restraint loosed; although some of the ways of God are developed before the full manifestation of the evil.

This thought does not rest upon great principles only: the passage itself supplies elements which shew the state of things when the power of evil develops itself. 1st. The apostasy has already taken place. This could hardly be said if the testimony of the Church still subsisted, as it had in time past, or even yet more distinctly as being freed from all false and corrupting elements. 2nd. Authority as established of God has disappeared from the scene, for the wicked one exalts himself against all that is called God, and to which homage is paid, and presents himself as God in the temple of God. Compare Psa. lxxxii., where God stands among the gods (the judges), to judge them before He inherits the nations. Before that solemn hour when God will judge the judges of the earth, this wicked one, despising all authority that comes from Him, sets himself up as God; and that, on the earth, where the judgment will be manifested. And then, 3rdly, in place of the Holy Ghost and His power manifested on the earth, we find the power of Satan, and with precisely the same tokens that bore witness to the person of Christ. So that the passage itself, whether as to man, or as to the enemy, gives us in the three points of which we have spoken, the full confirmation of that which we have ventured to set forth.

The Church, the powers ordained by God upon the earth, the Holy Ghost present here as the Comforter, in lieu of Christ, have all (as regards the manifestation of the government and the work of God) given place to the self-willed unbridled man, and to the power of the

enemy.

We speak of the sphere of this prophecy, which, moreover, embraces that of the public testimony of God

on earth.

Definitively, then, we have here, man in his own nature as it has displayed itself by forsaking Godin the full enjoyment of his own will in rebellion against God; the wilful man, developed as the result of apostasy from the position of grace in which the Church stood,

and in contempt of all the governmental authority of God on the earth. And since that authority had shewn itself directly and properly in Judea, this contempt, and the spirit of rebellion in man, who exalts himself above everything, but who cannot be heavenly (Heaven, and all pretension to Heaven, is given up by man, and lost by Satan), display themselves by men taking the place of God in His temple, under the most advanced form of Jewish apostasy and blasphemy. At the same time, Satan acts God having loosed his bridle. with a power (a lying power, indeed, but) which gives the same testimony before men, as that which the works of Christ did to the Saviour; and also with all the skill that iniquity possesses to deceive. It is in the wicked, the lawless one, that Satan works these things. Our consideration of the development of the latter part of this solemn scene, will come (God willing) in the Book of Revelation. We may add, that there we have this wicked one as the false Messiah, and especially as prophet; in Daniel xi. as king; here, as the unbridled man, and in particular as the result of the apostasy, and the manifestation of Satan's power. In a word, instead of the Church, the apostasy; instead of the Holy Ghost, Satan; and instead of the authority of God, as a restraint upon evil, the unbridled man setting himself up as God on the earth.

b

Another circumstance, already mentioned, demands particular attention. I have said that he presents himself as the Messiah; that is to say, in His two characters as king and prophet, which are His earthly characters. In heaven, Satan has then nothing more to do; he has been cast out from thence, so that there is no imitation of the Lord's high-priesthood. In that respect, Satan had, in his own person, acted another part. He was previously, in heaven, the accuser of the brethren. But, at the time of which we are speaking, the Church is on

We may remark, that the apostasy develops itself under the three forms in which man has been in relationship with God. Nature-it is the man of sin, unrestrained, who exalts himself. Judaism he sits as God in the temple of God. Christianityit is to this, that the term apostasy is directly applied in the passage before us.

high, and the accuser of the brethren is cast out, never to return there. In a man inspired by him, he makes himself prophet and king. And in this character, he does the same things (in falsehood) as those by which God had sanctioned the mission of Christ before men (comp. Acts ii. 22). In Greek, the words are identical. I would also recall here, another solemn fact, in order to complete this picture. In the history of Elijah, we find that the proof of the divinity of Baal, or that of Jehovah, is made to rest upon the fact of their respective servants bringing down fire from heaven. Now, in Rev. xiii., we learn that the second beast brings down fire from heaven in the sight of men. So that we find here the marvellous works that sanctioned the Lord's mission; and there, that which proved Jehovah to be the true and only God. And Satan performs both, in order to deceive men.

This may give us an idea of the state in which they will be; and it indicates, also, that these things will take place in relation with the Jews, under the double aspect of their connection with Jehovah, and their rejection of Christ, and reception of Antichrist.

