What does 2 Thessalonians 2:12 mean?

In this verse Paul describes the fate of those who reject the truth in favor of believing the falsehood perpetrated by the man of lawlessness. This is the fate of those who continue to dismiss God, and His signs, after the rapture and during the tribulation. Such persons are, to put it mildly, entirely condemned. Their delighting in unrighteousness is over once and for all—their ultimate destiny is one of suffering, not happiness (Luke 13:27–28). Undoubtedly, many unbelievers who are alive before the rapture will be alive in the tribulation, giving them all the more opportunity to recognize their need for God. According to this verse, there will be many who stubbornly refuse to respond, even to the incredible experiences of God's judgments during the tribulation, and the words of God's witnesses. There is no second chance to be saved after death; if a person heard the truth but rejected it, their fate is sealed.

Often, deluded individuals believe they derive pleasure from sinning, but the pleasure is short-lived. Moses chose wisely when he sided with God's people in the affliction instead of choosing "to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin" (Hebrews 11:25). Any pleasure derived from sin is a far cry from pleasure derived from obeying God. Psalm 16:11 tells us that in God's "presence there is fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore." First Timothy 5:6 underscores the folly of living for pleasure. It reveals that the widow who lives in self-indulgence is dead while she lives. And 2 Timothy 3:4 describes people in the last days as "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."