The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION 7
love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God
shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thes 2:1-12)
It is unanimously accepted that the Man of Sin mentioned by Saint Paul
in this passage is none other than Antichrist. Here are some of the
sayings of the early Church writers about this passage:
I see that I must omit many of the statements of the gospels and
epistles about this last judgment, that this volume may not become
unduly long; but I can on no account omit what the Apostle Paul
says, in writing to the Thessalonians, “We beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” etc. No one can doubt that he
wrote this of Antichrist and of the day of judgment, which he here
calls the day of the Lord, nor that he declared that this day should
not come unless he first came who is called the apostate --apostate,
to wit, from the Lord God. And if this may justly be said of all the
ungodly, how much more of him? But it is uncertain in what temple
he shall sit, whether in that ruin of the temple which was built by
Solomon, or in the Church; for the apostle would not call the temple
of any idol or demon the temple of God. 1
“Let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the
falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is
called God or that is worshiped; so that he sitteth in the temple of
God, setting himself forth as God.” Here he discourses concerning
the Antichrist, and reveals great mysteries. What is the falling away?
He calls him “Apostasy”, as being about to destroy many, and make
them fall away. So that if it were possible, He says, the very elect
should be offended. (From Matt. xxiv. 24.) And he calls him “the
man of sin.” For he shall do numberless mischiefs, and shall cause
others to do them. But he calls him “the son of perdition,” because
he is also to be destroyed. But who is he? Is it then Satan? By no
means; but some man, that admits his fully working in him. For he
is a man. “And exalteth himself against all that is called God or is
worshipped.” For he will not introduce idolatry, but will be a kind of
1 Hippolytus: Scholia on Daniel.