He who letteth will let.

2 Thessalonians 2:7, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (restrains) will let, until he be taken out of the way.” My question is, who is the ‘He’?

In another post, I asked, “Can the church survive without the Holy Spirit.” Everyone who responded agreed that the church cannot survive without the Holy Spirit. I also agree.

So, who is the, he? And what happens when he is taken away? And will answering the above questions provide us with more information concerning the time of the rapture?

Our first hurdle will be who the “he” that’s to be taken away before “That Wicked (Lawless One) is revealed” 2 Thessalonians 2:8.

Scriptures tell us someone has to be taken away before the antichrist is revealed. Now, who can that be?

Here’s what we know: the mystery of iniquity: the devil’s disciples were already at work in Paul’s day. The future antichrist will be called the ‘Wicked One.’ Verse 8 also tells us the antichrist and his kingdom will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at his coming.

So, who’s the ‘he that is now restraining the devil’s empowered forces?’

There are several lines of thought. Many thought it was the Roman empire in Paul’s day the Holy Spirit was holding back, but they’re long gone, and the Spirit is still with us. Could it be the devil himself? but why would he hold back the Wicked one? He wouldn’t, we can scratch him off. Could it be human government holding back evil? No, because governments will continue after the antichrist has been revealed.

That leaves us with the Holy Spirit working in the Christian community that is restraining evil and the revealing of the ‘Wicked One.’ The Holy Spirit dwells in every Christian with power; he comes, convinces, guides, speaks, and hears our prayers and prophecies.

Verse 7 says, “He will be taken out of the way.” Question: Where’s he going? I would say, back to heaven.

Now, if the church cannot survive without the Holy Spirit, as we discussed earlier, it will be taken with him, then the ‘Wicked One’ is revealed.

And when the antichrist is made known, he will cause havoc on Earth for seven years. Now if the above is correct, the Holy Spirit and church go into heaven, the antichrist is then revealed and rules for seven-years, It would appear to add evidence to the teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture.

Your response to the above. Stay on the subject, please.

While I agree with most of what your saying - I too, believe in a coming "Rapture" of Jesus Christ's True churches. Nevertheless, you may have overstepped a bit suggesting the Holy Spirit is returning to the heavens, as if He was human like us or some kind of Angel.

First - The Holy Spirit is God. The Third Person of the Godhead. As God, He is everywhere at once and therefore has never left the heavens. He presently has an Earthly Ministry, in the absents of Jesus Christ and is aiding the Saints. However, it is stretching things a bit thin, to suggest that He is leaving with the Raptured Saints. After all, the Raptured Saints will then be in the presence of the Lord and the Holy Spirits "keeping" them will be complete. HOWEVER -

Second - There will be those, during the "Tribulation days", that will be called out and thus, the Holy Spirit will be needed to quicken them and minister unto them.

Third - God controls what takes place on Earth through His "Providential Government". The Father has an Eternal Plan, which is carried out in concert with His Son and the Holy Spirit in perfect unity and agreement.

Therefore, "that which is hindering now and will be slowly taken away", would be better understood as a part of God's overall plan - executed through His Providential Government by the power of the Holy Spirit. But He will not be leaving Earth... for He has been here since the Creation and will continue in His many offices.

A wrong conclusion!

Acts 2v16-21,38,39, informs that the Holy Spirit is upon earth and working through the Church with great power, right up until the Second Coming of Christ immediately after the Great Tribulation! Matt 24v29-31

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The saints cannot be gathered unto Christ until there is a falling away first which is the condition of the world in response to the Gospel which the nations governments stopped the preaching of the Gospel of Christ on a world wide scale favoring the new age movement interpretation of the Bible(1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 4:2-4).

It is not the Church that falls away for the Church can never fall away for the gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church.

There is a lot of hypocrites but the Church can never fall away which God said in a great house there are some to honor and some to dishonor.

And the man of sin claims to be God which happens in the middle of a 7 years period.

2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
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.

The Holy Spirit will not be removed from the Church but the Holy Spirit is holding Satan back from trying to manipulate the world but he will be revealed at a certain time as the man of sin.

2Th 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:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

God is love, and He loves all people, but He has to end sin on earth one day because he is not going to allow mankind to keep sinning on earth, and he has a time schedule of the time He is allowing people to have salvation.

God is giving the world 7 years to have their way, and cause all people that do not love Him to follow the New Age Christ and when they do He will end sin on earth for salvation is no longer available to the world.

Because God is giving the world their way for 7 years it causes Satan to be able to deceive in the world more than before the 7 years which the world that does not love God will follow Lucifer believing he is a god, and an alien, that wants to help mankind to have peace, advance, and evolve to be spiritual, which is the new age movement that interprets the Bible according to the occult and evolution, and people are evolving to be spiritual, and there is no God.

