SCRIPTURE: And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time (2 Thessalonians 2:6).
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul, by the Spirit writes, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." Who is the "son of perdition"? It's the Antichrist. The Bible describes him as one "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
The Antichrist is someone who not only rejects God but also exalts himself above God, setting himself up as an object of worship. This deception is a hallmark of the end times, a period of great spiritual and moral decadence. However, our theme scripture also gives us a clue about the timeline of these events; it indicates that something or someone is currently restraining the Antichrist, preventing him from being revealed before the proper time.
Who is this restraining force? It is the Church, filled with the Holy Spirit, standing in the gap and holding back the full manifestation of lawlessness. The presence of the Church on earth is the restraining force against the powers of darkness. Paul further clarifies in verse 7, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."
This means that lawlessness is already at work in the world, but it is being restrained by the Holy Spirit through the Church. We have a significant role to play in these last days. The Church must continue to stand firm, preach the Gospel, and live out the truth of God's Word. Until we are "taken out of the way," we have the authority to dictate the timing of the Antichrist's revelation.
Our mission is clear: Preach the Gospel to every creature, in all nations, because only through faith in Jesus Christ can they be saved. There's no other way (Mark 16:15-16). We decide the timing through our actions, our prayers, and the spread of the Gospel. As we fulfil our mission, God is counting the souls brought into His Kingdom.
He's the one who knows the exact number of those who must be saved and keeps the records. When the full number of the Gentiles is brought in as the Bible says in Romans 11:25, then the end will come. Until then, we continue to haul back the forces of darkness, keeping Satan and his cohorts of darkness where they belong—under our feet!
PRAYER
Dear Father, I stand firm, by your Spirit, against the forces of darkness and hold back the full manifestation of evil until the appointed time. I pray that every Christian remains steadfast in our mission to preach the Gospel to all nations, quickly bringing many to salvation, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Mark 16:15-16
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Romans 11:25
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.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Hebrews 10:19-39 & Ezekiel 3-4
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
2 Peter 3:1-18 & Ezekiel 43
