Core Truth: A common understanding of these prophetic words is that just when Israel has finally been able to negotiate a peace with her neighbors – a peace that many scholars believe will be brokered between the Antichrist and his forces – this “Man of Sin” (2 Thess. 2:3) and his armies will invade Israel in an attempt to establish his own seat of world government in Jerusalem, even proclaiming that he himself is God (2 Thess. 2:4), which will trigger Christ’s Second Coming with His Church and the armies of heaven to destroy him “with the breath of His mouth, and with the brightness of His coming.” (2 Thess. 2:8).
Scripture: Zechariah 14:1-5
Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured and the houses plundered and the women ravished; and half of the city will be exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from the east to the west by a very large valley, and half of the mountain will move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal, and you will flee just as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones (saints and angels) with Him.