John 14:18 "I will not leave you as orphans"
I believe that the restrainer spoken of in 2 Thes 2:6-7 is the Holy Spirit. Throughout my studies I've heard many arguments against this. Some say it is the Roman Empire. But the empire has long vanished and “the holder back” is not yet revealed. Another suggestion is that this is Satan, but it is difficult to see why he would hold back sin. Others suggest that human governments are holding back sin and the revealing of the Antichrist. But human governments will not end prior to the Antichrist’s unveiling. Nor do all governments restrain sin; many encourage it! The Holy Spirit of God is the only one with sufficient (supernatural) power to do this restraining. I believe that when the church leaves the earth in the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way in the sense that His unique lawlessness-restraining ministry through God’s people will be removed. The removal of the Restrainer at the time of the Rapture must obviously precede the day of the Lord.
Paul’s reasoning is thus a strong argument for the pre-tribulational Rapture.
Yes, we know that in the tribulation there will be people who get saved. So some would argue that they cannot get saved unless the Holy Spirit is in them. This argument does not convince me for the following reasons:
People have always been saved by spiritual regeneration, being “born of the Spirit” ( John 3:5-6). Yet John made it clear that the Holy Spirit “had not yet been given” prior to the Day of Pentecost.
John 7:39 But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
The new ministry of the Spirit which began on the Day of Pentecost was not that of regeneration, but of baptism into the Body of Christ ](1Cor. 12:13). Prior to the Day of Pentecost, believers were never baptized into the Body of Christ. Therefore, the Body of Christ is a new and unique organism ministering in Christ’s absence during the present age.
So, am I saying that the Holy Spirit is completely removed from the tribulation? No.
In Rev 7 it is evident that the Holy Spirit will still be at work in the Tribulation, for the work of regeneration is His particular ministry. The Holy Spirit Himself will still be in the world and will have an active ministry. While He will no longer be baptizing (for that is a special ministry for the Church only), He will be performing some of His other ministries, such as regeneration, filling, sealing, etc. I believe His work of restraining evil is removed, allowing the Antichrist to begin his evil rise to power.
Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,
Residing in us, that are saved now, is the Spirit of truth
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
However, God sends / allows a great deception to take place during the tribulation on the people in the tribulation because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they may be saved
2Th 2:10-12 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
God does not deceive His own people
These are the fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. The bible teaches in 2 Tim 3 that in the end days everything in man will be the complete opposite:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 Tim 3 ~ For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
For a completely different study, please consider that during the tribulation there will be 2 new witnesses (Rev 11) as well as the 144000 (Rev 7) and only these will be protected. Interesting to note that in the Old Testament people were given great signs and wonders in order to believe. He spoke to Moses face to face! He went before the Israelites in a pillar of clouds, the rainbow after the flood, the parting of the seas, water from a rock, ect. There are many examples. The two witnesses in the tribulations will have great power and authority, they can send plagues, they can destroy enemies with fire from their mouths, ect. It will be a very visible display of power as was in the days of the Old Testament. People constantly asked God for visible signs. So, I am of the opinion that everything seems to go back to the way it was before Jesus. Today, we are the witnesses, by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
In summary, all the good attributes of the Spirit will not be present in the days of the tribulation. 2 Timothy 3 speaks of the last days and even today we can see these things happening. So people might argue that this will happen before tribulation, and you would be right. These are some of the signs we ought to look out for, but to think that things will get better after the tribulation starts? It won't, it will get much, much worse.
Leaving us without the Holy Spirit, or the good attributes / fruit of the Spirit, will be leaving us as orphans which God promised He will never do.
