Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
Translate, "the lawless one"; the embodiment of all the godless "lawlessness" which has been working in "mystery" for ages (II Thessalonians 2:7) : "the man of sin" (II Thessalonians 2:3).
whom the Lord—Some of the oldest manuscripts read, "the Lord Jesus." How awful that He whose very name means God-Saviour, should appear as the Destroyer; but the salvation of the Church requires the destruction of her foe. As the reign of Israel in Canaan was ushered in by judgments on the nations for apostasy (for the Canaanites were originally worshippers of the true God: thus Melchisedek, king of Salem, was the "priest of the most high God," Genesis 14:18 : Ammon and Moab came from righteous Lot), so the Son of David's reign in Zion and over the whole earth, is to be ushered in by judgments on the apostate Christian world.
consume . . . and . . . destroy—So Daniel 7:26, "consume and destroy"; Daniel 11:45. He shall "consume" him by His mere breath (Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 30:33) : the sentence of judgment being the sharp sword that goeth out of His mouth (Revelation 19:15, Revelation 19:21). Antichrist's manifestation and destruction are declared in the same breath; at his greatest height he is nearest his fall, like Herod his type (Isaiah 1:24-27; Acts 12:20-23). As the advancing fire, while still at a distance consumes little insects [CHRYSOSTOM] by its mere heat, so Christ's mere approach is enough to consume Antichrist. The mere "appearance of the coming" of the Lord of glory is sufficient to show to Antichrist his perfect nothingness. He is seized and "cast alive into the take of fire" (Revelation 19:20). So the world kingdoms, and the kingdom of the beast, give place to that of the Son of man and His saints. The Greek for "destroy" means "abolish" (the same Greek is so translated, II Timothy 1:10); that is, cause every vestige of him to disappear. Compare as to Gog attacking Israel and destroyed by Jehovah (Eze. 38:1-39:29), so as not to leave a vestige of him.
with the brightness of his coming—Greek, "the manifestation, (or appearance) of His presence": the first outburst of His advent—the first gleam of His presence—is enough to abolish utterly all traces of Antichrist, as darkness disappears before the dawning day. Next, his adherents are "slain with the sword out of His mouth" (Revelation 19:21). BENGEL'S distinction between "the appearance of His coming" and the "coming" itself is not justified by I Timothy 6:14; II Timothy 1:10; II Timothy 4:1, II Timothy 4:8; Titus 2:13, where the same Greek for "appearing" (English Version, here "the brightness") plainly refers to the coming itself. The expression, "manifestation (appearing) of His presence," is used in awful contrast to the revelation of the wicked one in the beginning of the verse.
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing 2 Thessalonians 2:8:
Psalms 2:9
Psalms 110:2
Isaiah 30:28
Daniel 2:35
Daniel 11:45
Zechariah 5:9
Zechariah 6:7
Zechariah 11:15
Zechariah 11:17
Zechariah 13:2
2 Thessalonians 2:3
2 Thessalonians 2:3
2 Thessalonians 2:9
1 Timothy 6:14
Titus 2:13
1 John 2:18
Revelation 17:5
Revelation 17:11
Revelation 19:15
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