| Any
interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 which suggests that the man of sin
is represented by a supernatural being such as Satan requires that “the
restrainer” holding him back must be a supernatural power, namely, God
Himself. However, such a view overlooks the inherent description of the man
of sin. First, he is a “man,” (anthropos) of human origin. No
where in scripture is Satan referred to as a man (anthropos or aner
in Greek and adam, enosh, geber or met in
Hebrew). Satan is a supernatural, angelic being of heavenly origin in Isaiah
14 and Ezekiel 28. Second, the man of sin is described as the “son of
perdition.”
This descriptive phrase is used in
only one other instance in scripture in John 17:12 referring to Judas who
allowed himself to be actuated by Satan. Finally, the phrase, “the son of
perdition” implies a “father of perdition.” In fact Satan is referred
to as the “father” of those who refuse to listen to the words of Jesus.
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want
to do” (Jn. 8:44). It seems clear from this preliminary internal
exegetical evidence that Satan is not the “man of sin,” a phrase which
historically has been associated with the papacy, a religious system with
human (anthropos), organizational characteristics.
If the man of sin is an earthly
religious system with human leadership, this precludes the necessity of a
supernatural restrainer. The view that the restrainer exhibits evil
characteristics and is symbolic of Rome receives support from the following
internal linguistics considerations of 2 Thess. 2:6-7.
3.1
Linguistic Evidence of Concurrent Time |