The Restrainer

[Deep_MindQuest]

:: The Restrainer

Before the Antichrist CAN EVEN BE REVEALED Paul said, "that which is Restraining Him" must be taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7. The only thing that fits this description is 'the Holy Spirit indwelling the Church.'

The Unique And Hindering Presence


"There is an indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit which has been upon the earth since Pentecost. Old Testament saints had the Holy Spirit with them and as an anointing upon them. That presence, however, could be taken away. The Holy Spirit did not indwell believers prior to Pentecost as an abiding presence that would never leave them. This indwelling is unique to the church, a fact that is clear from many Scriptures. This new presence, which was unknown before Pentecost, can only be removed by removing the church - those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.
David prayed, "Take not the Holy Spirit form me" (Psalm 51:11), a prayer that would be meaningless today and would reflect inexcusable unbelief. Christ said to His disciples, referring to the Holy Spirit, "He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17). John tells us that when Christ was still here upon earth, "the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because ... Jesus was not yet glorified, He sent the Holy Spirit "from the father" (John 15:26) to be with His church in a new way that had been unknown up to that time.

It is this unique presence of the Holy Spirit in the church which will be removed at the rapture, allowing the Antichrist to be revealed and to have free rein to rule the world. Of course, the Holy Spirit, being omnipresent, will remain here to convict sinners of the truth of the gospel and to win multitudes to Christ during the tribulation period. These are the tribulation saints who will be martyred for their faith." (Dave Hunt, from "In Defense of the Faith" pg's 258-259)
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http://calvarychapel.com/library/smi...ooks/ttatc.htm After the Church is raptured, God will once again deal with Israel, His elect. --5. The Restraining Force
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The Restraining Force

In II Thessalonians Paul the apostle wrote to correct an error that had crept into the Church. Some false teachers were saying that the day of the Lord had already come. Paul told the Thessalonians that "that day," the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to reign over the earth, wouldn't take place until there was first a falling away, or departure, and the man of sin, the son of perdition, was revealed. Paul reminded the believers that he had told them these things when he was with them.

In chapter 2 Paul declared, "Now you know what is withholding him that he might be revealed in his time. But the mystery of iniquity is already at work; only he who is restraining will continue to restrain, until he is taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming."

Who is the "restraining" force holding back the revelation of the Antichrist? I believe that the restraining force is the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through the Church. As long as the Spirit-filled Church is upon the earth, the unveiling of the Antichrist will be held back. As soon as the Church is taken out of the way, nothing will stand in the way of the Antichrist. He'll then take over the governments of the world.

The Holy Spirit will not be removed from the world, for He is omnipresent. However, during this time He will be poured out upon Israel.

Ezekiel 39:29 says that God will put His Spirit upon the nation Israel at the time the Russian army is destroyed. This event will possibly mark the beginning of the final seven-year period determined upon Israel.

I see the whole picture coming together very beautifully. After the Church is removed, the Antichrist will be revealed. In Revelation 6 the first event that takes place when the seven-sealed scroll is opened is the white horse coming forth with his rider. This apparently is the Antichrist coming upon the earth. Since the Church has been removed and is now rejoicing with the Lord in Heaven, nothing restrains this wicked one from moving out and taking over the world.
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Antichrist not revealed until hindering force removed
In 2 Thessalonians we are told that the "man of sin (or lawlessness)" will not be revealed until "He who now restrains" is taken out of the way.

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (II Thessalonians 2:1-8)

In John 16:7-8 we are told that it is The Holy Spirit who will "convict the world concerning sin..." God The Holy Spirit can never be removed from the earth, but, in the sense that He is effectively restraining sin through Christians in whom He dwells, the time will come, once those Christians are gone, that wickedness will abound. Today Christians are everywhere: in their occupations, in the market place, in the schools, even in government halls. But during the Tribulation, true believers will be persecuted and either killed or driven underground, so that their godly influence will not be felt in the world. When the church is taken in the Rapture, the world will be ripe for Antichrist to step forth with his ungodly plans. True, multitudes of people will turn to Christ and will become true believers in the tribulation period. They will also be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they will not be permitted to take the place of the missing Christians in society. They will be outcasts, and therefore the Holy Spirit will not have the same restraining influence on the world that He now has. Most, or even all of them, will be quickly put to death by the man of sin.
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http://www.ldolphin.org/kingdom/ch4.html The Rapture of the Church
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ANOTHER thought on the validity of the pre-trib rapture.
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If the Holy Spirit is lifted from the earth during the tribulation, so as to allow satan free reign during it, and the HS lives in us as christians, and Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us, than that leads me to believe that we will be lifted up at the same time. Before the Antichrist has free reign on this earth, and before the wrath of God. And us being a part of the body of Christ, why would God want to impose EARTHLY judgement on those who followed Him without seeing Him physically. For Jesus said to doubting Thomas you believe because you see, but BLESSED is he who believes without seeing me. He would be punishing His elect along side those who NEVER knew Him. Doesn't sound like the Jesus I know in MY heart.

