The One Who Restrains

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• 1Jo 2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
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•   2Th 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.
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• v 6 what = neuter - activities of HS; v 7 he = masculine - The Spirit
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  • False identification

    • Several of these views do not necessarily involve a supernatural force. Many suggestions have been made to identify the restraining force of 1Th_4:6, 1Th_4:7. These include: (1) human government; (2) preaching of the gospel; (3) the binding of Satan; (4) the providence of God; (5) the Jewish state; (6) the church; (7) the Holy Spirit; and 8) Michael. Whatever now restrains the Antichrist of 1Th_4:3, 1Th_4:4, 1Th_4:8-10 from being revealed in the fullness of his apostasy and evil, must be more than human or even angelic power. The most common supernatural figure suggested, is God Himself.

•   Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
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• Gen 20:6  And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
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  • It embodies the idea of physical government

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  Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
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  1Pe 2:13  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

• 1Pe 2:14  Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
• • and spiritual goverment
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  Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

  If this is so, this has significant implications concerning the Rapture of the Church because we previously saw that the Holy Spirit indwells those who are baptized into the Body of Christ permanently for the day of redemption.  It is impossible that the Holy Spirit could depart from indwelling the sealed believer--He cannot be taken out of the way unless all born-again believers indwelt by Him are taken with Him!

The Holy Spirit came down into the world at Pentecost in a special sense in which He had never been in the world, to dwell in the Church, the body of believers which is called the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Co_6:19). When all believers are removed to heaven according to the promise made to the church in Philadelphia (Rev_3:10), . . . the Holy Spirit goes out of the world in the sense that He came into it at Pentecost.

This was precisely Paul's point in his letter to the Thessalonians. Some of them thought that they had already entered the Day of the Lord, but Paul reassures them that this could not be the case for the man of sin must first be revealed and he will not be revealed until the Restrainer has been taken out of the way. The Thessalonian believers would be "gathered together" to Christ before the man of sin would be revealed.



Since the ministry of the Holy Spirit includes indwelling believers and working through the church, then ἐκ μέσου γένηται [ek mesou genētai] ("taken out of the way") could possibly refer to the removal of the Holy Spirit through the removal of the church in the pretribulational rapture. Since the passage concerns the gathering of believers, this cryptic apocalyptic reference to the Spirit, who indwells the church, is probably in view. This would be an encouragement to the Thessalonian believers to stop being alarmed about any false teaching on the Day of the Lord.

The One to Be Revealed

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• 2 Thes 2:3 ..that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
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•   1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
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•  1Jo 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.
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• 2Jo 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world,
• who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The One Who Will Reveal the man of sin

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  2Th 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.
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  The Restrainer is referred to as both neuter (τὸ κατέχον [to katechon], "what is restraining") and masculine (ὁ κατέχων [ho katechōn], "He who now restrains").

  The Restrainer existed in Paul's day.

  • This was precisely Paul's point in his letter to the Thessalonians. Some of them thought that they had already entered the Day of the Lord, but Paul reassures them that this could not be the case for the man of sin must first be revealed and he will not be revealed until the Restrainer has been taken out of the way. The Thessalonian believers would be "gathered together" to Christ before the man of sin would be revealed.

  The Restrainer has been continually and effectively restraining for nearly 2,000 years so far.

  The Restrainer is powerful enough to suppress the spiritual powers of darkness seeking to promote the man of sin.

  The restraint is global.

  1. USA - Bush reelection outcome
     
  2. Ukraine reelection
  3. Tsunami Relief
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  The Holy Spirit still active during the Tribulation Period for Regeneration

• Revelation 7:9-14  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Conclusion - our Blessed Hope

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  Isa 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.
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  Lamentations 3:25-26  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
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  1 Thessalonians 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
   
  Hebrews 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
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