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A Study in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

In the previous article, He Who Restrains, the restrainer, according to the pre-tribbers, in Second Thessalonians chapter two is the Holy Spirit:
 

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who restrains will do so when he is taken out of the way." 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:7 NASB

The purpose of this study is so examine the essential role of the Holy Spirit. We must carefully examine scripture to see what the role of the Spirit has in regard to ministry and His role in this world.

The role of the Holy Spirit has been misunderstood in regards to the gifts, His place in ministry, and His role in the world. One big misunderstanding is the gifts of the Holy Spirit does not exist today, especially the gifts of tongues. The believers who hold to this use this verse to their claim: 

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues; they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears."

1 Corinthians 11:8-10 NIV

They claim that the "perfection" in the above verse is when the bible was completed as it is known today. However, the "perfection" that comes who Paul refers to is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Other groups such as the Pentecostals believe that the gift of tongues is the only evidence of the Holy Spirit's baptism on believers. However, Paul said in first Corinthians that the Spirit distributes different gifts to each believer: 

"All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them, to each one just as he determines...Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have the gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues?"

1 Corinthians 12:11, 12: 29& 30 NIV

Another misunderstanding which is among those who are pre-tribbers is that somehow there will be many who will be saved during the tribulation. There's the "tribulation saints" and the 144,000 who will "evangelize the world." All this will happen when The Holy Spirit is allegedly in heaven with the church.

One thing we must remember, the Holy Spirit is God and He is omni-present, He's everywhere. Another is that a true believer cannot be saved without Him. Jesus said:
 

"No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again...no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water (natural birth) and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit"                                        

John 3:3, 6-7 NIV

                                                              

In the above verse, it is clear about  being born again.  There are two births. Our first birth is our natural birth when we came fourth from our mother's womb. The second birth is when the Holy Spirit regenerates our spirit. Again this can't happen to the newly reborn if the Holy Spirit is on vacation during the tribulation.

We must know the role of The Spirit in regard to our ministry. In Acts, Jesus said:
 

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the Ends to the Earth."

Acts 1:8 NIV

The Holy Spirit gives us as Christians power to be witnesses for the gospel of Christ. It's inconceivable to believe that the 144,000 will be able to "witness to the world" if the Holy Spirit is "raptured into heaven," especially when they have no training and will be  unversed in scripture. 

We must know the Spirit's ministry to us. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said:
 

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you...But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
                                                                                 

John 14:16-17, 26 NASB

Jesus refers the Holy Spirit as "another helper." The Holy Spirit will teach all believers all things and remind them of everything that Christ taught His disciples. How are the "tribulation saints" going to be taught all things when the Holy Spirit is in heaven? What will happen at the time of trial when "tribulation saints" are tempted and the Holy Spirit isn't there to remind them of what Jesus taught us?

During that night before Jesus was arrested which led to his crucifixion, He was with His disciples. He spoke with them about the Holy Spirit in regard to this world:
 

"But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged."  
                                                                         

John 16:7-11 NIV

Jesus said the Holy Spirit will convict the world in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment. It will be highly impossible for men during the tribulation to be convicted of these things if the Holy Spirit is raptured with the church. As we also have seen that man cannot be born again without the Holy Spirit.

There are those who believe that the "period of grace" ends when Jesus comes to rapture His church out. And somehow that there will be something to replace it for the condition for salvation. However, there is nothing in scripture that supports their belief. Throughout the bible, people always have been saved through grace through faith. We see this in reference to Abraham: 

"What does the scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.' "

 

Romans 4:-3 NIV

See also Genesis 15:6

Paul wrote in Ephesians:
 

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and it is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."
                                                                                   

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

The prophet Joel as he described the events up to the day of the Lord:
 

"The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord  calls."                                                                                     

Joel 2:31-32 NIV

Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. If the "period of grace" ends at the "pre-trib raptire" then how are the Jews who haven't believed in Christ going to be saved when they call out for their messiah at the last moment when Jesus appears if it isn't through God's grace?

We must conclude that if the saints in the tribulation are martyred for the testimony of Jesus, then they are also saved by grace-through their faith in Jesus Christ.

Going back to the words of Jesus, in relation to the Holy Spirit, John Wrote: 

"...Jesus said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not been glorified."
                                                                                        

John 7:37b-39 NIV

In the above verse whoever believes in Jesus, the Holy Spirit flows from within them. This must also include those who are believers in the tribulation. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be here during that time.

"And when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak; but it is the Holy Spirit."

Mark 13:11 NASB

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He Who Restrains  

Signs And Lying Wonders

With A Shout!