Hope this strengthens your pre-trib belief.:-)
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The Holy Spirit is the retainer of the antichrist. And Jesus promised His disciples that the HS would come to empower the Church. (Ac 1:eight), and Jesus also promised earlier that the HS would abide in the church forever as the comforter.
John 14:16. So when the HS is released from His role as the restrainer, and Jesus' promise to believers of the abiding presence of the HS, the Church must already be raptured, and is now at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Note---Even though the HS will be removed from His role as the restrainer and comforter of the raptured church, the third person of the Trinity was, is now and always will be omnipresent. He will continue to convict sinners and thereby save a great multitude out of the tribulation. Rev 7:9-14
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http://www.truthablaze.com/pretrib.html The restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can be revealed
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The restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can be revealed
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II Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: This passage is one of the most misunderstood passages in the entire Word of God. We could devote a whole article to just this one passage in II Thessalonians. But briefly, let me just point out a few things. Notice the mystery of iniquity is already at work. John tells us that "there are many antichrists" and evil has been at work in the world for many years. But the passage in II Thessalonians, is not referring to just "an antichrist" but "THE" antichrist (referred to as "that Wicked in the above text).

I want you to notice something very important here. Notice right now, someone is hindering, restraining, or as the text stated above "letting" (old word for restraining/hindering). This restrainer is none other than the church full of God's Holy Spirit power. Right now, the overcoming church is the salt and light that is keeping this world from becoming an absolute cesspool of debauchery. The antichrist could not rise to power as long as the church is on the earth. I know you might be wondering "how can that be?".......well, let me show you from the scriptures.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it

We know that when the man of sin is revealed, that he will have a government so powerful that the whole world will say "who is able to make war with the beast?". But Jesus has promised that as long as His church is on the earth, the government of hell will not prevail against it.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you

I John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world

I hope that you can see from just these few passages, that the church is indeed restraining the antichrist. He cannot be "revealed" (II Thess 2:8) until we are taken out.
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http://www.focusonjerusalem.com/remo...ithholder.html Removing The Withholder
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http://www.focusonjerusalem.com/worl...estraints.html A World Without Restraints
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http://www.endtimes.org/rapture1.html#The%20Rapture
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Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

He who restrains is the Holy Spirit, since the church is not usually called 'he', nor does the church have the ultimate power outside of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God will stop working in the restraining way that He is now. This doesn't mean that He is no longer on the earth, since He is omnipresent. Just as the Spirit of God worked differently during the OT than He did in the Church age, He will work in a completely different way during the tribulation. Currently, He is restraining Satan from doing whatever He likes. Even the angels currently play a major role in keeping the devil from breaking loose. Look at Daniel 12...

12:1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

Now the big question. If the restraining power of the Holy Spirit is to be removed, how can the church still be on the earth? The church can not exist without the power of the Holy Spirit, nor does God say that it ever will exist in this way. In this way it could be said that the church also restrains the effects of total satanic control over the world, in that we exercise a godly dominion over the earth, which partially thwarts the enemy, or restrains him. For those that would say that the church will be here during the tribulation, it's interesting to note that we have knowledge of some key events during the tribulation, and would not keep quiet were we to see these things come to pass. This means that there would be a huge religious movement against the Antichrist, and this is not predicted in the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible predicts apostasy.

With the church gone, the restraining influence will be gone. So whether you see it as the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Spirit & church, either way the church must be gone for this prophecy to make sense.
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The "Sons of God" Return?

There are many who believe that the recent "alien" involvements are also demonic and are just another precursor to the end-time. Some also believe that the Coming World Leader (for more information on the Coming World Leader, see our Briefing Package) may boast of an "alien connection." It would be consistent from what else we can infer from Scripture.

(The Restrainer of II Thessalonians 2 may be restraining far more than we have any suspicion of! When He is removed, the world is in for some astonishing surprises!) (16)

In the meantime, what are our weapons of protection against such things? We do, indeed, "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Our armor is well defined in Ephesians 6:10-17.

