 So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.
    Daniel 8:25 And according to his insight he will also certainly cause deception to succeed in his hand.
    Rev 13:4 And they worshiped the dragon because it gave the authority to the wild beast,
    2 Thessalonians 2: 9 But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents 10 and with every unrighteous deception
    Rev 13: 13,14 And it performs great signs, so that it should even make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind. And it misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that were granted it to perform in the sight of the wild beast
    Also reading the words “gets revealed” or “will be revealed” causes one to have the wrong idea about this said MOL, like as thou he is in secret and he will be exposed as in a negative way, but to the contrary his being revealed is when he comes on the world scene publicly showing himself… in other words “in his own due time”.
    The following reads with that line of thought:
    2 Thessalonians 2:6 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
    6 And you know what is stopping that Man of Evil now. He is being stopped now so that he will appear at the right time.
    2 Thessalonians 2:6 The Message (MSG)
    6-8 You’ll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. That doesn’t mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose. But don’t worry. The Master Jesus will be right on his heels and blow him away. The Master appears and—puff!—the Anarchist is out of there.
    The one world government has been secretly and underground for ages but has had to wait until its turn in prophecy it being the 8th king. It will publicly come at its due time and after 42 months Jesus will do away with him/it.

    • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-03 12:47:42

      Well that is certainly one interpretation. However, I'm not so sure that we can link the passages from Daniel, Revelation and Thessalonians into one harmonious whole.
      >>There were antichrists as well back then, surely those antichrists won’t be the one on scene in the end, likewise any MOL from Paul’s day will not be the one on scene in the end.
      We are on the same page in this. The actual men making up the MOL that appeared at the start of the twentieth century are long gone, but the MOL they were part of continues to this day.
      >>2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one seduce YOU in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first
      >>Daniel 11:32 “And those who are acting wickedly against [the] covenant, he will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words
      >>What is the apostasy that has to come first mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3???
      I believe this is the apostasy that began when men started replacing Christ as the head of the Christian congregation from the second century onward.
      >>Who leads the apostasy mentioned in Daniel 11:32???
      I don't know.
      >>How many separate individuals can there be on scene in the end at the same time that can be said to “lift himself up over everyone who is called god or an object of reverence”/ “exalt himself and magnify himself above every god”???
      We have but to look around us to know the answer to that. A great many. Every group of men who replace Christ as the head of the congregation fit the bill. I thought that was clear from my article.

    • Reply by Anonymous on 2014-07-03 22:22:56

      I don't know about the other scriptures, but I certainly think the one in Daniel 11 could be referring to the same man of lawlessness mentioned in 2 Thessalonians. There are too many similarities for it to be just coincidence. Note too that the one in Daniel 11 comes just before the end - just as Paul mentioned the coming apostasy preceding the end. Paul may very well have had that scripture in Daniel in mind when he wrote 2 Thessalonians 2.

Comment by brendaevans32 on 2014-07-02 15:32:43

Hello Meleti
Thank you for such a thought provoking article.
I have pondered on the man of lawlessness myself, particularly when I read (albeit for the first time in my life) Paul's letter, but also when such a person has been referred to during conversation. I often thought - how do you identify this man of lawlessness. I moreorless came to the same conclusion as you do - it is for us to make the effort, look at the characteristics and try to work it out. The problem, as you indicate, is how intricate the man of lawlessness is likely to become as more of the characteristics are revealed.
On the subject of revealing, I have a couple of points to make. The first is something I have come across (thanks to a Watchtower study a couple of weeks ago - as usual, only part of what was stated in the Bible is referred to in the study, and is used to help support a point) and this is where Jesus has referred to the person who not only hears the words of Jesus and what He shares with us, but does something about it, and acts on His Words - it is concluded with something that I have taken very much on board - - - "Now when Jesus finished these sayings, the effect was that the crowds were astounded at his way of teaching;  for he was teaching them as a person having authority, and not as their scribes." (Matt 7:28 and 29).
This speaks volumes and volumes to me, with growing everyday - I would rather listen to Jesus rather than a scribe. Not only were His Words appropriate, poignant, applicable and relevant in the day He said them, but, I think, everyday right down to today - there is so much wisdom and relevancy yesterday and today and tomorrow in them. I think that Jesus is as contemporary today as He was when He came.
The second point is borne from experience - and it is a favourite of mine - if you wait long enough, it is surprising what comes out of the woodwork. Wait long enough and things get revealed which were not intended to be revealed - particularly by those who want to keep them secret to save face.
I had to smile on Saturday morning just gone - one of the elders from the congregation I used to attend called. It looked like it was just simply part of the ministry route (and nothing particularly special to try to answer my questions or allay my reasons why I have not attended since the article on the Seven Shepherds and Eight Dukes (sorry to hark back to this one, yet again). We must have had about 10 minutes on the doorstep - we revisited a bit about the Exodus, chatted over the Fathful and Discreet Slave - and I finally heard myself saying things like - I believe that folk doing the will of the master could be the Fatihful and Discreet Slave. On the subject of the Seven Shepherds and Eight Dukes - he wasn't too sure, and told me he would have to go away and look into it and find the study article, and come back with what he finds. This has niggled me since - something as important as being these people, you would think would be ingrained in the minds and memories of those who take the lead at meetings.
And I came out with the lovely conclusion I found at Matthew 7:28 and 29. And when you look at the account to which Jesus is talking about, it is the account of building your home on the rock mass - it is like the man who hears the words of Jesus, and does something about them. And ironically enough, in the preceeding verse, we hear Jesus warning us, that not all those who say "Lord, Lord" will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, indeed Jesus goes on to warn that they may not be recognised (in the way they hoped they would), and He will tell them to go away, they are workers of lawlessness.
Much to consider. Much to think about. Much to read, soak in the words of Jehovah.
I have regularly said, particularly before getting involved with our local congregation, that you don't have to look far to find Jehovah, that you do not need to go to a building to talk with Him, or to praise Him. I mentioned that you could even find Him in a blade of grass or anywhere. I was then told how Jesus said that if you look under a stone, you will find Him there. The true and most beautiful place to go to Jehovah, is in your heart and in your mind.
In such a place there is just you and Jehovah. What more can I say?
Much love to you all.

Comment by BeenMislead on 2014-07-02 15:45:44

Thanks Meleti!!
Excellent post about the “Man of Lawlessness”.
I look forward to the next post about:
“Why Does Jehovah Allow a Man of Lawlessness?”
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I think the right hand of the Governing Body does not know what the left hand is doing!!
How can the GB say this in 1990?
“As Christians, we face up to similar challenges today. We cannot take part in any modern version of idolatry—be it worshipful gestures toward an image or symbol or the imputing of salvation to a person or an organization.” – (w90 11/1, p. 26, par. 16, Our Relative Subjection to the Superior Authorities)
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And then say this in 1993?
“But if we were to draw away from Jehovah’s organization, there would be no place else to go for salvation and true joy.” - (w93 9/15, p. 22, They Compassionately Shepherd the Little Sheep)

• Reply by GodsWordIsTruth on 2014-07-02 16:35:33

  BeenMislead
  Thank you for the references. This is a clear example of the doublespeak by the GB IMO

