He Shall Have Dominion

lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs,
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and lying wonders.” The lawless one is eventually openly revealed. The
mystery form of his character gives way to a revelation of his lawlessness
in Nero’s wicked acts. This occurs after the restrainer [Claudius] is “taken
out of the way,” allowing Nero the public stage upon which he can act
out his horrendous lawlessness.
In Christ’s judgment-coming against Jerusalem, we also discover
judgment for the man of lawlessness, Nero. Thus, Christians may take
comfort in the promised relief from both Jewish and Neronic opposition
(2Th 2:15–17). Not only does Titus destroy Jerusalem within twenty years,
but Nero himself dies a violent death in the midst of the Jewish War (June
9, AD 68). His death, then, will occur in the Day of the Lord in
conjunction with Christ’s judgment-coming against Israel. Christ destroys
Nero with “the breath of his mouth,” much like Assyria is destroyed with
the coming and breath of the Lord in the Old Testament (Isa 30:27–31)
and like Israel is crushed by Babylon (Mic 1:3–5).
Conclusion
Several prominent evil characters lurk in Scripture’s prophetic drama.
Too often Christians know these names better than their biblical and
historical contexts. What contemporary evangelical Christian has not
heard and spoken about the beast and the Antichrist? Adherents to
pessimistic eschatologies see these evil minions of Satan as providing
evidence against the postmillennial hope. We see in this chapter,
however, that such concerns are not legitimate. When we carefully study
these characters in terms of their historical context, the prophecies
concerning their imminent appearance comport well with preteristic
postmillennialism.
81. Such imperial arrogance would produce alleged miracles as confirmation.
Vespasian is called “the miracle worker, because by him “many miracles
occurred.” Tacitus, Histories 4:81; Suetonius, Vespasian 7.