The day of the Lord remains a touchy subject among
Christians. Some believers (I among them) look for its fulfillment at a
future date. Others insist it occurred in A.D. 70 at the destruction of
Jerusalem.
The book of 2 Thessalonians is part of this ongoing
discussion, though not directly. Because it was written prior to A.D. 70,
it cannot possibly settle the matter beyond dispute. When the apostle Paul wrote to
the Thessalonians, both purported “fulfillments” were still future.
And yet, even well before A.D. 70, some Christians were
claiming the day of the Lord had already come. That is the error Paul’s second
letter was written to refute.