2 Thessalonians 2
1Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the Royal Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to meet him, 2that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be alarmed—whether by a spirit of prophecy, or by a spoken message, or by a letter allegedly from us—claiming that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. 3Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the Great Defection comes first and the Man of Lawlessness is revealed—the one destined for destruction. 4He is the adversary who exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, even to the point of seating himself in the sanctuary of God, displaying himself as being God.
5Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is currently restraining him, so that he may be revealed in his own proper time. 7For the hidden secret of lawlessness is already at work; it is only that the one currently restraining will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth and render powerless by the radiance of his Royal Presence.
9The presence of the lawless one is according to the active working of Satan, accompanied by every kind of power and signs and counterfeit wonders, 10and by every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing. They perish because they did not welcome the love of the truth so that they might be saved. 11For this reason, God sends them a misleading influence so that they will believe the lie, 12in order that all who did not believe the truth but took delight in injustice might be judged.
13But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as a firstfruit for salvation through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through trust in the truth. 14He called you to this through our good news, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold onto the traditions you were taught by us, whether by word of mouth or by our letter.
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father—who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and a good hope— 17encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.