The unprepared are in for some unpleasant surprises. Always. Have you done your homework?
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http://www.ldolphin.org/noahdays.html

[Deep_MindQuest]

In John 16:7-8 we are told that it is The Holy Spirit who will "convict the world concerning sin..." God The Holy Spirit can never be removed from the earth, but, in the sense that He is effectively restraining sin through Christians in whom He dwells, the time will come, once those Christians are gone, that wickedness will abound. Today Christians are everywhere: in their occupations, in the market place, in the schools, even in government halls. But during the Tribulation, true believers will be persecuted and either killed or driven underground, so that their godly influence will not be felt in the world. When the church is taken in the Rapture, the world will be ripe for Antichrist to step forth with his ungodly plans. True, multitudes of people will turn to Christ and will become true believers in the tribulation period. They will also be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they will not be permitted to take the place of the missing Christians in society. They will be outcasts, and therefore the Holy Spirit will not have the same restraining influence on the world that He now has. Most, or even all of them, will be quickly put to death by the man of sin.
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http://www.raptureready.com/rr-pre-trib-rapture.html
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The Restrainer

In 2 Thessalonians the Apostle Paul speaks of a "he" that will restrain the advent of the Antichrist. The restrainer's removal is required before the Antichrist can be revealed.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."

A debate has erupted over the identity of the Restrainer because if this "he" is the Holy Ghost, the only real explanation for his removal would be the rapture of the Church, which is indwelled by him. The strongest argument offered against the Holy Spirit being the Restrainer is the belief that if God's Spirit was ever removed from the earth, no one could then be saved. The removal of the Holy Ghost does not have to be an all or nothing proposition. I believe his being "taken out of the way" will only be a degree of removal.

Before the Church Age, people were able to find salvation, which obviously meant the Holy Spirit was at work on earth. When the outpouring of the Holy Ghost occurred at Pentecost, we didn't have a second Holy Spirit come to earth. His removal at the rapture will only be a reversal or ending of the Pentecostal outpouring.
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..the Holy Spirit will NEVER be removed from the earth. There will be multitudes saved and old testament type miracles in the trib....but He will revert to His pre-church ministry. It is the spirit-filled Bride that will be removed....we are what is restraining. Spirit=God, who will ALWAYS be with us. Just in a different capacity!
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The removal of the Spirit (2Thess. 2) most likely would include the removal of the church because they are intimately connected together (John 14:17; 1Cor 6:19; 2Tim 1:14).


The Spirit of God will always be present on the earth. After the rapture it'll be the same as the time before Pentecost.
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http://biblestudyplanet.com/livingwaters/?p=83
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There has been much speculation as to the identify of this restraining force that Paul refers to. Some have identified it as the Holy Spirit. But it cannot be the Holy Spirit because there will be people saved during the Tribulation, and no one can be saved apart from the testimony of the Spirit (John 16:8-11 and 1 John 5:7).


Others have identified the restrainer as human government. It is true that government was ordained by God to restrain evil (Romans 13:1-4). But the governments of the world are in rebellion against God and His Son (Psalm 2), and they are therefore a contributor to the evil that characterizes the world. Furthermore, the Tribulation will not be characterized by a lack of government. Rather, it will feature the first true worldwide government (Rev. 13:7).

In my opinion that leaves only one other candidate for Paul?s restrainer - and that is the Church. It is the Church that serves as the primary restrainer of evil in the world today as it proclaims the Gospel and stands for righteousness. When the Church fails in this mission, evil multiplies, as Paul graphically points out in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Paul says that society in the end times will be characterized by chaos and despair because “men will hold to a form of religion but will deny its power.” When the Church is removed from the world, all hell will literally break loose.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gospeloutreach.net/pre-trib4.html
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Defending the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

by Todd Strandberg

The Different Views of the Rapture in Relation to the So-called "Great Tribulation" | Reasons Why the Church Will Not Be in the Tribulation Period |
Reasons Why the Church Will Not Go Through the Great Tribulation |
Defending the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
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The Restrainer


In 2 Thessalonians the apostle Paul speaks of a "he" that will restrain the advent of the Antichrist. The restrainer's removal is required before that the Antichrist can be revealed.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:"

A debate has erupted over the identity of the Restrainer because if this "he" is the Holy Ghost, the only real explanation for his removal would be the rapture of the Church, which is indwelled by him.

The strongest argument offered against the Holy Spirit being the Restrainer is the belief that if God's Spirit was ever removed from the earth, no one could then be saved.

The removal of the Holy Ghost does not have to be an all or nothing proposition. I believe his being "taken out of the way" will only be a degree of removal.

