The Restrainer of Evil

2 Thessalonians 2:6–8
While establishing the church in Thessalonica, the apostle Paul personally instructed believers concerning future prophecy. In fact, he went into great detail about the Rapture of the church and the Day of the Lord.

However, being severely persecuted for their faith, many Thessalonians wondered if they were already experiencing the Day of the Lord’s wrath. False teachers apparently had fabricated reports about the event, causing disruption and anxiety in the church and spreading great fear among these young believers who did not understand clearly what Paul had taught. Consequently, they became confused concerning the timing of certain prophecies. Paul assured the Thessalonians the Day of the Lord could not come until three events occurred:

1. The “falling away [apostasy]” (2 Th. 2:3)
2. The revelation of the Antichrist, “the man of sin [lawlessness]” (v. 3)
3. The removal of the one “who now restrains” (v. 7)

We examined the first two events in the previous article. Now we’ll look at the restrainer’s ministry.

The Restrainer Presented
The apostle appealed to the Thessalonians based on what they already knew about the restrainer: “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” (vv. 6–7).

The phrase and now draws attention to what the Thessalonians knew. The phrase you know speaks of their absolute knowledge concerning what Paul meant when he wrote of the restrainer.

The word restrain means “to withhold.” It is a neuter participle with a neuter article. Thus, the word does not refer to a person but, rather, to an abstract force or power that is holding back or holding down lawlessness in the world. However, verse 7 (“He who now restrains”) uses the masculine gender with a masculine article, referring to a person. Thus, in verse 6, Paul spoke of an impersonal principle or power of restraining, while in verse 7 he referred to a person who is restraining. Therefore, a person with extreme power is restraining both the man of lawlessness and evil in the world.

He is restraining so “he [the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist] may be revealed in his own time,” a time determined by God (v. 6). It should comfort us to know the evil in this world is completely under God’s sovereign control and is allowed for His purposes.

Even though the restrainer is working, “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” in the world (v. 7). The word mystery does not refer to a mysterious or baffling event but, rather, to a prophecy in the Old or New Testament that has not been revealed to mankind. A mystery in the Bible is something that was hidden in past ages but will be divinely revealed at God’s choosing.

The word lawlessness does not mean a general outbreak of criminal activity. It refers to the specific lawlessness connected with “the lawless one” (v. 8)— the man of sin, the Antichrist, who will be energized and controlled by Satan.

So horrible will the Antichrist’s acts be once he is revealed that it would be impossible for humanity ever to understand the depths of his wickedness without God’s revelation.

This man has not been revealed yet; but Satan, the spirit controlling his career, already has operatives in the world (cf. 1 Jn. 2:18–22). The apostle John boldly declared that people who deviate from what he taught possess the spirit of Antichrist (4:3).

So horrible will the Antichrist’s acts be once he is revealed that it would be impossible for humanity ever to understand the depths of his wickedness without God’s revelation.

Paul indicated the restraining of lawlessness will end at a specific time: “He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way [midst]” (2 Th. 2:7), that is, until He is taken or disappears from the scene. When His work ends, the world will experience a Satanic onslaught of evil that will be unparalleled in world history.

The Restrainer’s Position
Since the apostle never identified the restrainer, today’s church does not know for certain who he is. Over the centuries, commentators have offered many views as to his identity. Suggestions have included Nero and other Roman emperors, the Roman Empire, Israel, human government, law, Elijah, Michael the archangel, Satan, Jesus Christ, the gospel, the church, and the Holy Spirit.

The restrainer must be able to hold back the evil manifested by Satan, who is “the god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4). He must be more than a human force or human being because Satan is a spiritual being who functions in a supernatural realm that cannot be restrained by humans on Earth.

A popular position is that the church is the restrainer. True, the church is salt and light in the world. It does impact the world for good and restrains evil in many ways and in many areas of life. The church also dispels darkness and brings light to the world. But the church is not the ultimate restrainer of evil, as required by 2 Thessalonians 2:7. The restrainer must be more powerful than Satan. The Holy Spirit is the only Person who possesses the principle and power required to restrain Satan’s wickedness until a time determined by God.

The Holy Spirit’s restraining power is revealed in Genesis: God said, “My Spirit [Holy Spirit] shall not strive with man forever” (Gen. 6:3). One of the Spirit’s ministries was to restrain Satan while Noah built the ark before the flood came. Another example was when God allowed Satan to take Job’s health, possessions, and children but restrained him from taking Job’s life (Job 1:6—2:6). Satan’s ability to generate evil is completely controlled by God the Father through the Holy Spirit.