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-02 17:07:19

  Doublespeak indeed!
  You also quoted from the new book God's Kingdom Rules where it says that 'the second generation of anointed ones of the overlapping generation of Matt. 24:34 are getting up in years now, that means that "very soon" the great tribulation is going to start.' (Thank you for that.)
  So we are again using "this generation" to calculate how close the end is.
  We did this before in 1973:
  (tp73 chap. 7 p. 88 par. 28 When Will the Foretold World Destruction Come?)
  All what things? All the various features of “the sign” about which he was speaking, as well as the “great tribulation,” which he had also mentioned. For these things to take place within a generation would mean that persons who were on hand to observe what happened in 1914 C.E. at the beginning of the “conclusion of the system of things,” would still have to be alive at the end of this period, when the “great tribulation” strikes. Those who remember the events of 1914 are getting up in years now. Many of their number have already died. But, Jesus assures us, within “this generation,” before they have all died, destruction of this wicked system of things will come.
  Of course, the end didn't come in 1975, but ever the die-hards, we simply moved the goal posts. Instead of adolescents in 1914, we went with newborns in 1984:
  (w84 5/15 p. 5 1914—The Generation That Will Not Pass Away)
  If Jesus used “generation” in that sense and we apply it to 1914, then the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older. And others alive in 1914 are in their 80’s or 90’s, a few even having reached a hundred. There are still many millions of that generation alive. Some of them “will by no means pass away until all things occur.”—Luke 21:32.
  Then, finally, in 1995 we wised up:
  (w95 11/1 p. 17 par. 6 A Time to Keep Awake)
  Eager to see the end of this evil system, Jehovah’s people have at times speculated about the time when the “great tribulation” would break out, even tying this to calculations of what is the lifetime of a generation since 1914. However, we “bring a heart of wisdom in,” not by speculating about how many years or days make up a generation, but by thinking about how we “count our days” in bringing joyful praise to Jehovah. (Psalm 90:12) Rather than provide a rule for measuring time, the term “generation” as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics.
  You'll notice that the speculation was done by "Jehovah's people", not the Governing Body. The Governing Body doesn't speculate.
  Since "Jehovah's people" weren't getting the message after so many decades of being told by the Governing Body that the generation could and should be used to calculate how close the end was, they further clarified the message in 1997:
  (w97 6/1 p. 28 Questions From Readers)
  So the recent information in The Watchtower about “this generation” did not change our understanding of what occurred in 1914. But it did give us a clearer grasp of Jesus’ use of the term “generation,” helping us to see that his usage was no basis for calculating—counting from 1914—how close to the end we are.
  Ah, excuse me?! Yes it most certainly did change our understanding of what occurred in 1914. Despite that mendacity of that statement and the fact that the perpetrators of the generation speculation were not owning up to their role in the fiasco, I was relieved to see that at last we were smartening up. Such elation was premature as it turns out, given the "new light" from the new book. Having not learned from our history, we are doomed to repeat it.

  • Reply by BeenMislead on 2014-07-02 20:05:25

    Yes that is so true!
    Those of us old timers who were around before and during 1975 can defiantly see history repeating itself.
    I find it interesting and unsettling both, how so many JW’s who were around then are just putting their heads in the sand and trying to ignore it.

    • Reply by anderestimme on 2014-07-03 10:12:34

      My wife observed one brother, when asked by a non-witness about 1975, deny that we ever made a prediction that the end would come in that year. The brother is a nice, sincere guy who lived through the 1975 fiasco, and my wife didn't ask him why he denied it, so I'll never know what was on his mind. But it was like something out of Orwell's 1984.

    • Reply by smolderingwick1 on 2014-07-04 10:39:30

      Being a 1975 defender and survivor I can attest to the fact that we regarded any who DIDN'T accept 1975 as lawless. How strange that the roles of a liar can be so succinctly yet completely reversed only to be repeated again, leaving a more truthful history conveniently forgotten.
      But then this is how the corporate church survives. No confession of guilt is needed since it is not human and has no sin. After all, is it not merely an extension of heaven? maybe a much different heaven? one that men created for their convenience? Which is why the honest ones get crushed, reprogrammed or cleaned out entirely so soon after such a fiasco.
      So who's left to blame now? Are we any different than Catholicism by proclaiming ourselves to be the original true church still? They did. And so do we now.
      sw

Comment by GodsWordIsTruth on 2014-07-02 16:33:20

I am simply blown away by this article . It was very organized , scripturally based and a pretty life changing article for me . As always …. thank you Meleti
Agape

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-02 16:40:37

  Thank you.

• Reply by Peter on 2014-07-03 16:59:19

  Not to offend anyone..But shouldn't the thanks go to our God Jehovah? as his servants and followers of his son, if we are given any insight or clarity to his words shouldn't the credit go to him? and not to us or any servants he may use? as I see it any gratitude given to men is a trap from the adversary....Just a thought brothers we must keep in mind....shalom

  • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-03 18:04:01

    No offense taken. Your point is valid. Glory and thanks go to God. However, that doesn't mean we should restrain ourselves from expressing appreciation or giving thanks to someone who has done us a kindness or who has labored in our behalf. Not only Paul but all the congregations gave thanks to Prisca and Aquila. (Ro 16:4) This was not a trap set by God in his inspired word for them. There is, of course, the danger that such expressions of appreciation will go to our head and make us think more of ourselves than is our due. Therefore, I appreciate your timely reminder of that danger and thank you for it. :)

  • Reply by Alex Rover on 2014-07-05 06:47:37

    A very well written article!
    Thank you for your hard work researching the topic. It's clear that the MOL is not anyone specific, but everyone who fits the shoe. So the lesson is to love truth above all.
    About Paul's comment, here's a little semi humorous thought I entertained:
    Thanking Jehovah and Jesus for Meletis interpretation carries the co-notation that they endorse his interpretation. Repeat it long enough and you start believing he is their endorsed faithful slave "mouthpiece", which is exactly what happened to the early bible students wanting Russel to be their loadicean messenger.
    On the other hand, thanking Meleti too often may inflate his head to proportions whereby the earths gravitational balance is at stake. In fact, I believe this same pattern caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
    Darla Zelenitsky, assistant professor at the University of Calgary, found a gargantuan pachyrhinosaur skull last year in the Alberta Badlands. It measured well over 6 feet.
    Unless we shut down this site, I believe this is the fate of Meleti. Poor chap, and poor the rest of us.

    • Reply by anderestimme on 2014-07-05 13:54:41

      I just hope I'm there when they dig up his fossilized remains a few million years from now. What will they call him? Meletisaurus Rex? Megacephaleti? Vivloniraptor?

    • Reply by imacountrygirl2 on 2014-07-05 15:47:57

      Alex, and the rest of us, not to fear! I have this theory that once a person's head expands to the point that it will no longer fit through their door frame, they are in effect trapped within the confines of their homes. Hence their head cannot get any bigger than their house. I am 99.9% certain that head distortions are formed within the privacy of our own homes. Based on my theory, because big-headed people are in existence equally around the earth, the gravity of the earth is stabilized.
      As far as the fate of our dear brother Meleti, the last I heard, he is still able to work outside of his home and attend meetings, so his head has not gotten so big that it restricts his travel. Because I believe we are still safe, it is my recommendation we keep the site open.
      Peter, your comments are timely and your message is sincerely appreciated. I am not offended by your comments, and I hope you are not offended by mine. (I would thank you for the reminder to render our thanks to Jehovah instead of earthling man, but I have to ask you one question first....are you home bound by any chance? Not to mention the fact that you yourself are an earthling man)
      I am grateful every day that Jehovah gave us the gift of humor, without which I don't believe mankind could survive. Children are able to laugh loudly and freely all during the day. Something about reaching adulthood seems to restrict adults from accessing that part of our childhood, so they forget how to laugh and how good it feels to honestly honor our emotions with the innocence of a child.
      Alex, I will take my chances and thank you for reminding us of the sheer joy of humor. You gave me the best laugh I've had.....so far today. Also, I'll take your beliefs about the extinction of the dinosaurs under consideration.

    • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-05 21:07:25

      Have no fear, all of you. The fact is that when my head swells, it is due to hot air—mostly helium, the second lightest of the gases—so there is little effect on the earth's gravitational equilibrium. However, I do tend to float. My voice also gets all squeaky, but that’s another issue. The swelling can be dangerous, however. One day while visiting New York, I was on the subway and to while away the time, I read and reread many encouraging comments on the site. I was unaware of the effect all this unsolicited appreciation was having on me until I reached the Times Square station and realized I couldn’t get through the train doors. Thoughts of being forced to ride the NY subway all night ran through my brain, followed by the image of the NY fire department peeling the roof off the car to get me out with some sort of demented can-opener contraption. I couldn’t bear the media circus, so quick thinking as always, I yelled, "Look, there’s a loose quarter out on the platform.” Now properly motivated, the passengers pushed me through the doors, popping me out like a cork on a cheap bottle of Baby Duck. (I know, that’s redundant.) For the briefest of moments, I thought I was safe, but alas, by then my head was so big that I had achieved positive buoyancy. Unable to grasp anything, I floated up the stairs, through the street entrance and was soon drifting high above the isle of Manhattan, which I might add looks simply spectacular at night from 2,000 feet.
      In any case, all would have been well, as the colder air was gradually shrinking the size of my ego-inflated head, and it looked like I would make a safe landing on the roof of 24 Columbia Heights when the prevailing winds blew me into the no-fly zone. Within minutes, several F15s were scrambled, and it would have been goners for yours truly, except for the unexpected fact that those pilots are used to seeing similar sightings in that neighborhood, though I can’t for the life of me imagine why. Unfortunately, I fell short of Bethel and landed in the East river. But I got a clean bill of health from the New York authorities following the mandatory 72-hour quarantine.
      Motto: Don’t swim in the East river.

Comment by search4truth on 2014-07-02 22:07:01

It's easy to forget that more important is to have love for the truth rather then having the truth, or any version of it as presented by some religious leaders. Love for the truth is indeed great motivator for following the truth wherever it leads us despite difficulties. I personally think I reached the crossroad. It's very painfull not being able to reach people I love and being viewed as a threat by them because they were indoctrinated to respond like a robots, not able to use own thinking abilities just repeating the words that their master programmed in them. Thanks, great article, can't wait for the following article.

Comment by imacountrygirl2 on 2014-07-02 23:35:31

Meleti, thank you for this thought provoking and courageous article.You did an awesome job with this subject matter.

Comment by johnamos880 on 2014-07-03 14:52:57

<< Well that is certainly one interpretation. However, I’m not so sure that we can link the passages from Daniel, Revelation and Thessalonians into one harmonious whole.
<< We are on the same page in this. The actual men making up the MOL that appeared at the start of the twentieth century are long gone, but the MOL they were part of continues to this day.
I know you want/need to believe that, I did to as well for a time. What you ‘wrote’ in regards to the MOL is nothing new.
http://e-watchman.com/chapter-10-man-of-lawlessness/
But believing something doesn’t make it true that is that the GB/WTS is the MOL.
Let’s see how many players we really have.
Dragon (Satan) - MOL - king of the north - 8th king - wild beast sea - small horn - king fierce in countenance - the disgusting thing - wild beast earth (FP) – BTG (the harlot)
Out of those, 3 are accounted for in the following and are clear to be separate entities… they are the Dragon (Satan) - wild beast sea - wild beast earth (FP).
[Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean inspired expressions [that looked] like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 13:1 And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea,..2 And the dragon gave to [the beast] its power and its throne and great authority…11 And I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth,.. 12 And it exercises all the authority of the first wild beast in its sight. And it makes the earth and those who dwell in it worship the first wild beast… 13 And it performs great signs, so that it should even make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind. 14 And it misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that were granted it to perform in the sight of the wild beast, while it tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the wild beast… 15 And there was granted it to give breath to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who would not in any way worship the image of the wild beast. 16 And it puts under compulsion all persons, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, that they should give these a mark in their right hand or upon their forehead, 17 and that nobody might be able to buy or sell except a person having the mark, the name of the wild beast or the number of its name.
Revelation 19:20 And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur.
Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he hurled him into the abyss and shut [it] and sealed [it] over him… 10 And the Devil who was misleading them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulphur, where both the wild beast and the false prophet [already were]; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.]
When Jesus arrives AFTER the GT is cut short the wild beast sea - wild beast earth (FP) are both hurled into the fiery lake and the Dragon (Satan) is hurled into the abyss. Before Jesus arrives, while the wild beast sea is here during the GT, he (wild beast sea) turns on BTG (the harlot) taking her out during the GT.
So this accounts for 4, leaving the MOL - king of the north - 8th king - small horn - king fierce in countenance - the disgusting thing.
Do you link any of them to be the same as the wild beast sea - BTG (the harlot) - wild beast earth (FP), if so whom with whom??? Those that you do not link up with any other, then when and how to you account for their demise???
<< I believe this is the apostasy that began when men started replacing Christ as the head of the Christian congregation from the second century onward.
If that were the case then Paul’s warning is not very helpful in knowing the nearness of that day being that he said that that day would not come until first “the apostasy” comes first, and yet if “that apostasy” started in the second century…and if the MOL existed back then… and the restraint were the last living apostles who died in the first century, then I guess there would have been every reason to be excited that that day had come back then!!!
<< I don’t know.
In the context of scriptures in Daniel, it is the king of the north.
<< We have but to look around us to know the answer to that. A great many. Every group of men who replace Christ as the head of the congregation fit the bill. I thought that was clear from my article.
In the context of those scriptures only one individual/entity can be exalted/magnify above the rest.

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-03 16:02:34

  Actually, the e-watchman.com article you reference differs from mine. It claims the man of lawlessness is limited to our organization. That is not the point I am making.
  I'm sorry, but it isn't clear to me what point you are trying to make. Are you suggesting that the man of lawlessness has not yet made his appearance?

  • Reply by Anonymous on 2014-07-03 22:27:43

    The lawlessness that was already starting in Paul's day as a precursor to the man of Lawlessness may have been the "superfine apostles" who were starting to lord it over the congregations.

    • Reply by GodsWordIsTruth on 2014-07-05 13:26:16

      Very interesting thought Anonymous!

Comment by kev c on 2014-07-03 15:33:36

Thanks meleti for another fine well thought out article .I do agree with your interpretation up to a point . I do think there have been many lawless and sinful men since the first century that have sat themselves in the seat of the christ or even god and this has continued till our day jesus even said there would be many at his presence whom he called workers of lawlessness who also performed powerful works in his name . However i personally dont think this rules out an individual wicked entity appearing on the world scene at the end times The verses just seem to read that way to me . Hes called the man .he sets himself up over everyone .He is called the lawless one in nwt .he has a presence which seems to be contrasted with jesus presence .Verse 6 sayshe is to be revealed in his own due time .Also he seems to be able to perform every powerful work . But we will have to wait and see i could be wrong . Whats good about this site at least we can have an honest opinion and dont have to be afraid to voice it . Thanks again for your hard work its appreciated . Kev

Comment by johnamos880 on 2014-07-03 16:28:25

<< I’m sorry, but it isn’t clear to me what point you are trying to make. Are you suggesting that the man of lawlessness has not yet made his appearance?
2 Thessalonians 2:6 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
6 And you know what is stopping that Man of Evil now. He is being stopped now so that he will appear at the right time.
2 Thessalonians 2:6 The Message (MSG)
6-8 You’ll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. That doesn’t mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose.
5-1-99 WT Since the start of the great tribulation is yet future, is the “standing in a holy place” still ahead of us? Evidently so. While “the disgusting thing” made its appearance early in this century and has, thus, existed for decades, it will take a position in a unique way “in a holy place” in the near future.
Rev Climax - Notice that the scarlet-colored wild beast “is also itself an eighth king.” Thus, the United Nations today is designed to look like a world government…it has no real influence or power apart from what is invested in it by those who brought it into existence…As John soon learns, the time will come when the UN will act with considerable authority. Then it, in its turn, “goes off into destruction.”

