2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 And
you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 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. (NASB)
“It is evident that it is the Spirit of God who hinders
Satan’s man and Satan’s projects until the divinely appointed time. There is no
hint that Satan will withdraw, or be removed out of the way before this “man of
sin” can be revealed; but there is a sense in which the Spirit will be removed.
That particular relationship or Presence which began with the Church and has
continued with the Church will natural cease when the Church is removed. As the
Omnipresent One, the Spirit will remain, but His present ministry and abode in
the Church will have been changed. The Spirit was in the world before
Pentecost; yet we are told that He came on that day as had been promised. He
came in the sense that He took up a new abode in the Church - - the body of
believers - - and a new ministry in the world. This ministry will cease when
the Church is gathered out and His abode will be ended when His temple of
living stones is removed. Thus it may be concluded that His going will be but
the reversal of Pentecost and will not imply His entire absence from the world.
He will rather return to those relationships and ministries which were His
before this dispensation began.” He That
is Spiritual, L. S. Chafer.
In this present age you and I live within is known as the “Church
Age.” We have the presence of the Holy Spirit’s and His ability to restrain certain
evil in this world. It is though, only by the sovereignty of God, what is
restrained and what is not. One day however, that purposed protection for the
world will no longer be present and the “man of sin” will be revealed. But be
encouraged to know that God is the One who knows the time and purpose for the
revealing of the “man of sin.” He (the man of sin) cannot appear until God
Almighty allows him. We as the “Church” will leave this present earth and be
taken through the Rapture and spend our time with the Lord Jesus. When this
occurs, as Chafer says, the Spirit will also leave this earth with His “living
stones” (those who know the Lord Jesus as Savior). Just because we leave this
earth doesn’t mean we lose the Spirit’s indwelling of our lives. This doesn’t
mean either that the Spirit will totally leave this earth. To do so would limit
God’s omnipresence, thus limiting His ability to be God. This also allows the
Holy Spirit to save men during this terrible time of the Tribulation when men
will eventually have to bow to the throne of Satan and his Anti-Christ or
perish. During this time the forces of darkness will be allowed to come and display
their final judgment upon men.
I like the way Chafer laid the course of the Holy Spirit’s
ministry here on earth. He states in the Old Testament the ministry of the Holy
Spirit was seen throughout the Scriptures as He worked through men of old;
however never completely indwelling them. He overshadowed them at periods of
time, but never came to live within each. This didn’t happen until after
Pentecost. Once Pentecost arrived, men received the indwelling Spirit of God
from that day forward. Then after the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will return to
His former state as before Pentecost. He explains it in systematic process
which makes good sense.
But does it all sound pretty doom and gloom today? To those
who reject the saving power of Jesus, this is only the beginning of the terrible story which will lead into eternal
suffering and pain. For those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, it
is only the beginning. The beginning of bliss and eternal glory with our Savior…
forever! Do you know Jesus today as your Savior? I invite you to trust Him as
such. He will change your life forever!
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