The phrase, he who now restrains, is not found anywhere in scripture. The one that is taken away (after the Great Tribulation) is the man of sin; he is also called the beast.
2 Thes 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
What Paul is saying here, is that we are not to be deceived; for the mystery of iniquity is already at work. But now hold fast (to what you have been taught), until the one that works iniquity is taken out from among you.
At the end of the great tribulation, the beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).
2 Thes 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
The false teachers in the church would have you believe that this man of lawlessness, cannot be revealed until the Holy Spirit (he who now restrains), is taken out of the way (2 Thes 2:7-8).
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition
The beast is the son of perdition. The word perdition means waste or destroy, and refers to spiritual destruction (2 Pet 2:1-3, 3:7).
2 Thes 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that speak of Yahweh, or that worship; so that he as god sitteth in the temple of god, shewing himself that he is god
The temple mentioned in 2 Thes 2:4, is in obviously a reference to the place where Yahweh’s spirit should dwell (Mat 15:7-14, 1 Cor 3:16-19).
The Mystery of he who now restrains Revealed
The mystery of he who now restrains is revealed to be yet another Christian fable. The purpose of the false teaching on he who now restrains is to attempt to justify the pre-tribulation fairy tale.
In order to convince the confused church that the rapture, or gathering of the elect occurs before this end-time tribulation, many deceptive doctrines are introduced. One such fable being that the restrainer is the holy spirit, that is removed along with the church when one group is taken to Heaven and the other is left behind.
The convoluted doctrines that are presented as eschatology in the Christian church today, truly are unprecedented.
2 Tim 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables
The percentage of both teachers and students alike that believe in outrageous fairytales or fables is indeed quite staggering.
2 Thes 2:11 And for this cause Yahweh shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie
If anyone preaches a false gospel message, they indeed pervert the gospel of Yahweh and are accursed. Let your understanding be enlightened by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Yahweh (Isa 59:21, 61:1, Eze 39:29, Gal 1:6-11, Eph 1:17-18, John 14:26).
2 Thes 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things
What were the promises regarding our Savior’s second advent?
- We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Yahweh, shall not prevent the dead in Messiah from rising (1 Thes 4:15-16).
- The Messiah will not return until after the man of sin appears at the end of the great tribulation (2 Thes 2:3, Mark 13:24-27).
- We which are alive and remain shall be gathered up together to reign on earth (1 Thes 4:17, Mat 6:10, Isa 11:6, 11, Isa 25:8-9).
- Those who would not accept or love the truth, would not endure until the end and would not be saved (Mark 13:13, 2 Thes 2:10).
- If you were of the world, the world would love you, but because you are not of the world you are hated (John 15:19).
The he who now restrains theory that the Holy Spirit is removed at the end of the messages to the seven churches, is nonsensical. Yahweh shall descend from heaven at the last trump, which is at the end of the great tribulation (1 Thes 4:16). And during the tribulations his Spirit strengthens the elect through the times that will test their faith. The great tribulation is not the wrath of Yahweh.
Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of Yahweh should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets
At the last trump, the mystery of Yahweh will come to fruition, and be revealed for all to see.
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed
The promise from the Old Testament Law did carry forward – that promise was everlasting life along with the removal of corruptibility.
Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of Yahweh shall come
He who now restrains is a false teaching
2 Thes 2:6 And now ye know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time (KJV)
2 Thes 2:6 And now ye know that which restrained, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season (ASV)
The words, what withholds, (or which restrained) actually refer to keeping, or holding fast to something learned.
Hold fast, and keep what is learned, has nothing at all to do with the, he who now restrains false teaching.
The ones who hear the Words of the Messiah, keep it and bring forth fruit (Luke 8:15, 1 Cor 11:2).
Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience
1 Thes 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good
The false teachers, tell us that all believers are taken to heaven according to the promise made to the church in Philadelphia (Rev 3:10). When our Savior said, “I will keep thee from the hour of temptation” He was not referencing a pre-tribulation escape clause.
All who are truly empowered through the Holy Spirit, and are able to endure until the end, will receive the promise of Salvation (Mat 24:13, Mark 13:13, John 3:5, 14:17).
John 17:15-16 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world
Many falsely teach that the restrainer, is the Holy Spirit, and claim that this passage teaches of a pre-tribulation rapture of the church.
This thinking is not even within the realm of rationality. The Holy Spirit is present in all of the Saints, including those who are persecuted by the world and the Beast during this tribulation period (Dan7:21, Rev 13:7).
2 Thes 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
A careful study of the real translation in 2 Thes 2:7, tells an altogether different story.
The words, he who now, actually is in reference to one word. That word is now, henceforth or hereafter. The words he, and who, are added inappropriately.
The word letteth is also inserted inappropriately. The correct word to be used is, hold fast or keep. And finally, the word way, is again an improper insertion. The word that should be used here is among, or in the midst of.
- What Paul is saying here is that we are not to be deceived, as the mystery of iniquity is already working. But now hold fast (to what you have been taught), until the one that works iniquity is taken out from among you.
The word restrain, or restrainer is not even alluded to in this verse but it is added in the ESV version.
2 Thes 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom Yahweh shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming
The identity of the man of sin, is revealed in 2 Thes 2:9. Yahweh will destroy the man of lawlessness when He comes forth to reign on earth (2 Thes 2:3).
The Beast, and the kings of the earth under his control, will attempt to make war against Yahweh and against his army. They will lose, and the Beast and false prophet shall be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 19:19-21).
2 Thes 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders
The Dragon or Satan is the one who gives power unto the beast (Rev 13:4).
2 Thes 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
All who have pleasure in unrighteousness, that do not believe in the truth shall be judged by the very Word of Yahweh that they rejected (2 Thes 2:11-12, John 12:48).
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive
The true doctrines of Yahweh, have been replaced with the doctrines of devils. The wolves sell false hopes to the gullible sheep, that cannot accept the reality of tribulations, that are promised to all who faithfully endure (John 16:13, Rom 5:3, 2 Thes 1:4, Rev 2:10, 7:14).
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, Yahweh shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book