Before the Church age, people were able to find salvation, which obviously meant the Holy Spirit was at work on earth. When the outpouring of the Holy Ghost occurred at Pentecost, we didn't have a second Holy Spirit come to earth. His removal at the rapture will only be a reversal of or ending of the Pentecostal outpouring.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In John 16:7-8 we are told that it is The Holy Spirit who will "convict the world concerning sin..." God The Holy Spirit can never be removed from the earth, but, in the sense that He is effectively restraining sin through Christians in whom He dwells, the time will come, once those Christians are gone, that wickedness will abound. Today Christians are everywhere: in their occupations, in the market place, in the schools, even in government halls. But during the Tribulation, true believers will be persecuted and either killed or driven underground, so that their godly influence will not be felt in the world. When the church is taken in the Rapture, the world will be ripe for Antichrist to step forth with his ungodly plans. True, multitudes of people will turn to Christ and will become true believers in the tribulation period. They will also be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they will not be permitted to take the place of the missing Christians in society. They will be outcasts, and therefore the Holy Spirit will not have the same restraining influence on the world that He now has. Most, or even all of them, will be quickly put to death by the man of sin.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.raptureready.com/rr-pre-trib-rapture.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Restrainer


In 2 Thessalonians the Apostle Paul speaks of a "he" that will restrain the advent of the Antichrist. The restrainer's removal is required before the Antichrist can be revealed.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."

A debate has erupted over the identity of the Restrainer because if this "he" is the Holy Ghost, the only real explanation for his removal would be the rapture of the Church, which is indwelled by him. The strongest argument offered against the Holy Spirit being the Restrainer is the belief that if God's Spirit was ever removed from the earth, no one could then be saved. The removal of the Holy Ghost does not have to be an all or nothing proposition. I believe his being "taken out of the way" will only be a degree of removal.

Before the Church Age, people were able to find salvation, which obviously meant the Holy Spirit was at work on earth. When the outpouring of the Holy Ghost occurred at Pentecost, we didn't have a second Holy Spirit come to earth. His removal at the rapture will only be a reversal or ending of the Pentecostal outpouring.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
..the Holy Spirit will NEVER be removed from the earth. There will be multitudes saved and old testament type miracles in the trib....but He will revert to His pre-church ministry. It is the spirit-filled Bride that will be removed....we are what is restraining. Spirit=God, who will ALWAYS be with us. Just in a different capacity!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The removal of the Spirit (2Thess. 2) most likely would include the removal of the church because they are intimately connected together (John 14:17; 1Cor 6:19; 2Tim 1:14).


The Spirit of God will always be present on the earth. After the rapture it'll be the same as the time before Pentecost.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://biblestudyplanet.com/livingwaters/?p=83
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There has been much speculation as to the identify of this restraining force that Paul refers to. Some have identified it as the Holy Spirit. But it cannot be the Holy Spirit because there will be people saved during the Tribulation, and no one can be saved apart from the testimony of the Spirit (John 16:8-11 and 1 John 5:7).


Others have identified the restrainer as human government. It is true that government was ordained by God to restrain evil (Romans 13:1-4). But the governments of the world are in rebellion against God and His Son (Psalm 2), and they are therefore a contributor to the evil that characterizes the world. Furthermore, the Tribulation will not be characterized by a lack of government. Rather, it will feature the first true worldwide government (Rev. 13:7).

In my opinion that leaves only one other candidate for Paul?s restrainer - and that is the Church. It is the Church that serves as the primary restrainer of evil in the world today as it proclaims the Gospel and stands for righteousness. When the Church fails in this mission, evil multiplies, as Paul graphically points out in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Paul says that society in the end times will be characterized by chaos and despair because “men will hold to a form of religion but will deny its power.” When the Church is removed from the world, all hell will literally break loose.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gospeloutreach.net/pre-trib4.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defending the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

by Todd Strandberg

The Different Views of the Rapture in Relation to the So-called "Great Tribulation" | Reasons Why the Church Will Not Be in the Tribulation Period |
Reasons Why the Church Will Not Go Through the Great Tribulation |
Defending the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Restrainer


In 2 Thessalonians the apostle Paul speaks of a "he" that will restrain the advent of the Antichrist. The restrainer's removal is required before that the Antichrist can be revealed.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:"

A debate has erupted over the identity of the Restrainer because if this "he" is the Holy Ghost, the only real explanation for his removal would be the rapture of the Church, which is indwelled by him.

The strongest argument offered against the Holy Spirit being the Restrainer is the belief that if God's Spirit was ever removed from the earth, no one could then be saved.

