Bible Study - 2 Thessalonians 2:3b-5 - (Part Two)
Led by Shaun Fereday, Prison Chaplain
(Sessional) & Leader @SFGH Church
(PART TWO) - Daniel, the Timeline, and the Antichrist...
(Transcribed from Tuesday's Bible Study Group)
If you’ve ever sat in on one of our Tuesday evening Bible Study Groups, you’ll know they can sometimes start with a simple question and end with us knee-deep in prophecy, timelines, and history lessons. Last night was no exception.
Brian kicked things off with a grin: “Can I be very rude and just ask a few questions before we begin…” And from there, we were off.
I pointed at the colourful chart up front – all seals, trumpets, vials, and end-times chronology – and joked that it had nothing to do with tonight’s actual passage. But of course, it soon became the very thing we dived into.
Brian wanted clarity: “When you talk about the second coming, are you referring to Jesus coming down to earth for His Millennial reign or the rapture?”
“The Millennial reign,” I said, “but it’s tricky. For us as believers, the rapture feels like His second coming because we meet Him in the air. But technically, it’s not – His true second coming is when His feet touch the Mount of Olives and He reigns for the final one thousand years (the Millennial).”
So, we explored that subtle but important difference. The rapture is real, but it’s not the same as Christ’s final descent.
Tribulation, Wrath, and the Seals
Brian’s next question: “The seals, trumpets, and vials – do we experience them?”
“Yes and no,” I explained. The seals – the opening stages of tribulation – we will live through as Christians. Jesus Himself opens the seals in Revelation, permitting events to unfold. The Antichrist rises, famine comes, war breaks out, a quarter of the earth dies, martyrs cry out for justice. Hard stuff. But all of it is under God’s allowance. God is in control but this is not God's wrath.
It’s only after the Antichrist reveals himself in the temple – the midpoint of the seven years – that the rapture takes place. After that, the trumpets and vials (or bowls, depending on your translation) are poured out. That’s God’s wrath, and by then, the Church is gone.
Brian nodded, half in relief, half in awe, muttering, “Some awful things in those vials.”
Why Daniel Matters
But here’s where it really opened up. We’ve looked at Paul in 2 Thessalonians and Jesus in the Olivet Discourse over the last two weeks. Both agree: the Antichrist comes first, then the rapture. But then Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 24:15 to look at Daniel. And if Jesus tells us to read Daniel, we should.
Daniel divides escatolological history into 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24–27). Not seven-day weeks, but weeks of years. That’s 490 years in total, split into three parts:
1. Seven weeks of seven (49 years): The rebuilding of Jerusalem after exile. This is confirmed by history and Scripture – four decrees from Persian kings, culminating in Artaxerxes’ decree in 444 BC (Nehemiah 2:1–8). That kicked off 49 years of rebuilding walls and city.
2. Sixty-two weeks of seven (434 years): The countdown from the rebuilt city to the coming of Christ. Right on schedule, Messiah appeared and was “cut off” – crucified. Daniel nailed it centuries in advance.
3. One week of seven (7 years): The final tribulation. The Antichrist rises, makes a covenant, breaks it close to the beginning, declares himself God in the temple half way through the seven years, unleashes abomination, and meets his end when God casts him into the lake of fire along with the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20).
Shaun notes there appears to be an obvious problem: 69 weeks (483 years) have already passed, Christ came, and yet 2,000 more years later we're still waiting for the last week to happen (Daniel’s so called 70th week). How can that be?
That’s where Jesus and Paul step in. Both speak of the “time of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24 quotes Jesus; Romans 11:25 quotes Paul). Between Daniel’s 69th and 70th weeks, God paused His prophetic clock, opening a season for the nations to hear the Gospel. That’s the time we’re in now - the time of the Gentiles. And when it’s fulfilled, the clock resumes with Daniel’s final week.
Splitting the Seven Years
Daniel and Revelation both say the tribulation is split into two halves: 3½ years each. Sometimes called “42 months,” sometimes “1,260 days,” sometimes “a time, times, and half a time.” It all means the same thing – three and a half years.
First half: Tribulation we live through. Seals are opened, the Antichrist rises, wars rage, suffering spreads.
Second half: God’s wrath poured out. Trumpets and bowls unleashed. But the church is gone by then.
It’s precise. Painful. And Daniel, Paul, and Jesus all line up on it, even if Church tradition doesn't (but we agreed tradition is wrong and Scripture is right).
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| Antiochus Epiphanes IV |
A Type of Antichrist
But Antiochus wasn’t the Antichrist. He was a type. Just as Hitler, Stalin, or even modern dictators echo aspects of that same spirit. The true Antichrist will surpass them all, fulfilling what Daniel, Paul, and Revelation describe.
Banter and Honesty
It wasn’t all heavy prophecy. Cecilia quipped, “Tradition is man-made.” Shaun agreed. “Some traditions are fine, but not this one.”
Dave added with a laugh: “Twenty-two chapters in Revelation, two verses a week – we’ll be here forever if we studdied that.”
Brian dipped his head as he thought about “all that tribulation”. And Marinus admitted he’d probably ask Alexa (that natty digital device) to read Daniel aloud to him because the details can feel overwhelming. And he’s right – Daniel is like God’s stopwatch for history. Precise but not always easy to digest.
Final Reflection
What struck me again is how Scripture explains Scripture. Paul says the Antichrist must come first. Jesus says look to Daniel. Daniel gives the timetable. Revelation confirms the pattern. It’s not man’s tradition, but God’s Word.
And the good news? Even in wrath, God offers mercy. Revelation says three angels go out calling people to repent as the "3 Woes" unfold. Even in the darkest hour, God’s patience is staggering.
So, are we ready? If tradition is wrong, we will face tribulation before we’re raptured. Not God’s wrath – but the Antichrist’s fury and a world in turmoil. That’s why Jesus warns, Paul clarifies, and Daniel measures it out. Not to scare us, but to prepare us.
Let’s be a people rooted in Scripture, not just tradition. A people who understand the times, hold fast to Christ, and trust that when the seals open, He’s still on the throne.
If you'd like to read more about Daniel relating to the Antichrist then check out our blog titled: Delving into Daniel.
Bible References from the Study
• 2 Thessalonians 2:3b-5
• (Olivet Discourse) Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21
• Daniel 7, 9, 11, 12
• 2 Chronicles 36:22–23
• Ezra 1:1–4; 5:13; 6:1, 6–12
• Nehemiah 2:1–8
• Revelation 6 (Seals)
• Revelation 8–9 (Trumpets);
• Revelation 16 (Bowls/Vials)
• Revelation 19:20 (Antichrist and the Lake of Fire)
• Revelation 20:10 (Satan and the Lake of Fire)
• Luke 21:24
• Romans 11:25
Article written by Shaun Fereday, Prison Chaplain (Sessional) and Leader @SFGH Church
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