Page 51 - Pauline Epistles Student Textbook

Students of biblical prophecy have differing views over the identity of the restrainer in 2
Thessalonians 2:6–7. He is called “the one who restrains” in some translations (ESV, NASB); other
translations call Him “the one who holds back” (NIV), “he who letteth” (KJV), or “he who is keeping
down” (YLT). Whoever the restrainer is, He is someone of great power who is hindering the advance
of the Antichrist and preventing the satanic kingdom from overwhelming the world.

In his second epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul assured the church that they were not yet living in
the Day of the Lord, that is, the end times’ judgment had not yet begun. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 he
says, “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.” According to God’s
timetable, the Day of the Lord and the accompanying judgment will not start until two things
happen: a global rebellion occurs and the Antichrist is revealed. Paul then mentions what is currently
keeping the evil in check: “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” (verses 6–8).

Paul does not specifically identify what or who the restraining force is, since the Thessalonians
already knew. Many scholars have speculated as to the identity of the restrainer, naming the
restraining force as 1) the Roman government; 2) gospel preaching; 3) the binding of Satan; 4) the
providence of God; 5) the Jewish state; 6) the church; 7) the Holy Spirit; and 8) Michael the
archangel. We believe the restrainer is none other than the Holy Spirit, or we could say the Holy
Spirit working through the New Testament church.

Supporting the idea that the Holy Spirit within the church is the restrainer is the fact that the
restrainer is referenced both as a thing (neuter gender, verse 6) and as a person (masculine gender,
verse 7). Also, the power delaying Satan’s master plan to unveil his false messiah must be of God. It
makes much more sense to say that the Holy Spirit is curbing the devil than a political entity or even
an angel. The Holy Spirit of God is the only Person with sufficient (supernatural) power to do this
restraining.

Of course, the Spirit works through believers to accomplish this. The church, indwelt by the Spirit of
God, has always been part of what holds society back from the swelling tide of lawless living. At
some point, Paul says, the Spirit will “step aside” from His restraining work, allowing sin to have
dominion over mankind. Second Thessalonians 2:7 can be literally rendered, “The secret of
lawlessness is already working, only it cannot be revealed until he who now withholds disappears
from the midst.” We believe this “disappearing from the midst” will happen at the time the church
leaves the earth at the rapture. The Holy Spirit will still be present in the earth, of course, but He will
be taken out of the way in the sense that His unique sin-restraining ministry—through God’s
people—will be removed (see Genesis 6:3).

Second Thessalonians 2 is clear that the removal of the restrainer’s influence precedes the revealing
of the Antichrist. Given free rein during the tribulation, the lawless one will “use all sorts of displays
of power through signs and wonders” to deceive the people of the earth (verses 9–10). After the
Antichrist’s time is up, the Lord Jesus will return and overthrow the man of sin by “the breath of his
mouth and destroy [him] by the splendor of his coming” (verse 8). Evil is restrained right now; once
the Church Age ends, the hindrance to evil will be removed, and the rebellion will seem to be
winning; however, the ultimate doom of evil is sure (https://www.gotquestions.org/restrainer.html).

Man of Lawlessness (vv4-10)

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