2 Thessalonians 2:3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For that day shall not come, except, &c.— "The day of Christ shall not come, except there come the apostacy first." The apostacy here described is plainly not of a civil, but of a religious nature; not a revolt from the government, but a defection from the true religion and worship. In the original it is the apostacy, with an article to give it an emphasis. The article being added, signifies "that famous and before-predicted apostacy." So likewise is the man of sin, with the like article, and the like emphasis. If then the notion of the man of sin be derived from any ancient prophet, it must be derived from Daniel 7:25; Daniel 7:28. Any man may be satisfied that St. Paul alluded to Daniel's description, because he has not only borrowed the same ideas, but has even adopted some of the phrases and expressions. The man of sin may signify either a single man, or a succession of men: a succession of men being meant in Daniel, it is probable that the same was intended here also. It is the more probable, because a single man appears hardly sufficient for the work here assigned; and it is agreeable to the phraseology of scripture, and especially to that of the prophets, to speak of a body, or number of men, under the character of one. The man of sin seems to be expressed from Daniel 7:24 according to the Greek translation, he shall exceed in evil all that went before him; and he may fulfil the character, either by promoting wickedness in general, or by advancing idolatry in particular, as the word sin frequently signifies in scripture. The son of perdition is also the denomination of the traitor Judas, John 17:12 which implies, that the man of sin should be, like Judas, a false apostle; like him betray Christ, and, like him, be devoted to destruction. Who opposeth, &c. is manifestly copied from Daniel, He shall exalt himself, &c. The features exactly resemble each other: He opposeth and exalteth himself above all; or, according to the Greek, "above every one that is called God, or that is worshipped." The Greek word for worshipped, is σεβασμα, alluding to the Greek title of the Roman emperors, σεβαστος, which signifies august or venerable. He shall oppose,—for the prophets speak of things future, as present;—"he shall oppose and exalt himself, not only above inferior magistrates, (who are sometimes called gods in holy writ,) but even above the greatest emperors, and shall arrogate to himself divine honours:—So that he as God sitteth in the temple, &c." By the temple of God, the apostle could not mean the temple of Jerusalem, because that, he knew, would be totally destroyed within a few years. After the death of Christ, the temple of Jerusalem is never called by the apostles the temple of God; and if, at any time, they make mention of the house or temple of God, they mean the church in general, or every particular believer. Whoever will consult 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. 2 Corinthians 6:16. 1 Timothy 3:15. Revelation 3:12 will want no other examples to prove, that, under the gospel-dispensation, the temple of God is the church of Christ: and the man of sin's sitting, implies his ruling and presiding there; and sitting there as God, implies his claiming divine authority, in things spiritual as well as temporal; and shewing himself that he is God, implies his doing it with the utmost ostentation.