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(A)who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God,[a] claiming that he is a god—

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Footnotes

  1. 2:4 Seat himself in the temple of God: a reflection of the language in Dn 7:23–25; 8:9–12; 9:27; 11:36–37; 12:11 about the attempt of Antiochus IV Epiphanes to set up a statue of Zeus in the Jerusalem temple and possibly of the Roman emperor Caligula to do a similar thing (Mk 13:14). Here the imagery suggests an attempt to install someone in the place of God, claiming that he is a god (cf. Ez 28:2). Usually, it is the Jerusalem temple that is assumed to be meant; on the alternative view sketched above (see note on 2 Thes 2:1–17), the temple refers to the Christian community.

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God(A) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.(B)

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