Who is "he who letteth" in II Thessalonians 2?

By Ken Raggio

One of the most thorough discussions of the Antichrist in the Bible is in Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter 2. Let me refresh your memory.

II Thessalonians 2:3-8

"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 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. 

Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 

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. 

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."

These things we know about Antichrist from these verses.

1. Antichrist is called the MAN OF SIN and the SON OF PERDITION (which means "destruction").

2. Antichrist will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called or worshipped as God.

3. Antichrist will sit in the temple of God showing himself to be God. (This apparently will take place in the newly rebuilt Third Temple in Jerusalem, which will be constructed.)

4. SOMETHING WITHHOLDS Antichrist, so he can only be revealed at the proper time.

5. He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (More on this later.)

6. Then the Antichrist will be revealed, (who Jesus Christ will destroy with the spirit of his mouth).

Most of the above is very plain and easily understood. However, many people do not understand what is meant by the terms WITHHOLDETH and LETTETH.

Let us take another look at statement 4.

SOMETHING WITHHOLDS THE ANTICHRIST. 

What?? The Church? The Holy Spirit? The angels?

It is very important to know, since many people build their rapture doctrine on the answer.

Some people think the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the earth. No scripture in the Bible says that. I cannot imagine where such a notion came from.

Others think this is the Church being taken and therefore allowing Antichrist to rise. However, when "he" is taken out of the way, it won’t be the Church. The Church is not a HE. It is a SHE – the Bride of Christ.

The scripture does not support the notion that either the Church or the Holy Ghost prevents the Antichrist from being revealed. To hold to such an idea is mere conjecture and guesswork.

We do know that Antichrist will be revealed IN HIS TIME (verse 6). TIMING is everything.

Let me make the point that Antichrist will be a world-renowned person. He will be a world ruler. There have been a limited number of world figures since Old Testament days. There have been six "world" empires that have ruled over the nation of Israel in its history.

1. Egypt. 2. Assyria. 3. Babylon. 4. Medo-Persia. 5. Greece. 6. Rome

If we can get a clearer understanding about the Biblical mechanism that precipitated the rise and fall of these kings and kingdoms, we can better understand the mechanism that will bring the Antichrist into power.

The Prophet Daniel gives us the best insight into this mechanism in the tenth chapter of Daniel.

Daniel fasted and prayed for twenty-one days, at the end of which an angel of the Lord came to him.

Daniel 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

Daniel 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. 21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that HOLDETH with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

Please stay with me for this explanation.

MICHAEL and this angel were engaged in a heavenly WAR with demonic PRINCIPALITIES.

We learn a fascinating truth about how kingdoms rise and fall.

Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon learned it from his punishment from the Lord, in Daniel 2:21, "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:"

GOD installs kings and kingdoms and GOD removes kings and kingdoms.

The WAY that God installs and removes kings is by the holy angels. The angels do spiritual warfare in the heavens with the demonic princes (or principalities).

How did God remove Nebuchadnezzar from his throne? A "watcher" a "holy one came down from heaven" saying "hew him down" (Daniel 4:13, 23).

An angel of the Lord controlled the throne of Babylon.

Later, the angel told Daniel that he and Michael (the archangel) were at war with the Prince of Persia.

As long as GOD allowed the Prince of Persia to prevail, the angel and Michael were unable to defeat him. But IN THE APPOINTED TIME, the angel and Michael defeated the Prince of Persia. At THAT time, the Persian empire fell.

The angel instructed Daniel that he ALREADY KNEW that the Prince of Grecia would be the next adversary, even before the fact.

Do you remember Alexander the Great? He was one of history’s most prolific conquerors, and he did it all in his twenties. I believe he was demon possessed. Why? Because the Prince of Grecia empowered him to lead the Grecian empire.

Only when the angels of God came to defeat the demonic Prince of Grecia did Alexander’s empire fall.

So you see, there is a corresponding "ground prince" to every demonic heavenly prince. When the demon prince is allowed to prevail ("LET" to prevail, using the vernacular of 2 Thessalonians), the ground prince prevails. When the demon prince is HELD (WITHHOLDEN), the ground prince is HELD, WITHHOLDEN – defeated!

After the Prince of Grecia was defeated, history shows the rise of the Prince of Rome. We know this by Daniel 9:26 "the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD, fulfilling this prophecy, and exposing the new Prince of Rome.

Here we have seen an angel controlling the throne of Babylon.

We have seen angels controlling the throne of Persia.

We have seen angels controlling the throne of Grecia (Greece).

We have seen angels controlling the throne of Rome.

And it is ANGELS that control the throne of ANTICHRIST.

When HE, the angel, is taken out of the way, the Antichrist will be revealed.

This is the meaning of Paul’s teaching in 2 Thessalonians 2.

WHO WITHHOLDS ANTICHRIST? WHO LETTETH UNTIL HE IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY?

It is the angels of God, including the angel Michael who stands for the nation of Israel.

WHEN will this happen? When GOD decides!

Consequently, we can be sure that it is NOT the rapture of the Church, nor is it the removing of the Holy Ghost from the earth that precipitates the revealing of the Antichrist

The Church WILL BE ON EARTH when the Antichrist is revealed, and so will the Holy Ghost. Please see my article WHEN IS THE RAPTURE? at http://www.kenraggio.com/KRPN-Rapture.htm