The Holy Spirit's Role During the Tribulation

Introduction

We have finally arrived at one of the most anticipated questions of our study. What is the role of the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation?

For us to answer that question, we must start with 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8

2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (KJV 1900)

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [katecho - to hold down or restrain] will let, until he be taken out of the way.

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:

There were two letters written to the local church located in Thessalonica. In both letters, the Holy Spirit himself addresses Christ’s return for the local church believers as well the coming Day of the Lord, Christ’s Second Coming. His reason for doing so was the fact that already there must erroneous teaching occuring about the Day of the Lord. Some false teachers were teaching that the Day of the Lord was already happening in the 1st Century. By the way, there are many still trying to teach this same false teaching today. The Holy Spirit writes this wonderful second letter to the Thessalonian believers to correct the misinformation that was spreading throughout many of the churches of that day. In doing so, the Holy Spirit states that Day of the Lord could not be happening since it would not happen until “he who now letteth will let, UNTIL he be taken out of the way.” It is after He is taken out of the way, that “then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth...” Thus, there was something restraining the Day of the Lord from occurring.

“The central truth of the passage under discussion is that, though Satan would long ago have consummated his evil program for his cosmos world, and have brought forward its last human ruler, there is a Restrainer who restrains to the end that Satan’s program shall be developed and completed only at God’s appointed time” - Lewis Sperry Chafer, “Systematic Theology.”

The Identity of “the Restrainer”

Who is the Restrainer?

This is our first question which must be answered. There many who have attempted to identify this restraining agency.

The Roman Empire?

Some have held that the Roman Empire was the restrainer since it was the ruling empire at the time this letter was penned. However, we know that it is not correct since Scripture applies today even as it did then. There is no Roman Empire today.

Human Government?

Some have closely associated the restrainer to human government in general. Since Rome was the ruling government over most of the known world at that time, it came to represent human government in a generic sense. Even now, we have government in every country of the world.

Romans 13:1 KJV 1900

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

This verse attests that government is ordained by God. Yet, even this view cannot be true of “Restrainer” for human government continues even through the tribulation.

Satan?

Some others hold to the view that the “Restrainer” is Satan. However, this holds no water when you consider the words of Christ in Mark 3:25

Mark 3:25 KJV 1900

25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Additionally, the removal of the restrainer does not free the world from Satanic activity, as would be the case if Satan were the restrainer, instead, it thrusts Satan into the world with unleashed fury as noted in Revelation 12:12

Revelation 12:12 KJV 1900

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Some others have maintained that the restrainer is the local church. They argue that the believers, who are likened to salt which is a perservative, are the ones restraining sin. Certainly, we, as believers, are the means through which restraint is felt. However, we are just the channel and not the agent of restraint. This thought leads us to the final answer.

The Holy Spirit!

There are number of reasons to support the fact that the Holy Spirit is the Restrainer mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8.

We can conclude the Holy Spirit by simply elimination. All that were mentioned above fall short of meeting the requirements of a restrainer.

We can also conclude the following based on Satan’s personality certain things about the restrainer. For example, Satan is a person who operates within a spiritual realm hidden to our physical eyes. Thus, the restrainer must also be a person who operates within the spiritual realm and who is presently holding the Antichrist in check. The Roman Empire and human government most certainly do not operate in the spiritual realm and are completely unable to hold back such spiritual power.

We can conclude as well that restrainer must be a member of the Godhead in order to accomplish what is being done. In order to hold back the Wicked One, the Man of Sin, it must be someone who is stronger than Satan. Logically, we can conclude that only God has the power to do such a thing.

We also can conclude from our study of Scripture that our current dispensation is not just the dispensation of grace and the local church, but is also the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Currently, the Holy Spirit works differently in this age than in other dispensations. We have, as believers, the blessing of God’s Spirit residing within us. Christ Himself began this dispensation by breathing upon the disciples placing His Spirit within them. Then, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enabled them to do some miraculous works proving outwardly to the world that He indeed was within them.

