Hello All!

This morning the Lord prompted me to look into who or what the restrainer is. I know that most believe it to be the Holy Spirit, but is that what is really being talked about in 2Thessalonians 2? I think this confusion comes from misunderstanding who or what is being restrained. Most think it is the man of lawlessness, the son of perdition that is somehow being restrained from coming upon the scene by the Church and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But is that what Paul is really talking about. No!

Let's remember, to keep it simple and deal with things in context. Once we do that, we can plainly see what is being revealed in these verses, with just a bit of research on a couple key words. I think the confusion about these verses happens when we come to these passages with preconceived notions, and are looking for support for those notions. If we look at these verses, with innocent eyes, as if reading them for the first time, and not having any idea of what is being said before looking at them, the truth is revealed.

First and foremost, who, or what is being restrained? Quite simply and remarkably, it is so obvious, that it is the SECOND COMING OF THE LORD JESUS!!! And Paul makes this abundantly clear, if we just look at it, as it is written. Let's do that, verse by verse.


2 Th 2:1 ¶"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,"

What is the subject of this discussion? It is all about the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him!!! Simple.

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.

Paul is telling them not to worry, or be troubled because they have been misinformed that the Day of the Lord is at hand. (The Second Coming, not a secret Rapture).

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;

Let's really focus on the words "that day shall not come". What day? The Day of the Lord!! That is the whole subject, that is what is being restrained. What is restraining the Day of the Lord? Two events that must take place; one being the falling away of the Church, into apostasy, and the second being the revealing of the man of sin.

Let no man deceive you by telling you that these two events have already happened, because the Day of the Lord cannot come until these two events, that Paul already told them about, are fulfilled.


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.

In this verse, Paul is describing the son of perdition, and what he will do, BEFORE THE 2ND COMING OF THE LORD.

2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Here Paul is reminding them that he had already explained all this to them, these things that must happen BEFORE the Day of the Lord.
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

PLEASE NOTE HERE: Paul says "WHAT WITHOLDETH", not WHO is withholding. It is not a person, or a spirit!!

Paul is reminding them that they already know what is restraining the Second Coming of Christ, the two events that he had already explained to them. These events are withholding the coming of the Lord. It is His plan, that He revealed to Paul, and until these things happen, the Lord will not come. He, the Lord Jesus, will 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 above verse is where it gets a bit more complicated to glean its true meaning within the context already established. But, it is not by any means impossible if we look at the Greek words, and their meaning being used here. What is most interesting here is that the words """"""'letteth' and 'taken' seem to have just the opposite meaning of what one would think they mean. First let us look at the meaning of the word 'letteth', as used in this verse.

Strong's G2722 - katechō

Outline of Biblical Usage

1) to hold back, detain, retain

a) from going away

b) to restrain, hinder (the course or progress of)

1) that which hinders, Antichrist from making his appearance

2) to check a ship's headway i.e. to hold or head the ship

c) to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of

2) to get possession of, take

b) to possess

So, we can see to us holding back, or restraining seems to be just the opposite of letting...that is confusing and needed to be understood before an understanding can be had. Now let's look at the word 'taken':

Strong's G1096 - ginomai TAKEN

1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being

2) to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen

a) of events

3) to arise, appear in history, come upon the stage

a) of men appearing in public

4) to be made, finished

a) of miracles, to be performed, wrought

5) to become, be made

We find the word 'taken' to actually mean to be made known, appear, come on the world stage. That sure seems the opposite of taken, as in taken away, or taken out of the way.

Now lets put that verse together using what we found to be the correct meaning of those two words. It would go something like this:

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now restrains, or hinders (the course or progress of) the Coming of the Lord, until he (the man of sin) arises, appears in history, and comes upon the stage.

Or more simply put, he who restrains the Coming of the Lord, is the man of sin and his being revealed to the world. All this is following the plan of Christ, this is His plan, that he shared with His disciples. Jesus is in total control of where and when and how His plan comes about, and this includes the revealing of the man of sin.

