THE RESTRAINER

[ARGOSY]

2 Thessalonians 2:  Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie

 

Everyone seems to misunderstand this chapter. This is a really really obvious contrast between a revealing ... and the revealing being held back. The restrainer (the one who holds back) is a keeper of secrets, one who hides truth. He is holding back the revealing, he is evil, and stops truth being exposed.

 

Some people think the restrainer is good, and is holding back evil....this is not true! Read carefully he is holding back the secret power from being revealed. 

 

 

 

Revelation 12 also talks of a sudden removal of an evil entity followed by  a short period of deception and wrath:

the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.

 

The one who holds back the revealing of the antichrist is Satan/our accuser/the dragon of Revelation 12. When he is suddenly removed from heaven there will be great wrath and deception on earth for 3.5 years.

 

 

[ARGOSY]

This is what the chapter means:

 

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness (ANTICHRIST) is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what (SATAN) is holding him (ANTICHRIST) back, so that he (ANTICHRIST) may be revealed at the proper time. For the SECRET power of lawlessness (SPIRIT OF ANTICRIST) is already at work; but the one (SATAN) who now holds IT (the secret/revealing) back will continue to do so till he (SATAN) is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one (ANTICHRIST) will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

[Montana Marv]

If Satan holds back Satan, his kingdom is divided.

 

In Christ

Montana Marv

[OneLight]

The problem I see with how the translators went about translating the word "ho" is that in some translations they capitalize the word to He, where when capitalized as such, people are trained to see this as God doing the restraining.  The word in Greek is "the" not He.  The NKJV states "only He^[a] who now restrains will do so until He^[b] is taken out of the way. " - the sub-notes say "or he", removing the capital H.  Every other version I have looked at so far has not made such a change, referring to the one who restrains or the restrainer ... something like that.   This is where the confusion comes from.

[ARGOSY]

If Satan holds back Satan, his kingdom is divided.

 

In Christ

Montana Marv

Exactly! My emphasis is that satan is holding back the exposure of the antichrist. Its got absolutely nothing to do with Satan holding back Satan, and everything to do with Stan trying to keep a secret for as long as possible. I don't know where you get "Satan holds back Satan" from my opening post.

[ARGOSY]

The problem I see with how the translators went about translating the word "ho" is that in some translations they capitalize the word to He, where when capitalized as such, people are trained to see this as God doing the restraining.  The word in Greek is "the" not He.  The NKJV states "only He^[a] who now restrains will do so until He^[b] is taken out of the way. " - the sub-notes say "or he", removing the capital H.  Every other version I have looked at so far has not made such a change, referring to the one who restrains or the restrainer ... something like that.   This is where the confusion comes from.

Thanks for explaining. But what do you thnk about equating the removal of Satan from heaven in Rev 12 that results in great troubles on earth... to the removal of the restrainer/withholder in 2 Thessalonians 2 that results in great troubles on earth?

[Guest]

ARGOSY, you are teaching really BAD theology. As OneLight and Scripture have pointed out, Satan holding back his own minions won't work. Evil does not hold back evil. Perhaps you should stick to learning and stop "teaching" error.

[ARGOSY]

ARGOSY, you are teaching really BAD theology. As OneLight and Scripture have pointed out, Satan holding back his own minions won't work. Evil does not hold back evil. Perhaps you should stick to learning and stop "teaching" error.

If someone is keeping his evil minion secret, and holding back his identity, this is in no ways Satan holding back his minion. He is holding back his minions identity which is entirely consistent with the context of 2 Thessalonians which is all about a secret power, and then a sudden revealing.

You guys may have the greater numbers, but certainly are not showing a commitment to the bible wording. I do not hold it against you that you have been taught incorrectly. There is absolutely nothing in 2 Thessalonians 2 that even hints at the Holy Spirit, and that would be doctrinally incorrect because the Holy Spirit does exist on earth during the great tribulation. I am not threatened by a majority, I take the bible at its face value.

Its no co-incidence that in Rev 12 Satan is removed from heaven for 3.5 years of wrath on earth, and in 2 Thessalonians 2 the restrainer is removed resulting in a display of satans power and the antichrist's revealing and power for 3.5 years.

At least I have biblical backing for associating Satan with the restrainer. He is the only entity in the bible that does undergo a definite removal, which does result in Satan's power on earth according to Rev 12. The two chapters confirm eachother perfectly.

[missmuffet]

Possible ideas:

1) Human government

2) Gospel preaching

3) The bending of Satan

4) The Jewish State

5) The Church

6) The Holy Spirit

7) Michael

I personally think it is the Holy Spirit.He is the only one with the power to do this.And as a pre-trib believer I do believe that the Holy Spirit will remain in this earth during the tribulation.I think there will be many who will come to Christ during that time.

[ARGOSY]

Possible ideas:

1) Human government

2) Gospel preaching

3) The bending of Satan

4) The Jewish State

5) The Church

6) The Holy Spirit

7) Michael

I personally think it is the Holy Spirit.He is the only one with the power to do this.And as a pre-trib believer I do believe that the Holy Spirit will remain in this earth during the tribulation.I think there will be many who will come to Christ during that time.

I personally don't see why the Holy spirit would withhold the antichrist's identity. Seems more like something satan would do.