The removal of the Holy Ghost does not have to be an all or nothing proposition. I believe his being "taken out of the way" will only be a degree of removal.

Before the Church age, people were able to find salvation, which obviously meant the Holy Spirit was at work on earth. When the outpouring of the Holy Ghost occurred at Pentecost, we didn't have a second Holy Spirit come to earth. His removal at the rapture will only be a reversal of or ending of the Pentecostal outpouring.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[mattfivefour]

The removal of the Holy Ghost does not have to be an all or nothing proposition. I believe his being "taken out of the way" will only be a degree of removal.

Before the Church age, people were able to find salvation, which obviously meant the Holy Spirit was at work on earth. When the outpouring of the Holy Ghost occurred at Pentecost, we didn't have a second Holy Spirit come to earth. His removal at the rapture will only be a reversal of or ending of the Pentecostal outpouring.

I believe our brother Todd is absolutely correct!!! The Holy Spirit is the restrainer. Nothing else has the power to restrain the antichrist nor fits all Scripture.

[LivnForChrist]

I agree. Excellent post :)

[Deep_MindQuest]

The restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can be revealed

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II Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: This passage is one of the most misunderstood passages in the entire Word of God. We could devote a whole article to just this one passage in II Thessalonians. But briefly, let me just point out a few things. Notice the mystery of iniquity is already at work. John tells us that "there are many antichrists" and evil has been at work in the world for many years. But the passage in II Thessalonians, is not referring to just "an antichrist" but "THE" antichrist (referred to as "that Wicked in the above text).

I want you to notice something very important here. Notice right now, someone is hindering, restraining, or as the text stated above "letting" (old word for restraining/hindering). This restrainer is none other than the church full of God's Holy Spirit power. Right now, the overcoming church is the salt and light that is keeping this world from becoming an absolute cesspool of debauchery. The antichrist could not rise to power as long as the church is on the earth. I know you might be wondering "how can that be?".......well, let me show you from the scriptures.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it

We know that when the man of sin is revealed, that he will have a government so powerful that the whole world will say "who is able to make war with the beast?". But Jesus has promised that as long as His church is on the earth, the government of hell will not prevail against it.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you

I John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world

I hope that you can see from just these few passages, that the church is indeed restraining the antichrist. He cannot be "revealed" (II Thess 2:8) until we are taken out.

We can look at past examples of God removing His people before judgement
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II Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Here we see the character of God revealed in these two Old Testament examples. Both Noah, and Lot were spared from the wrath of God, while the sinful and unbelieving were punished. The LORD definitely wants us to learn from these two examples. These two Old Testament figures are pictures of the end-times fulfillment. Jesus also referenced these two men in his preaching about the last days:

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealedSo we can see that even in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, there are those like Noah and Lot that will find grace in the eyes of the LORD and be spared from the terrible tribulation period.

[bghtnpd4]

I agree...great stuff, as always, brother. And, I am THRILLED to see that you are posting again!!!!

[Robert Cragg]

:: The Restrainer

Before the Antichrist CAN EVEN BE REVEALED Paul said, "that which is Restraining Him" must be taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7. The only thing that fits this description is 'the Holy Spirit indwelling the Church.'

The Unique And Hindering Presence


"There is an indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit which has been upon the earth since Pentecost. Old Testament saints had the Holy Spirit with them and as an anointing upon them. That presence, however, could be taken away. The Holy Spirit did not indwell believers prior to Pentecost as an abiding presence that would never leave them. This indwelling is unique to the church, a fact that is clear from many Scriptures. This new presence, which was unknown before Pentecost, can only be removed by removing the church - those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.
David prayed, "Take not the Holy Spirit form me" (Psalm 51:11), a prayer that would be meaningless today and would reflect inexcusable unbelief. Christ said to His disciples, referring to the Holy Spirit, "He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17). John tells us that when Christ was still here upon earth, "the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because ... Jesus was not yet glorified, He sent the Holy Spirit "from the father" (John 15:26) to be with His church in a new way that had been unknown up to that time.

It is this unique presence of the Holy Spirit in the church which will be removed at the rapture, allowing the Antichrist to be revealed and to have free rein to rule the world. Of course, the Holy Spirit, being omnipresent, will remain here to convict sinners of the truth of the gospel and to win multitudes to Christ during the tribulation period. These are the tribulation saints who will be martyred for their faith." (Dave Hunt, from "In Defense of the Faith" pg's 258-259)
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http://calvarychapel.com/library/smi...ooks/ttatc.htm After the Church is raptured, God will once again deal with Israel, His elect. --5. The Restraining Force
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The Restraining Force

In II Thessalonians Paul the apostle wrote to correct an error that had crept into the Church. Some false teachers were saying that the day of the Lord had already come. Paul told the Thessalonians that "that day," the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to reign over the earth, wouldn't take place until there was first a falling away, or departure, and the man of sin, the son of perdition, was revealed. Paul reminded the believers that he had told them these things when he was with them.

