News flash! The Holy Spirit is the Restrainer.
God has restrained evil throughout history, He is in control, and allows evil for a purpose.
Jesus had to leave when He was here in order for the Holy Spirit to come. And He will not come until the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way.
The Holy Spirit has worked through the Church to restrain evil. When the Church, (Temple of the Holy Spirit), is taken up (out of the way), then evil will be unrestrained and multiplied ... be out of control. Then Satan will have full reign.
I already pointed this out, but some will not accept it.
Hi guys. Look. I don't altogether disagree with either of you. The holy Spirit is certainly sent by God to restrain sin. And yes, Daniel tells us of instances where angels intervened in the affairs of geopolitical politics in order to establish God's will in the earth. Even in us as individuals, the Spirit of God abides within and through the word of God inspires, corrects, encourages, informs and rebukes us as necessary in order to sanctify our hearts in holiness and righteousness. So yes. Generically speaking and in general principles God through His Spirit does inhibit the extent of wickedness in the earth, and Ronald, I agree that as the holy Spirit is withdrawn form the earth in the final days, this will enable the forces of darkness to exercise far greater violence and wickedness in the earth than ever before. However.
This discussion is not about generic principles.
This is about specific local literal powers in prophecy. Paul is not relying solely on inspiration when discussing these matters, he would be following the instruction of Jesus in following the prophecies given to Israel which apply specifically to his time, and that of the church immediately following his demise. He is explaining to the Thessalonians local literal political movements, as was Daniel when speaking of the horns that would grow from the 4th beast, Rome; local movements that would surely take place, that is, the removal of the Roman empire, the rise of ten powers in it's place, 3 that would be uprooted by an 11th, and it was this
particular power, spoken of as the little horn in Daniel 7, that Paul was particularly concerned with. As was Daniel, enquiring of the angel more information regarding this power. This was why those early church writers such as Lancantius and others, who recognized that so long as the rule and power of Rome remained, there was no possibility of such a power rising. History however, as did the prophecies of Daniel and Paul, that Rome was eventually removed...10 horns did arise... An 11th arose from among them, and this 11th horn, the 'little' one, rise to a position of such influence and strength that in response to his pleading, 3 of those 10 were destroyed by the eastern Roman emperor. This vacuum then which was left in Rome, first after the departure of Constantine to Istanbul (Constantinople) , and then by the destruction of the ruling Gothic power in Italy, was filled by the little horn. But this little horn was still Roman. And believe it or not, it was also ostensibly Christian. This fulfilled not only the prophecies of Daniel, but those of Jesus and Paul.
KJV Acts 20:28-31
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30
also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to
draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years
I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Paul spoke the above words in Ephesus. Thessalonica was just up the road. This was Paul's concern for the future. The man of sin... The false counterfeit Christian little horn arising from the ruins of the Roman empire.
KJV 1 Timothy 4:1
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Notice please that it is false religion, a counterfeit Christianity that Jesus and Paul are warning about.
KJV Matthew 7:15
15 Beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
KJV John 16:1-3
1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh,
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you,
because they have not known the Father, nor me.
Thus the man of sin, operating as the son of perdition like Judas, came from within the church to betray Christ and His people. This was the literal falling away, the divorce or apostasy, of the church in Rome as she sought and grasped political power, and using that political power for the following 1000 years or more to enhance her religious power in persecuting and making war with the saints, claiming blasphemous titles and godly prerogatives for itself that belong only to God, opposing and exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, sitting in the temple of God, the church, showing himself that he is God.
Local literal powers meeting perfectly all the criteria demanded of them by prophecy. And this little horn, this Antichrist power, has since grown to become a beast in it's own right, described in brilliant detail in Revelation 13, having the very same characteristics and lifespan as the little horn of Daniel 7. Which perfectly explains how the Antichrist grew out of Rome, and will still be here to be destroyed at the second coming.
And all the reformers agreed with this. This isn't a new teaching. It's been around since the time of the most earliest Christian churches, it's still relevant, and nothing can change it. Looking for any fulfillment in any other entity at any time in history is impossible.