And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8
This verse reminds me of the time when the soldiers who had come to arrest Jesus fell to the ground, when Jesus said, “I am he” (John 18:6). With the “breath of his mouth,” Jesus is able to overcome his enemies. These verses give us hope. Whatever we are going through Jesus can turn around with a mere breath.
This is also the message Paul had taught the Thessalonians when he was with them (verse 5). Paul only spent a few short weeks in Thessalonica (Acts 17:2) yet he taught them much about Jesus’ second coming. These days we don’t immediately teach new Christians about the end times. However, Paul knew that these new Christians were going to experience persecution, so he taught them what they needed to know to be equipped to endure. He gave them hope. We can also take heart that whatever we will face in the future God has prepared us for, even though, we may feel inadequate.
At times the imagery regarding the end times is difficult for us to imagine. It was written in a different era to a different culture. Yet I expect when it happens we will say, “Oh that’s what God meant.” So while the details may be obscure we can trust God to equip us and give us hope.
We can take great encouragement from remembering that God is all-knowing, he can equip us for anything we may face, he is all-powerful, with a mere breath he can overcome anything that comes against us, and he is ever-present, nothing escapes his attention.
