2 Thessalonians 2:9

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

2 Thessalonians 2:9, King James Version

2 Thessalonians 2:9 in other translations

BSB	The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,
WEB	even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
ASV	even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
YLT	him, whose presence is according to the working of the Adversary, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders,
DARBY	whose coming is according to the working of Satan in all power and signs and wonders of falsehood,
BBE	Even the one whose coming is marked by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
Webster	Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders,

What does 2 Thessalonians 2:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. whose coming--The same Greek as was used for the Lord's coming (2Th 2:8) or personal "presence." is--in its essential character. after--according to the working ("energy") of Satan, as opposed to the energy or working of the Holy Spirit in the Church (see on Ep 1:19). As Christ is related to God, so is Antichrist to Satan, his visible embodiment and manifestation: Satan works through him. Re 13:2, "The dragon gave him (the beast) his power ... seat ... great authority." lying wonders--literally, "wonders" or "prodigies of falsehood." His "power, signs, and wonders," all have falsehood for their base, essence, and aim (Joh 8:44), [Alford]. In Mt 24:24 Jesus implies that the miracles shall be real, though demoniac, such mysterious effects of the powers of darkness as we read of in the case of the Egyptian sorcerers, not such as Jesus performed in their character, power, or aim; for they are against the revealed Word, and therefore not to be accepted as evidences of truth; nay, on the authority of that sure Word of prophecy (here, and Mt 24:24), to be known and rejected as wrought in support of falsehood (De 13:1-3, 5; Ga 1:8, 9; Re 13:11-15; 19:20). The same three Greek words occur for miracles of Jesus (Ac 2:22; He 2:4); showing that as the Egyptian magicians imitated Moses (2Ti 3:1-8), so Antichrist will try to imitate Christ's works as a "sign," or proof of divinity.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 9. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan. Greek, κατενεργειαντουσατανα, According to the energy of Satan; that is, the energetic or efficient operation of Satan. The word rendered after, it need not be said to one who looks at the Greek, does not refer to time, but is a preposition, meaning according to, in conformity with; meaning that the manner of his appealing would be accompanied by such works as would show that the agency of Satan was employed, and such as he only could produce. It does not mean that the coming of the Lord Jesus would be after Satan had worked in this manner, but that the manifestation of that wicked one would be with such demonstrations of power and wonder as Satan only could effect. The system over which he presides is originated by Satan, and sustained by those things which he alone can perform. On the word Satan, Job 1:6. The idea is, that it would be under the direction and control of the great enemy of God, and that the things on which it would rely for support could be traced to his agency. In all the pretended miracles to which it would appeal, there would be nothing which Satan could not accomplish.

With all power. With all the power which Satan can exhibit; meaning, also, that there would be a great exertion of power in the case. It would not be a feeble and imbecile dominion. The dominion of the Papacy has been one of the most powerful on earth. There has been none which has been more dreaded by the nations of the earth--and there have been times when nations trembled, and kings turned pale on their thrones, at the frown of the pope.

And signs. This word frequently denotes real miracles, but not necessarily so. It may be applied to pretended miracles as well as real, and is undoubtedly so used here, as it is connected with "lying wonders," and as it is said that the thing wrought would be "after the working of Satan." There is doubtless reference to such "signs and wonders" as the Saviour mentions in Mt 24:24. Mt 24:24. It is hardly necessary to remark that the Papacy has always relied for support on its pretended miracles. Even in our own age the wonders performed by the Prince Hohenloe, and by the pretended seamless garment of the Saviour, have been proclaimed as true miracles, and as furnishing indubitable evidence of the truth of the Roman Catholic system. The dissolving of the blood of St. Januarius, the removal of Pilate's stairs to Rome, and the transportation to Italy of the "house of our Lady," are among the miracles to which there is a constant reference in the Papal communion. In addition to these and to all similar pretensions, there is the power claimed of performing a miracle at the pleasure of the priest by the change of bread and wine into the "body and blood, the soul and divinity" of the Lord Jesus. In 1756, there was published in London a book entitled, "The miraculous power of the church of Christ, asserted through each successive century, from the apostles down to the present time." The power of working miracles has been one of the standing claims of the Papacy.

And lying wonders. False or pretended miracles. They would be such as would be claimed to be miracles; such as would excite wonder; and yet such as were false and delusive. No Protestant assuredly needs to be convinced that this is just the character of the pretended miracles of the Papacy. It would be impossible for language to describe them more clearly, in the apprehension of all Protestants, than is done in the language of the apostle Paul.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 Whose coming is after the working of Satan - The operation of God's Spirit sends his messengers; the operation of Satan's spirit sends his emissaries. The one comes κατ' ενεργειαν του Θεου, after or according to the energy or inward powerful working of God; the other comes κατ' ενεργειαν του Σατανα, according to the energy or inward working of Satan. With all power - Πασῃ δυναμει· All kinds of miracles, like the Egyptian magicians; and signs and lying wonders: the word lying may be applied to the whole of these; they were lying miracles, lying signs, and lying wonders; only appearances of what was real, and done to give credit to his presumption and imposture. Whereas God sent his messengers with real miracles, real signs, and real wonders; such Satan cannot produce.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12

Something hindered or withheld the man of sin. It is supposed to be the power of the Roman empire, which the apostle did not mention more plainly at that time. Corruption of doctrine and worship came in by degrees, and the usurping of power was gradual; thus the mystery of iniquity prevailed. Superstition and idolatry were advanced by pretended devotion, and bigotry and persecution were promoted by pretended zeal…

Read the full comment on 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12 →

2 Thessalonians 2:9 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οὗhouwhoseG3739

ἐστινestinisG1510

ἡhē<the>G3588

παρουσίαparousiacomingG3952

κατ᾽kat᾽according toG2596

ἐνέργειανenergeian[the] workingG1753

τοῦtou<the>G3588

σατανᾶsatanaof SatanG4567

ἐνeninG1722

πάσῃpasēeveryG3956

δυνάμειdunameipowerG1411

καὶkaiandG2532

σημείοιςsēmeioisin signsG4592

καὶkaiandG2532

τέρασινterasinin wondersG5059

ψεύδουςpseudousof falsehoodG5579

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Thessalonians 2:9

Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Revelation 19:20
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Ephesians 2:2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
John 4:48
Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
Deuteronomy 13:1-2
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Acts 13:10
And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
Revelation 13:11-15
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. …
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
John 8:41
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

is.
Joh 8:41,44; Ac 8:9-11; 13:10; 2Co 4:4; 11:3,14; Eph 2:2; Re 9:11
Re 12:9,17; 13:1-5; 18:23; 19:20; 20:10
and signs.
Ex 7:22; 8:7,18; De 13:1,2; Mt 24:24; Mr 13:22; 2Ti 3:8; Re 13:11-15
Re 18:23; 19:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2 Thessalonians 2:9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Read all of 2 Thessalonians 2

2 Thessalonians 2:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	A aquel inicuo, cuyo advenimiento es según operación de Satanás, con grande potencia, y señales, y milagros mentirosos,
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	duquel la venue est selon l’opération de Satan, en toute sorte de miracles et signes et prodiges de mensonge,
German Elberfelder 1871	ihn, dessen Ankunft nach der Wirksamkeit des Satans ist, in aller Macht und allen Zeichen und Wundern der Lüge
Latin Clementine Vulgate	cujus est adventus secundum operationem Satanæ in omni virtute, et signis, et prodigiis mendacibus,