We've all seen what happens when a teacher steps out of the classroom or an authority figure disappears.

Chaos breaks loose. And one day, the greatest restraining force the world has ever known will be removed, and the man of lawlessness will emerge.

Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall traces the rise and fall of this man.

The message comes from his series called Steadfast Christianity.

And Chuck is working through four words that will help us in this study.

They are defiance, delay, destruction,

and delusion. We resume our study in 2, Thessalonians 2.

First, the defiance. Verse 3. let no one in any way deceive you, for it, that is the day of the Lord,

the time of earthly judgment, will not come unless, number one, the apostasy comes first, and number two, the man of lawlessness

is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called

God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat

in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Now, if you let your mind wander in passages like this, you will leave thinking this was

kind of a boring talk.

But if you'll think with me, you'll find some real interesting information.

You may not agree with each of my interpretations, but that's your prerogative.

You want to be wrong?

It's up to you.

I'm just going to try to tell you what I think it says.

Please observe that before there is the day of the Lord sweeping across this earth, there

must begin the apostasy. And second, there must emerge ultimately the man of lawlessness.

The apostasy interests us first. We see apostasy today, but it's like seeing the tip of the iceberg.

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