What will God do to their ability to understand truth?
God will send them a strong delusion and take away their ability to comprehend truth. Because they rejected the love of the truth—synonymous with Christ—and refused salvation, He will remove their understanding, and they will believe the lie, setting the tribulation in motion.
Les explains from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 that Paul describes the Antichrist's coming after the working of Satan, with power, signs, lying wonders, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness. Those who perish received not the love of Christ, which is used synonymously with the love of the truth. Because they rejected salvation, God shall send them a strong delusion; He takes away their ability to comprehend truth, so they believe the lie. That, Les says, is what sets the tribulation ball rolling, as the world again believes the lie of the father of all lies. Later, Paul contrasts his own ministry, saying he does not come with deceivableness or the power of a lie.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
More Questions
Why does God send a strong delusion?
Because they rejected salvation, God will send them a strong delusion.