Sermon Tone Analysis

It was the year 536 AD, a mysterious black fog descended upon Europe and most of the northern hemisphere.

For the next 18 months, the people in these regions lived in darkness.

Then came ten years continental-scale crop failures, extreme drought, famine and disease.

For example, in the year 540, the bubonic plague broke in the Eastern Roman Empire killing 35-50% of the population.

Many Christians thought 536 was the beginning of the Great Tribulation prophesied about in the Book of Revelation.

Of course, it was not the end of the world; it was the eruption of an Islandic volcano.

Rather than marking the End of the World, it marked the beginning of the Dark Age.

The Christians of the 6th century are not that much different from you and I.

As far back as I can remember I have heard fellow believers say they think we are in the Last Days.

Why is it that every generation of believers have felt that they were in the “End Times” and that the Lord could come any moment?

Why is it that every generation of believers could look at false teachers and evil political figures and wonder if this person could be the Antichrist?

Why is it that every generation of believers have seen wars, natural disasters and plagues as possible signs of God’s judgement against sin?

The answer to these questions is found in 2 Thessalonians 2, specifically Paul’s teaching about the “mystery of lawlessness” and the Restraint and Restrainer that are holding the Final Antichrist back.

Let us again hear God’s Word:

Verse 6 mentions a neuter, impersonal “restraining” force that holds back the revealing of the Antichrist and verse 7 mentions a personal “restrainer.”

What is in view here is God has currently place a “restraint” upon Satan and his servant the Antichrist.

This “restraint” is being enacted, not by an impersonal force, but by a personal individual.

Consequently, there are two questions before us as we seek to understand this passage: What is the “restraint” and who is the “restrainer”?

Clearly Paul does not identify either the “restraint” or the “restrainer.”

He refers back to his oral teaching when he was with the Thessalonians (2 Th 2:5).

Because we don’t have the benefit of this oral teaching, many commentators believe that we cannot identify either the restraint or the restrainer.

I believe this response is not in line with 2 Timothy 3:16 which teaches that “All Scripture is…profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

In other words, the answer to this question can be found in Scripture itself, because if we must have Paul’s oral teaching, then Scripture would not be “complete.”

So let’s begin by asking, where does Scripture speak of a restrain being placed upon Satan and his forces of evil?

The Restraint

The answer to where Scripture teaches about a restrain being placed upon Satan and his activities is not hard to find.

The clearest example is Revelation 20:1-3.

This text fits all the details of our text in 2 Thessalonians 2:

There is a restraint being placed on Satan, “a great chain”.

There is a restrainer, “an angel”.

There is a purpose to the restraint, “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer.”

There is a removal of the restraint, “he must be released for a little while.”

All this lines up perfectly with what Paul says in our text.

This restraint goes a long way in answering why every generation has felt they where in the Last Days, because they were!

When Christ came the first time, the Last Days began.

For example, we see during His earthly ministry a Great Apostasy among the Jewish people.

John writes:

In the gospels, we also read of greater demonic and satanic activity than the world has ever seen or has seen since.

As Jesus’ ministry approached the cross, it seemed that every force of evil in the world converged on Jerusalem to destroy God’s Messiah and His followers.

At the cross, it appeared as though Satan had won his final victory, but as Jesus’ cried out those final words, “it is finished,” Satan’s victory became defeat!

It was at that moment Satan “fell like lightening from heaven,” (Lk 10:18) into the pit of Revelation 20:3!

As Satan was restrained, it was like a cosmic pause button was pushed and the Last Days were placed on hold.

That is why if feels like we are in the End Times, because we are.

Satan and his forces are still active, but they are “restrained.”

Their efforts cannot overcome the advancement of the Gospel.

As Jesus said, “the gates of Hell cannot overcome the preaching of the Gospel and the church.

(Mt 16:16-19) Most importantly, Satan can no longer deceive the Gentile nations any longer according to Revelation 20:3.

Up until this time, the Gentile nations were in the iron grip of Satan, we see this reflected in the temptation of Jesus:

Satan would not have been able to offer to Christ the nations of his world unless they were under his control, but now, that control has been broken!

Most, if in all, who hear this message are Gentiles by birth.

If God had not placed a restraint upon Satan, you and I would have never believed the gospel.

This amazing turn of events is part of the “mystery of the Gospel”.

The Jews knew that through Abraham the Gentiles would be blessed, but they never dreamed they would be blessed this much!

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I hope that you add to your list of things you are thankful for the restraint of Satan.

We live in a wonderful time, when Gentiles like you and I can become “sons of Abraham” (Gal 3:7-8) and “heirs to the promise” (Gal 3:29) though faith in Jesus Christ!

Our text does not only speak of a Restraint, but also of a Restrainer:

The Restrainer

In the history of the church, there has been all kinds of speculation as to who this “restrainer” is, but it is to Scripture we should turn for our answers.

Revelation 20:1 identifies the restrainer as an “angel coming down from heaven.”

Furthermore, because Paul relies so heavily upon the prophesies of Daniel in his reply to the Thessalonians, we should turn to Daniel to see if there are any clues as to who the restrainer might be and this is what we find:

Michael is the archangel who is in charge of protecting God’s people.

Daniel tells us that before the final resurrection, there will be a time of great distress for God’s people and because of this, Michael shall arise to protect God’s people.

In light of what we learn about the purposed of the restraint in Revelation 20:3, “that [Satan] might not deceive the nations any longer,” Michael is the perfect candidate for who this angel is who enforces the restraint that Christ won upon the cross.

This restraining work of Michael helps us to understand why every generation felt they were in the End Times.

Although Satan and his evil follower have been hamstrung, there is a spirit of “lawlessness” at work in the church.

For almost two thousand years, the church has been plagued with false teachers and persecutions.

This reality is why one of the cornerstones of the apostolic teaching was to make sure every new believer understood that it was “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

How lacking this is in the church today.

In the nineteenth century, a new teaching called Dispensationalism sprang up in the church.

Dispensationalism teaches that will happen BEFORE the Great Tribulation, rather than AFTER as the church had universally taught for 19 centuries!

Now Christians have been conditioned to think it is their birthright as believers to be spared tribulation, when in fact, the exact opposite is true.

Peter writes:

Knowing that tribulations can happen to us now, we need to heed Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians:

We need to do this all the more in light of the fact that...

When the Restraint is Removed, “All Hell Breaks Loose”

It is at this time that the Great Apostasy and the Final Antichrist are revealed.

What was once localized will then be experienced universally.

All hell will literally break loose upon the world!

Many Christians live in fear and dread of the Great Tribulation, but I want to suggest that we need not.

The recurring message of the Book of Revelation is that even in persecution and death the church is triumphant.

In fact, Romans 11 suggests that it will be the suffering of Gentile believers that God will use to bring ethnic Israel to faith, for Paul writes:

Notice that the conversion of the Jews is linked to the “fullness of the Gentiles.”

As we have learned the restraint is for the purpose of the conversion of the Gentiles, once the full number of Gentiles have been saved the restraint will be taken off Satan.

Again Satan will be hoodwinked, just when he thought he was winning by persecuting the Gentile church, “all Israel with be saved”!

What a glorious plan God has for Gentile believers!

By the victory of Christ He freed us from the deception of Satan, by the power of Michael the archangel He is restraining Satan until the full number of Gentiles come to faith and by our faithfulness under suffering during the Great Tribulation God is going to save His ancient people Israel!

No wonder Paul concludes Romans 11 with these words:

Let us pray.