Christians have long sought to understand the identity of the restrainer mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Paul is addressing an issue that the Thessalonian church was facing. It seemed that they were under the impression that the day of the Lord had already taken place. Naturally, this had shaken their faith, and Paul seeks to remind them of what he had previously taught them.
A common view of this passage is that these Christians had somehow come to believe that the rapture of the church had already taken place, and they had been left behind. This passage has been used as a proof text by those who promote the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. Therefore, Paul, attempts to show them that they have not missed the day of the Lord.
Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (2 Thess 2:3-4 NKJV).
Now this passage is telling us that the coming of Christ, and our gathering to Him (2 Thess 2:1) will not occur until there is a great falling away from the faith, and the man of sin (Antichrist) is revealed. This already causes a problem for a pre-trib position, as they hold that the church is gone at the start of the final seven- year period known as the tribulation.
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 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 (2 Thess 2:5-7 NKJV).
The question becomes that of, "Who or what is the restrainer?" Again, a common view is the Holy Spirit. I quoted these verses out of the New King James Version, where they capitalize the pronoun He, to show deity. However, did the NKJV translators impose their belief system into the text in this verse?
Pre- trib theology holds that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit, indwelling the church. Once the church is raptured, the Holy Spirit is absent from the earth, allowing the man of sin to be revealed. But Paul has just told us that the day of the Lord will not come until the antichrist is revealed, not before. The Holy Spirit within the church cannot be the restrainer according to what Paul has just stated. This causes a problem for a pre- trib rapture theology. Many Christians lament the fact that the Thessalonian Christians knew the identity of the restrainer (2 Thess 2:6), but Paul never mentioned him by name in this epistle. But is the Bible silent about the restrainer? Is there something the Thessalonians knew that we could know as well?
It is helpful to understand that the early church was steeped in the Old Testament writings. The New Testament books and epistles were in the process of being written and passed around, but had not yet been formulated into what we now know as the Bible. When one studies prophecy it is crucial to look at the Old Testament prophets as well. Perhaps the one book that is absolutely necessary to a proper understanding of end time events is the book of Daniel. His visions of the end time events are referred to by Jesus, and form much of the background for the book of Revelation.
In Daniel chapter 12 we read of a time of trouble coming upon the world. Such trouble the world had never seen up to this point (compare Jesus' statement in Matt 24: 21).
"At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:1-2 NKJV)
And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?" Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished (Daniel 12:6-7 NKJV).
Daniel links the start of the great tribulation with the standing up of the arch angel Michael. What Michael does is not apparent here, but there is a link non the less. I also quoted verses 6 and 7, highlighting the words "time, times, and half a time". This phrase is found elsewhere in prophecy, and is interchangeable with forty two months, and 1260 days. What is revealed here, is that the time of the great tribulation is to last three and one half years.
Note also the mention of the resurrection of the dead. The various scriptures that mention the return of Christ, and the gathering of His people, also refer to the raising of the dead at the same time (1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16-17). Notice here in Daniel 12 that the resurrection is placed at the end (see also Daniel 12:13). Again, this does not fit the idea of a pretribulational rapture.
We read in Revelation 12 of a war in heaven,
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon: and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 12:7-17 NKJV).
In this passage we read of a point in time when Satan is thrown out of heaven. I don't have all the answers, but apparently Satan has access to heaven (Job 1:6), but at some point he is defeated by Michael and his angels and cast out for good. He is filled with great wrath and pursues the woman who represents Israel (see Rev 12:1-6). Revelation 12 uses the symbols of the woman and a dragon with seven heads and ten horns to show how Satan has sought to destroy the male child (Jesus, the Messiah) through various empires throughout history, The time frame of this final assault is the last three and one half years of this age, when Satan is cast down to the earth. Notice again the reference to a time, times and half a time. This is the same reference as we saw in Daniel chapter 12, where Daniel prophecies of a time of trouble unrivaled in world history, We see here that a remnant of Israel finds protection in the wilderness, so the Devil, in his anger, seeks out her offspring who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. This group of people refers to Christians who will also suffer persecution on the earth at this point in history.
We read of a beast, a mirror image of Satan, arising out of the sea in Revelation 13,
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority (Rev 13:1-2 NKJV).
This is the emergence of the man of lawlessness and his kingdom. He receives his power and authority from Satan himself. Daniel has a vision of four kingdoms rising out of the great sea. In the Bible this refers to the Mediterranean sea. These kingdoms are represented by a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a dreadful beast unlike the others before it. (Daniel 7:1-7). This beast, in Revelation 13, is the fourth beast with ten horns, and is a conglomeration of the first three. Again, it is a mirror image of the dragon (Satan), with one difference. The dragon has crowns on his seven heads, while this beast has the crowns on it's ten horns. This signifies that this beast is the final world empire, consisting of ten united nations, under one wicked ruler. (Daniel 2:41-45; Rev 17:12-13). The world marvels after this beast,
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty two months. then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13: 3-8NKJV).
This is the start of the great tribulation, We read here that the beast's authority is to last forty two months (Time, times, and half a time). He speaks blasphemous things against God. Daniel 7 records that a "little horn" rises out from among the ten horns on the fourth beast speaking arrogant words (Daniel 7:7-11). This horn makes war with the saints, and prevails against them for a time, times, and half a time, until the Ancient of Days comes and makes a judgement in favor of His saints (Daniel 7:19-27).
This is the man of sin referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4 who sits in the temple, exalting himself above God. This is also what Jesus refers to as the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet (Matt 24:15; Daniel 9:24-27). The restrainer has been removed, and the Antichrist is revealed. This is the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel, also commonly referred to by many, as the seven year tribulation.
To sum up, something is restraining the man of lawlessness, but it cannot be the Holy Spirit through the Church. Paul clearly links the coming of the Lord and our gathering to Him, with the "Day of the Lord." He states that that day will not come until a great falling away from the faith occurs, and the man of sin, who exalts himself above God in the temple of God, is revealed. We see the activity of Michael linked to the start of the great tribulation (the final 3 and 1/2 years) in Daniel 12, and also of the war in heaven between Michael with his angels, against the Devil and his angels. Satan is cast down to the earth where mounts an unprecedented assault, through a beast empire against the people of God. At the head of this unholy empire is the Antichrist who has authority given to him by Satan, which is to last for 3 and 1/2 years.
Is Michael the restrainer? I am not dogmatic about it; I believe he has something to do with this, but I do not claim to have all the answers. I do know from reading Paul's second epistle to the Thessalonians however, that the Church will see the revealing of the Antichrist, when the restrainer is removed (2 Thess 2:3-8). There are abundant scriptures showing the presence of Christ's followers upon the earth, through the tribulation (Rev 7:9-17), until Christ's glorious appearing to gather His own, and destroy the lawless one (2 Thess 2:8).
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