2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
| King James Version |
Community of Christ Inspired Version |
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by
our gathering together unto him, |
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by
our gathering together unto him, |
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or
be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word,
nor by letter, as from us, as that the day
of Christ is at hand. |
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or
be troubled by letter, except ye receive
it from us; neither by spirit, nor by word,
as that the day of Christ is at hand. |
3 Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of
sin be revealed, the son of perdition, |
3 Let no man deceive you by any means;
for there shall come a falling away first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition; |
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. |
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is
worshiped; so that he as God sitteth
in the temple of God, showing himself
that he is God. |
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was
yet with you, I told you these things? |
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was
yet with you, I told you these things? |
6 And now ye know what withholdeth
that he might be revealed in his time. |
6 And now ye know what withholdeth
that he might be revealed in his time. |
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only he who now letteth
will let, until he be taken out of the way. |
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work, and he it is who now
worketh, and Christ suffereth him to
work, until the time is fulfilled that he
shall be taken out of the way. |
8 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: |
8 And then shall that wicked one be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume
with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming. |
9 Even him, whose coming is after the
working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, |
9 Yea, the Lord, even Jesus, whose
coming is not until after there cometh a
falling away, by the working of Satan with
all power, and signs and lying wonders, |
10 And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved. |
10 And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved. |
11 And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: |
11 And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie; |
12 That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure
in unrighteousness. |
12 That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure
in unrighteousness.
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a translation dilemma
An interlinear Greek-English New Testament will show that the transition between 2 Thessalonians
2:8 and 2:9 is too abrupt to make sense in English. A good translator must understand what is meant
in the Greek and then put that meaning in English. In the following review words without direct basis
in the Greek are put in brackets.
King James Version:
8 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:
9 [Even him,] whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Community of Christ Inspired Version:
8 And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of his
mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
9 [Yea, the Lord, even Jesus,] whose coming is [not until after there cometh a falling away,] by the
working of Satan with all power, and signs and lying wonders,
Ferrar Fenton's translation (1905 edition):
8 and then the outlaw will become manifest, whom the Lord will destroy by the spirit of His mouth,
and extinguish by the manifestation of His presence.
9 [This outlaw's] arrival will be accompanied by the energy of Satan with all powers, and signs, and
terrors of falsehood;
Helen Montgomery's translation (1924):
8 and then the lawless one will be revealed. Him the Lord will consume with the breath of his lips,
and destroy with the brightness of his appearing;
9 [even he] whose coming is according to the energy of Satan, in every power and sign and lying
wonder,
New International Version (1984 edition):
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord [Jesus]* will overthrow with the breath
of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
9 The coming [of the lawless one] will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds
of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders,
(*this is in some manuscripts)
a related scripture: Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants 1:6
"And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth, I, the Lord, am willing to make these
things known unto all flesh, for I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that
the day speedily cometh—the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand—when peace shall be taken from
the earth, and the Devil shall have power over his own dominion; and also the Lord shall have
power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea,
or the world."
My interpretations of phrases in Doctrine and Covenants 1:6 are as follows:
when peace shall be taken from the earth — World War I, followed by World War II
and the Devil shall have power over his own dominion — the rise of the United Nations (1945) and
the World Council of Churches (1948), culminating in a false messiah and the rise of anti-Christian
world government
and also the Lord shall have power over his saints — the Confrontation with Christ, worldwide
preaching of His gospel, and the gathering of the righteous
and shall reign in their midst — His increasing Presence as Zion is established while the rest of the
world is caught up in World War III
and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world — the destruction of the wicked by
Christ and the commencement of His millennial reign
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