The Holy Spirit is restraining Satan from deceiving the world to rebel against God but will one day allow him to do it so the man of sin can be revealed who will be Lucifer inhabiting a man's body.

God is ready to end sin on earth so he is allowing the fallen angels to deceive the people that do not love God to rebel against Him by their belief system they believe.

Which is why the Bible tells us of the new age movement which their beliefs are of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and are fables, and the time will come the people will not want to hear the truth of the Bible but according to their own lusts which is to evolve to be spiritual, and a god, with no higher power above them, which God said they will say I am, and there is no one else beside me.

No, it really is not stretching things a bit. Since the Church is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, if He is "taken out of the way" it would be the reverse of the Holy Spirit having been poured out upon earth on the day of Pentecost. He was sent from Heaven by the Father and the Son for the Church, and therefore He returns to Heaven with the Church. And unless He is taken out of the way on the earth, the Antichrist cannot taken total control of the earth (which is what God will allow).

“He” is the “man child,”
those who are overcomers, the 5 wise virgins who had oil in their lamps,
taking the cross, living the Christian life.
And will rule and reign with Jesus Christ for a thousand years on this earth.

Revelation 2:26-27 KJV
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
[27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Revelation 20:4 KJV
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them……neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

“””””””””””””””””””””

The woman is the body of Christians who are the 5 foolish virgins,
who didn’t trim their lamps, had no oil, not living the Christian life. Just a show.
They are given space to repent and then “have the testimony of Jesus Christ”

“””””””””””””””””””
The Antichrist cannot reign until the overcomer’s are taken out of the way.
And he will reign for 3 1/2 years = a time, and times, and half a time

“”””””””””””””””””””
Revelation 12:5, 12-17 KJV
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
[13] And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
[14] And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
[15] And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
[16] And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
[17] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Respectfully, your timeline reminds me of a drunk driver on a six-lane highway. And if you have one, I can't tell the beginning from the end. I think you had better reread my post, then do a little more research. Happy New Year!

I am really surprised at your response. Truly I am.

1.) The Holy Spirit was not poured out on the "earth" at Pentecost - He empowered the fledgling members who comprised the church. While Pentecost was a foretaste... an ensample of future prophecy, (see Joel 2:28-31), it was not the fulfillment of this prophecy because Joel 2:31 clearly ties it to: ".. the great and the terrible day of the LORD come."

2.) You stated that the Holy Spirit was "sent from heaven" but there is no verse of Scripture that says He was sent from heaven - only that He would be sent. After all, Jesus made it clear, the Holy Spirit, was already at work, on the earth, before Pentecost. For example: John 3:8 - The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. The idea of the Spirit coming and going or being sent, is to aid us, as human beings, to better understand the offices and workings of God but God does not come and go as a human would.

3.) The Holy Spirit being sent as the "Comforter", did not require a movement of location but rather the implementation of His new office at a specific point in time. Why would you attempt to limit the Holy Spirits capabilities? Don't you think that the Holy Spirit can accomplish anything the Father and the Son request? He is not a statue to be moved from one place or another. He is Omni-Present.

4.) The Holy Spirit hinders the arrival of the antichrist until Gods appointed time. Again, a part of the Fathers eternal plan. At the appointed time, the Holy Spirit will take away His hinderances but again, this does not require a physical relocation. For as you know, God is in all things and sustains all things moment to moment. He is in the sinner when the sinner sins. If He wasn't, the sinner would cease to exist. He is in all created matter both good and evil.

5.) While the same verse, says that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work... we know that the lawlessness has grown worse and worse and will continue to get worse. Yet, the Holy Spirit is still working as our Comforter. He is right here, as you say, on the earth and in the church. This proves that the Holy Spirit does not have to "leave" for the antichrist to be revealed and grow in power nor does He have to physically relocate to still be with church. Our GOD is in CONTROL and He does not have to leave for evil to increase. He just simply has to ordain it so.

“Back to heaven” so you say. Scripture does not say that. Since when did ’So I say’ become foundational for biblical interpretation?

Let me offer this: if you have to guess, there are two likely reasons: God has chosen not to reveal the details, or you haven’t done enough homework. Drawing firm conclusions too soon usually leads to error. At best the conclusions cannot be defended.

the mystery of lawlessness is now at work...even so, he will continue to be restrained until he is taken out of the away. The general consensus is that the mystery of lawlessness will someday be 'unleashed' and then be 'releashed' at some point again. Yet, the mystery of lawlessness is now at work so, is he being restrained at the moment or...?

