According to 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-3, will Christians have to face the Antichrist before the rapture?

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According to 2 Thessalonians 2

1-3, will Christians have to face the Antichrist before the rapture?

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To be accurate, Paul does not mention the term "Antichrist." Only John does that in 1 John 2, 1 John 4 and 2 John 1. Having said that, this question is an important one, involving events near the return of Jesus Christ and the saints being gathered to Him (2 Thessalonians 2:1).

When we study the book of Revelation, we see that John spoke about a very similar person, whom he called a second "beast" in Revelation 13:11-14. He says this leader performs great miracles, even calling fire down from heaven to deceive people and get them to worship the first beast. Later, in Revelation 19:20, this second beast is called the false prophet who works on behalf of the first beast. Tragically, all these passages indicate that people will be deceived by powerful but false miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10; Revelation 13:14; 19:20).

Christ also spoke about this time (Matthew 24:24) saying that if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived. True Christians will not be deceived by these lying wonders. In the next chapter, He says the righteous are blessed and will inherit the Kingdom of God (Matthew 25:31-34).

Since you asked about a prophetic passage, you might find our booklets on The Book of Revelation Unveiled and You Can Understand Bible Prophecy of interest. You can read them online or you can request a printed copy.

There is a second aspect to your question—that of what happens to the saints. You referred to the "rapture"—a word that never appears in the Bible. Jesus said that when He returns it will be a very public event that all the inhabitants of the earth will see. Everyone will hear the great sound of a trumpet as He gathers together His elect from all over the earth (Matthew 24:30-32). John also said when Christ returns every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7). It is at the time of this great trumpet blast that Paul says the dead in Christ will be resurrected and the saints who are alive will be changed to spirit instantaneously (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). If you wish to study more about the subject of the resurrection and what happens at death, read or request our booklet on What Happens After Death? (http://www.ucg.org/booklets/AD/).