The Mystery of Iniquity
II Thessalonians 2:7, 8 – “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”
In the above passage, we are told that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” What is meant by the phrase “mystery of iniquity”? I will discuss it in this post.
It is important to understand that the man of sin has not yet been revealed. In spite of what some say, we are not currently in the Great Tribulation, and the Antichrist is not here yet. The above passage, II Thessalonians 2:7-8, shows us three things: first, that someone is “letting,” or hindering, the Antichrist from being revealed; second, that whoever is hindering the Antichrist will one day be removed from the scene; and third, that this removal will allow the Wicked One (Antichrist) to be revealed. I will discuss later who is hindering the Antichrist from being revealed. But at this time, it is important to know that the Antichrist has not yet been revealed.
Today, there is much confusion on the subject of the Antichrist, and such confusion is uncalled for, since the Bible is so plain. I have heard far-out teachings that have striven to make Babylon of Revelation 18 to mean the United States. Some time ago, I had a man come to my church. After church, he told me that the American government has concentration camps throughout the country, ready to unload Christians at any time. I told this man that I already heard that Christians in America were headed for concentration camps – when Bill Clinton was president. And it never happened. I have heard that the new healthcare law mandates that every American receive a computerized chip in their hand in 2013. Some interpret this to be the mark of the beast.
Let us get some things straight. The first thing to get straight is the fact that funny, unscriptural teachings such as these do not arise from those who obey the myriads of New Testament verses that command us to watch, look for, be ready for, and wait for the coming of the Lord. These teachings always come from those who are looking for the Antichrist. Another truth to get straight is the truth that neither the United States, nor any American president, is the Antichrist. The man of sin will not rule from America. Understand this: we are not in the Great Tribulation, and the Antichrist is not yet revealed.
Our text, however, lets us know that although the Antichrist cannot be revealed until someone else is taken out of the way, the MYSTERY OF INIQUITY is already at work. This mystery of iniquity is what John calls the “spirit of antichrist.”
I John 4:3 – “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
I showed in the previous post how that the Antichrist will be influenced by the devil himself, as was Judas Iscariot. But devils of hell have been working for more than two thousand years to bring about this final empire ruled by the man of sin. There is a spirit of antichrist working in all the world, and we are seeing it more and more in the United States.
The Modern Cry for Unity
This spirit of antichrist, or mystery of iniquity, manifests itself in many ways. First, we see the mystery of iniquity in the modern cry for “unity.” In Revelation 3:10, we are told that the hour of temptation will come upon ALL the world. In Revelation 13:3, John tells us that ALL the world wondered after the beast. In Revelation 13:7, it is made clear that the beast will rule over ALL nations. In Revelation 13:8, we are told that ALL that are upon the earth will worship the beast (excepting those whose names are in the book of life). In Revelation 13:12, the false prophet will exercise ALL the power of the beast. In Revelation 13:15, the false prophet causes ALL to be killed who do not worship the beast. In Revelation 13:16, the false prophet causes ALL to receive the beast’s mark. As you can see, the Great Tribulation is a time that will involve ALL. The message of the Antichrist is “Let’s ALL come together. Let’s all worship together.” Ever heard that? I’m sure most readers have heard phrases such as these. While “unity” sounds good, we cannot unite with devils. I cannot join hands with Muslims and Buddhists. If a man prays to St. Jude, I cannot worship with him. If a man denies that Jesus Christ, while upon the earth, was God manifested in the flesh, I cannot join hands with that man. It is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1), but it is abominable for believers to join together with unbelievers (II Corinthians 6:14). Unity is important for the body of Christ, but we must be wary of any religious leader who promotes unity with unbelievers. Any such religious leader is operating in the spirit of antichrist – the mystery of iniquity.
The Desire for the Miraculous
Not only is the modern cry for unity evident that the spirit of antichrist is already at work, but there is further evidence in the modern desire for the miraculous. We live in a day where many are infatuated with someone who claims to have some type of miraculous power. If a man of God rises to expound upon the scriptures, most churchgoers today act bored to death. If a man of flesh, however, blows on people, claims to heal people, or announces in a church services that someone in the crowd has a headache, people follow after it like a maggot on molded meat. When the Antichrist and false prophet are the scene, they both will perform miracles. Notice:
II Thessalonians 2:4 – “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
Revelation 13:3 – “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”
Revelation 13:13, 14 – “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”
Let me be clear. I do not care if they can tell you your phone number. I do not care if they can tell you where you are aching. I do not care who they heal, how much they heal, or what miracles they can do. If they are not preaching the pure, unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ – the gospel of faith in the finished work of Christ and faith in Him alone to be saved – the gospel that produces a holy life, causing the believer to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, then their anointing is a false one. They are then operating by the spirit of antichrist; not by the true Holy Spirit of God. A man’s work is not validated by any miracles he does; but rather by the Word of God. If a man’s message doesn’t line up with the book, he is a false prophet!
As we see these things on the rise in the religious world, it is clear that the mystery of iniquity – the spirit of antichrist – is already at work.