We also know from that one of the Holy Spirit’s responsibilities during this dispensation is to restrain evil.

John 16:7–11 KJV 1900

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

1 John 4:4 KJV 1900

4 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.

We also know from a study of the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit had a great restraining influence upon the world even though He was not resident on earth as He is today.

Isaiah 59:19 KJV 1900

19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, And his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

Salvation In the Tribulation

One of the biggest question often asked about the Tribulation is this. Will people be saved during the Tribulation period? Again, for us to properly answer this question we must begin with the premise that the Tribulation period will return to how things were before Christ established the local church. That premise is based on the fact that we, as believers of this dispensation, are raptured out. Therefore, we must turn to the Old Testament to understand how salvation will work in the Tribulation.

The Holy Spirit’s Relation to Believers in the Tribulation

It is important that we understand a key doctrinal fact about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God.

Acts 5:3–4 KJV 1900

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 KJV 1900

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 KJV 1900

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV 1900

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Thus, the Holy Spirit has the very same attributes associated with God. One of the key attributes of God is His omnipresence.

Psalm 139:7 KJV 1900

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV 1900

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Anyone who denies the deity of the Holy Spirit is denying the deity of God.

Now, with that in mind, we can effectively set aside the fact that as God the Holy Spirit plays an active role in all dispensations including the tribulation. It is not a question of the Holy Spirit’s existence or deity, it simply a question of how He works during the Tribulation. As we already noted, during this dispensation, the Holy Spirit indwells believers doing many different works. He comforts, intercedes on our behalf, convicts of sin, illuminates our minds to Scripture, and restrains the Wicked One until the time God has determined. Now, go back to our text.

2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 KJV 1900

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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:

Note again that, at some point, He, the Holy Spirit, will “be taken out of the way.” In other words, His responsibility of restraining the Wicked One will come to an end. It is extremely important that we do not misinterpret this to mean that the Holy Spirit is no longer omnipresent nor operative during the Tribulation. Even during the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit will work in and through men.

What will cease during the Tribulation will be the particular ministries of the Holy Spirit to the believer in this present age.

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 KJV 1900

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit will cease because there is no local church, body of Christ, for believers to be baptized into.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 KJV 1900

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit will cease as it did with us because we will be in Heaven and not on the earth any longer.

Ephesians 1:13 KJV 1900

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30 KJV 1900

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The sealing of the Holy Spirit will not longer be needed because the “day of redemption” will have already occurred when we are raptured out.

Ephesians 5:18 KJV 1900

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

The filling of the Holy Spirit will not longer be necessary for at the rapture we will receive our glorified body and no longer be burdened by this carnal flesh.

It would seem that believer during the Tribulation will not be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Instead, these believers will experience the same relationship that believers of the Old Testament enjoyed. In the Old Testament, we often see the Holy Spirit moving on and off believers as He used them for His service. A great example of this found periodically in the life of Saul and David, the first two kings of Israel. Saul was often filled with the Holy Spirit. At other times, Saul was filled with an evil spirit. The Holy Spirit and an evil spirit cannot coexist in a person at the same time. We know that even later when Saul set out to kill David when David was with Samuel the prophet that the Holy Spirit came upon Saul and began prophesying. It would seem that this is the same case with believers during the Tribulation.

Since all of the Spirit’s ministries to the believer today depend upon His indwelling presence, the absence of this prevents all the dependent ministries to the tribulation saints.