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-03 16:33:45

  So is that a Yes?

  • Reply by johnamos880 on 2014-07-03 17:43:07

    << So is that a Yes?
    Yes that it exist, that it is on the world scene awaiting for the time it will be given its said authority.
    << Actually, the e-watchman.com article you reference differs from mine. It claims the man of lawlessness is limited to our organization. That is not the point I am making.
    Well if that is the case and you are not limiting it to the WTS as Robert does then since he says that the “operation of error/lie” (the deluding influence that misleads them to believe the lie) is 1914, then what do you say the “operation of error/lie” is since you don’t limit it to the WTS???
    [2 Thessalonians 2:11 So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.
    (11 That is why God lets a deluding influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie)]
    Also, in connection with believeing the lie verse 12 says that it is in order that they may be judged… so if the MOL puts out the lie and the wild beast puts out his mark, what is the judgement that those will receive that believe the lie and when will it be executed???
    What is the judgement for those that receive the mark???
    What is the judgement for those that refuse the mark???
    I guess it is clear what happens to a person if they believe the lie and receive the mark and I guess it is clear what happens to a person if they refuse the mark and don’t believe the lie… but what happens to a person who refuses the mark but believes the lie???
    What happens to a person who does not believe the lie but recieves the mark???
    What is the point of having two different judgements??? (That is the case if you say that the MOL is separate from the wild beast.)

    • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-03 20:04:20

      >>Yes that it exist, that it is on the world scene awaiting for the time it will be given its said authority.
      Then we disagree on this, for I feel he is here now and has been all along.
      >>Well if that is the case and you are not limiting it to the WTS as Robert does then since he says that the “operation of error/lie” (the deluding influence that misleads them to believe the lie) is 1914, then what do you say the “operation of error/lie” is since you don’t limit it to the WTS???
      I explained that in my article. It is the substitution of man for God. Following teachings of men as if they were mandates from God. All religions in Christendom--without exception--have fallen into this trap. I will explain my understanding of this in greater detail in the next article.
      >>Also, in connection with believeing the lie verse 12 says that it is in order that they may be judged… so if the MOL puts out the lie and the wild beast puts out his mark, what is the judgement that those will receive that believe the lie and when will it be executed???
      You are mixing your prophetic metaphors, I'm afraid. The mark of the beast is not related to Paul's words to the Thessalonians based on my understanding of the Scriptures.
      >>I guess it is clear what happens to a person if they believe the lie and receive the mark and I guess it is clear what happens to a person if they refuse the mark and don’t believe the lie… but what happens to a person who refuses the mark but believes the lie???
      What happens to a person who does not believe the lie but recieves the mark???
      What is the point of having two different judgements??? (That is the case if you say that the MOL is separate from the wild beast.)
      If a person is an idolater but not an adulterer does he escape the judgment of the adulterer? And if he is an adulterer, but does not worship idols, does he escape the punishment of the idolater? Is not the punishment for all sin the same? So the distinction you make is meaningless. The man of lawlessness does not have to be the same as the wild beast for either act of disobedience to result in the same outcome.
      If you feel you must link the man of lawlessness to Daniel's prophecy and John's Revelation, then we will not have a meeting of minds. For me to link them would be accepting conjecture and speculation, which I'm not about to do on so important an issue, for the deception of the man of lawlessness affects us now and if we are blind to his influence, we will not escape from his deceptions which lead to death. For me, this is not a matter of prophetic interpretations that will be understood in the future, but of life and death choices that need to be made now.
      If you have a case to make however, I'm open to exploring it. I would recommend you open a topic in discussthetruth.com since that is a better venue for this type of interchange. I will join you there.

    • Reply by Anonymous on 2014-07-03 22:32:11

      Since true christianity is called "the Truth", it is possible that the phrase "The Lie" is similarly used to refer to false christianity and not any single particular false concept or teaching.

Comment by Chris on 2014-07-04 03:33:27

Hear, hear!
This practice of mixing scriptures with no direct connection is a vanity of sorts, as if you are mixing drinks to achieve the taste that meets your palate.

Comment by smolderingwick1 on 2014-07-04 11:25:27

Hi Meleti, and thanks for balancing our vision to the horizon. An excellent, psychologically researched, non-confrontational report.
I also notice we have the attention of some of the other internet pockets in the universe. Being familiar with Robert King's earlier beginnings and what he grew to stands for, there is a problem when we confine our arguments to the preexisting beliefs we grew up with or converted into. I call it the platform of our particular truth.
Since Judaism was the only channel of the true writings of Moses in the first century, my questions to those who would confine the "man of lawlessness" to any specific entity are:
1. How many sects declared themselves exclusively true when Jesus first arrived?
2. Of those sects, which were closest to the true religion?
3. And of them, how many finally wanted Jesus dead?
When we wish ourselves to be true and others false, we devise arguments that make ourselves feel justified to win. We point our finger at the enemy calling foul every bad deed in their history while ignoring our own. Jesus exposed this by saying:
"Hypocrite! First remove the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to remove the straw from your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:5) . . .
sw

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-04 15:32:45

  You're spot on, SW

Comment by yobec on 2014-07-04 17:00:16

I agree with you Meleti as far as the "love" of the truth is what will save us. When someone loves truth, they cannot help but to "moan and groan" over detestable teachings. These ones earn recognition from on high and are symbolically marked for survival in their forehead. It is my opinion that necessity requires the existence of this "man of lawlessness" for the purpose of identifying the " moaners and groaners"

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-04 17:39:55

  I concur fully. It's a theme I hope to expand upon in the next post.

• Reply by smolderingwick1 on 2014-07-14 17:32:00

  And indeed I did "moan and grown" within during our regional convention where we received our 100 year stamp of approval given to us by the 'eight dukes.'
  (Mark 8:12) . . .So he groaned deeply with his spirit, and said: “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say, No sign will be given to this generation.”

  • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-14 18:45:18

    Good quote. Fitting! :)

Comment by imacountrygirl2 on 2014-07-05 22:31:32

Meleti, there went my theory, all shot to pieces! I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I learned about the helium, though I was saddened that you fell short of Bethel, as I know that is the goal of many.
In your comment to yobec, you did say that you will expand in the next post. I am awaiting your expansion with eager anticipation!

Comment by Jannai40 on 2014-07-12 17:25:47

Meleti, After reading the article I did get the impression that this was referring to the Organisation.