Moving on....

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:

Satan shall be revealed for what he is and be destroyed by the brightness of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.


2Th 2:9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Christ will take out the coming Anti-Christ who deceived the whole world, when He comes.

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.

Christ will also destroy all those who are unrighteous and deceiving their fellow man. All those who did not love the TRUTH.

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Does this make sense to anyone else out there? It sure makes sense to me, and I am not sure why I was prompted to look into this today, but I have seen these verses with new eyes, and they seem much easier to understand then ever before. It seems extremely important to know what is being restrained, before we come to any other conclusions.

What is being restrained? It is the DAY OF THE LORD that is being held back until two events take place....one, the falling away of the Church in apostasy, and two, the revealing of the Antichrist. These events must happen first, before the Lord will return.

This is the Plan of the Lord, and all will be revealed in its proper and appointed time.

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Blessings of His Grace to all!

Patti C.

Patti, I believe this alternate view has been posted here before but think is quite compelling.

For Fair Use Discussion and Educational Purposes
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_3LVyxdCaY
Note: Before commenting on any posts please make sure you either watch or read each post in it’s entirety. Before, making a comment, if you don’t have the time to watch or read fully please restrain from commenting. When you do this it will help to reduce confusion.

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Zechariah 12:3,9:
And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
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Steven

Walknbyfaith,

I have already seen this video, and yes it is compelling, and I took it into consideration, but that is not what the Holy Spirit showed me. This man on the video is saying that it is the Anti-Christ that is being restrained...that is what all others have said. My point is that it is not the Anti-Christ that is being restrained but just the opposite, it is the Second Coming of the Lord that is being restrained, UNTIL 2 MAIN EVENTS HAPPEN. The first being the falling away of the Church into Apostasy, (not in Rapture) and the revealing of the Anti-Christ. These must happen FIRST. Therefore, these events having not happened yet is what is restraining the Second Coming.

Furthermore, this video tells us that Paul knew, told the believers, but did not write it down. I totally disagree with this. Paul told them before, ase said he did, and tells them again right there in the verses. I showed this in my study. I also showed how those two words, letteth and taken away, do not have the meaning most would assume, but just the opposite.

It is not the man of sin that is being restrained in these verse, it is the Second Coming...any other concept is not in line with what is actually being said. Paul says it very plainly in his first sentence.

2 Th 2:1 ¶"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,"

What is the subject of this discussion? It is all about the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him!!! Simple.

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.

Paul is telling them not to worry, or be troubled because they have been misinformed that the Day of the Lord is at hand. (The Second Coming, not a secret Rapture).

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;

Let's really focus on the words "that day shall not come". What day? The Day of the Lord!! That is the whole subject, that is what is being restrained. What is restraining the Day of the Lord? Two events that must take place; one being the falling away of the Church, into apostasy, and the second being the revealing of the man of sin.

Let no man deceive you by telling you that these two events have already happened, because the Day of the Lord cannot come until these two events, that Paul already told them about, are fulfilled.

It is not the man of sin, that is being restrained and it is not the Holy Spirit, or the Roman Empire, that is restraining, it is the plan of Christ, the Holy order of His plan and timing..it is not some mystery that we have to go look back in history to find...it is plainly written right there in God's Holy Word.

Thanks for reading my study, and sending what you thought might be a new look at it, for me to consider. Jesus is not coming until His plan is fulfilled and at His appointed time.

Agape!
Patti C.

Re: The restrainer....

Not for one second do I believe that the "restrainer" is Rome...

Patti comes a lot closer to what the real issue is. Rome never restrained evil...Rome was (and still is) evil in its roots and actions. Do I think the Pope is the Antichrist? Definitely not!

Where does this "man of sin" sit? Within the "temple of God". And who or what is the "temple of God" today? We, Christians, are!! That "man of sin" sits within every one of us, and until this is revealed within our minds, we will do nothing about it.

Paul gave us a great example of this in Romans chapter 7. Verse 17..."Now then it is no more I that do it, but SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME."

