2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 absolutely does not teach a post Tribulation Rapture.
ONE
The structure of vss. 1-2 is a plain-vanilla petition. It contains a verb of petition (beseech), a petition (don’t worry about the day of the Lord), and a huper clause which gives the ground or reason for the petition (our gathering to the Lord). This does not equate the rapture and the day of the Lord. It contrasts them. The paraphrase is “I beseech you brethren, on account of the rapture, not to worry about the day of the Lord.
TWO
The end of verse two is “as though the day of the Lord had come.” This is not inaccurate, but many misunderstand it. The verb enesteken, which is the perfect of enistemi, is best translated IS HERE or IS PRESENT.” If something has come, it is present. But the latter has stronger nuance.
THREE
The ellipsis in verse three is wrongly supplied in most translations. When supplying ellipses, the verb tense should be maintained. Since verse two is best translated “as though the day of the Lord IS HERE,” verse three should be supplied with “Let no one deceive you by any means for the day of the Lord IS NOT HERE unless the falling away has happened first and the man of sin has been revealed.”
FOUR
With the ellipsis properly supplied, verse three does not give us a condition for the day of the Lord to arrive. It gives us the identifying traits to know that the day of the Lord is here or has arrived. The antichrist and the apostasy that he brings are proof positive that the world has entered the time of the dawning of the day of the Lord.
FIVE
Because the passage contrasts the rapture and the day of the Lord, and because the passage presents the antichrist as the distinct trait of the day of the Lord, then we can rest assured that the rapture (which is the morning star of the day of the Lord) will happen prior to the tribulation and the antichrist (the dawning of the day of the Lord). The parts of the day have the same order in Bible prophecy as they do in daily life.
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