The one who withholds the Antichrist is the Holy Spirit working through the believer, and His role is to keep the man of sin from appearing before God's appointed time.
Les Feldick describes the restrainer as like a dam in a river, holding back a flood of iniquity. Since the Holy Spirit indwells believers, the believer becomes the restraining power on earth. When the church is taken out of the way, this specific role of the Holy Spirit ends, and the Antichrist can then be revealed in his time.
2 Thessalonians 2:6 — This is the verse in which Paul tells believers they know what is holding back the Antichrist from being revealed 'in his time.'
2 Thessalonians 2:7 — This verse identifies 'he who now letteth' and says he must be taken out of the way before the man of sin is revealed.
Second Thessalonians 2:6-7 shows that Paul had already told the Thessalonian believers about a present restraint: "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." According to this passage, the Antichrist is called 'that man of sin' and 'the son of perdition' (2 Thessalonians 2:3). He will exalt himself and sit in the temple of God as God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). But before that can happen, the restraint must be removed: "And then shall that Wicked be revealed" (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Les Feldick explains that the one holding back the Antichrist is the Holy Spirit working through the believer. In 2 Thessalonians 2:6 Paul says, 'you know who withholdeth or restraineth, like a dam in the river' — someone keeps the Antichrist from being revealed before God's appointed time. Les says there is 'a restraining power on earth tonight' making sure the man Antichrist does not come on the scene until it is God's time. Applying verse 7, Les identifies 'he who now hindereth' as the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, the believer himself becomes the restraining power on earth, holding back the flood of iniquity that is coming in order to introduce the man of sin. This is why Les exhorts believers to stand in the gap, beginning in the prayer closet. Les further teaches that this restraining role is removed when the church is taken out of the way. Then the Holy Spirit's particular role of indwelling the believer has ended, although He remains the omnipresent God on the earth. The church will be gone before the Antichrist makes his appearance, after which he will begin his seven-year reign.
Les Feldick answers plainly: the 'he' who now hinders is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is currently working through indwelling believers, and the believer becomes the restraining power on earth. This is how the man of sin is held back from being revealed before God's time.
Paul says the Antichrist must be revealed 'in his time' — not early. Les pictures this as a dam in the river holding back a flood. The 'mystery of iniquity doth already work,' but the restrainer stops that flood from introducing the man of sin until the set time arrives.
Les identifies the removal as 'the departure' mentioned earlier in 2 Thessalonians, when the church is removed from the earth. The Holy Spirit's role as indwelling the believer comes to an end at that point. He does not cease to exist; He remains the omnipresent God, but His indwelling-restraining role changes.
Once the church is gone and the restraint is lifted, the Antichrist will be revealed as a flesh-and-blood human being, used by Satan as a political manipulator. Les says he will rule and reign for seven years, and the world will fall at his feet. Believers, however, will be gone before he makes his appearance.
Who Holds Back the Antichrist? The Restrainer Removed.
The Jew is getting hungry for their temple back, and one of these days they're going to have it. I think it's going to almost come up overnight. I personally think it's prefabricated, and I think that the Israelites will, when they get the go-ahead, will raise that temple so fast the world won't hardly believe it's happened.
The Restraining Power on Earth
Les says there is a restraining power on earth tonight, like a dam in a river, that keeps the man Antichrist from coming on the scene before God's time.
The Holy Spirit in the Believer
Les identifies the 'hinderer' as the Holy Spirit and explains that the believer is the restraining power through the Holy Spirit dwelling within, holding back the flood of iniquity that introduces the man of sin.
The Restrainer Removed with the Church
Les says the Holy Spirit is the hindering force in the person of the believer until He is taken out of the way — the departure when the church is removed. Even then the Holy Spirit remains omnipresent God.
Revelation 17 Explained: The Rise of the Antichrist's World Religion
Now I think we can also go all the way back to Daniel, but find 2 Thessalonians first, chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. All with me? 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and come down to verse 4. The pronoun who, of course, referring to the man of sin, the Antichrist, "...who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he as," what? God.
The Abomination of Desolation: Why Israel Must Flee (Matthew 24)
But wherever this group of Jews are being protected, they'll be completely insulated from it, and God's going to feed them there, He's going to protect them throughout that final three and a half years. And then, now verse 15, when the serpent, now you've got to get all this together from Revelation.
The Church Removed Before Antichrist Appears
Les teaches that believers will be gone before the Antichrist makes his appearance, and that he will then rule and reign for seven awful years.
Revelation's Timeline: Tribulation to Eternity Explained
Some people think this is the peace treaty, which the Antichrist now can come on and they go back to Daniel chapter 9 verse 25 where it says, "...and he shall confirm." Well that may or may not be, because so far as I am concerned this peace treaty that they have just signed is nothing but an agreement to agree or disagree, and I don't think it will hold much water for very long.
2 Thessalonians 2:3: 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;
Sets the sequence: a falling away and the revealing of the man of sin must happen before the day.
2 Thessalonians 2:6: And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
Paul says the believers already know what is restraining the Antichrist's appearing until his appointed time.
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.
Shows that the restrainer himself must be taken out of the way before the man of sin is revealed.
2 Thessalonians 2:8: 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:
After the restraint is removed, the Wicked one is revealed.
Les teaches the restrainer is the Holy Spirit, the hindering force in the person of the believer. The Holy Spirit indwells Christians and uses them to hold back the flood of iniquity, keeping the Antichrist from being revealed early. He will be taken out of the way when the church is removed.
God has an appointed time for the man of sin to be revealed. Restraint in the form of the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers ensures the Antichrist cannot appear or exercise his power before that set time.
Yes. According to Les, the believer is the restraining power through the Holy Spirit dwelling within. It is up to believers to stand in the gap; the first place to begin is in the prayer closet.
Watch the Teaching: Who Holds Back the Antichrist? The Restrainer Removed.