Does the Holy Spirit prevent wicked from being revealed?
.. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
.... only he who now letteth will let,
...... until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
.. whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth,
.... and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan
.. with all power and signs and lying wonders,
.... and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
...... because they received not the love of the truth,
........ that they might be saved.'
(2 Thessalonians 2:6-10)
Hello @Waiting on him,
You ask, 'Does the Holy Spirit prevent wickedness from being revealed?' Then in a later entry refer to verses 6-8 quoted above, which refers to 'What withholdeth', and 'Who now letteth'. Here we have the words, 'What?' and 'Who?' which show that there are two questions to be answered here and not just one. 'That Wicked' (v8) is the Antichrist (the lawless one): so the questions are:-
1) 'What withholdeth' (or 'restrains') him being revealed until the time is right?
2) 'Who now letteth' (or 'holds fast')?
* Something is preventing 'the man of sin' (v.3) from being revealed until the time for his revelation. Your question, @Waiting on him, asks if it is the power of the Holy Spirit which is preventing him being revealed. I do not think it is, for two reasons:-
* First of all the words 'withhold' (or 'restrain') and 'let' (or 'holds firm') are translated from the same Greek word, 'katecho' meaning ('to hold fast' - G2722) and occurs 19 times in the New Testament. So What is it that holds fast the lawless one (Revelation 13:11-18), and Who is it that holds something fast?'
* There is one interpretation of this difficult passage which is worth considering, one which has Scriptural support. Revelation 9:1-2 and Revelation 11:7 tells us that the man of sin is held fast by the 'bottomless pit' or better 'abyss' until 'the appointed season' or time of his manifestation to the world. That gives us the answer to the first question re. 'What withholdeth?'
* The second question concerning 'Who letteth' (or 'holds fast') finds its solution in Satan, who holds fast to his possessions in the aerial regions (see Ephesians 2:2 & 6:12) until he is taken out of the way, or removed. How this happens Revelation 12:7-17 describes. There is war in heaven; Michael and his angels fight against Satan and the fallen angels under his control, and the Deceiver is cast down to the earth (Revelation 12:9-12) with terrible results, leading to the Great Tribulation. When this happens, as a last desperate throw, Satan calls up his man from the abyss (Revelation 13:1+), and for a short time he dominates the whole world. Satan receiving world worship through the Beast.
* These things Paul would have told the Thessalonians in person (2 Thessalonians 2:5), so his words are few; making difficulty for us, who read it not having had the same opportunity to hear the fuller explanation.
Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Chris
* The 'man of sin' (v.3 & Revelation 13:1-10) and 'that Wicked' (v.8 & Revelation 13:11-18) are the two beasts of Revelation 13.
'And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.Anybody?
.. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
.... only he who now letteth will let,
...... until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
.. whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth,
.... and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan
.. with all power and signs and lying wonders,
.... and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
...... because they received not the love of the truth,
........ that they might be saved.'
(2 Thessalonians 2:6-10)
Hello @Waiting on him,
You ask, 'Does the Holy Spirit prevent wickedness from being revealed?' Then in a later entry refer to verses 6-8 quoted above, which refers to 'What withholdeth', and 'Who now letteth'. Here we have the words, 'What?' and 'Who?' which show that there are two questions to be answered here and not just one. 'That Wicked' (v8) is the Antichrist (the lawless one): so the questions are:-
1) 'What withholdeth' (or 'restrains') him being revealed until the time is right?
2) 'Who now letteth' (or 'holds fast')?
* Something is preventing 'the man of sin' (v.3) from being revealed until the time for his revelation. Your question, @Waiting on him, asks if it is the power of the Holy Spirit which is preventing him being revealed. I do not think it is, for two reasons:-
(a) For there is no Scripture to support this theory.
(b) It is supposed by some that when the Church is 'raptured' that the Holy Spirit will depart from the earth, but if this is true, it means that believers such as the faithful Jewish remnant, who will have to live through this dread period, are left without the Holy Spirit's aid! The Lord Jesus describes this time as a time of -
- If ever those who determine to be faithful whatever the cost, even life itself, will need the Holy Spirit, it is then.
(b) It is supposed by some that when the Church is 'raptured' that the Holy Spirit will depart from the earth, but if this is true, it means that believers such as the faithful Jewish remnant, who will have to live through this dread period, are left without the Holy Spirit's aid! The Lord Jesus describes this time as a time of -
'great tribulation, such as hath not been
from the beginning of the world until now,
no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days had been shortened,
no flesh would have been saved'
(Matthew 24:21-22)
from the beginning of the world until now,
no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days had been shortened,
no flesh would have been saved'
(Matthew 24:21-22)
* First of all the words 'withhold' (or 'restrain') and 'let' (or 'holds firm') are translated from the same Greek word, 'katecho' meaning ('to hold fast' - G2722) and occurs 19 times in the New Testament. So What is it that holds fast the lawless one (Revelation 13:11-18), and Who is it that holds something fast?'
* There is one interpretation of this difficult passage which is worth considering, one which has Scriptural support. Revelation 9:1-2 and Revelation 11:7 tells us that the man of sin is held fast by the 'bottomless pit' or better 'abyss' until 'the appointed season' or time of his manifestation to the world. That gives us the answer to the first question re. 'What withholdeth?'
* The second question concerning 'Who letteth' (or 'holds fast') finds its solution in Satan, who holds fast to his possessions in the aerial regions (see Ephesians 2:2 & 6:12) until he is taken out of the way, or removed. How this happens Revelation 12:7-17 describes. There is war in heaven; Michael and his angels fight against Satan and the fallen angels under his control, and the Deceiver is cast down to the earth (Revelation 12:9-12) with terrible results, leading to the Great Tribulation. When this happens, as a last desperate throw, Satan calls up his man from the abyss (Revelation 13:1+), and for a short time he dominates the whole world. Satan receiving world worship through the Beast.
* These things Paul would have told the Thessalonians in person (2 Thessalonians 2:5), so his words are few; making difficulty for us, who read it not having had the same opportunity to hear the fuller explanation.
Thank you.
In Christ Jesus
Chris
* The 'man of sin' (v.3 & Revelation 13:1-10) and 'that Wicked' (v.8 & Revelation 13:11-18) are the two beasts of Revelation 13.
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