In chapter 2 Paul declared, "Now you know what is withholding him that he might be revealed in his time. But the mystery of iniquity is already at work; only he who is restraining will continue to restrain, until he is taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming."

Who is the "restraining" force holding back the revelation of the Antichrist? I believe that the restraining force is the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through the Church. As long as the Spirit-filled Church is upon the earth, the unveiling of the Antichrist will be held back. As soon as the Church is taken out of the way, nothing will stand in the way of the Antichrist. He'll then take over the governments of the world.

The Holy Spirit will not be removed from the world, for He is omnipresent. However, during this time He will be poured out upon Israel.

Ezekiel 39:29 says that God will put His Spirit upon the nation Israel at the time the Russian army is destroyed. This event will possibly mark the beginning of the final seven-year period determined upon Israel.

I see the whole picture coming together very beautifully. After the Church is removed, the Antichrist will be revealed. In Revelation 6 the first event that takes place when the seven-sealed scroll is opened is the white horse coming forth with his rider. This apparently is the Antichrist coming upon the earth. Since the Church has been removed and is now rejoicing with the Lord in Heaven, nothing restrains this wicked one from moving out and taking over the world.
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Antichrist not revealed until hindering force removed
In 2 Thessalonians we are told that the "man of sin (or lawlessness)" will not be revealed until "He who now restrains" is taken out of the way.

Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (II Thessalonians 2:1-8)

In John 16:7-8 we are told that it is The Holy Spirit who will "convict the world concerning sin..." God The Holy Spirit can never be removed from the earth, but, in the sense that He is effectively restraining sin through Christians in whom He dwells, the time will come, once those Christians are gone, that wickedness will abound. Today Christians are everywhere: in their occupations, in the market place, in the schools, even in government halls. But during the Tribulation, true believers will be persecuted and either killed or driven underground, so that their godly influence will not be felt in the world. When the church is taken in the Rapture, the world will be ripe for Antichrist to step forth with his ungodly plans. True, multitudes of people will turn to Christ and will become true believers in the tribulation period. They will also be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they will not be permitted to take the place of the missing Christians in society. They will be outcasts, and therefore the Holy Spirit will not have the same restraining influence on the world that He now has. Most, or even all of them, will be quickly put to death by the man of sin.
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Chapter 4: The Rapture of the Church The Rapture of the Church
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ANOTHER thought on the validity of the pre-trib rapture.
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If the Holy Spirit is lifted from the earth during the tribulation, so as to allow satan free reign during it, and the HS lives in us as christians, and Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us, than that leads me to believe that we will be lifted up at the same time. Before the Antichrist has free reign on this earth, and before the wrath of God. And us being a part of the body of Christ, why would God want to impose EARTHLY judgement on those who followed Him without seeing Him physically. For Jesus said to doubting Thomas you believe because you see, but BLESSED is he who believes without seeing me. He would be punishing His elect along side those who NEVER knew Him. Doesn't sound like the Jesus I know in MY heart.

Hope this strengthens your pre-trib belief.:-)
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The Holy Spirit is the retainer of the antichrist. And Jesus promised His disciples that the HS would come to empower the Church. (Ac 1:eight), and Jesus also promised earlier that the HS would abide in the church forever as the comforter.
John 14:16. So when the HS is released from His role as the restrainer, and Jesus' promise to believers of the abiding presence of the HS, the Church must already be raptured, and is now at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Note---Even though the HS will be removed from His role as the restrainer and comforter of the raptured church, the third person of the Trinity was, is now and always will be omnipresent. He will continue to convict sinners and thereby save a great multitude out of the tribulation. Rev 7:9-14
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"Why the rapture must occur before the tribulation begins" The restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can be revealed
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The restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can be revealed
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II Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: This passage is one of the most misunderstood passages in the entire Word of God. We could devote a whole article to just this one passage in II Thessalonians. But briefly, let me just point out a few things. Notice the mystery of iniquity is already at work. John tells us that "there are many antichrists" and evil has been at work in the world for many years. But the passage in II Thessalonians, is not referring to just "an antichrist" but "THE" antichrist (referred to as "that Wicked in the above text).

