Before the “Day of the Lord” arrives, the “lawless one” will be revealed who will deceive many with “signs and lying wonders.”
According to Paul, the day when Jesus “arrives” to gather his elect will not come until the “apostasy” takes place and the “man of lawlessness” is unveiled. And in 2 Thessalonians, he also refers to this dark figure as the “son of destruction” and the “lawless one.” He will use “signs and lying wonders” and “deceit” to destroy all those who “refuse the love of the truth.”
The New Testament warns of the coming “apostasy” that will occur prior to the arrival of the “day of the Lord.”
To the Thessalonians, Paul explained that the “day of the Lord” will NOT commence until the “apostasy” occurs and the “man of lawlessness” is revealed, two events that are inextricably linked. And in his statement, Paul reiterated the warning found elsewhere in the New Testament about the “falling away” of many from the faith in the “last days.”
The “one like a Son of Man” from Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation, the “Son of Man” – Daniel 7:13-14.
In the gospel accounts, the “Son of Man” is the most frequent self-designation found on the lips of Jesus, a term derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “like a Son of Man” who received the “dominion and kingdom” from the “Ancient of Days.” And at the end of the age, “all the tribes of the earth” will mourn when “they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven.” Jesus is “that Son of Man.”
The language of “war” is used metaphorically to portray the attacks of the “beast” against the saints – Revelation 11:7.
Revelation uses “war” and related terms to illustrate Satan’s attacks against the saints, the followers of the “Lamb.” The book shows no interest in conventional or nuclear warfare between nation-states. Instead, the “Dragon” strives to annihilate the church before his allotted time expires, and he does so through deception, compromise, and persecution against the church.
Revelation communicates symbolically, and it provides the reader with many of the most important interpretations of its images.
Passages in scripture often provide the reader with interpretive clues, and how a verse applies passages from the Hebrew Bible is beneficial for understanding an author’s theological perspective. This is especially so in the book of Revelation, which uses the Old Testament more frequently than any other New Testament book.
Insights into Bible Prophecy 