2 Thessalonians 2:9
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The coming of the lawless one is empowered by Satan, accompanied by counterfeit displays of power, signs, and false wonders.
What Does 2 Thessalonians 2:9 Mean?
Paul exposes the source of the lawless one's power: his "coming is after the working of Satan." He arrives with "all power and signs and lying wonders," a counterfeit of the mighty works that authenticated Christ and the apostles. The word "lying" attaches to all of it; these wonders are designed to deceive, performing not to reveal truth but to obscure it.
This is a sober reminder that miraculous displays are not, by themselves, proof of God. The enemy can mimic power to lead people astray. The test is never mere spectacle but truth and the love of Christ. Paul wants believers to be impressed by the right things. A wonder that draws people away from the Lord, however dazzling, is a lie in the shape of a miracle. Discernment matters, for the most dangerous deceptions come dressed as something glorious.
In the Original Language
teras (τέρας), behind "wonders" — a portent or marvel meant to astonish those who witness it.