Comment by Joel on 2014-07-15 06:08:47

"There are those who believe the man of lawlessness is a literal man. This idea can be easily dismissed even after a casual reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12."
As I'm sure you know, I really appreciate the work you have done and respect your articles, opinion and ideas immensely, but I think it is a mistake to use phrases like "This idea can easily be dismissed", unless you have a solid case. Wanting to dismiss an idea and actual cause to dismiss an idea are two different things.
"Vs. 6 indicates that the man of lawlessness was to be revealed when the thing acting as a restraint in Paul’s day was gone."
Although the restraint is described as being in place, the actual duration or cause of the restraint is not specified i.e. we cannot say it was only in place when Paul was writing. Paul says at the tail end of verse 6 "you know what holds him back", because as he had already reminded them in verse 5 "Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you."
"Vs. 7 shows that the lawlessness was already at work in Paul’s day."
"The hidden power of lawlessness" was already at work, but "the man" had not been revealed. Notice the end of verse 7 "However, the one who holds him back, will do so until he is taken out of the way". So who is the ONE actually holding HIM back? Who restrains HIM? Paul already told teh Thessolonians that they already knew the answer to this. The way it is phrased seems to imply that the ONE who does the restraining is the ONE that is "taken out of the way" - i.e. Satan?
"Vs. 8 indicates the lawless one will exist at the time of Christ’s presence."
Yes, but notice it says "and then". This would seem to be AFTER the restraint has been removed. This, the revealing and the manifestation of the Lords day appear to be described in close proximity to one another.
"The events of those verses 7 and 8 span 2,000 years! Paul was warning the Thessalonians about a present danger that would manifest itself to a greater degree in their near future, but would continue to exist right down to the time of Christ’s return."
The only thing we can take as certain from these verses as far as I can see is that the "power of lawlessness" would be ever present. Can we say with any certainty that "the man of lawlessness" has been revealed? If so, who is he? If he has been revealed, surely we should all know who it is by now? Also, it would mean that when this happened, it was because "the restraint" was removed and therefore the Lords day should be upon us as well as described in verse 8.
"Therefore, he saw a very real danger for them; a danger of being misled from their righteous course by this lawless one."
No doubt that he did see such a danger, but I think it is important not to stray too far from the actual warning in this passage, which is not ABOUT the man of lawlessness, but is stated in verse 1-3 and is - don't let anyone convince you that the Lords day has arrived? Why? Because the man of lawlessness has not yet been revealed. This is a closed link in a chain which cannot be broken. There is not one without the other.
I don't see anything in these verses that provides actual evidence "the man of lawlessness" is not a man. All it really tells us on that front is that the "power of lawlessness" is at work, but "the man" himself is restrained and has not been revealed.
If you accept that and then you look at the parallels with Dan 11 and Rev 13, I believe they are quite striking. Too similar to rule out the idea that there is a powerful entity, be it a single man or othwerwise, that ultimately is manifested to carry out the actions described. Well I think clearly, even based on just 2 Thess 2, a powerful entity is being described.
Keep in mind, that if you say "the man" has been revealed, you also accept that "the restraint" has been removed.

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-15 07:57:25

  I agree we shouldn’t dismiss an idea out of hand. I was merely stating my conclusion up front, then proceeding with the reasoning leading to it.
  >>“Vs. 6 indicates that the man of lawlessness was to be revealed when the thing acting as a restraint in Paul’s day was gone.”
  If we see an escaped prisoner, we know that whatever methods had been used to restrain him had failed. We don’t even need to know what those precise methods were—jail cell, chains, 24-hour guard watch—because his manifestation is all the proof we need.
  There are Bible translations that render this verse “…taken out of the way”, but that isn’t faithful to the original. This rendering indicates that someone or something removes him from the scenario, so it lends support to the idea of Satan being forcibly removed. However, the interlinear rendering of heós ek mesou ginomai is “until out of [the] midst he might be [gone]”. Ek is defined by Strong’s Concordance as “from out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards”. This thought is reinforced by mesou defined by the same authority as “in the middle, in the midst of”. So the restraint was to disappear from among their midst. That restraint was among or in the middle of the Christian congregation in Paul’s day. It’s hard to see how he could have Satan in mind to fill that role.
  Since Satan is the last to be dealt with, after false worship and human governments are destroyed, it seems unlikely he would fit the bill as the thing that restrains the man of lawlessness.
  This is not to say that there will not be other elements standing in opposition to God’s kingdom in the final part of the days. The Scriptures you refer to in Revelation and Daniel will have their fulfillment. Whether these fulfillments tie into the final stage of the man of lawlessness or not is something we’ll have to wait to see.
  My point is that to the world at large, the man of lawlessness is still a mystery. He has not been manifested to them though he exists at present. Indeed, the man of lawlessness misleads billions who gleefully follow him thinking they are pleasing God by doing so. The man of lawlessness has this power over others because he cloaks himself in righteousness and respectability. This power of humans will be removed when he is exposed, as he will be by Christ at his presence. But Paul’s warning wasn’t to the world, but to faithful Christians. We need to guard ourselves from being deceived. If we believe the man of lawlessness has yet to appear, we are in danger. One is always most vulnerable when one believes there is nothing to fear.

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-07-15 08:00:15

  I do believe that a discussion of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and the prophecies you refer to in Daniel and Revelation is a worthwhile exercise. Perhaps if you were to open a topic in discussthetruth.com and explain the whole line of reasoning, we could get the community to analyze it in depth.

Comment by Why Does God Allow a Man of Lawlessness? | Beroean Pickets on 2014-07-16 23:06:46

[…] conclusion reached in the last post was that he is not an individual, but a type or class of men which has existed down through the […]

Comment by Ken Rosenberg on 2017-03-29 14:48:06

Yes, the Man of Lawlessness is a literal man, a composite man, the Governing Body. How can something that is figurative teach a doctrine about the presence of Jesus or something to the effect that day of Jehovah is here. How is a letter figurative? This all literal.
The Man of Lawlessness is composite.

