保罗向帖撒罗尼迦教会仔细教导耶稣再来的事，可是他们还是一知半解，之前盼望太弱，现在则是太强。有些信徒相信主已经再来、或是近再眼前，所以现在除了等候祂，什么都不必做，有些人甚至因此放弃工作。

保罗因此再次提醒他们，基督再来不是近在眼前，因为至少还有一件大事，这件事若不发生，耶稣就不会再来，那就是「不法的人」要显露出来。这人跟本不把上帝看在眼里，他甚至「坐在上帝的殿里，自称为上帝」。 （2:3-4）圣经其它地方称之为「兽」或「敌基督」，他将迷惑世上的人，甚至有些基督徒也会被迷惑，因为他能「行各样的异能、神迹和一切虚假的奇事」，只是他是「靠撒但的运作」，而不是靠着圣灵。 （2:9）

尽管主再来并非迫在眉睫，但「那不法的隐秘已经运作」，只是现在有一个力量在阻挡，有一天这个阻挡会被除去。 （2:7）那时人类将遭遇到有史以来最大的患难，耶稣称之为「大灾难」，「自从世界的起头直到如今，从没有这样的灾难，将来也不会有。」（马太福音 24:21）

在那时基督徒的遭遇会如何？耶稣说：「为了选民，那些日子将减少。」因为「若不减少那些日子，凡血肉之躯的，就没有一个能得救」。 （马太福音 24:22）可见那「不法的人」所引发的大灾难，很可能会导致人类灭绝，因此上帝为了保全祂的子民，也为了保全祂所创造的地球，限制了那「不法的人」的时间。根据圣经的预言，大灾难的日子只有三年半，然后主耶稣就会再来，并且「要用口中的气灭绝他，以自己来临的光辉摧毁他。」（2:8）

上帝要我们知道的事，都已经写在圣经里。圣经对末世的预言，让我们保持清醒，不过份乐观，也不过份悲观。在太平时能警醒，察验那「不法的隐秘」是否已在运作；在大灾难来临时，也能心存盼望，因为过不了多久，不过三年半的时间，耶稣就会再来。

简体圣经 | https://www.bible.com/bible/140/2TH.2.RCUVSS

繁體聖經 | https://www.bible.com/bible/139/2TH.2.RCUV

Paul taught the Thessalonian church about the second coming of Jesus, but they still had limited understanding. Some believers thought that Jesus had already come or was about to come, so they stopped doing anything except waiting for Him. Some even gave up their jobs.

Paul reminded them that the coming of Christ would be not imminent, because there was at least one major event that had to happen first: the revelation of the "man of lawlessness." This person would exalt himself above gods and even proclaim himself to be God. (2:3-4) In other parts of the Bible, he is referred to as the "beast" or the "antichrist." He would deceive many people, including some Christians, with his "all power and false signs and wonders" that were by the activity of Satan, not the Holy Spirit. (2:9)

Although the second coming of Christ was not imminent, "the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed.” (2:7) Then, the world would experience the greatest tribulation ever seen. Jesus called it the "great distress," and “such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be”. (Matthew 24:21)

The question of how Christians would fare during this time is answered by Jesus, who said that the days would be shortened for their sake. Because “If those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.” (Matthew 24:22) God limit the time of the "man of lawlessness" to protect His people and His creation. According to the Bible, the great tribulation would last only three and a half years, after which Jesus would come again and destroy the "man of lawlessness" with the breath of His mouth and the splendour of His coming. (2:8)

All that God wants us to know has been written in the Bible. Its prophecies about the end times should keep us alert but not overly optimistic or pessimistic. In times of peace, we should be vigilant and discern whether the "man of lawlessness" is already at work. And when the great tribulation comes, we can have hope because Jesus will return in a short while.

Reading the Bible | https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2TH.2.ESV