The Holy Spirit was sent by both the Father and Son to guide the church. When the Lord returns for his bride, the work of the Holy Spirit will be finished. His place is in heaven, not on earth. When John was taken into heaven by way of the door (Jesus is the way) Revelation 4:2, he not only sees the Lord Jesus in heaven, but he also sees the seven Spirits of God. (The seven Spirits are another study.)

Hope that helps.

Acts 2:17 (Joel 2:28)

Montana wrote, "There is a lot of hypocrites but the Church can never fall away which God said in a great house there are some to honor and some to dishonor."

My response, Hebrews 6:4, It will be "impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God (again), and put him to an open shame."

No guess, John sees the Holy Spirt in heaven, example 1, Revelation 4:5. We have a second example found in Genesis, 6:3. "And the LORD said, my Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days will be a hundred and twenty years." The only business the Holy Spirit has on this earth is to instruct Christians. When the church is removed, I have no doubt he will return to his place in heaven from where he was sent.

If it is the Holy Spirit that will be taken out of the way, wouldn't the Bible be clear about that? Why make that mysterious? I don't know who will be taken out of the way, so I'm leaving that to be more fully revealed when the time comes.

Also, there will be other people who will get saved during the Great Tribulation. As we all know, the Holy Spirit has to be still on earth to help them out as part of the salvation process, especially since this will be the very worst time in all history for Christians.


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Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:5-12 Something hindered or withheld the man of sin. It is supposed to be the power of the Roman empire, which the apostle did not mention more plainly at that time. Corruption of doctrine and worship came in by degrees, and the usurping of power was gradual; thus the mystery of iniquity prevailed. Superstition and idolatry were advanced by pretended devotion, and bigotry and persecution were promoted by pretended zeal for God and his glory. This mystery of iniquity was even then begun; while the apostles were yet living, persons pretended zeal for Christ, but really opposed him. The fall or ruin of the antichristian state is declared. The pure word of God, with the Spirit of God, will discover this mystery of iniquity, and in due time it shall be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. Signs and wonders, visions and miracles, are pretended; but they are false signs to support false doctrines; and lying wonders, or only pretended miracles, to cheat the people; and the diabolical deceits with which the antichristian state has been supported, are notorious. The persons are described, who are his willing subjects. Their sin is this; They did not love the truth, and therefore did not believe it; and they were pleased with false notions. God leaves them to themselves, then sin will follow of course, and spiritual judgments here, and eternal punishments hereafter. These prophecies have, in a great measure, come to pass, and confirm the truth of the Scriptures. This passage exactly agrees with the system of popery, as it prevails in the Romish church, and under the Romish popes. But though the son of perdition has been revealed, though he has opposed and exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; and has spoken and acted as if he were a god upon earth, and has proclaimed his insolent pride, and supported his delusions, by lying miracles and all kinds of frauds; still the Lord has not yet fully destroyed him with the brightness of his coming; that and other prophecies remain to be fulfilled before the end shall come.

Since the Holy Spirit is God, and God is omnipresent, there is no limitation on His location such that John seeing Him in heaven in Revelation precludes Him from being on Earth. As I said, the Scripture does not state that the "he" of w Thessalonians 2:7 returns to heaven. You've made a circumstantial argument, not a convincing one.

That may be so, but then why did Christ promise to send the Comforter -- the Holy Spirit - from Heaven, if He was already present on earth for the Church at that time? Why did Joel's prophecy have to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost if there was no need for the Holy Spirit to be poured down from Heaven? Now since the Holy Spirit -- called "He" in 2 Thess -- indwells the Church, it is true that Him being taken out of the way along with the Church will mean that He returns to Heaven.

Christ is also omnipresent but in Heaven, and God the Father is also omnipresent but also in Heaven. We need not try to "explain" God. What we do know is that unless the divine Restrainer departs from the earth, the Antichrist will not be able to take total control of the inhabitants of the world. And this necessitates the Pre-Tribulation Resurrection/Rapture.

This is Jesus speaking to His disciples:

5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless 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 depart, I will send Him to you.

Clearly, the Helper or The Holy Spirit is sent to the Lord’s people.
But there is something else He says…

8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

The Spirit is also at work in the world, convicting the people of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
I do not believe this requires the intervention of the church. I believe the Spirit does this as an executive function of His position: the One who speaks for the Lord. If this were not so, men would have an excuse.

When He, the Spirit, is taken away, there is no more conviction of sin, righteousness or judgment in the earth for the unbelievers.
There’s a whole study here.

op: He who letteth, will let, until taken out of the way?:

Precious friends, one could imagine: "The One New man," [ not bride ], The
Body of Christ, full of prayer warriors and soldiers standing with full armour
on, as the "restraining force", which is hindering evil, eh?

What then would happen When "The One New man" [ he ] is Removed
In God's Great GRACE Departure!, "taken out of the way", eh?

Amen.