Who is the Restrainer? Pre-Trib Rapture!

 

I sometimes get emails from people who realize the Tribulation is coming and are terrified of going through it. There are so many theories out there from very reliable and Godly pastors about the timing of the rapture that it can be very confusing. I think the problem lies in that we (and I'm guilty of this too) often rely on other people to interpret Scripture for us. We hear some Bible teacher tell us something and it makes sense, so we believe it and it sticks in our mind. Then all other Scriptures we read must go through our preconceived lens.  

I have written many posts and answered many emails on why I believe in a PRE-Tribulation rapture of the Bride, but in this post, I want to focus on one very important and undeniable proof found in 2 Thessalonians. Let's analyze this passage: 

 

 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

 

Here, the Apostle Paul is talking about Christians being "gathered" to Jesus. The word in the Greek is-- episynagōgē which means a complete collection; especially a Christian meeting (for worship):—assembling (gathering) together.  Since Paul mentions this will happen at the "coming of the Lord Jesus Christ", we know he's talking about the Rapture and not the 2nd coming when Jesus lands on the Mount of Olives.

 

The "Day of Christ" or "Day of the Lord" refers to the Tribulation period and is described throughout the Old Testament. 

The Falling Away is the word  apostasia in the Greek, which means a falling away, defection, apostasy or departure.  Most scholars believe this means a general and widespread defection from the Christian faith. There are some who believe this word actually refers to the rapture itself, which would prove my point. But for argument's sake, let's say it means many believers will fall away. Are we seeing that today? If you look up current numbers on people who claim to be Christian in today's world, it has dropped significantly. And even out of those who claim to be Christians, how many are not true believers? 

Man of Sin is revealed.  We all know from multiple other Scriptures that this man of sin or son of perdition refers to the antichrist. But what exactly does Revealed mean?

apokalyptō  to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown 

So we can gather from the above Scripture that there are two things that must happen prior to the "Day of the Lord" or the Tribulation

A. A Falling Away - This is believed to be a departure from the Christian faith through some theologians believe it refers to the actual rapture itself.

B. The Son or Perdition is revealed. We see here that Revealed mans that there will be no doubt who the Antichrist is. We guess now, but when he is revealed, everyone will know.

 

At this current time, we see the first happening, but not the 2nd yet. Let's continue

 
 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.
2 Thessalonians 2:5-8

restrains = katechō  to hinder the course of, to hold back, to hold fast, to seize

he  =  autos  this has many translations depending on the context : him, his, her, their, they, same, himself.

There is something or someone restraining the Antichrist from being revealed. We see that this person or thing is actually keeping the antichrist at bay, hindering him, holding him back by force from his evil plans. And once this restrainer is taken out of the way, the Antichrist can be revealed. So who or what is the Restrainer?

 

Here are some theories I've read.

Michael the Archangel or some powerful angel

The Holy spirit

The Church or the Bride of Jesus

 

Archangel. This seems highly unlikely. We read about Gabriel fighting against another evil angel in the heavens who restrained him from coming to give Daniel a message. (Daniel 10)  but is it possible for an angel or even a group of angels to hold back Satan himself? And wouldn't they be busy doing other things? 

 

The Holy Spirit - Of course the Holy Spirit could be restraining the Antichrist, but God would never remove the Holy Spirit from earth and leave the Christians here without Him. Besides, He lives within us and is proof of our salvation, so if the Holy Spirit goes, we go. However, we know from Scripture that many many people get saved during the Tribulation, and since it is the Holy Spirit's job to save people, that wouldn't be possible if He was gone. 

 

The Bride or the true church. - This seems to me to be the most logical entity that is restraining the Antichrist.  Why? Because we are the ambassadors of Jesus. We represent Him on earth. Jesus, Himself described us as salt and light.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:13-14

It is Christians who are holding back the darkness and holding back the decay of the world. Once we are removed, there is no longer anything restraining evil.

 

And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 

Some people get caught up on the word "he" in this passage, but as you saw from the Greek definition, it can mean him, his, her, their, they..  

Let's put this together. Paul is comforting the church in Thessolanica because they were worried they had missed the rapture and had entered the Tribulation. He says the Tribulation cannot start until there is a great falling away from the faith AND the Antichrist is revealed.  He then explains that there is something holding back the Antichrist from being revealed and that is the restrainer. Who is the restrainer? The Bride, the true believers of Jesus, who will be taken out of this world and gathered together to Jesus in the clouds. 

THEN, the Antichrist will be revealed. How will we know it's him? He is the one who confirms a 7 year treaty with Israel after the Gog-Magog war. The Scripture has other descriptions of him and things he will do so anyone who knows the Bible will be able to spot him. 

Let's discover his fate.

 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. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 1nd with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thess 2:9-12

I hope I've proven to you that the church is the Restrainer and that we have to be gone BEFORE the Antichrist comes on the scene. Since we know the Antichrist rules the world for 7 years, we know we have to be gone before the Tribulation starts. I hope this both encourages and blesses you!