Comment by Ken Rosenberg on 2017-03-29 15:33:16

I don't think you fully understand the Man of Lawlessness. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but you seem to have an ax to grind with the Watchtower, and this is keeping you from admitting the man of Lawlessness is literal, because it would prove Jehovah's Witnesses do have the truth. And if you claim there is no "true religion" today and we are all Christ's Disciples, that is also a false point, as Jehovah has always had a people, and they have always fell to corruption and apostasy, such is the pattern in the Bible. If you are mixing with people of other denominations, who are so called Bible experts and Academics, I would advise you to stop as they are blinding you.
First, we need to identify what is God's Temple in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, The apostle elaborates, saying that the man of lawlessness “sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god.” The Scriptures reveal that God’s temple is the entire body of anointed believers at any given time. For instance, the apostle Paul wrote at 1 Corinthians 3:16, saying: “Do you not know that you people are God’s temple, and that the spirit of God dwells in you?” Also, 2 Corinthians 6:16 says: “For we are a temple of a living God.”
In view of that, it is evident that the man of lawlessness does not merely claim to sit in the temple of The God, nor does he sit down in the midst of those who merely profess to be a temple of God, as the Watchtower claims is the case; no, but he actually sits down in the midst of God’s spiritual temple; that is to say, in the intimate group of the anointed sons of God. Eventually the man of lawlessness will presumptuously exalt himself above everyone, including the head of the congregation—Christ himself.
The very fact that the apostle’s inspired warning is addressed to brothers in the faith who are susceptible to being seduced by the wiles of the man of lawlessness, proves that the man of lawlessness exists within Christ’s congregation. And since apostasy is lawlessness, the man of lawlessness must be its source. And because the man of lawlessness is sitting in the very temple of God at the time that Christ exposes him during his parousia, the clergy cannot possibly make up a composite man of lawlessness that sits down in the midst of Christ’s brothers. It is impossible at this time for the clergy to hold any kind of ecclesiastical authority over the true sons of the kingdom.
Yet, according to Paul the man of lawlessness does have such authority over the brothers. His messages are viewed as “inspired expressions” and his writings are perceived to be of equal authority as those written by the apostles themselves, which is why Paul warned the brothers not to give heed to such verbal messages and letters even though they would appear “as though from us.”
Since, as Paul indicated, the man of lawlessness convincingly speaks and writes with the authority of the apostles and he operates within the congregation, he must come from within the highest levels of the organization. The apostasy that Paul said must come first is not the apostasy from Christianity that began centuries ago and ultimately took the form of Christendom. The apostasy that immediately precedes the parousia takes place among Christ’s anointed followers and is presided over by the man of lawlessness.
In view of all that has been considered thus far concerning the erroneousness of the Watchtower’s 1914 doctrine, it would seem that Paul’s inspired warning to the Thessalonians was written specifically for Jehovah’s Witnesses at this critical juncture. But if that is true, then what about the foretold apostasy that must come first and the revealing of the presence of the man of lawlessness? According to the apostle’s revelation, the presence of Christ and his ultimate manifestation to the world will be preceded by an apostasy among true Christians. After all, the apostasy is to serve as an indicator of the nearness of the day of Jehovah, or as Paul worded it, that great day “will not come unless the apostasy comes first.”
But according to the Watchtower’s explanation the apostasy that Paul foretold took place almost immediately after Christianity was established. And while there is no question that the conglomeration of religions making up Christendom today originated in that great apostasy all those centuries ago, still, Paul’s warning intimates that there is to occur another apostasy; an apostasy that occurs immediately before the presence of Christ and the great day of Jehovah; an apostasy emanating from within the restored Christian temple itself.
The Hebrew prophecies confirm Paul’s revelation in this regard. The 32nd and 33rd chapters of Isaiah in particular, although written long before Jesus even appeared on earth, relate to Christ’s judgment of the congregation during the conclusion. For instance, Isaiah 32:1 foretells the rule of the righteous king, when: “The senseless one will no longer be called generous; and as for the unprincipled man, he will not be said to be noble; because the senseless one himself will speak mere senselessness, and his very heart will work at what is hurtful, to work at apostasy and to speak against Jehovah what is wayward, to cause the soul of the hungry one to go empty, and he causes even the thirsty one to go without drink itself. As for the unprincipled man, his instruments are bad; he himself has given counsel for acts of loose conduct, to wreck the afflicted ones with false sayings, even when someone poor speaks what is right.”
It is significant that the prophecy of Isaiah indicates that prior to the coming of the king who “will reign for righteousness itself” the senseless one is considered to be generous and the “unprincipled man” is thought of as being noble. Yet, he is said to “work at apostasy and to speak against Jehovah what is wayward” for the purpose of causing “the thirsty one to go without drink itself.” Isaiah’s prophecy parallels that regarding the exposure of the man of lawlessness and the apostasy he foments during the manifestation of Christ, in that, Isaiah also indicates that the men who are highly regarded by God’s people are eventually denounced by the king who “will reign for righteousness.”
Noteworthy too, the “unprincipled man” is in a position of authority, since the scripture says he “has given counsel for acts of loose conduct.” Also, that he is in a position to deny the “thirsty one” drink indicates that he is looked to as one in a position to provide spiritual drink. The fact that the “unprincipled man” is regarded as being generous and noble, but yet speaks against Jehovah what is wayward, certainly corroborates what the apostle revealed as regards the insidious influence of the man of lawlessness over the brothers.
In view of the fact that the leadership of the Watchtower Society is unquestionably teaching falsehoods as regards the presence of Christ beginning in 1914, and they are generally regarded by Jehovah’s Witnesses to be generous and noble men and looked to for counsel and spiritual food and drink, it is the Society itself that is destined “to wreck the afflicted ones with false sayings.” Indeed, the Society constantly exalts itself before Jehovah’s Witnesses as the earthly instrument of God and the generous provider of the full measure of spiritual food, and taken to itself the accolades of being the faithful slave who has been appointed over all the master’s belongings.
But how might the Watchtower “speak against Jehovah what is wayward”?
As discussed in the previous chapter, consider, as one example, the nonsensical teaching promoted by the Watchtower that Jehovah’s Witnesses are now living in spiritual paradise—this, in spite the many evils that plague the organization. By making the claim that Jehovah has already established spiritual paradise within an organization rife with child molestation and many other forms of wickedness and immorality, such men are indirectly attributing the evils within the organization to God, since, apparently, he cannot prevent or chooses to allow wicked men to prey upon his people even in the trouble-free paradise he has supposedly provided.
Truly, those who make the claim that spiritual paradise exists within the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses are speaking sheer senselessness! “His instruments are bad” in the sense that he uses human reasoning and mere organizational decrees to establish the kingdom of heaven over those under his influence.
That apostates reside at the highest level within the congregation up until the conflagration of the harvest is ignited and consumes them, is also evident from the 32nd chapter of Isaiah; whereby, the judgment of God involves those “far away”—on the fringes of the organization, and those “who are nearby” in Zion—in the very heart of the organization. This is what Jehovah has said to them: “You people conceive dried grass; you will give birth to stubble. Your own spirit, as a fire, will eat you up. And peoples must become as the burnings of lime. As thorns cut away, they will be set ablaze even with fire. Hear, you men who are far away, what I must do! And know, you who are nearby, my mightiness. In Zion the sinners have come to be in dread; shivering has grabbed hold of the apostates: ‘Who of us can reside for any time with a devouring fire? Who of us can reside for any time with long-lasting conflagrations?’” (Isaiah 32:11-14)
Although Jehovah’s Witnesses may be blind to the apostasy of those whom they presently regard as generous and noble men, Jehovah is not blind. He will show his mightiness by setting fire to the “dried grass” and “stubble” of combustible teachings that those working hard at apostasy have accumulated. The “long-lasting conflagrations” will, once and for all time, purge Zion—that is to say the congregation of Christ—of lawless men and their worthless teachings.
Paul also referred to the man of lawlessness as “the son of destruction.” Significantly, the only other place in the Scriptures where that phrase is used is in connection with Judas Iscariot. At John 17:12, Jesus said in prayer: “When I was with them I used to watch over them on account of your own name which you have given me; and I have kept them, and not one of them is destroyed except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled.”
Just as Judas reclined at the same table and shared the bread of the last passover meal with Jesus and the apostles, the man of lawlessness must likewise partake of the bread and wine along with the anointed brothers at the annual Memorial of Christ’s sacrifice. Being in a trusted position the modern son of destruction stands poised to deal treacherously and eventually become an outright betrayer of Christ’s entire congregation during the hour of the authority of darkness.
Interestingly, some aspects of the 109th Psalm do not fit the man Judas; such as the 16th verse, which says: “But he kept pursuing the afflicted and poor man and the one dejected at heart, to put him to death.” The Psalms may well be describing the end result of the destructive presence of the man of lawlessness. During the outbreak of the time of trouble that lies ahead, no doubt confusion and discouragement will become widespread. Psalms 10:9-10 speaks of the afflicted and discouraged one who falls prey to one that lies in ambush. The Psalm reads: “He keeps lying in wait in the concealed place like a lion in his covert. He keeps lying in wait to carry off some afflicted one by force. He carries off the afflicted one by force when he draws his net shut. He is crushed, he bows down, and the army of dejected ones has to fall into his strong claws.”
The Christian writers foretold that animalistic men would infiltrate Christ’s flock during the last days. Jude likened them to submerged rocks below the water that pose as potential stumbling blocks
for unwary Christians.
Just as the apostles were oblivious to Judas’ defection—even after Christ gave him the identifying morsel during the passover meal—so it is, that, the one described as a lion lurking in his covert may well apply to the man of lawlessness, who up to this point has remained concealed like a nocturnal predator within the organization.
The point at which his net draws shut upon Jehovah’s unsuspecting people will be during the parousia; when the foretold increasing apostasy and lawlessness within the organization causes the love of the greater number to cool off. Doubtless, when things do not proceed as Jehovah’s Witnesses have come to expect many will become dejected and lose faith.
Back in the 109th Psalm, verse 20, the betrayers of Christ are spoken of in the plural, as those resisting Christ and speaking evil against him. Likewise, the 29th verse issues Jehovah’s curse upon those resisting Christ. The Hebrew word for a resister or an opposer is “satan.” Satan’s name, therefore, literally means the Resister or Opposer.
This expression is also associated with the man of lawlessness, where Paul said of him: “He is set in opposition.” In other words, the man of lawlessness is an opposer—a satan.
“THE IMPLEMENTS OF A USELESS SHEPHERD”
Another prophecy that was fulfilled in Judas was Zechariah 11:12-13. That is where it was foretold that the wages of Jehovah’s useless shepherd would be 30 pieces of silver, which was to be thrown into the temple treasury. Matthew 27:3-5 records the actual fulfillment of that prophecy. It reads: “Thus Judas, who betrayed him, seeing he had been condemned, felt remorse and turned the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men, saying: ‘I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood.’ They said: ‘What is that to us? You must see to that.’ So he threw the silver pieces into the temple and withdrew, and went off and hanged himself.”
God has arranged prophecies in such a way that some minor aspects take place long before the much grander fulfillments. Thus, the ancient merely supplies an additional pattern for what is to come afterwards. So, just as Jesus was betrayed at the conclusion of his three and one-half year ministry, the earthly ministry of the body of Christ will likewise conclude with the treachery of betrayers.