I want you to notice something very important here. Notice right now, someone is hindering, restraining, or as the text stated above "letting" (old word for restraining/hindering). This restrainer is none other than the church full of God's Holy Spirit power. Right now, the overcoming church is the salt and light that is keeping this world from becoming an absolute cesspool of debauchery. The antichrist could not rise to power as long as the church is on the earth. I know you might be wondering "how can that be?".......well, let me show you from the scriptures.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it

We know that when the man of sin is revealed, that he will have a government so powerful that the whole world will say "who is able to make war with the beast?". But Jesus has promised that as long as His church is on the earth, the government of hell will not prevail against it.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you

I John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world

I hope that you can see from just these few passages, that the church is indeed restraining the antichrist. He cannot be "revealed" (II Thess 2:8) until we are taken out.
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Removing the Withholder Removing The Withholder
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World Without Restraints A World Without Restraints
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The Rapture
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Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

He who restrains is the Holy Spirit, since the church is not usually called 'he', nor does the church have the ultimate power outside of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God will stop working in the restraining way that He is now. This doesn't mean that He is no longer on the earth, since He is omnipresent. Just as the Spirit of God worked differently during the OT than He did in the Church age, He will work in a completely different way during the tribulation. Currently, He is restraining Satan from doing whatever He likes. Even the angels currently play a major role in keeping the devil from breaking loose. Look at Daniel 12...

12:1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

Now the big question. If the restraining power of the Holy Spirit is to be removed, how can the church still be on the earth? The church can not exist without the power of the Holy Spirit, nor does God say that it ever will exist in this way. In this way it could be said that the church also restrains the effects of total satanic control over the world, in that we exercise a godly dominion over the earth, which partially thwarts the enemy, or restrains him. For those that would say that the church will be here during the tribulation, it's interesting to note that we have knowledge of some key events during the tribulation, and would not keep quiet were we to see these things come to pass. This means that there would be a huge religious movement against the Antichrist, and this is not predicted in the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible predicts apostasy.

With the church gone, the restraining influence will be gone. So whether you see it as the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Spirit & church, either way the church must be gone for this prophecy to make sense.
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The "Sons of God" Return?

There are many who believe that the recent "alien" involvements are also demonic and are just another precursor to the end-time. Some also believe that the Coming World Leader (for more information on the Coming World Leader, see our Briefing Package) may boast of an "alien connection." It would be consistent from what else we can infer from Scripture.

(The Restrainer of II Thessalonians 2 may be restraining far more than we have any suspicion of! When He is removed, the world is in for some astonishing surprises!) (16)

In the meantime, what are our weapons of protection against such things? We do, indeed, "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Our armor is well defined in Ephesians 6:10-17.

The unprepared are in for some unpleasant surprises. Always. Have you done your homework?
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As The Days of Noah Were

This is a excellent post and I've been searching for these scriptures for awhile, Thank You Robert

[Faith]

AMEN AND AMEN

Every word I have studied over the years~

Thank you, Lord, for Your unconditional love for the Church~

Thank you, for Your grace~

Thanks DeepMindQuest,and may the Lord bless you~

[LdyinChrist]

AMEN AND AMEN

Every word I have studied over the years~

Thank you, Lord, for Your unconditional love for the Church~

Thank you, for Your grace~

Thanks DeepMindQuest,and may the Lord bless you~

I agree Faith!!

I was thinking about this today...I was praying all day about Islam on Capitol Hill...and I thought when we are taken out by the rapture...those prayers will not be going up to Heaven any more...

We really need to pray EARNESTLY every spare second we have here on this earth!!....make time...just a "Lord remember"...a thought...continually.

[Deep_MindQuest]

http://www.eternal-productions.org/P...es/Rapture.pdf The Rapture!!

FALSE CLAIM...
The apostle Paul plainly said in 2 Thessalonians 2 that the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto him would not take place until two things happened first. #1 the falling away (religious apostasy), AND #2 the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. The man of sin has not been revealed yet, and what two things happen when he does get revealed? #1 we then are gathered (raptured), #2 he gets destroyed by the brightness of the Lord's coming. There is no 7 year period between verse 1 and verse 8 of 2 Thess. 2. That "the coming" in verse 1 and "his coming" in verse 8 is the same "coming" that Paul was talking about is obvious.


ANSWER TO CLAIM.....Please read 2 Thess. 2 again. There are two distinct events in verse 1: “The coming of our Lord” which is the Second Coming as described in verse 8, AND “our gathering together to Him” which is the Rapture. This is a common mistake. Paul is not setting forth a chronology in verse one. Rather, in verse 2 he sets the context as “the day of the Lord” which refers to the Tribulation. Then Paul goes on to say that “the falling away comes first” (which we are currently witnessing) AND “the man of sin revealed”.


