The pre tribulation rapture in 2 Thessalonian 2.1-12

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II Thessalonians 2:1-12 <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>1Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ], and our gathering together unto him 2to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand </strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
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(The 'coming of the Lord Jesus' is directly associated with the 'day of the Lord' and the rapture: 'our gathering together unto him.' This is the same picture that the apostle Paul presents in 1 Thess 4&5. This is what he is talking about in the rest of this passage)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>3let no man beguile you in any wise: for (it will not be,) except the falling away come first,<br>
and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
(Before the rapture/coming of Jesus/day of the Lord there will be an apostasy; immediately after these things antichrist will be revealed)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>4he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; <br>
so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
(Paul jumps ahead to the mid trib activities of antichrist: the abomination of desolation)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>6And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
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(the 'restrainer' is holding back the revealing of antichrist)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>7For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only (there is) one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
(the restrainer must be the elect, believers, 'the salt of the earth' that holds back the corrupting influence of the 'mystery of lawlessness, the believers will one day though be taken)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>8And then shall be revealed the lawless one,</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
(after the rapture/removal of the restrainer, antichrist will be revealed)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth,<br>
and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming;</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
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(Paul jumps ahead to the end result of antichrist: his destruction)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>9(even he), whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
(antichrist will 'come' with demonstrations of power)<br>
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<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>11And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (ASV)</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
(antichrist sets up a the false 'kingdom of God' in which he decieves the world into idolatry and iniquity under the guise of a false religious system (Rev 13) 'mystery babylon)<br>
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In summary: 'Our gathering unto him' and 'the removing of the restrainer' are references to the rapture and that removing reveals antichrist and begins his activities in the next 7 years. <br>
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