Even as Zechariah foretold that the shepherd will be struck so that the sheep would be scattered, so it is that the 11th chapter of Zechariah goes into much more detail than simply could have applied to the first century flock. For example, Zechariah 11:4 reads: “This is what Jehovah my God has said, ‘Shepherd the flock meant for the killing, the buyers of which proceed to kill them although they are not held guilty.’ And those selling them say: ‘May Jehovah be blessed, while I shall gain riches.’ And their own shepherds do not show any compassion upon them.”
Just as Judas betrayed the Son of man with a kiss for 30 pieces of silver, the wicked shepherds who betray the sheep for their own enrichment also hypocritically bless Jehovah. That indicates that they pose as Christian elders in order to gain authority over the trusting sheep. Apparently, the evil shepherds that sell the sheep to the slaughter make up a composite man of lawlessness. In order for the man of lawlessness “to sit down in the temple of the God,” it is necessary that Jehovah must allow him to completely control his organization for a brief period of time. That seems to be what Zechariah 11:15-16 foretells, where it says: “And Jehovah went on to say to me: ‘Take yet for yourself the implements of a useless shepherd. For here I am letting a shepherd rise up in the land. To the sheep being effaced he will give no attention. The young one he will not seek, and the broken sheep he will not heal. The one stationing herself he will not supply with food, and the flesh of the fat one he will eat, and the hoofs of the sheep he will tear off.’”
Who might the “buyers” prove to be to whom the useless shepherd sells Jehovah’s sheep? Zechariah 11:6 answers, saying: “So here I am causing mankind to find themselves, each one in the hand of his companion and in the hand of his king; and they will crush to pieces the land, and I shall do no delivering out of their hand.”
This verse indicates that the judgment upon God’s congregation occurs in the context of a time of tribulation upon all of mankind. Zechariah 11:6 is in harmony with many other prophecies that have revealed nothing short of a global fratricidal holocaust as this world’s final judgment.
“ACCORDING TO THE OPERATION OF SATAN”
Returning to Paul’s prophecy, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 foretells the extent to which God allows Satan to fabricate “an operation of error.” The apostle wrote: “But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, in order that they may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.”
The scripture indicates that in order for a person to be saved from an adverse judgment they must demonstrate a “love of the truth.” But it is only sensible that in order to love the truth, a person must first know the truth. Jehovah’s Witnesses know the truth. At least Jehovah’s Witnesses have been given a solid doctrinal foundation that allows each to develop genuine faith in Jehovah and Christ. So, the “operation of error” that God allows to “go to them” must go forth among the people associated with the spiritual temple of God. And since the verse says, “that they may be judged,” it is evident that it is in connection with the future judgment of the house of God.
In context, then, those who “get to believing the lie” are those under the influence of the teaching emanating from the man of lawlessness regarding the false parousia. As the apostle warned, to that end the Devil produces “every powerful work and lying signs and portents.” And for what purpose? Again, in order to deceive Christ’s followers into believing that the parousia has already begun and to give credence to the man of lawlessness as the revered source of esoteric knowledge.
As stated previously, the fact that Paul exhorted true Christians not to be quickly shaken from their reason is proof that the Devil’s powerful works, lying signs and portents are intended to deceive anointed Christians. After all, since the entire world already lies in Satan’s power it would hardly be necessary for the Deceiver to create powerfully deceptive works and portents to further deceive the deceived, would it? No. Satan is already “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” The “operation of Satan” is specifically intended to deceive those who belong to Jehovah. So, what, exactly, is the “operation of Satan”?
Consider the following question: Should it be considered any special feat for Satan the Devil, who has shown himself to be more than capable of shrewdly insinuating himself into the midst of Jehovah’s people in ancient times by employing a variety of machinations, to first implant the notion within the minds of the original anointed Bible Students regarding 1914 being a year designated in prophecy, and then—by means of “every powerful work”— orchestrate the outbreak of the First World War to coincide with the misguided expectations of the over-eager Bible Students?
Although there were dangerous political and economic rivalries between the European powers for decades leading up to the outbreak of war, given the fact that the conflagration was ignited by the single spark of an assassin’s pistol in August of 1914, illustrates the relative ease with which the demonic rulers could have accomplished such a thing at a precise moment.
And although mankind has been periodically afflicted by pestilences and plagues throughout history, no one should naively suppose that it is beyond the Devil’s temperament or ability to conjure and disperse a loathsome contagion like the Spanish Flu to coincide with the outbreak of the Great War; thereby creating the illusion that the horsemen of the Apocalypse had been unleashed. As a consequence, the Bible Students were quickly shaken from their reason and excited in their expectations.
The trials and persecutions that then consumed the Watchtower headquarters, especially the wrongful imprisonment of J.F. Rutherford and company and their subsequent release from ‘babylonish captivity,’ have served as “lying signs and portents”; tricking the Watchtower’s leadership so that they have now thoroughly convinced Jehovah’s Witnesses that Babylon the Great has already fallen. The handful of International Bible Students that served at the Watchtower headquarters back then that attempted to seize control of the Watchtower Society, and who were subsequently dismissed from Bethel and afterwards led a number of disgruntled members into leaving the organization, have ever since then been identified by the Watchtower as the “evil slave” class—constituting yet another effective lying sign and deceptive portent that has misled Jehovah’s Witnesses into believing that the judgment of the spiritual house of God was accomplished back then.
The Watchtower Society’s travail even lasted approximately three and a half years—from 1916 to 1919—mimicking the time, times and half a time (1,260 days) designated in the inspired prophecy. How devilishly clever! The setting up of the League of Nations in 1919, which was then hailed by a few prominent clergy as the “political expression of the kingdom of God,” even seemed to fulfill prophecy too—another deceptive, “lying sign.”
Later the Watchtower sponsored a series of annual conventions in the 1920’s and various resolutions and declarations of divine judgment against Satan’s world were issued. Although the declarations themselves have long since been forgotten, particularly by those against whom they were originally issued, nevertheless, those convention edicts continue to this day to serve as credible “lying signs and portents”; persuading excitable Christians that the earth-shattering trumpets of the Apocalypse had sounded back then.
With the rise of Nazism, the Holocaust and the Second World War, Jehovah’s Witnesses became objects of vicious persecution. This was presented as a convincing sign that Satan and the demons had been evicted from heaven and cast down to the earth, where they then unleashed a “flood” of persecution against those who bear witness to the kingdom.
During the Second World War the Watchtower seemed to uncannily divine the “resurrection” of the then defunct League of Nations in the form of the United Nations. To this day the Watchtower uses this as an example of their supposed prophecy-interpreting prowess. But since according to Revelation the coming to life of the image of the beast from the abyss initiates the judgment for all peoples of the world, it is out of the realm of reality that the formation of the League of Nations or the United Nations could have fulfilled the prophecy of Revelation. Instead of the establishment of the UN fulfilling prophecy, the Watchtower’s assumed prophetic “insights” ought to be seen as an “unrighteous deception.”
None of this is meant to suggest that the Watchtower Society has not also served Jehovah’s purpose. On the contrary, the very fact that the organization bears the name of Jehovah and bears witness to Christ and the kingdom of heaven in a way that is impossible for Christendom makes the Watchtower organization a top-priority target for subversion by enemy agents. And not to be overlooked is the fact that it is in keeping with God’s stated purpose to allow “an operation of error” to hold sway over the Christian congregation until Christ arrives with his army of angels to annihilate all the lawless ones within his kingdom.
“TO MISLEAD, IF POSSIBLE, EVEN THE CHOSEN ONES”
Paul’s warnings to his brothers with regards to the powerful works, lying signs and wonders produced as “an operation of Satan” merely underscores the warning of the Lord Jesus himself, when he said: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. Look! I have forewarned you. Therefore, if people say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it.”
It is no exaggeration to say that the most prominent feature of the detailed sign of Christ’s presence are the repeated warnings to the chosen ones not to allow themselves to be deceived by the many false prophets and false Christs that Jesus said would arise and demonstrate “great signs and wonders.”
Although the case has here been made that the satanic parousia deception is already in operation, it ought to be noted that the Lord’s warning pertains to an even greater deception that will occur during the actual parousia. The fact that Jesus said that the “great signs and wonders” accompanying the appearance of false Christs and false prophets would be so deceptive that the potential will exist to mislead even the chosen ones, is a sobering warning to all who are in anticipation of Christ’s return. It is, however, a warning that up until this present moment is lost upon Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have been seduced into imagining that the Society is their unfailing spiritual guide in all matters.
The disarming notion that the clergy somehow comprise a composite man of lawlessness is no doubt also attributable to the Devil’s subtle influence over the organization. But obviously, the chosen ones are in no danger of being deceived by the clergy—not now, nor in any conceivable future scenario. However, virtually all of Jehovah’s chosen ones are under the influence of the organizational oracles associated with the Watchtower. Does that fact not dramatically underscore the words of Jesus—“Look! I have forewarned you”?
Although Jehovah’s Witnesses are terrified of those considered by the Watchtower Society to be apostates and opposers of the truth, the much greater spiritual danger posed by the submerged apostates within the leadership of the organization goes unexposed. As was the case with the superfine apostles, who in imitation of their satanic master successfully transformed themselves into leading ministers of righteousness among the Christian congregation in Corinth, it would appear that the crafty Devil has once again masterfully transformed himself into an enlightening angel within the highest circles of the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses. After all, what could be more deceptive than devising a scheme to convince Jehovah’s very own sons and daughters that Jesus has already arrived and given the faithful slave his unqualified approval, when such is not the case at all?
Speaking through the prophecy of Isaiah at the time of the unveiling of his judgments, Jehovah reminds those whom he calls “my witnesses” of his faithfulness towards them “when there was among you no strange god.”
The “strange god” among “my witnesses” can be none other than the Devil and his nefarious man of lawlessness, who, as Paul forewarned, will sit down in the spiritual temple of Jehovah and publicly show himself to be a god.
While on the one hand the “strange god” in their midst has deceptively persuaded Jehovah’s Witnesses into believing that the Devil has no influence over “Jehovah’s visible organization,” all the while the Deceiver has been performing powerful portents to accredit his institutional idol for the purpose of inveigling Jehovah’s Witnesses into embracing and promoting a faux parousia; a parousia fabricated by the Father of the lie—the Devil himself! What else but the odious influence of Satan can explain the persistence of the powerful parousia delusion that has unrelentingly gripped Jehovah’s Witnesses up to this very moment?
Soberingly, though, as already stated, Satan’s greatest act of deception is yet to go into operation during the actual conclusion. At that critical juncture false Christs and false prophets will then convincingly claim that the Christ is in the “wilderness” or in the “inner chambers.” (The “inner chambers” may prove to be the inner sanctum of the Society itself, when the man of lawlessness declares himself to be a god.)
The stage is now set, whereby, each one’s love for the truth will come under the most severe test when the time comes to break free from the Watchtower’s counterfeit parousia, during what must surely be the now-imminent commencement of the genuine presence of Jesus Christ.
Since the Scriptures indicate that the scheme promoted by the Devil to construct a false parousia immediately precedes the manifestation of Christ that means that the development of the foretold apostasy, which comes first, must also accompany the fake parousia. What evidence of apostasy is there among Jehovah’s Witnesses? One aspect of the foretold apostasy is the Watchtower’s spiritually adulterous tryst with the United Nations.

