2 Thessalonians 2:8

Then; after the downfall of the Roman empire.

That Wicked; the wicked one, the man of sin and son of perdition spoken of in verse 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

Be revealed; manifest himself; claim to be universal bishop and lord of the kings of the earth.

Shall consume with the spirit of his mouth; compare Isaiah 11:4, "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked"; Isaiah 49:2, "He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword"; Revelation 1:16, "Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword." See also Revelation 19:21. The reference apparently is as well to the judgments that proceed from the mouth of Christ, as to the doctrines of his gospel and the power of his Spirit. The full accomplishment of this promise can alone give us its full interpretation. The same divine Spirit who by the mouth of Paul foretold the rise and progress of popery, foretold also its destruction; and the accomplishment of one part of the prophecy is conclusive evidence that, in due time, will be witnessed the perfect accomplishment of the other. Revelation 19:20.