2 Thessalonians 2.7b-The Mystery of Lawlessness Manifests Itself When the Holy Spirit Causes Himself to Depart at the Rapture
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday August 31, 2021
Second Thessalonians: 2 Thessalonians 2:7b-The Mystery of Lawlessness Manifests Itself When the Holy Spirit Causes Himself to Depart at the Rapture
Lesson # 32
2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery which is characterized by a distinguishable lawlessness for its own benefit is already at work only until the one who now prevents it from being revealed causes Himself to depart from the midst of the world. (My translation)
2 Thessalonians 2:7 contains an explanatory clause followed by a participial clause which in turn is followed by an indefinite temporal clause.
The epexegetical or explanatory clause asserts that the mystery which is characterized by a distinguishable lawlessness for its own benefit is already at work and serves to explain in greater detail the previous statement in 2 Thessalonians 2:6.
It is explaining how the manifestation of the man of lawlessness, who we noted is the Antichrist relates chronologically to the mystery of lawlessness that was presently at work in the world when Paul wrote Second Thessalonians.
This explanatory or epexegetical clause also develops further the work of the Holy Spirit through the church preventing the manifestation of the Antichrist and teaches that the Spirit through the church prevents the mystery of lawlessness from being revealed to the world, which is a reference to Satan’s rebellion against God.
The omnipotence of the Spirit working through the individual members of the church who are obedient to His teaching in the Word of God is preventing both the manifestation of the Antichrist and more importantly the manifestation of Satan’s rebellion against God who is the power behind the Antichrist.
The noun mustērion (μυστήριον), “the mystery” is used to describe the secret nature of Satan’s rebellion against God in relation to unregenerate humanity which is enslaved not only to him but also sin.
In the explanatory or epexegetical clause here in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 we have an elliptical participial clause, which like 2 Thessalonians 2:6 contains the participle conjugation of the verb katechō (κατέχω).
In both instances, the verb means “to hold back, to restrain” since the word pertains to preventing someone from doing something by restraining or hindering.
However, in 2 Thessalonians 2:6, we noted that this word was in the neuter singular form of this verb and its referent was the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every church age believer, manifesting itself through the individual members of the church who are in fellowship with Him through obedience to His teaching in the Word of God.
This time in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, we do not have the neuter singular form of the participle conjugation of this verb but rather the masculine singular.
This time the referent of this participle is the person of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every church age believer, manifesting itself through the individual members of the church who are in fellowship with Him through obedience to His teaching in the Word of God.
Therefore, the verb katechō here in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is expressing the idea that the person of the Holy Spirit manifesting His omnipotence through church age believers, who obey His teaching in the Word of God, is preventing the mystery of lawlessness from being revealed.
The verb katechō is modified by the temporal adverb arti which pertains to a point of time simultaneous with the event of the discourse itself.
Therefore, this word indicates that when Paul wrote First Thessalonians, simultaneously the Holy Spirit is preventing the mystery of lawlessness from being revealed.
The verb katechō is also modified by the adverb monos (μόνος), which pertains to the only entity in a class.
Therefore, this word is expressing the idea that “only” the Holy Spirit manifesting His omnipotence through obedient members of the church is preventing the mystery of lawlessness from being revealed openly to the world.
This participial clause is elliptical because Paul deliberately omits the accusative third person neuter singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), although it is implied.
The word’s referent is the articular nominative neuter singular form of the noun mustērion (μυστήριον), which we noted refers to Satan’s rebellion against God which is hidden from unregenerate humanity who are enslaved not only to sin but also Satan.
This participial clause is also elliptical because Paul also deliberately omits the aorist passive infinitive conjugation of the verb apokalyptō (ἀποκαλύπτω), though it is implied from 2 Thessalonians 2:6.
As was the case when the word appeared in 2 Thessalonians 2:6, the verb apokalyptō here in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 means “to be revealed” since the word pertains to someone becoming known to the public.
However, unlike 2 Thessalonians 2:6 when the verb was used in relation to the manifestation of the Antichrist to the world, the verb here in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is used in relation to the mystery of lawlessness being revealed to the public, which again we noted speaks of Satan’s rebellion against God.
As we noted, this elliptical participial clause is followed by an elliptical indefinite temporal clause, which refers to the period of history in which the Holy Spirit is no longer preventing the mystery of lawlessness from being revealed to the world through the exercise of His omnipotence through the church.
Therefore, it refers to the rapture of the church which will end the church age.
This indefinite temporal clause is expressing the idea that only the Holy Spirit now prevents the mystery of lawlessness from being revealed to the world “until” he departs out from the midst of Satan’s cosmic system, which enslaves and deceives the inhabitants of planet earth.
This indefinite temporal clause is elliptical because Paul deliberately omits the articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun kosmos (κόσμος), though it is implied.
This word means “cosmic world system” since it pertains to a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.
The verb ginomai (γίνομαι) in this indefinite temporal clause is expressing the idea of the Holy Spirit “departing” out from the midst of Satan’s cosmic world system.
The causative middle of this verb indicates that from His own sovereign will, the Holy Spirit will cause Himself to depart out from the midst of Satan’s cosmic system, which enslaves and deceives the inhabitants of planet earth.
So therefore, in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-7, Paul presents two pieces of evidence which will mark the fact that the eschatological day of the Lord is taking place.
First, the Antichrist must revealed publicly to the world through his rebellion against God and secondly, the Holy Spirit who indwells the church must be removed from the earth at the rapture in order for the Antichrist to be revealed to the world.
This departure will result in the mystery of lawlessness being revealed to the world, which is Satan’s rebellion against God and which rebellion is behind the Antichrist’s rebellion.
Paul’s statements recorded in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 assert that the eschatological day of the Lord is absolutely not taking place unless the Antichrist has first rebelled against God by presenting himself in the rebuilt Jewish temple as God.
The apostle asserts in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 that the Spirit who indwells each member of the church and restrains evil and the manifestation of the Antichrist as well as Satan’s rebellion against God must be removed in order for the eschatological day of the Lord to be present.
So therefore, a comparison of these verses indicates that the manifestation of the Antichrist’s rebellion against God and the Holy Spirit’s removal from earth will signal that the eschatological day of the Lord is taking place.
The Spirit will be removed from the earth at the rapture when the church is removed because the Spirit is localized during the church age in the individual members of the body of Christ who compose the church.
Thus, the implication of Paul’s statements in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 is that the Thessalonian Christian community will by no means be living on planet earth during the seventieth week of Daniel because they will have already been removed with the Spirit at the rapture or resurrection of the church.
When Paul asserts in these verses that the Spirit will cause Himself to depart planet earth so that the mystery of lawlessness can be revealed to the world and thus the Antichrist’s rebellion against God can be revealed, he is not teaching that the Spirit will no longer be on earth.
But rather, he is teaching that He won’t be localized in a group of people as He is during the church age.
We must remember that He remains omnipresent even though He will no longer be localized in a group of believers as He is today in regard to the church.
In relation to the unregenerate, the Spirit will assume the same ministry He had before Pentecost and during the church age, namely, He will convict or convince them of sin, righteousness and the defeat of Satan by Jesus at the cross (cf. John 16:7-11).
Many Gentiles and Jews will be saved and benefit from the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
They will be regenerated by the Spirit during the seventieth week of Daniel and Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which the Spirit performed as well on behalf of church age believers at their justification.
The Spirit will give insight to the believers at that time in relation to understanding the Word of God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:1-16) just as He did for church age believers.