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2017-03-30 21:42:53

  First of all my understanding of all things is developing as my study and research continues. This article was written in 2014. That being said, I believe the man of lawlessness is identified by the principles laid out in the Bible does fit with the governing body and its supporting ecclesiastical hierarchy. However, looking at all the organized religions making up Christendom, one can see that the principles that identify the man of lawlessness apply throughout. Of course the final judgment is that of Jesus Christ.

  • Reply by Huldah on 2017-09-06 14:37:43

    Hi Meleti,
    Nice to find someone who has a clear understanding that the MOL is at work now and inside the org of JWs.
    I'm just starting to read your work so I don't have a clear picture of your thought process yet.
    I understand that you believe that the MOL will become stronger when the "restraint" is removed.
    I get the opposite. The scripture seems to indicate that the MOL is "revealed" when the "restraint" is removed. As in exposed for what he is. This is the last step as regards the MOL before tge "presence"of Christ begins. Then, during his presence, Christ will "do away with" him completely.
    I believe we are in the full blown MOL apostasy stage awaiting the exposure,"revealing" of the MOL as a sign of the immediacy of the "presence".
    What say you on this? Would love to know.
    I do feel that the fulfillment of the MOL is mainly within true christianity which is now the apostate JWs. A lesser application to Christendom is logical.
    If we meditate on Jesus' actions and words, we see that he was most disturbed by the leaders of the then apostasized true religion, Judaism. He even called them names and directly condemned them to Gehenna. (He did not even call Satan a name when disputing about Moses'body.)
    Interestingly, he was less condemnatory of the Sodomites than his own people, the apostasized Jews, lacking faith.
    Clearly his heart broke most at the faithlessness of those privileged to bear God's name and know his Mosaic law.
    Today, no doubt, the greatest condemnation goes to the leadership who claim to represent Jehovah. They are center stage in this theatrical spectacle that ends with their end at Christ's hand. These men who presume to stand in the temple of Christ's brothers and promote apostasy as Judas did, in their midst.

Comment by marshroanoke on 2018-06-12 18:56:15

You're right that the Man of Lawlessness could NEVER be one man. It's a FORCE. The man represents the many who have been used by Satan throughout the centuries to delude God's followers with apostate ideas--chiefly that a man or group of men are God's "sole channel" and must be followed with unquestioned obedience. We saw this with the Papacy and its tyrannical control which was minimized by the Reformation. Now, there are thousands of Christian denominations and there is greater freedom to interpret the Bible's message, but that hasn't stopped groups like LDS and JWs to become mini-Papacies by claiming to have the sole channel for God as their leaders. Still, this force has not stamped out the light of truth--it has been "restrained" somehow. But soon that restraint will be removed and Satan will delude humanity on an unparalleled level. True Christians will recognize this man when they see him. The MOL is much greater than the GB or Mormon Apostles or any religious leader claiming to be the "sole channel." We can rejoice because the MOL will only be unrestrained for a short period before Christ's presence puts an end to him.