RESTRAINER Part I

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THE RESTRAINER

The biblical concept of “the Restrainer” refers to the unidentified entity or force mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians. The Restrainer actively prevents “the man of lawlessness,” or the Antichrist, from being revealed until God’s appointed time. 

Because Paul does not explicitly name the Restrainer, its identity has been a subject of theological debate for centuries. The primary biblical passage is 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, which reads: 

“And you know what is restraining him now, so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is taken out of the way” (ESV). 

A notable aspect of the text is Paul’s use of both neuter (“what is restraining,” or tò katéchon) and masculine (“he who now restrains,” or ho katéchōn) pronouns to describe the Restrainer. This has prompted several interpretations. 

The Holy Spirit

A prominent view is that the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit, who exercises his divine power to restrain evil. 

  • The gender shift: The use of both genders—neuter for the Spirit’s power and masculine for the Spirit as a person—is consistent with other New Testament passages describing the Holy Spirit.

  • Conviction of sin: The Holy Spirit’s role in convicting the world of sin (John 16:8) aligns with the concept of restraining lawlessness.

  • Removed at the Rapture: This interpretation is often connected with the pretribulation rapture, where the Holy Spirit’s special ministry of restraining evil will end when the church, in which the Spirit dwells, is “taken out of the way”. This does not imply the Holy Spirit will be completely absent from the world, but that his specific restraining work will be altered. 

Human government

Many early Church Fathers, such as Tertullian, believed the Restrainer was the Roman Empire or civil government in general. 

  • Reasoning: In the first century, Roman law and order prevented complete chaos. Paul may have used cryptic language to avoid offending the authorities. The masculine pronoun could refer to the emperor, while the neuter referred to the imperial system.

  • Criticism: Critics of this view point out that human governments have risen and fallen for centuries, and a fallen empire could not serve as a permanent restraint. 

The Church

Another interpretation suggests the Church, or the work of believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit, serves as the Restrainer. 

  • Salt and light: The Church acts as “salt and light” in the world, preserving it from total moral decay (Matthew 5:13).

  • Removed at the Rapture: The removal of the Restrainer would therefore coincide with the removal of the Church at the Rapture, paving the way for the Antichrist to be revealed. 

Michael the Archangel

Some scholars propose that Michael the Archangel is the Restrainer, based on his role in the Book of Daniel as a special protector of Israel who contends with demonic forces. Daniel 12:1 describes Michael as “standing up” and later “withdrawing,” which some believe aligns with the cessation of the Restrainer’s activity in 2 Thessalonians. 

The purpose of the mystery

Regardless of the specific interpretation, the core theological point is that God is sovereign over the timing of end-time events. The existence of the Restrainer means that believers should not be alarmed by the increasing presence of lawlessness in the world. They can be confident that God has set a limit on evil and that the “man of lawlessness” will not be revealed until the appointed time. 

Bible Dictionary The Restrainer:

The Bible does not explicitly name “the Restrainer,” but the concept is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7

. The identity of this force or being that holds back the revelation of the “man of lawlessness” (the Antichrist) has been a source of debate for centuries. 

The Restrainer in 2 Thessalonians

The key biblical passage is 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7, where the Apostle Paul writes to assure believers that the day of the Lord has not yet come. 

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:6: “And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time”. The Greek word used here for “restraining” is katechon, and in this verse, it is a neuter pronoun, “what”.

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:7: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is taken out of the way”. Here, the Greek word for “restrains” is used with a masculine pronoun, “he”. 

This shift from the neuter to the masculine pronoun is one reason there are differing interpretations, as it could refer to both a force and a person. 

Common interpretations

1. The Holy Spirit

A common interpretation is that the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit. 

  • Reasoning: Since only a divine being could have the power to suppress the supernatural force of evil that empowers the Antichrist, the Holy Spirit is the most logical candidate.

  • Pronoun shift: The shift from a neuter pronoun (“what”) for the Holy Spirit’s restraining power or activity to a masculine pronoun (“he”) for the Spirit as a person is consistent with Greek grammar and other New Testament verses (John 14:26, 15:26).

  • End-time timing: Dispensational theology connects the removal of the Restrainer with the Rapture of the Church. The Holy Spirit, who indwells believers, will cease his special restraining ministry when the Church is removed. However, proponents of this view stress that the Holy Spirit will still be present and active in other ways during the Tribulation period. 

2. Roman governmental authority

Many early Church Fathers, such as Tertullian, believed the Restrainer was the Roman Empire or its civil authority. 

  • Reasoning: During Paul’s time, the Roman government provided law and order, holding back the forces of chaos. Identifying the Roman government as the Restrainer would also explain why Paul spoke about it in a veiled way, so as not to provoke imperial persecution.

  • Challenges: The Roman Empire fell in the 5th century CE, which presents a major challenge to this view. However, some who hold this view believe the principle of governmental law and order in general is the Restrainer. 

3. The Church

Some interpretations propose that the Church, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is the Restrainer. 

  • Reasoning: The presence of believers in the world serves as “salt” and “light,” inhibiting the advance of evil. This view is often linked with the Holy Spirit interpretation, where the Spirit works through the Church to restrain sin.

  • End-time timing: This view also aligns with the belief that when the Church is removed in the Rapture, the restraining influence will be lifted. 

4. An angelic being

Some interpreters suggest an angelic power, possibly Michael the archangel, referencing passages in Daniel where Michael fights against evil spiritual forces (Daniel 10:13, 12:1). 

  • Reasoning: This view attributes the restraining of evil to a supernatural agent, aligning with the intensity of the evil forces being held back.

  • Weakness: The text does not explicitly identify an angel, making this interpretation less direct. 

Summary

The identity of the Restrainer remains a mystery, as Paul purposefully did not name it in his letter. The most common modern interpretation identifies it as the Holy Spirit, often working through the Church, based on theological consistency and the grammatical shift in 2 Thessalonians. Other historical interpretations have identified it as Roman authority or other forces. All interpretations agree that the Restrainer ensures God’s sovereignty over the timing of end-time events.