Consequently, the Holy Spirit is the most qualified agent to restrain Satan’s villainy. As a member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent and possesses the power to restrain the evil of Satan and the Antichrist.

The restrainer “will do so until He is taken out of the way [midst]” (2 Th. 2:7). At the Rapture of the church, the Holy Spirit’s restraining ministry will cease. Mark it well: This does not mean He will be removed from the world; it simply means His ministry of holding back evil will cease.

The Holy Spirit has always been omnipresent; He will never be removed from the world. He will be here to empower God’s servants for ministry during the seven years of Tribulation. A great multitude of people—who cannot be redeemed apart from the Holy Spirit’s ministry—will be saved during this time (Rev. 7:1–17).

The Restrainer’s Power
Paul provided a brief overview of both the Antichrist’s evil work and his demise at Jesus’ Second Coming: “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” (2 Th. 2:8).

The phrase and then refers to what happens once the restrainer stops holding back evil. At that time, the “lawless one [Antichrist] will be revealed.” The reveal begins when “he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week” (Dan. 9:27). The “many” are Daniel’s people, the nation of Israel. The Antichrist will posture himself as a peacemaker, and many (not all) in Israel will accept him as such.

This landmark event broadcasts to the world that the “lawless one” has stepped onto the global stage. Wickedness will run rampant and unhindered around the world under the Antichrist’s brutal and demonic rule. He will claim to be God and demand to be worshiped, signifying that the time Paul was speaking about has arrived. The only escape is faith in Jesus Christ. However, many who turn to Christ will be martyred for their commitment to Him (Rev. 7:14).

At the Lord’s Second Coming, the Antichrist’s true identity as Satan’s demonic pawn will be divulged. He and his pernicious worldwide reign will be cut short by the Lord, who will swiftly “consume” or overthrow him “with the breath of His mouth” (2 Th. 2:8). He will not wage a prolonged war against the Antichrist. All of the Antichrist’s strength and authority combined with the supernatural power of Satan and his demons will be no match for Jesus Christ. The Lord will defeat him in an instant.

At His Second Coming, Christ will slay individuals and nations with His breath or spoken word (cf. Job 4:9; Rev. 19:15). This powerful picture describes the ease with which Christ will overthrow His archenemy and decisively end the Antichrist’s devilish rule.

Jesus Christ will destroy the man of sin “with the brightness [splendor] of His coming [appearance]” (2 Th. 2:8). Consume, or destroy, does not mean annihilate but, rather, make the “lawless one” immobile, inoperative, and powerless. The “brightness of His coming” speaks of Christ’s splendor, which will accompany His appearance. Christ’s radiant glory will shine in a worldwide manifestation unlike anything the universe has ever seen. Such glory will immediately destroy the Antichrist and his power.

The visible appearance of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ, who is the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:16), will be so dazzling and overpowering that the lawless one’s “kingdom” will immediately cease to exist.

What an awesome sight to behold! As believers, we will return with Him at His Second Coming to witness this spectacular event. Glory to God in the highest!

7 thoughts on “The Restrainer of Evil

  1. I too have come to a place where the “He” in 2 thessolonians has come as a debate. Some say Holy Spirit, some Michael the arch angel, some the church as it stands today.
    There doesn’t seem to be alot of scripture to support any of these definitely. While this issue doesn’t effect one’s salvation, it can be a topic of church doctrine.
    I’m not a schooled theologian, I’m a simple believer in Jesus Christ. Who has died for my sins.
    That being said , for what it is worth my thoughts on “He” : The church is usually described as the bride of Christ, Michael the arch angel is powerful enough to take on Satan as referenced when contending about the body of Moses. But Michael uses the Lord as the one who will rebuke Satan.
    Finally the Holy Spirit was the old testament power of many a believer, and the comforter and gift giver in the new testament for the believer . So it’s as clear as mud that this issue has been settled right here and now. I jest, but one day we will all know exactly who “He” is.
    Until then, watch and pray. And be watching for our Lord’s return.
    May God bless you all
    Dave

  2. Great article, but few things need to be clarified. The ‘He’ who will be taken away and the sequence of events. We need to understand that the Church is the new man in Christ. Both Jews and Gentiles in Christ are described as the new man in Christ and “He” can be use to describe the Church. The Church is the restraining force not because it has any power of its own. The Church in Christ restrains evil on earth by:

    1) Praying for all those in authority and seeking peace for the nations according to 1Timothy 2:1-4.

