Out of all the varying eschatological views, the
Pre-Tribulation view is the strongest and most scripturally consistent advocate
of God's dealings with man in the entire Bible. You can see it in typology, symbolism,
and in both the OT and NT passages. It is found in the Prophets, the Psalms,
the Gospels, the Epistles, and in Revelation. The Pre-Tribulation view remains
the most scripturally consistent view within God's purpose and plan for man's
redemption.
The Pre-Tribulation view argues that there is a future
fulfillment to the prophetic text, the full Preterist view states it all
happened in the first century. Every other view has to rely on extra-biblical
sources, allegorizing, spiritualization, or other ways to get around the
literal understanding of the passages. In regards to the Tribulation, the
Futurist's bottom line is, although man will endure trials and tribulation in
this life, God does not pour out His wrath upon His own.
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. And then the lawless
one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth
and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 (NKJV)
Restrainer Candidates
Below are the names I've seen used for identifying who
people say the Restrainer is. I've also listed the main Eschatological views
alongside to show which views hold to them. I also recommend this article for
an even more in-depth view on all these.
1. The restrainer is the apostasy and revelation of the
lawless one.
2. The restrainer was the Roman government.
3. The restrainer is the system of human government.
4. The restrainer is Michael the Archangel.
5. The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit working through the
Church.
6. The restrainer is Satan.
Issues
Rome: Amillennial/Preterist
The Apostle Paul was writing to a first century church who
at that time, were under the persecution of Caesar Nero. Preterist and
Amillennialist devotees want very much for Nero to be the 'man of lawlessness'
because it fits into their historical narrative that all (or most) prophecy was
finished prior to AD70. Their argument was/is that the Roman system and Nero's
suicide prevented Nero from fully wiping out the early church. The major
problem with this is that Nero wasn't destroyed in keeping with the passage in
2 Thessalonians 2:8, but committed suicide. Preterist and others have to rely
on extra-biblical accounts to try and paint Nero as the Antichrist (Pliny the
Elder, Suetonius) to get this. But this view is still perpetuated by the Roman
Catholic Church, which allows that blame to be laid at the feet of dead, pagan
Caesars and not on them.
Human Government: Amillennial/Post-Millennial
All governments are emplaced by God (Romans 13:1-7), and
that it is only under God's sovereignty do the still wield control (albeit
limited) over the earth, therefore God only allows them to do so much, and then
He restrains them, or uses them to restrain evil. But since the days of Nimrod
and Babel, human government has almost always been at odds against God and His
plan of redemption for mankind. We know that at the Tribulation is a time
unlike any other, as the entire world will fall under the sway of the ultimate,
one-world government, which will be under the control of the Antichrist. (Rev.
13:7) Seeing human government as the restrainer of evil, (Egypt, Babylon,
Persia, Greece, Rome, Ottomans, Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, Communist
China, etc.) when they are one of the primary instigators of evil, is
laughable. In fact, God does laugh at this. (Psalm 2)
Revealing of the Lawless One: Post-Tribulation Rapture
I had to scratch my head at this one, but I've seen it
repeated in numerous places. To come to this erroneous conclusion, one would
have to do some serious reworking of most of the major terms and structure as
found in 2 Thessalonians 2. For those who hold this view, the phrase 'taken out
of the way' does not mean taken out of the way, but means 'to come into being'.
The Rapture is in conjunction with or right before the Second Coming. Confused
yet? I was. (Source)
Who He's Not
The only problem with the above three views, is that none
of them could be the 'he' used in 2 Thessalonians 2: 7. The 'He' is used as a
masculine personal pronoun, and is used in direct relation to the Restrainer.
Neither the Roman or human government, nor the revelation of the lawless one,
could be referred to in that manner. The 'He' denotes a person, or sentient
being and not a thing or system.
That leaves us with only three legitimate contenders:
1. Michael the Archangel
2. Satan
3. The Holy Spirit
Both Michael and Satan are angels, and they are neither
omnipresent nor omnipotent. In other words, they are confined physically by
both space and time.
