The Lawless One

2 Now we ask you, brothers, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,^[a] and our gathering together to him, ² not to be so quickly upset^[b] or alarmed when someone claims that we said,^[c] either by some spirit, conversation, or letter that the Day of the Lord has already come. ³ Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for it will not come unless the rebellion^[d] takes place first and the man of sin,^[e] who is destined for destruction,^[f] is revealed. ⁴ He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the sanctuary^[g] of God and himself declares that he is God.

⁵ Don’t you remember that I repeatedly told you about these things when I was still with you? ⁶ You know what it is that is now holding him back, so that he will be revealed when his time comes. ⁷ For the secret of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the person now holding it back gets out of the way. ⁸ Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord^[h] will destroy with the breath of his mouth, rendering him powerless by the manifestation of his coming.

⁹ The coming of the lawless one^[i] will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind^[j] of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders, ¹⁰ and every type of evil to deceive^[k] those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them.^{[l] 11} For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. ¹² Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.