    2) The Church restrains evil by binding the operations of the enemy on earth in Jesus’Name.

    3) The Church restrains evil by reaching out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and delivering the unsaved from the kingdom of darkness and from the control of the powers of darkness

    4) The Church restrains evil as believers speak the Word from a believing heart to silence the enemy and avenger.

    5) The Church restrains evil by teaching the truth of God’s Word. Men can’t be held in bondage when they come to the knowledge of the truth.

    So the Church is the salt of the earth to preserve the earth from the corruption and decay of the evil one. Again, it is the light to dispel darkness from the world as believers – the light of the world arise and shine.

    We all need to understand that the Holy Spirit wont be taken away in the tribulation. He will continue to empower men to preach the Gospel and convict the sinner. The Church, the new man in Christ will be taken away. He is the restraining force in Christ and the anti-Christ will be revealed in the full measure in the tribulation. Darkness can’t dispel light. Light will always dispel darkness but when light is removed, darkness will always occupy its place.

    The sequence of events Paul wanted the Thessalonians to understand is:

    1) The restraining influence of the Church at the moment as the salt and light of the world
    2) The departure of the Church or the rapture 3) The full revelation of the deeds of the anti-Christ in the tribulation and the
    4) The coming of Christ with His mighty angels to put and end to operations of the anti-Christ.

    My humble response to this article. God bless us all.

  3. I have struggled for years about the “He” who is removed. Figuring it must be the Spirit, but how can the Spirit be “removed” if people are saved during the tribulation (which we know they are…there is a Great Multitude in heaven that comes out of the Great Tribulation).

    The church is removed before the antichrist is revealed, but the church is not a “He”.

    So I figured it was the Spirit-filled church in some way. But your comment , “This does not mean He will be removed from the world; it simply means His ministry of holding back evil will cease” rings very true to me. You don’t have to read too far into Revelation to know that evil is unrestrained during the tribulation.

    However, I do not then get your order of events:
    1. The “falling away [apostasy]” (2 Th. 2:3)
    2. The revelation of the Antichrist, “the man of sin [lawlessness]” (v. 3)
    3. The removal of the one “who now restrains” (v. 7)

    Verse 7 clearly says that the restrained has to be removed BEFORE the man of lawlessness is revealed. “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.”

    In addition, verse 3 is he same event. The falling away in context means the “taking away” and represents the Holy Spirit being removed as verse 7 says. There is confusion in the sequence between the two verses (which proceeds which). But verse 3 is simply saying that that the end times have not come yet because that is the time when the antichrist is revealed; which has not happened yet so don’t worry you are not in the tribulation.

    Verse 7 then makes the timing clear. The restraining force is removed and THEN the antichrist is revealed.

    Respectfully,
    Jeff

    1. Hi Jeff,
      I read the article twice and don’t see where Mr. Levy’s events are out of order. I keep coming back to his statement, and I quote, “The phrase and then refers to what happens once the restrainer stops holding back evil. At that time, the “lawless one [Antichrist] will be revealed.” Mr. Levy states that the lawless one will be revealed once restrainer stops holding back evil.

      Regards,
      James

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Features

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Jul/Aug 2019

Every now and then, the Lord brings someone into your life who changes everything for you. I met Rennie and Ellie Showers 33 years ago when I was a student at Word of Life Bible Institute...

How God Turned the Foolish Into Fantastic

As a frequent traveler to Israel, I know enough to go to a specially designated area for taxis located outside the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv...

What Heathenism Wrought

Without any announcement, the prophet Elijah appeared in Israel and boldly confronted his generation with a strong warning from God...

Confrontation on Carmel

The scorching sun beat down on Obadiah as he walked the arid path, each step sending a swirl of dust upward...

Passing the Mantle

It’s so important to teach the younger generation. Elijah mentored Elisha for almost eight years. Then Elisha made an unusual request...

‘I Will Send You Elijah’

Elijah has always been a bit of a puzzle. An iconic figure among the Old Testament prophets, he appears center stage, bigger than life—and then disappears...


Subscription Options

1 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$9.99 every 1 year

1 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$19.99 every 1 year

2 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$19.99 every 2 years

2 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$39.99 every 2 years

3 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$29.99 every 3 years

3 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$59.99 every 3 years