2 Thess.2:5-8 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 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. 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:
1 Jn.4:3-4 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Matt.16:16-8… Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God… upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
1 Tim.2:1-2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Eph.6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
2 Cor.10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
That final king shall come, that beast that was, and is not; who shall ascend out of the bottomless pit rising up from the sea, seething in murderous rage, understanding dark sentences, quickened by the God of forces and a god newly come up. He shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries which kingdom being conformed into a habitation of devils, when the transgressors are come to the full, he- a king of fierce countenance shall stand up the head of the fourth beast, the seventh head, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
John tells us by the Spirit “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.”(Rv.17:10-11) If we count backwards from Rome (one is) we have Greece (Dan.10:20) Media/Persia (10:13, 5:28,2:39-40), Babylon (2:38) Assyria (Jer.50:17-18, 2 Ki.17:6, 23, 18:11) and Egypt (Hos.11:1, Ex.15:4); then the 7th head – the kingdom of the beast carrying the whore. (These heads all appear to have world dominance and the subjugation of Israel in common.) She (the great whore) is associated with seven heads but then the beast is the eighth even though he is of the seven (v11). As the eighth arises she no longer has a seat and therefore the ten kings “eat her flesh, and burn her with fire”. The great whore of John’s day appears to be the Mother of Harlots in the time of the end associated with the 6th and 7th kings.
But- there is no head of the dragon during the church age. Why? Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world (Mt.5:13-16)
There appears then to be a gap between the 6th and 7th heads of the dragon which we understand to be the ‘church age’. We see this gap in a number of places; for example Rev.12 where the dragon with 7 heads seeks to devour Christ the man child as soon as he is born, but after his resurrection and ascension the beast pursues the woman in the middle of the tribulation- a 2000 year gap. This is seen again in Daniel 2 where the legs of iron corresponding to the Roman Empire (in Christ’s day) seamlessly transitions into the 10 kings who are destroyed at Christ’s return (2:37-44). Daniel sees no church age for this is a New Testament mystery (Eph.3:1-6, Rom.11:25, 1Tim.3:16). In Daniel 9 also we see the same thing with the gap between the 69th and 70th week, between Messiah the Prince and the prince that shall come (Dan.9:25-6). The Messiah is cut off for us and the abomination of desolation set up in the midst of the week at the time of the end. “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Dan.12:9-11). Interestingly then the Roman Empire would be connected with both comings of Christ. (For further study of this church age gap between Christ’s first and second coming review these- Isa.61:1-2, 42:1-4, 11:1-10, 9:6-7, Mic.5:2-7, Zech.9:9-10,Psa.2:7-12, Matt.3:10-12) So, “what witholdeth”(v6) is “he who now letteth... until he be taken out of the way”. (v7) He is restraining the mystery of iniquity which emerged cancerously after the mystery of godliness as a contradiction to it. (1 Tim.3:16) The preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Rom.16:25) centers on the fact that God was manifest in the flesh in Christ. (Col.1:19,2:9) The mystery of iniquity thus denies that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and is antichrist. (1 Jn.4:1-4) The mystery of godliness we are stewards of (1 Cor.4:1) as we oppose the mystery of iniquity. The “mystery of iniquity doth already work” which is “that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world”. (2 Thess.2:7, 1 Jn.4:3) This spirit of antichrist and the depths of Satan (Rev.2:24) are seen fully developed in falling away from the faith. (1 Jn.2:18-9) This lower degree of apostasy already working will increase in intensity in the latter times. (1 Tim.4:1) And will become a large-scale apostasy when he who witholdeth is taken out of the way. Then the “many antichrists” make way for the antichrist who shall come.
The restrainer is holding back the apostasy from the faith that Christ is come in the flesh, withholding the mystery of iniquity, and therefore the man of sin being revealed until the restrainer is taken out of the way. This restrainer would not be any governments as Christ’s kingdom is not of this world and thus not ordained to advance the preaching of Christ, but this whole world lieth in wickedness. (Jn.18:36, 1 Jn.5:19) They will become his in that day (Rev.11:15), but right now they are under the power of Satan (Lk.4:5-7) as God permits. Neither can it be understood that this restrainer is Michael the Archangel (Dan.10:13,21,12:1, Jd.1:9, Rv.12:7), for the selfsame reasons that he is not opposing the doctrines of the world denying Christ in the mystery of the gospel (Eph.6:19, Rom.16:25) “which things the angels desire to look into”. (1 Pt.1:12)
Apparently 'he' that now withholdeth the man of sin from being revealed in his time is that new man (Eph.2:15). Which when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Rom.11:25) will become a perfect man (Eph.4:13) and will be taken (2 Thes.2:7). None considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (Isa.57:1). The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead (Prv.11:8 ‘then shall that Wicked be revealed’). Jesus when he ascended to the Father's house to sit at his right hand it was said "he was taken up". (Act.1:9)
The message that the spirit of antichrist hates is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Word with God who is himself God come in the flesh. (Jn.1:1, 14, 1 Tim.3:16)
1 Jn.2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. v22-3 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
All those denying the incarnation and full deity of Jesus Christ are carried by the spirit of antichrist and our battle is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray for the word of the Lord to have free course (Ac.6:4, 2 Thes.3:1). If we are not doing this we are not exercising ourselves in the weapons of our warfare. Our feet are not shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Rom.10:14-5) But how shall they hear without a preacher? Christ himself said “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Ac.1:8) Are we bringing into captivity every thought and casting down wicked imaginations and philosophies contrary to the doctrine of Christ? If not then “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Rev.3:1-3)
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Lk.21:34-6)
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. (Mk.13:33-7)
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