Thus, thank God, the truth is abundantly confirmed, that these things do not relate to the Church, but to those who, having had opportunity to profit by the truth, have rejected it, and loved iniquity. Neither does it relate to the heathen, but only to those among whom the truth has been set forth. They refused it, and God sends a lie; and an efficacious lie, that they may believe it. He does this in judgment; He did the same

c I only allude here to the connection between the renunciation of Christianity, and the development of apostate Judaism which are linked together in the rejection of the true Christ, and the denial of the Father and the Son; features given in 1 John, as characteristic of the Antichrist. But I am persuaded, that the more we examine the Word, the more we shall see (perhaps with surprise) that this fact is confirmed. Moreover, the turning back to Judaism, and the tendency to idolatry by the introduction of other mediators and patrons, and the losing sight of our union with the Head, and thus of the perfection and deliverance from the law, which are ours in Christ, have, at all times, characterised the mystery of iniquity, and the principle of apostasy. The apostle had incessantly to combat this. That of which we spoke above, is but its full manifestation.

thing with the nations (Rom. i. 24, 26, 28); He did it also with the Jews (Isaiah vi. 9, 10); He does it here with nominal Christians.

This applies even to the Jews, as a nation that rejected the truth, the testimony of the Holy Ghost (Acts vii.); but still more to Christians (in name). In short, to all those who will have had the truth presented to them.

With nominal Christians, this has, necessarily, the character of apostasy; or, at least, it is connected with this apostasy, and is consequent upon it, as verse 3 teaches us, the apostasy takes place, and then the man of sin is revealed.

In connection with the man of sin, he presents himself, without restraint, as God, in the temple of God. In relation to the lying power of Satan, and his efficient work, he presents himself in the character of Christhe is the Antichrist; assuming, consequently, a Jewish character. It is not only the pride of man exalting itself against God, but the power of Satan in man, deceiving men, and the Jews in particular, by a false Christ; so that, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. We may remark, that all these characters are precisely the opposite of Christ; falsehood instead of truth, iniquity instead of righteousness, perdition instead of sal

vation.

It is to a power like this, of lies and destruction, that man-having forsaken Christianity, and exalted himself in pride against God- will be given up. The apostasy (that is to say, the renunciation of Christianity) will be the occasion of this evil; Judea and the Jews, the scene in which it ripens and develops itself in a positive way.

The antichrist will deny the Father and the Son, i. e., Christianity; he will deny that Jesus is the Christ. This is Jewish unbelief. With the burden upon him, of sin against Christianity, grace, and the presence of the Holy Ghost, he will ally himself with Jewish unbelief, in order

d This is the culminating point in his character as an apostate who has renounced grace. The ninth and following verses develop his positive and deceitful activity, by which he seeks to win men. This explains the mixture (which, moreover, generally exists) of atheism in will, and superstition.

that there may be, not only the full expression of human pride, but also, for a time, the Satanic influence of a false Christ, who will strengthen the throne of Satan among the Gentiles, occupied by the first beast, to whom the authority of the drag on has been given. He will also set up his own subordinate throne over the Jews, as being the Messiah, whom their unbelief is expecting; while, at the same time, He will bring in idolatry, the unclean spirit long gone out, who then returns to his house, which is devoid of God.

And now, with regard to his destruction; whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the spirit of His mouth, and destroy with the manifestation of His presence, or of His return. The first of these means characterises the judgment; it is the word of truth applied in judgment, according to the power of God. In the Revelations, it says that the sword proceeds out of His mouth. Here He is not spoken of in the character of a man of war, as in Rev. xix. The spirit of His mouth is that inward and divine power which kindles and executes the judgment. It is not an instrument, it is the divine source of power which executes its purpose by a word (comp. Isaiah xxx. 33). But there is another aspect of this judgment. The Lord, the man Jesus, will return. return has two parts; the return into the air to take His Church to Himself, and the public manifestation in glory, of this return.

His

In the first verse of our chapter, we have read of His return, and of our gathering together unto Him. Here, verse 8, is the manifestation of His presence publicly in creation. At the time of this public manifestation of His coming, He destroys the whole work and power of the wicked one. It is the Man formerly obedient on the earth, exalted of God, and become Lord of all, who destroys the lawless man that has exalted himself above everything and made himself as God, instead of being obedient to God.

This evil on the side of Satan's influence. was already working in the apostle's time, only it was bridled and kept back, until that which restrained it should no longer be on the scene. Then should the wicked one be