#restrainer

Vorab: Dies ist kein Food-Blog und dementsprechend hat KBr selbstverständlich nichts in dem Kaffee zu suchen, den Sie morgens trinken möchten. Wer aber meinen Blog kennt, weiß auch, daß ich seit vielen Jahren Caffenol zum Entwickeln von Schwarzweißfilmen nutze. Dieser Entwickler wird jeweils frisch aus Instantkaffee, Vitamin C und Waschsoda zusammengerührt und hat einen vergleichsweise harmlosen…

I’ve been sitting with something that surfaced in a recent conversation:

that strange line in **2 Thessalonians**—“the one who restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.”

The picture that keeps coming back to me is a winter orchard:

* Trees look dead; leaves are gone.

* Sap hasn’t vanished—it’s pulled back to the hidden core.

* Spring is still on the calendar even when every branch feels brittle.

If the Holy Spirit is “stepping aside” in some visible arenas, maybe it feels like those bare branches: morality unmoored, restraint evaporating. But beneath the bark the life is still pulsing—just concentrated in the roots, nourishing a remnant until the set time for budding.

A friend framed it this way: creation remains obedient while humanity barrels toward the final harvest. When restraint lifts, the contrast sharpens—winter wind heightens the promise of a coming blossom.

**How I’m responding**

Keeping daily worship steady; that’s where the hidden sap flows.

Refusing to panic when more “leaves” fall—institutions, platforms, even relationships.

Sharing every small testimony of new growth (healings, answered prayers) like the first buds that announce spring.

“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.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

— 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (NKJV)

In a time when the foundations of morality and order are being shaken across the globe, this passage in 2 Thessalonians carries urgent prophetic weight. It speaks of a restrainer that is currently holding back full-scale lawlessness — but not forever. A time is coming when this restrainer will be removed, and when that happens, the world will be plunged into unprecedented deception, disorder, and rebellion.

This isn’t just about a man rising to power. It’s about a spiritual system, a collective people, and a global uprising against the truth of God. Let's break it down.

🛡 Who is the Restrainer?

Paul never names the restrainer directly, but scripture gives us enough clues:

The Holy Spirit is certainly the power behind all truth, order, and righteousness.

God’s people — the body of Christ — are the earthly vessels through which that restraint operates.

Lawful authority (Romans 13) such as justice systems, civil leaders, and even social norms still act as barriers to open rebellion.

The restrainer is therefore the presence of godly influence in the world, particularly the Spirit-filled body of Christ — those who live by the truth, uphold righteousness, and resist the spiritual tide of rebellion.

> “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”

— Matthew 5:13–14

But Jesus also warned: “The night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4)

⚠️ Why Is the Restrainer Removed?

The removal of the restrainer marks a judicial act by God — a point at which the world no longer wants truth, and He gives them over to what they crave: delusion and lawlessness.

> “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie…”

— 2 Thessalonians 2:11

The reason is clear:

> “…because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (v.10)

This is not ignorance. It is willful rebellion.

When truth is no longer welcome, God removes those who carry it.

This parallels with the departure of God’s people — whether by persecution, silencing, or being caught up at the appointed time — and the final lifting of the Holy Spirit’s restraint, allowing evil to flood in.

🧱 Who Is the Lawless One?

Though 2 Thessalonians speaks of “the lawless one” as though it were a person, it becomes clear that this is more than just a man:

It is a spirit — “the spirit of the antichrist, which… is already in the world” (1 John 4:3)

It is a system — built on deception, rebellion, and counterfeit authority

It is a people — those who reject the truth and embrace falsehood

Just as Jesus has a body, so too does Satan. The body of lawlessness is made up of those who:

Suppress truth

Mock righteousness

Embrace sin

Follow false teachers

Participate in spiritual and cultural rebellion

Paul said:

> “…they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

— 2 Timothy 4:3–4

This is the generation that arises once the restrainer is removed.

🌍 What Happens After the Restrainer Is Gone?

1. Lawlessness will abound (Matthew 24:12)

2. Civil order will collapse (Isaiah 3:5)

3. Ethnic and national divisions will explode (Matthew 24:7 — “nation against nation”)

4. False miracles and supernatural deception will increase (2 Thess. 2:9)

5. The Antichrist system will take global power (Revelation 13:7)

The world will experience chaos, strong delusion, and a false peace that leads into total destruction.

🔥 What Happens When Jesus Returns?

> “…whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

— 2 Thessalonians 2:8

When Jesus returns, the entire lawless structure — the man, the movement, the system, the spirit — will be obliterated by His presence.

He will:

Expose the lies

Crush the rebellion

Judge the lawless

Vindicate the saints

Establish righteousness

> “The Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly…”

— Jude 1:14–15

🛡 What Should We Do Right Now?

Paul tells Timothy what to do in an age of rebellion — and it's the same for us:

> “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

— 2 Timothy 4:2–5

✅ So we must:

Hold fast to the truth

Preach the Word boldly

Resist the spirit of the age

Do the work of an evangelist

Watch and wait for the Lord’s return

✝️ Final Word

The restrainer is not just a passive force — it's a people filled with the Spirit of God, holding the line. But a time is coming when that line will be removed, and the lawless will flood in.

Now is the time to shine. Now is the time to speak. Now is the time to stand.

Because soon — very soon — the restrainer will be taken out of the way, and the world will see exactly what happens when truth is no longer welcome.

In my previous post I dispensed of the notion that the restrainer (2 Thess. 2:6-7) is the archangel Michael, as many incorrectly believe.  Daniel 12:1 is the only Scripture reference that I know of that is used to support that contention.  So, who or what is it?   Of all the other possibilities the only one that makes sense, considering all the requirements of restraining the evil one, is the…

“And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.”  Matthew 24:22 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”  Matthew 24:24 “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect…

Amir Tsarfati: The Restrainer