This "man of sin" will be revealed in all of us! And, he will be destroyed with the "brightness of his coming" (our Lord Jesus Christ) in II Thess.2:8.

But, the problem with today's "church" is that they can't see this within themselves, so they look for an outside source while they neglect what is right there within them. It's called "self-righteousness"!!

It's all about "Mystery, Babylon"...Revelation 17 & 18...which John was amazed to see as the horrible end of what had begun as the simple "body of Christ" turned into a Babylonian religious system.

And Christians totally IGNORE God's directive to "Come out of her, my people!"...Revelation 18:4. Who do you think "my people" refer to? CHRISTIANS IN ALL DENOMINATIONS OF "MYSTERY, BABYLON"....the "church" divisions which have sold out for PROFIT....using "false Prophets" behind all of it's pulpits.

No....the restrainer is NOT "Rome". The power of God is holding back (restraining) the revealing of this fact to Christians until God reveals it in each one of our hearts....and then, this "man of sin" within us all will be removed when we are all "changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.....at the last trump"....I Cor. 15:52.

There were many "antichrists" in John's day...I John 2:18....and there are millions more now. And the Book of Revelation speaks of BABYLON....not ROME!

Arlene

Hi Steven,
Interesting video about Michael, but again it is not addressing my major point. Paul is not talking about the man of sin being restrained, he is talking about the Second Coming be restrained until 2 events in God's plan happen in God's time. Please consider what I wrote again.

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2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

PLEASE NOTE HERE: Paul says "WHAT WITHOLDETH", not WHO is withholding. It is not a person, or a spirit!!

Paul is reminding them that they already know what is restraining the Second Coming of Christ, the two events that he had already explained to them. These events are withholding the coming of the Lord. It is His plan, that He revealed to Paul, and until these things happen, the Lord will not come. He, the Lord Jesus, will 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 above verse is where it gets a bit more complicated to glean its true meaning within the context already established. But, it is not by any means impossible if we look at the Greek words, and their meaning being used here. What is most interesting here is that the words """"""'letteth' and 'taken' seem to have just the opposite meaning of what one would think they mean. First let us look at the meaning of the word 'letteth', as used in this verse.

Strong's G2722 - katechō

Outline of Biblical Usage

1) to hold back, detain, retain

a) from going away

b) to restrain, hinder (the course or progress of)

1) that which hinders, Antichrist from making his appearance

2) to check a ship's headway i.e. to hold or head the ship

c) to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of

2) to get possession of, take

b) to possess

So, we can see to us holding back, or restraining seems to be just the opposite of letting...that is confusing and needed to be understood before an understanding can be had. Now let's look at the word 'taken':

Strong's G1096 - ginomai TAKEN

1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being

2) to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen

a) of events

3) to arise, appear in history, come upon the stage

a) of men appearing in public

4) to be made, finished

a) of miracles, to be performed, wrought

5) to become, be made

We find the word 'taken' to actually mean to be made known, appear, come on the world stage. That sure seems the opposite of taken, as in taken away, or taken out of the way.

Now lets put that verse together using what we found to be the correct meaning of those two words. It would go something like this:

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now restrains, or hinders (the course or progress of) the Coming of the Lord, until he (the man of sin) arises, appears in history, and comes upon the stage.

Or more simply put, he who restrains the Coming of the Lord, is the man of sin and his being revealed to the world. All this is following the plan of Christ, this is His plan, that he shared with His disciples. Jesus is in total control of where and when and how His plan comes about, and this includes the revealing of the man of sin.

##########

Thanks for sharing that video and adding to the discussion. My main point was we must understand what is being restrained....it is the Second Coming, and that is being restrained by 2 events in God's plan and God's timing. It is sad that we intellectualize things in Scripture that are so far removed from His Word. I am totally convinced, now, that I know what these verses are saying. The Holy Spirit showed me this, and I have no need to keep looking for a more suitable answer. I think that is why there are so many unbelievers, as the pure essence, of the Gospel of Jesus, is just to simple!! We want to get in there and make everything so complicated, as if we are smarter that our Creator.

