No — the Holy Spirit does not leave the earth at the rapture; only His particular role of indwelling believers ends.
Les Feldick teaches that when believers are taken out, the Holy Spirit's role as the indwelling Person of the Godhead ends, but He will still be on the earth as the omnipresent Spirit of God. He points back to Genesis 1, where the Spirit moved upon the face of the deep, as proof that the Spirit has always been present on the earth. The rapture ends His indwelling ministry in the church, not His presence on the planet.
Genesis 1:2 — Shows the Holy Spirit's presence on earth from the very beginning, establishing that His presence is not limited to the church age.
1 Corinthians 3:16 — Shows the present-age role of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer — the role that ends at the rapture.
2 Thessalonians 2:7 — Shows a restrainer will be taken out of the way, which Les identifies as the Holy Spirit in the believer.
The question "Does the Holy Spirit leave the earth at the rapture?" is not answered in those exact words in Scripture. What Scripture does show is that the Holy Spirit was present and active upon the earth in the beginning: "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). Scripture also tells us that in this present dispensation every believer is the temple of God because the Spirit of God dwells in him: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul speaks of a restrainer who will be taken out of the way before the man of sin is revealed: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." The scriptural text itself does not say this taking away means the Spirit leaves the earth.
Les Feldick teaches that the Holy Spirit does not leave the earth at the rapture. What ends is His particular role of indwelling believers. Les says plainly: "Just because the Holy Spirit leaves as His role of the indwelling of the believer doesn't mean He won't be on the earth during the tribulation" (Clip 1). He points back to Genesis 1, where the Spirit moved upon the face of the deep, showing the Spirit was evident on earth throughout all human experience. During the church age, the Holy Spirit has taken on the role of indwelling the believer, but He is still the omnipresent Spirit of God. When the believer is taken out, the Holy Spirit's role as such ends, but He will still be the omnipresence of God during the tribulation (Clip 1). Les also teaches that the Holy Spirit is the hinderer of 2 Thessalonians 2:7, describing the hindering force as the Holy Spirit in the person of the believer until he is taken out of the way (Clip 7). After the departure, "the Holy Spirit in His role as indwelling the believer has ended," yet He will still be on the earth as the omnipresent God (Clip 7).
Les teaches that the Holy Spirit is the "hinderer" of 2 Thessalonians 2:7. He says that the Holy Spirit today dwells in believers and serves as God's brake or dam on the forces of Satan so that the tribulation does not break loose until the right time. According to Les, "the only break that God has on the earth against the influx of all this evil work is the believer and the indwelling Holy Spirit." When the church is removed, that hindering force is taken out of the way, and the man of sin can be revealed.
Les teaches that from the moment a person believes, the Holy Spirit comes into that believer and the body becomes the temple of God. He says you cannot check God at the door when you go somewhere, because the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Through that indwelling Spirit, God searches the heart of the believer, and the Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:27). At the rapture, that indwelling role ceases because the believers are taken out.
Yes. Les explicitly says, "Just because the Holy Spirit leaves as His role of the indwelling of the believer doesn't mean He won't be on the earth during the tribulation." He will still be "the omnipresence of God" during those seven years. The Spirit's activity changes, but His presence on earth does not end.
Believer's Body Is the Temple of the Spirit
Les teaches that the moment a person believes, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell that believer, making the body God's temple — the present-age role of the Spirit that ends at the rapture.
The Holy Spirit Remains After the Rapture
Les directly answers the question: the Spirit leaves His indwelling role, but He does not leave the earth. During the tribulation He will still be God's omnipresent Spirit.
The Holy Spirit as the Restrainer
Les identifies the Holy Spirit as the hindering force of 2 Thessalonians 2, dwelling in believers and holding back the forces of Satan until the right time.
The Spirit's Intercessory Work
Les explains that the indwelling Holy Spirit is how God searches the believer's heart and that the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to God's will.
The Spirit's Indwelling as Proof of Salvation
Les uses the indwelling Spirit as the test of whether someone belongs to Christ: if the Spirit does not dwell in you, you are none of His.
Crucified With Christ: What It Means to Be a New Creation (Romans 6 & Galatians 2)
Others, it may not take as long, but the Holy Spirit has to somehow precipitate an activity within the heart, the soul of the individual. Now turn back with me, if you will, to Romans chapter 8. Now I don't know if the Lord will tarry long enough, and I don't know whether we'll be staying on the air long enough to ever get to the book of Romans, but if we were to teach the book of Romans verse by …
Introducing Paul: Why God Stopped the Prophetic Clock
But as we showed through all those verses, we know that historically now that didn't all happen. There was nothing that was part and parcel of the tribulation, and that after the Holy Spirit came down, the Old Testament program just came to a halt, God's time clock stopped, and now we're going to try and show you, coming through the book of Acts, and again, this is not an in-depth study of Acts, a…
The Spirit After the Church Is Removed
Les teaches that when the church is removed, the Holy Spirit's role as indweller ends, but He will still be present on earth as the omnipresent God.
Genesis 1:2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Shows the Holy Spirit's presence and activity on the earth at creation, long before the church age.
1 Corinthians 3:16: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Identifies the present-age indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer — the role that ends when believers are raptured.
2 Thessalonians 2:7: For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Speaks of a restrainer who will be taken out of the way before the man of sin is revealed.
Romans 8:27: And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Reveals the indwelling Spirit's role in interceding for believers according to God's will.
No. According to Les Feldick, the Holy Spirit leaves His role of indwelling believers, but He remains on earth as the omnipresent Spirit of God. He will still be present and active during the tribulation.
His indwelling role in individual believers ends when those believers are taken out. The Holy Spirit no longer dwells in believers in that present-age sense, but He is still God's omnipresent Spirit on the earth.
Les teaches that the Holy Spirit is the hindering force, working in and through believers, until He is taken out of the way — that is, until the church is removed. After that, the man of sin can be revealed.
Watch the Teaching: Your Body Is God's Temple — What 1 Corinthians 3 Really Means