Michael the Archangel: Mid-Trib or Pre-Wrath Rapture view
The case for Michael being the Restrainer stems primarily
from three sections of Scripture: Daniel 10:3, 20-21, 12:1; Jude 1:9; &
Revelation 12:7-9. In each instance, Michael is seen as the one who contends
against Satan and his demonic forces at specific times. The problem is, is that
these instances are too specific, meaning, that this is not Michael's role in
general, but as a special assignment solely to the nation of Israel or as
directed by God. There is no Scripture citing Michael the Archangel as the
restrainer of lawlessness (keeping in context with 2 Thess. 2). The best case
that can be made is in Revelation 12:7-9, as Michael and the angels war with
Satan and his, and cast them out of heaven. Even then, that is not restraining,
but active warfare.
Satan: Mid: Trib/Pre-Wrath view
One of the more bizarre candidates that are offered for
"the" restrainer is Satan himself. My first question would be why
would he restrain himself? But still, the text would have to read something
like this for Satan to be the 'restrainer':
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 [Antichrist]
may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at
work; only He [Satan] who now restrains will do so until He [Satan] is taken
out of the way [Insert Rev 12:7-8 here]. And then the lawless one [Antichrist]
will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and
destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 [my notes in
brackets]
Satan would have to restrain himself, until Satan is taken
out of the way, only to come back and indwell a person known as the Antichrist.
So at the mid-point of the Tribulation, Satan is kicked out of heaven and he
indwells the man who is Antichrist. In theory that seems plausible, except that
Jesus unleashes this rider on the white horse back in the 1st Seal and he was
the Antichrist then, long before Satan ever indwells him.
The Holy Spirit: Pre-Tribulation view
And the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with
man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and
twenty years." Genesis 6:3
It appears at least according to the Scriptures, that the
Holy Spirit had an active role here on planet earth prior to the Flood. In the
absence of written Scriptures or historical references, the Holy Spirit would
have convicted men of sin and guided their conscience unto doing what was right.
This certainly makes the case for Enoch as a type of the Church who is 'caught
up' prior to the Flood.
The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:18-23 that 'many
antichrist's have come' and that the spirit of antichrist denies Christ is God
in the flesh. The spirit of antichrist is a spiritual battle that requires the
Restrainer to also be spiritual. And since many religions, philosophies, and
peoples deny Christ all around the world, the only Person who is omnipresent
and omnipotent, is God the Holy Spirit.
Born again believers are sealed until the day of
Redemption (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Eph 1:11-14), which means when the Holy
Spirit is withdrawn, those He indwells are as well. Now, the Holy Spirit is
God, and is omnipresent by His very nature, so it's not like He is removed
physically, because that is not possible. His role of restraint is removed (see
Genesis 6:3 again) which is done through removing the body of Christ that has
remained on this earth for these last 2,000 years.
Conclusion
The age of the Church had a beginning, and it's only
logical to conclude that it will also have an ending. The birth of the Church
had a dramatic and powerful beginning as the Holy Spirit descended down as
'cloven tongues like as of fire' upon those believers in Acts 2. Likewise will
the removal of the Holy Spirit be a dramatic departure from this earth as
believers (dead and alive) are resurrected and translated from mortal, to
immortal, from perishable to imperishable. Prior to the Holy Spirit descending down
in Acts 2, no orthodox Christian denies that the Holy Spirit existed, because
we can see the Holy Spirit's role in Creation as early back as Genesis 1:2.
Yet, when it comes to the Rapture and the Holy Spirit role as the Restrainer,
many reject that out of hand as unbiblical.
The Church in and of itself cannot restrain evil, because
we are but flawed humans. But through the working and power of the Holy Spirit
(John 15:26-27, 16:5-15), we can do all things through Christ. Christ called
Him the Helper or Comforter, because for us He is. But to the world, He is the
Restrainer who judges the world of sin and keeps Satan's plans from manifesting
and completely enveloping the world in evil. It is not until the Church is
removed, that the world will be thrown into a literal hell on earth. [See
Revelation 6-19] But until that Day, Christ promised...
"...I will build My church, and the gates of Hades
shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:18-19
Even so, Amen.
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How God Saves Men
Believing Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
Believing Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
Posted By Cecil and
Connie Spivey
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