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A Study in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

He Who Restrains

Our study continues in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. And the verses will be used to examine the pre-trib claims:

  • The church will be raptured into heaven before the tribulation;
  • The Holy Spirit is the Restrainer and must leave and take the church with Him into Heaven in order for the lawless one to be revealed.
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of the 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 it from us, into effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Let no one in any way deceive you,  for it will not come unless apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, 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 at while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

And now 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 restrains will do so when he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to and end by the appearance of His coming...

                                                                    

2nd Thessalonians 2:1-8 NASB

According to the pre-tribbers, the day of the Lord begins before the tribulation when Jesus comes to rapture His Church. And there are some who believe the Day of the Lord is the Tribulation and it ends when Jesus appears after the tribulation to destroy His enemies.

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In chapter two, Paul was writing in regard to the coming of the Lord, Jesus and their (the church's and Paul's) gathering to him, as supported by the pre-tribbers, the rapture. The Thessalonians were disturbed by a message or a letter saying the day of the Lord has come. Paul told them not to be deceived in this way. The day of the Lord will not come unless apostasy comes first and the man of lawless one is revealed.

 

In other translations of scripture the word "falling away" is used instead of apostasy." For example in King James: 

 

Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day will not come, except there come a falling away first...
According to many pre-tribulationists, the word "falling away" means the rapture. Does this word accurately describe a rapture?  Wouldn't Paul use the word, "rising up" to describe the rapture?  "Falling away" however, does mean apostasy, rebellion, and a falling away from the faith, it does not mean the rapture.

 

Paul says the day of the Lord will not happen unless apostasy comes first and the lawless man is revealed.   But the pre-tribbers  like us to believe the rapture must happen before the day of the Lord begins, contrary to what Paul said. Is there a conflict here?

 

Paul continues by saying that the Lawless one is being restrained and the one who restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

 

According to many  pre-tribulationialists the one who restrains, or the restrainer, is the Holy Spirit. And he will do so until He leaves (is taken out of the way) and takes his church with Him at the rapture. This is where they have a serious problem. How are there going to be "tribulation saints?" How is anyone going to be saved and minister and witness if the Holy Spirit is gone? Besides, isn't the Holy Spirit omnipresent, meaning he is everywhere? This is something I will address further in another article, Absence of the Holy Spirit.

 

I have an important question: does "taken out of the way" mean He will leave here and go to heaven? Can "taken out of the way" have another meaning? For example, if we are playing football and I have possession of the ball and I am  running toward you and you are restraining me from running across  the goal line. Then my teammate comes along and blocks you so you are taken out of my way, so I can run in for the touchdown. In this instance, do you have to be raptured into heaven in order for me to cross the goal line?

 

So, in  in verse seven, does the restrainer have to go to heaven  in order to unrestrain the Anti-christ? Wouldn't Paul have said so if it were true?  

However, nowhere in the Bible, is the Holy Spirit is referred to a restrainer. Could there be someone else who restrains? There are those in the post-trib camp who believe the restrainer is Michael the Archangel.  Or, could it be an angel other than Michael the Arch-angel? In Genesis, when Adam and Eve fell God:
 

"...drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep away of the tree of life."
                                                                        

Genesis 3:24 KJV

If God used angels to keep man out of the garden by restraining man, then could it be possible to use an angel to restrain the Anti-christ?
 
Referring in verse one where Paul writes: " with regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him...," The pre-tribbers agree that our "gathering together to him" in this chapter is the  rapture. In this instance, we are gathered together when Jesus comes.  But many pre-tribbers believe also that the Holy Spirit is the one who raptures the church out when he is "taken out of the way." How is it they say in one hand, Jesus comes to rapture us, and then, in the other, the Holy Spirit raptures us out? Jesus and The Holy Spirit are God, this is true, but They are distinct, and not each other. Jesus is God, but He isn't the Father, nor The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is God but not the Father nor the Son. So which one of  Them raptures us anyway? I don't know about you, but I have to go along with Paul on this one!

 

 Others believe the restrainer is the church because the church has a controlling influence over the world. Without the church the world would be a more evil place to live in. This seems logical but it  presents another problem. In verse eight, Paul writes "...only he who restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way." Remember, Paul uses the word  "he." And the pre-tribbers are saying "he" is the church. Doesn't "he" represent just one person? And if the Church is the bride of Christ shouldn't Paul have used "she?" 

 

In First Thessalonians chapter 4  Paul refers to himself and the Thessalonians as "we," ("Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together...in the air")  as the pre-tribbers says is the church. But in the verse eight above Paul  describes the restrainer as "he." If  Paul was saying that the church is restraining, shouldn't he have written: "only we who restrain will do so when we are taken out of the way?"  

  

So who is he who restrains? In verse five, Paul said "Do you not remember that at while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? "  Paul in an earlier visit to the Thessalonians was discussing this issue. Is the one who restrains have a specific identity? Is there anywhere in scripture where Paul describes the restrainer? One thing can be concluded: only  Paul, the Thessalonians, and The Holy Trinity know for sure! 

The pre-tribbers claim The Holy Spirit and/or the church are the ones who restrain will do so when he or they are taken out of the way (before the Anti-christ is revealed). But Paul is saying that the day of the Lord  will not happen until apostasy happens first and the Anti-christ must be revealed. So we see that the two views contradict each other.

 

In previous article, Paul tells this church that they will be relieved of their persecutions when "the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire." And Revelation 19, John described Jesus Christ  with eyes "of a blaze of fire," a scene which takes place after the tribulation. So in chapter one, the church is going through the tribulation, and according to the pre-tribbers, in chapter 2 the church is raptured out before the tribulation. How can Paul say that the church is going through the tribulation in one chapter and in the very next, the church is raptured before the tribulation? Isn't this confusing? In other words, doesb't this contradict with scripture? 

 

Referring back to verse one: " regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him...," When does Paul  refer to the Lord's coming? He doesn't  until verse 8: "And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to and end by the appearance of his coming..."  Again, in this verse, pre-tribbers believe that Jesus' appearance  is at the end of the tribulation.  In regard to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to him, Jesus says in Mark:

 

"But in those days, after that tribulation...they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS with great power and great power and  glory. And then He send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, and the farthest end of Heaven."

Mark 13:24-27 NASB

                                                          

In the above verse Jesus agrees with Paul:

  • He will appear at his coming. Jesus  further says that He will be seen at His coming after the tribulation,  
  • and then  His elect will be gathered together.
  • He will gather them from the four winds from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.
Didn't Jesus describe the rapture?

 

"...You are not lacking any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of Jesus Christ, who shall confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

1st Corinthians 1:4 NASB

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       Articles in This Study

Absence of The Holy Spirit

Signs And Lying Wonders

 

With A Shout!

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