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Isaiah 14 mocks the king of Babylon for boasting that he will climb above the stars and make himself like God. 2 Thessalonians echoes this language, describing a coming figure who exalts himself above every god.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 14:14
Hebrew Bible
13 You said to yourself, ‘I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 14 I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!’ 15 But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the Pit.
2 Thessalonians 2:4
New Testament
3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God. 5 Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you.
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Notes and References
... It is true that none of the three historical figures just mentioned has actually been 'sitting in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God', but it is only a small step from their actions to the action of the lawless one in 2 Thessalonians 2.4, a step that is easily taken by someone who is reflecting on these past models of human arrogance in the light of expected eschatological evil. Moreover, the Old Testament provided examples of kings who were supposed to have made themselves equal to God. According to Isaiah 14.13–14, the king of Babylon said in his heart: To heaven I shall ascend, above the stars of God I shall exalt my throne, and I shall dwell on the mountain of assembly [of the gods], in the far regions of the north. I shall ascend to the heights of the clouds, I shall make myself like the Most High ...
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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