The Nature of Salvation in the Old Testament

There are two basic aspects of Old Testament salvation. However, before I get into this subject, let make this statement. There are some who teach that there is no salvation in the Old Testament because salvation is dependent upon the gospel message which centers around the death, burial, and resurrection. I know that one such person who used to teach here at our church believed this. I have no idea if he taught such beliefs, but I strongly disagree with that teaching. My disagreement begins by my understanding of Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 1900

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation is completely dependent upon God’s grace. As we are going to see in a few moments, God’s grace in the Old Testament may have looked differently than it did in the New Testament, but it is still God’s grace. Secondly, as noted in this text, faith is necessary as well. Over in Hebrews, the Holy Spirit says this about faith.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Two things must be believed in order to please God and enjoy His grace. A person must believe that He exists and, then, they must believe that He rewards those who seek Him. Nothing changes in the Old Testament. Salvation still came because of God’s grace. God demanded that people in the Old Testament believe Him and His rewards. As they did, they enjoyed God’s grace.

Earlier I noted two aspects of salvation in the Old Testament.

The First Aspect of Salvation was individual salvation.

There is ample evidence that God offered salvation in the Old Testament to individual who accepted by faith the blood sacrifices as foreshadows of the coming true sacrifice realized in Christ’s death on the cross. Such salvation was presented to each individual as an inheritance, to be received at a future time, rather than a present possession. Thus, the Old Testament person who believed God and diligently pursued Him was truly saved.

EXAMPLE: Abraham is the perfect example. First of all, long before Israel became a nation, there was Abraham, the father of Israel. Note Romans 4:3

Romans 4:3 KJV 1900

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

If you couple that with Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

We find that Abraham was one such individual who believed God and diligently pursued God.

Romans 4:16–22 KJV 1900

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

It would seem that the nature of individual salvation was much the same in the O.T. as it was in the N.T. Surely that would be in accordance with God who does not change. Why then would salvation by faith be different in the Old Testament? It wouldn’t be different. God’s method of salvation has always been by grace through faith. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, David, Samuel, and the a whole host of O.T. people chose to place their faith in God. Hebrews 12 begins stating...

Hebrews 12:1 KJV 1900

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Who belongs to this great cloud of witnesses? All that were just mentioned in chapter 11.

The Second Aspect of Salvation in the Old Testament was national salvation.

Now please understand that what I mean by national salvation are God’s promise to fulfill His covenants with Israel. The entire Tribulation period is the means by which God purges Israel and the world so that Christ may sit on the throne of David ruling a holy and righteous people. Thus, we see several passages in the Old Testament that speak to a national salvation.

Ezekiel 20:37–38 KJV 1900

37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Isaiah 59:20–21 KJV 1900

20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, And my words which I have put in thy mouth, Shall not depart out of thy mouth, Nor out of the mouth of thy seed, Nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, From henceforth and for ever.

Matthew 23:37–39 KJV 1900

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Acts 15:16 KJV 1900

16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

It is interesting that the Holy Spirit gives us a clear distinction between Israel the nation and spiritual Israel.

Romans 9:6 KJV 1900

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

The entire chapter 11 of Romans speaks to this same thought for which we do not have the time to read this evening.

Romans 11:25–27 KJV 1900

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Thus, as we can see, a saved Israeli can rejoice in his own salvation and the coming national salvation at the same time.

Just solidify some of the Old Testament promises of salvation, here a just a few of the many passages which do so.

Jeremiah 30:7 KJV 1900

7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; But he shall be saved out of it.

Daniel 12:1 KJV 1900

1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Zechariah 13:1 KJV 1900

1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened To the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem For sin and for uncleanness.

Zechariah 13:8–9 KJV 1900

8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, Two parts therein shall be cut off and die; But the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, And will refine them as silver is refined, And will try them as gold is tried: They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: And they shall say, The Lord is my God.

We find these same promises during Christ’s earthly ministry in passages such as Matthew 13:47-50, Matthew 24:13, and John 3:1-21.

The Fulfillment of Promised Salvation to Old Testament Saints

Revelation 7 is the go to chapter for this conversation. It is a remarkable record of its fulfillment concerning individual salvation as promises in the Old Testament.

Individual Fulfillment

As we have already noted in an earlier discussion, the first eight verses of Revelation 7 gives us the description of the 144,000 sealed servants of God. However, the circumstances of their salvation is only implied. Note a few things.