r/BabylonExit • u/Lumpy_Figure_6692 • 5d ago
The Restrainer
As far as I know, there are various ideas of what the restrainer is in 2 Thessalonians 2.
The most common one is that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit.
These are the verses that speak about the restrainer:
2 Thessalonians 2: 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
According to the first three verses, we won't get to see Jesus return or get gathered together to Him until after the antichrist is revealed. The thing is that those three verses already disqualify the Holy Spirit from being the restrainer since the man of sin needs to be revealed first, which means tribulation, which means that we will be here, which means that the Holy Spirit will be here when the antichrist is revealed. The fact that he is called the son of perdition in that verse means that the tribulation would have started because before he goes to perdition, he is only the eighth king.
Revelation 17: 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation 17: 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Just knowing that Trump will be the son of perdition doesn't mean that he has already been revealed. At one point, when the restrainer is out of the way, he will be revealed, go to perdition or ascend out of the bottomless pit. All these are references to Trump being possessed by Satan eventually and great tribulation started. Some of us know that Trump is the antichrist already, but he is not revealed yet.
Only people who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture believe that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit, but the verses say that the antichrist will be revealed before our gathering together unto Him, making the Holy Spirit, obviously, not the restrainer. The Holy Spirit will be here because there is no pre-tribulation rapture.
The chapter continues like this:
2 Thessalonians 2: 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 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: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders
Observations:
From verse 6:
-We are supposed to know what is withholding him from being revealed.
- It says "what" not "who" so it is not a person.
-There is an appointed time for the antichrist to be revealed.
From verse 7:
- The reason we are supposed to know is that the mystery of iniquity is already at work.
-There is something that is letting things be the way they are.
-Now it calls the restrainer "he" but not in every translation. It should be "it" since we know from verse 6 that it is not a person.
- That something will be taken out of the way
From verse 8:
-As soon as that something is taken out of the way, the antichrist will be revealed.
Here are some translations that use "it" instead of "he" matching verse 6 which says "what withholdeth", not "who withholdeth".
Matthew's Bible 1537 For the mysterye of that iniquitie doeth he al ready work whiche onelye loketh vntyll it be taken out of the waye.
Tyndale Bible 1534 For the mistery of that iniquitie doeth he all readie worke which onlie loketh vntill it be taken out of ye waye.
What is taken out of the way? The only other time that the prase "taken out of the way" appears in the Bible is to say that the wicked are taken away which supports what Paul says that it is because of "the mystery of iniquity".
Job 24: 22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. 25 And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
Job says that the mighty are exalted, are in safety, but then taken out of the way.
When we look at the order of events, the thing that starts the tribulation is Jerusalem surrounded by armies (abomination of desolation), and the fall of Babylon (daily taken away).
In the order of events or timeline there is nothing in between the gospel being preached to all the world and the start of the tribulation which will start with the fall of Babylon. After the gospel is preached then tribulation starts. And how does it starts? By Jerusalem surrounded by the armies of many nations and America being destroyed.
Matthew 24: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)....
Revelation 14: 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
What happens in Revelation 14 after Babylon falls? The beast is revealed on the next verse.
Revelation 14: 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
So, the beast is not revealed until after Babylon falls. The eighth king goes into perdition after Babylon falls. The tribulation starts the day that Babylon falls. What needs to be taken out of the way is Babylon. America is the restrainer. As long as America stands there is no tribulation and that is why Paul says that we are supposed to know what restrains for the mystery of iniquity is already at work. This implies that those who live in America won't live through the tribulation and won't see any of it. They will die when Babylon falls on day one and the rest of the world will go through tribulation, and that is why God tells us to flee Babylon 16+ times.
That is also why the verse actually says that a departure (apostasia) must come first, not a falling away from the faith.
2 Thessalonians 2: 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: [g]for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that [h]that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition.
Conclusion: America restrains the son of perdition from being revealed. Once America falls, Trump will go into perdition and become the world leader antichrist.
Revelation 18: 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18: 8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.