These two events precede “the day of the Lord” not the Rapture. That we’re currently seeing these events line up indicates “the day of the Lord” is fast approaching. And from many other verses that clearly indicate the Rapture precedes this “day” by some amount, means Jesus is coming for us soon. We need to be witnessing to the lost – time is short!

[mattfivefour]

[swannj53]

Lots of great (long) posts here. It occurs to me that when we (His Bride) are taken up our prayers will go with us. This leaves those left behind without our intercession. IT IS OUR PRAYERS AS INTERCESSORS that restrain the evil in the world. Pray like someone's life depends on it! It may be our highest calling in these last few days.

[jesuschangesall]

I believe our brother Todd is absolutely correct!!! The Holy Spirit is the restrainer. Nothing else has the power to restrain the antichrist nor fits all Scripture.

I AGREE TOO! PRAISE THE LORD!!
...
Oh my! I just realized that this is my post "666" ....quick quick,I have to do a new post.....mamma mia!I go post now!

[mattfivefour]

Swann, the problem with that interpretation of what restrains is that in the Greek the original reads: ὁ κατέχων ... literally "he who is restraining". Greek being a very precise language, we must take note that the "who" is masculine and singular; thus we cannot apply the phrase to a group. It is clearly one "he" and that "he" is the one "who is restraining" and when "he" is taken out of the way, the lawless one will be revealed.

So clearly this cannot represent our intercession. Or even Christ's. It cannot refer to the church asbelieve since the word church in Greek (ἐκκλησίᾳ) is feminine. So what single person or being, who is always referred to as masculine, could have the power to restrain lawlessness on earth? some have suggested Gabriel or Michael. It's possible. But, based on a study of their roles in scripture, unlikely. the most likely is the Holy Spirit. But if the Holy Spirit were to be taken fromt he earth, then nobody could get saved. The Holy Spirit is the one that draws and performs the work of regeneration. (If anybody is in doubt of the scriptural basis for this statement, I heartily recommend Arthur Pink's The Holy Spirit's Work in Salvation.

So the one interpretation that ties it all together, as far as I can see, is that the "he" IS the Holy spirit ... but not in His totality. It is the Holy Spirit indwelling the Church. When the Church is raptured, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is gone and thus He no longer restrains, which He does through His Presence in the Church. Following the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will still move over the earth, but not indwell individuals called into a collective known as "the called out" or, in Greek, ekklesia which we refer to as "The Church"..

[swannj53]

Swann, the problem with that interpretation of what restrains is that in the Greek the original reads: ὁ κατέχων ... literally "he who is restraining". Greek being a very precise language, we must take note that the "who" is masculine and singular; thus we cannot apply the phrase to a group. It is clearly one "he" and that "he" is the one "who is restraining" and when "he" is taken out of the way, the lawless one will be revealed.

So clearly this cannot represent our intercession. Or even Christ's. It cannot refer to the church asbelieve since the word church in Greek (ἐκκλησίᾳ) is feminine. So what single person or being, who is always referred to as masculine, could have the power to restrain lawlessness on earth? some have suggested Gabriel or Michael. It's possible. But, based on a study of their roles in scripture, unlikely. the most likely is the Holy Spirit. But if the Holy Spirit were to be taken fromt he earth, then nobody could get saved. The Holy Spirit is the one that draws and performs the work of regeneration. (If anybody is in doubt of the scriptural basis for this statement, I heartily recommend Arthur Pink's

So the one interpretation that ties it all together, as far as I can see, is that the "he" IS the Holy spirit ... but not in His totality. It is the Holy Spirit indwelling the Church. When the Church is raptured, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is gone and thus He no longer restrains, which He does through His Presence in the Church. Following the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will still move over the earth, but not indwell individuals called into a collective known as "the called out" or, in Greek, ekklesia which we refer to as "The Church"..

Your point is well stated and well taken. And, I agree with your conclusion as a Spirit indwelt member of the Church who will be raptured. When I (we) go, our prayers, which have been and continue to be heard in the throne room of God, and which have contained the groanings of the Holy Spirit and answered on behalf of this lost world and the people in it will end. I only wanted to make the point that the prayers of the saints have been and will be a profound restraint over the evil in this fallen world. One day Father may share with us the results of our fervent prayers. Make sense?

[mattfivefour]

Absolutely, bro! I understand loud and clear.

And I look forward to meeting you there!