Pre-Trib. Or Pre-Wrath? - Study 5

Does the Bible teach that Jesus will rapture His people before the Tribulation? This is a series of Studies on the question, "Will the rapture be before the Tribulation or before the Wrath of God?

"PRE-TRIB. OR PRE-WRATH? Section Four

Matt. 24:1-51

OH! WHERE DID YOU GO?

It should be noted that there are those who teach that the Holy Spirit will be removed

from the earth altogether during this seven year period. They use as a proof text

Second Thessalonians 2: 6,7: ’’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" (KJV)

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This is how it reads in the New Scofield Bible: "And now ye know what restraineth

that he might be revealed in him time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work;

only he who now hindereth will continue to hinder until he be taken out of the way. "

Some teach of this passage that the Holy Spirit will be removed when the churches are

removed at the beginning of the tribulation. Further more, they say the restraining force is

the Lord’s churches which are empowered by the Holy Spirit and as long as the Holy Spirit is in the world the antichrist can not come. If this is true, it does set up an entire series of contradictions that is very difficult to be understood. If a person will examine the entire book of 1 Thessalonians, he will find that the very subject at hand is the coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation.

Second Thessalonians chapter one gives a person two places where the "WHEN" of the

second coming is pin pointed. In 1:7 it reads, ’’And to you who are troubled, rest with

us, WHEN he shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking

vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus

Christ; . . . "

No one could possibly interpret this "WHEN" at any other time than at the end of the tribulation. Then again in 1:10 it reads, "WHEN’ he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed)in that day."

Here again, it must be the coming of our Lord at the end of the tribulation. If He will

be "admired in all them that believed," since all that believe will not even be saved until

the end of the tribulation, (for there will be a multitude of people saved during the

tribulation) this coming can not be at the beginning of the tribulation period.

Now, we come to 2 Thessalonians chapter two. The Apostle Paul, first reasons that

two things must take place before Jesus will return. He says that Jesus will not come until:

(1) the falling away takes place (the apostasy);

(2) the man of sin must be revealed, the son of perdition. Since the son of perdition

(the antichrist) will not be revealed until the middle of the tribulation, it stands to

reason that the church will be here at least until after the middle of the tribulation.

It does not make a great deal of sense to think of Paul saying "Jesus will not come until

after the antichrist is revealed but the church is raptured three and a half years before the

antichrist is revealed." How can the church be raptured three and a half years before Jesus

comes? It just does not harmonize with what the rest of the Bible teaches. Hear again, if

you say that there is a coming before this coming, please show me where the Scripture

teaches it.

The evidence of the existence of the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation period is so evident that I can’t even begin to understand how some would deny his ministry during this time when God’s people will need His comforting power more than ever.

WHO IN THE WORLD IS

DOING THE RESTRAINING?

I have tried to point out that the Holy Spirit will be very active during the tribulation period. I do not believe nor does the Bible bear out the teaching that the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth during the 7 years of tribulation.

That doesn’t answer the question of who is the one restraining the antichrist from

coming forth? Let me print the verses of 2 Thess. 2:3-8, "Let no man deceive

you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come the falling away first,

and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, Who opposeth and exalteth

himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he, as God, sitteth in