It should be simple enough for a child to understand or it is most likely not the Truth.

Thanks again for joining the discussion and adding information for others to check out.

Agape!

Patti C

Hi Arlene!

Yes! Most definitely these verses play out in each individual believers life. Until we see and experience the world, and what is not Jesus, and come to know that our sin is what separates us from Him, He cannot appear to us. This falling away from relying on the traditions of men to show us the Truth must happen, before Jesus comes into our lives. I agree, it happens on a personal, and spiritual level. But once again, I think it will play out on a worldly level as well, and we are seeing this happening as we speak.

Just the fact that these verses can be understood on those levels makes me believe, even more, what the Holy Spirit showed me is true. Besides, this subject came out of nowhere this morning, so I knew it was something I needed to look into, without the influence of other studies, or any other opinions. Upon doing so, my heart is settled on this issue. I just wanted to share what I was shown, as I think we are supposed to do.

Thanks for chiming in with your eagle eyes and talons!! Ha! You always know how to get to the heart of a matter.

Bless you dear lady!
Patti

Hi Patti,

I am dealing with a friend in the emergency room and other things at this time I will go back to this posting in a few days and take a closer look!



God Bless

Steven

Dear Steven.

God bless you for taking care of your friend!! Nothing is more important than that! I will be praying that you both are surrounded with the Lord's love and protection, and that he keeps you safe, and heals your friend, and that both of you are home safe and sound really soon.
In Jesus Name!!

Agape!!

Patti

Because we are seeing these two events begin to take place, I thought this was a good time to bump up this discussion.

I firmly believe that it is the SECOND COMING being restrained until the great falling away and the revealing of the antichrist. This is something the Lord showed me and I trust that.

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERYTHING!!

Patti C.

Hi Patti,

I can concur with your findings. I now, do not believe in a rapture until the very end myself. The Most High has all power and authority to allow Satan to do what he wants, with His word, with His people and with ALL those who are called by His name; and has allowed this, for the last 2000 years, as the "mystery of lawlessness [by Satan, the father of lies] is already at work:[2 Thess 2:7].

Thus we have a church full of people doing abominable things, performing abominable practices...in His name, and abominably thinking they are going to be raptured and are on their way to heaven.

Scriptural support: " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt 7:21

I believe this was allowed by the Most High, to allow Satan to deliver the strong delusion He was talking about, the delusion that would cause the "church" to believe the lie! The delusion that would cause MANY to be condemned who would not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The delusion that would deceive the elect...if it were possible.

We can certainly agree that this thing is at the end, because truth is coming out of darkness and into the light.

This understanding certainly should cause one to Re-Think themselves.

Stay in His service,

Blessed Be His Name

Hi everyone,


I have posted a few link on this site about 'possible' rapture timelines.

Some have pointed to a mid trib timing.....others a post tribulation rapture many have good points to them.


If you will recall I have posted Joe Ortiz books and finding which essentially described a rapture around 45 days before JESUS second coming.

The rapture is described as in this context like a dignitary arriving at the airport in a major city and the city dignitaries meeting the guest of honor with all the trappings of a red carpet arrival.

In Joe Ortiz books ( the end times Passover and Why Christians must suffer tribulation ) Joe says we are raptured in the AIR to ESCORT JESUS at his SECOND coming to earth.

I posted this scenario over a year ago just look up in the search box Joe Ortiz and you will find HIS FREE books on LINKS on this site.

http://pub39.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3330765498&frmid=8549&msgid=924414&cmd=show
The End Times Passover



http://pub39.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3330765498&frmid=8549&msgid=924340&cmd=show

Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation

The links above are more recent but I had posted earlier links to Joe Ortiz books that might be worth noting on this thread.


I pray that this makes sense and you will remember I have shared this before.


God Bless

Steven

Thanks for this information Steven!