The Mystery of Iniquity: How Babylon’s System Prepares the Way for the Man of Sin

Based on Bible Study Message The Mystery of Iniquity: Babylon, False Religion, and the Rise of the Man of Sin by Scott Mitchell – Unlock the Bible Now!

The Mystery of Iniquity in 2 Thessalonians 2

The apostle Paul warned the church not to be shaken by claims that the day of Christ had already come. That day will not arrive, he said, until there is first a falling away and the man of sin is revealed—the son of perdition—who exalts himself above all that is called God and sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Paul then adds a crucial statement: “the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” Something is presently restraining the full revelation of this wicked one, but even while that restraint remains, the system behind him is already active. 

The Mystery of Iniquity

This is not merely a future problem. The mystery of iniquity is a present reality. It is a hidden system of lawlessness that prepares the world to receive the final deceiver. When the restraint is removed, that man of sin will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy him with the brightness of His coming.

What “Mystery” and “Iniquity” Mean in Scripture

The word mystery in the New Testament speaks of something once hidden, now revealed by God in His time. The Greek term carries the idea of secrecy—something not understood unless God makes it known. Scripture also shows that just as God has mysteries connected to His purposes, the devil has his own counterfeit mysteries.

The word iniquity speaks of lawlessness—violation of God’s law, wickedness, unrighteousness. When Paul speaks of the mystery of iniquity, he is not describing random evil. He is identifying an organized, hidden system of religious and spiritual deception that operates under a cloak of respectability while opposing the truth of God.

The First Biblical Warnings About Iniquity

Jesus Himself gave early warning. In Matthew 7, He said that many will say, “Lord, Lord,” and claim religious works in His name, yet He will declare to them, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” These are not atheists. They are religious people who use His name but do not believe His truth. This shows that the mystery of iniquity operates most effectively through religion that looks right on the surface but denies the power of God.

When Israel Rejected the Holy Ghost

In Matthew 12, Israel’s leaders accused Jesus of casting out devils by the power of Beelzebub. This was blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. After that rejection, Jesus began to speak in parables, saying that the mysteries of the kingdom were given to some and not to others. The kingdom message went into “mystery” form because of unbelief.

Immediately after this, Jesus described a man from whom an unclean spirit is cast out, only to have seven worse spirits return. He concluded, “Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” That is a prophetic picture. The final state will be worse than the first, and it points forward to an explosion of demonic activity connected to the same mystery of iniquity Paul later describes. 

The Mystery of Iniquity

Babylon—The Source of the System

The book of Revelation introduces another dark mystery: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. This is not just a city. It is a religious system that has its roots in ancient Babylon and spreads throughout history.

To understand this, Scripture takes us back to Genesis. After the flood, Nimrod—grandson of Ham—established his kingdom beginning at Babel. There, mankind attempted to build a city and a tower in open defiance of God. The Lord came down, confounded their language, and scattered them. This was not simply about architecture. It was the organized beginning of false religion—worship directed away from the true God and toward rebellion.

From Babylon, this system spread to Egypt, to Greece, to Rome, and onward into the present world. The Bible even refers to Egypt’s idols as the “tabernacles of Ham,” showing that this religious corruption was deeply rooted in history and bloodlines. God judged Egypt and its gods during the Exodus, proving that these were not harmless traditions but demonic strongholds. 

The Mystery of Iniquity

Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17–18

In Revelation 17, John sees a woman riding a scarlet beast, drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus. She is called Mystery Babylon the Great. She represents a powerful religious system supported by political power—the beast carries her. She influences kings and nations and persecutes the people of God.

Revelation 18 shows her final judgment. She becomes the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit. Her sins reach unto heaven, and God remembers her iniquities. The merchants of the earth weep over her fall because her system enriched them. Among her merchandise are not only gold and precious things, but also “slaves, and souls of men.” This reveals the true nature of the system: it traffics in human lives and souls, using religion, wealth, and power to bring men into bondage. 

The Mystery of Iniquity

The Man of Sin and the Final Deception

Paul makes it clear that the man of sin will sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. He will come with all power, signs, and lying wonders, working after Satan himself. The false prophet will even call fire down from heaven, a sign that will deceive many into believing this imposter is the true Christ.

Those who receive not the love of the truth will fall for this lie. Scripture says God will send strong delusion that they should believe it—not because God delights in deception, but because they rejected the truth when it was offered. They chose the system of Babylon over the Savior, and they will reap the consequence.

The Mystery of Iniquity Is Already at Work

The mystery of iniquity did not begin in our generation, but it is very active in it. False religion, corrupted worship, and systems that promise power and prosperity while denying the truth of Christ are everywhere. The name of Jesus may be used, but His gospel is often replaced with something else.

This system has been working since the days of Babel. It has only changed languages and appearances. Its goal remains the same: to prepare the world to receive a false christ and to draw souls away from the true one.

A Call to Believe the Truth

The Bible’s warning is not given to satisfy curiosity. It is given so that men might flee deception and trust the Savior. Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised again for our justification. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Do not be caught in the lie. The mystery of iniquity blinds minds, but the light of the glorious gospel of Christ still shines. The system of Babylon will fall. The man of sin will be destroyed. Christ will reign.

The only safe place is in Him.