And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will slay by the breath of His mouth, and render ineffective by the appearance of His coming, whose coming is according to the energizing of Satan in all powers, and signs, and lying wonders, and in all unrighteous wandering to those who perish, against whom the love of the truth was not received unto their salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:8–10).
After Christ removes the Church from the earth by calling all Christians, both dead and alive, to meet Him in the air, where they will receive their full redemption (1 Thessalonians 4:17), the Man of Lawlessness will be permitted to rise.
His coming is according to the energizing of Satan. Just as Satan now works in the sons of the unpersuaded, whom he sends out among the Churches today as ministers of righteousness to deceive, the Man of Lawlessness will come in unrighteousness, causing those who reject the truth to wander (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 11:15).
The ones who perish are those who did not welcome the truth that they should be saved. Therefore, God will send a working of wandering so they believe the lie and are condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:11–12).
Now is the time for salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). When the rapture happens, those who are left will not be saved because they did not welcome truth. We obtain salvation today by believing that Christ died on behalf of our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). Salvation is offered through no one else (Acts 4:12).
When the rapture happens, not one member of the Church will be left behind; however, many claiming to be Christians will remain because they did not welcome the love of the truth and have pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12). These will be caused to wander after the Man of Lawlessness so that they may also be condemned, sharing in his lie, which is independence from God.
Since Christians will not be on earth when the man of lawlessness is revealed, the Church is not to be shaken by those who claim that the Tribulation is here or the mark of the beast has arrived. None of this will happen until the Holy Spirit, who is restraining Satan, leaves the earth with the Church in the rapture and permits the rise of the Man of Lawlessness; the first beast of Revelation (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7).
