`Biblical Eschatology`

A Biblical study of eschatology and the pre-tribulational & post-tribulational rapture views of the end times.

Is the Holy Spirit the Restrainer?

2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 NASB
³Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. ⁵Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? ⁶And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. ⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. ⁸Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

In verses six and seven there is a mention of a restrainer being removed. Who is this restrainer? For a Christian to arrogantly or dogmatically declare who this restrainer is, with the little Biblical information provided, is going far beyond what I would consider sound Biblical interpretation. With that being said, I will say with certainty who it could not be, and who it possibly could be.

The short overview on 2 Thessalonians 2 is Paul making the point that the Rapture will not occur until after the Anti-Christ is revealed. The Anti-Christ is prevented from being revealed until the proper time by a restrainer or restraining force.

So could the Holy Spirit be the restrainer? The pre-trib doctrine basically says, the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth during the tribulation, which means that the church (Christians) must be removed since the Holy Spirit indwells believers. This also assumes that during the tribulation believers will not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But where is the Biblical backing for this notion?

I can dogmatically say, this cannot be the proper interpretation, as that would go against other verses in scripture that are quite clear.

John 14:16-17 NASB
¹⁶"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; ¹⁷that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will be with us forever, so how could he be removed? Looking at Acts it says that the Holy Spirit will be poured out in the last days. Is the tribulation not considered the last days? Saying the tribulation isn't the last days, wouldn't make any sense at all!

Acts 2:16-19 NASB
¹⁶but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; ¹⁸EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. ¹⁹'AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.

John 16:7 NASB
"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

Jesus said he had to leave the earth so that the Holy Spirit could indwell believers. It makes sense then since Jesus is not walking the earth during the tribulation; the Holy spirit will still be here.

Romans 8:9 NASB
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:14 NASB
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Paul says that you can't even be saved if you are not indwelled with the Holy Spirit. Nowhere in the New Testament is there any hint that the Holy Spirit will no longer be indwelling believers.

In the tribulation there will be a great number of saints, this cannot be denied simply by reading Revelation seven. Either they will be saved during that time, or they were saved before the start of the tribulation. Either way it disproves pre-tribulationalism.

Revelation 7:9 NASB
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;

Revelation 7:14 NASB
I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

If there is a great awakening during the tribulation and a great multitude that no one can number gets saved, how could that even happen if the Holy Spirit was not there on earth convicting believers of sin?

Speaking of the Holy Spirit John states "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;" (John 16:8 NASB) Paul also states that it is the Holy Spirit leads and convicts "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Galatians 5:16 (NASB)

Without God and the Holy Spirit's conviction it is impossible for anyone to be saved.

1 Corinthians 3:6 NASB
I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.

So if not the Holy Spirit then who is the restrainer? I definitely would not be dogmatic on this question, because the Bible really doesn't say. But if I had to guess, based on other scripture, I would say it is probably an Angel, and possible Michael the arch angel.

Daniel 10:21
"However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.

Looking at the verse below, we can tell that Angels primary role is to restrain.

Daniel 10:13
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

Maybe the best evidence that the restrainer could be Michael is in Daniel 12. Here the action of Michael arising, is what starts the tribulation.

Daniel 12:1
"Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

Like I said it is very hard to tell and no one should be dogmatic as to whom the restrainer is, but there is a good possibility that it may be one of the angels.

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The Rapture in Revelation 7, Part 2