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NASB | 2 Thessalonians 2:7 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way. |
Bible Question:
Greetings CDBJ! Here is my promised attempt to work through 2 Thess. 2:1-12. Context: The context of the passage is clear. Some had apparently heard from someone that the promised future events (the coming of Christ and our being gathered together with Him) had already occurred (2 Thess. 2:1-2). This church appears to have been undergoing intense persecution and the hope of the coming of the Lord was a precious and important promise to them (see 1 Thess. 4-5). However, Paul did not want them to be mentally or emotionally unstable because of a false prophecy, rumor, or even a false letter (2 Thess. 2:2). The fact was that these two events could not take place until two things had occurred: 1) The rebellion occurs, and 2) The man of lawlessness is revealed (2 Thess. 2:3). Unfortunately for us, Paul only alludes to some things which he had already shared with the Thessalonicans (2 Thess. 2:5). So, there will be questions about this text that we will never be able to answer. The Man of Lawlessness Much of this text describes this man of lawlessness who must be revealed before the coming of the Lord and the gathering of the Saints. It is said of him that: 1) He will be a man, but a man characterized as being lawless - v. 3. 2) He will be destined for destruction (cf. Rev. 17:8,11) - v. 3. 3) He will oppose God - v. 4. 4) He will exalt himself over God - v. 4. 5) He will even declare himself to be god in the temple - v. 4. 6) He will be revealed (passive, so someone else reveals or exposes him for who he is) - v. 8. 7) He will be overthrown and destroyed by Christ at His coming - v. 8. 8) His appearance will be with signs, wonders, and evil - vv. 9-10. 9) His appearance will be Satanic in nature - v. 9. The Restrainer All of this is pretty basic to the text. The real questions come when we turn our attention to the meaning of verses 6 and 7. It is clear that the Thessalonicans knew who or what was restraining the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:6), but unfortunately for us, Paul never identifies the restrainer. What do we know for sure? 1) Paul and his audience both knew who or what the restrainer was - v. 6. 2) The purpose of the restraint was to prevent the man of lawlessness from being revealed at an improper time - v. 6. 3) The restraint is presently active - v. 7. 4) The restraint will be removed at some point in the future - v. 7. 5) At that point, the man of lawlessness will be revealed - v. 8. Conclusions The simple fact is that no one can state with any certainty the identity of the restrainer. Scripture is silent on this issue. Thus, any attempts on our part to name the restrainer can only be considered guesses. Here are several assumptions which I believe can be made about the restrainer. 1) The nature of the restraint must be supernatural. 2) The activity of the restrainer has last almost 2,000 years now. Both of these facts indicate that the restrainer could not be a human being. This leads us to the conclusions which some have advanced concerning the identity. a) The Roman Empire. b) Government in general. c) The Church. d) The Holy Spirit. e) And (new to me), Michael the Archangel. I think a) is an impossible position since the Roman empire no longer exists and therefore could not be currently restraining the man of lawlessness. I think b) is questionable. In what sense could a government restrain supernatural evil? I think c), d), and e) are all possible answers. The only problem I have with e) is that there is nothing else in Scripture that indicates this. Dan. 12:1 does not (in my opinion) support this view. Even if it did, Dan. 12:1 identifies Michael as the protector of Israel, not the world. In my view, either c) or d) would be the most likely answers. The Church could be seen as a restraining force until it’s removal from the scene. The Holy Spirit would definitely be able to restrain the man of lawlessness. Ultimately, the real importance of this passage is not in the identify of the restrainer, but in the fact that even the man of lawlessness is subject to God’s sovereign plan. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
Bible Answer: Greetings Tim! I have been hung up on this passage for a couple of days now and in light of recent events, I tend to think that it is indeed the Church (and the far reaching effects of believers upon society) that restrains the influence of evil upon on world. Sadly, when the antichrist is revealed, people will not perceive him as evil! I would appreciate your viewpoint on verse 12. It never occurred to me that after the rapture of the church, those who are "left behind" who had previously not responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ will not have any further opportunity to be saved. This is such a sobering concept to me and I wonder why it has not been proclaimed from our pulpits across the land? I guess I always "wanted" to see God as the God of the "second chance." But I am beginning to think that He is very serious about TODAY being the day of salvation for the Gentiles! I've posted a few questions on this verse if you are interested in reading! I anticipate your response! In Jesus love, Trish |