Ready for Rapture

ii. Who is the RESTRAINER?

written by Susan Davis

The LORD revealed to me that the RESTRAINER, in 2 Thes. 2:7, was literally the HOLY SPIRIT inside the church indicating that the church is removed (via rapture) and then simlutaneously the Antichrist is revealed. Amazingly this was revealed to Dr. Jack Van Impe as well because I came on his writing of this account much later and found that his account was very similar to mine--so I am posting both accounts given to each of us by the LORD.

If you read this as I have carefully laid it out--the HOLY SPIRIT WHO lives in the bride is the Restrainer that has to be removed before the antichrist is revealed--and the first three "SEAL" events of tribulation are "antichrist"-driven events so the antichrist has to be revealed in order for these first three tribulation events to take place, but prior to his being revealed, he is merely the man of lawlessness and the son of perdition--after the Restrainer is removed then he moves into the role of antichrist and then the first three "SEAL" events of the tribulation requiring the antichrist take place but not before the Restrainer is taken out of the way...

FIRST HERE IS MY EXPLANATION OF WHO THE RESTRAINER IS AND THEN DR. JACK VAN IMPE'S BELOW...
Who is The RESTRAINER?

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 (NKJV): And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only HE WHO now restrains will do so until HE is taken out of the way.

I am writing about the RESTRAINER WHO is holding back the lawlessness and the wrath of GOD and the onset of the Antichrist after the rapture.

WHO is the RESTRAINER? Well it has to be the HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HOLD BACK LAWLESSNESS BECAUSE HE IS GOD. And in this instance, the HOLY SPIRIT is operating in the TRUE CHURCH WHO HE INFILLS! HE is filled the LAMPS OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST and the combination is a POWERFUL FORCE ON EARTH--SO POWERFUL that lawlessness is restrained! How do we know this? Well you have to go all the way back to the Old Testament to the story in Genesis about Abraham and Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham is pleading with GOD to not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and negotiates by suggesting that there are too many righteous in the city to destroy them.

But GOD cannot help Abraham because not even ten righteous could be found: Genesis 18:32 (NKJV): 32 Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." Now researchers and historians say that the total population for these cities destroyed based on ancient records could have been in the neighborhood of 30 to 40,000 people. Okay that's a lot of evil people--but still the point here is that ten RIGHTEOUS people could have kept that many people from being destroyed. And this is what is happening again!

The True Church also known as the bride of CHRIST or the five virgins with full oil lamps are keeping the entire earth from currently experiencing FULL-ON Wrath (post rapture) of GOD and the Antichrist in check. The bride of CHRIST is in the earth and the HOLY SPIRIT is operating IN and a THROUGH her in these last days before the coming rapture when she will be removed. So when the RESTRAINER WHO is within the bride of CHRIST is taken out of the way will the HOLY SPIRIT be gone from the earth? NO WAY: the HOLY SPIRIT WHO is GOD is OMNIPRESENT and is still in the earth. See Psalm 139:7-10: Where can I go from YOUR SPIRIT? Or where can I flee from YOUR PRESENCE? If I ascend into Heaven, YOU are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, YOU are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, ...

So the HOLY SPIRIT WHO is holding back the lawlessness WITHIN and FOR the bride of CHRIST is clearly still in the earth as GOD, but we can see that the difference is the True Church is REMOVED FOR SAFEKEEPING from the lawlessness to come over the earth and at that point the introduction of the Antichrist who takes his place to torment those who are left is clearly after the bride is removed in the rapture.

HERE IS DR. JACK VAN IMPE'S EXPLANATION OF THE RESTRAINER WHICH IS IDENTICAL TO MINE ALTHOUGH GIVEN TO EACH OF US AT A DIFFERENT TIME.

There is a great deal of confusion concerning the presence of the HOLY SPIRIT during the tribulation hour. This has resulted from a faulty understanding and interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (KJV): For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
The term "letteth" is the Old English word for "hinders". The picture being painted here is the rise of the Antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2:6 (KJV) states: And now ye know what withholdeth that he (the Antichrist) might be revealed in his time. Then verse seven makes it clear that the HINDERER, the HOLY SPIRIT, is taken out of the way.

Here is another reason millions believe in the pre-Tribulation rapture. WHY? THE HINDERER lives in the hearts of HIS people: Romans 8:9 (KJV): But ye are not in the flesh, but in the SPIRIT, if so be that the SPIRIT of GOD dwell in you. Now if any man have not the SPIRIT of CHRIST, he is none of HIS. Also, 1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV): Know ye not that ye are the temple of GOD, and that the SPIRIT of GOD dwelleth in you? Because of this truth, GOD's SPIRIT cannot be taken unless those in whom HE lives are taken. HALLELUJAH! One should note, however, that the SPIRIT's removal only speaks of HIS "restraining" power.

Let me prove this assertion: The HOLY SPIRIT is GOD, the third member of the GODHEAD. As GOD, HE omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere at all times). Therefore, the HOLY SPIRIT cannot be removed from the earth because HE, as GOD, is in all places constantly. David states in Psalm 139:7-10 (KJV): 7 Whither shall I go from THY SPIRIT? Or whither shall I flee from THY Presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, THOU art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, THOU art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall THY Hand lead me, and THY right hand shall hold me. Since the HOLY SPIRIT is everywhere at all times, only HIS restraining influence over sin is removed during the Tribulation hour.

 
Presently Christians are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (see Matt. 5:13-16). The evacuation of Christians, in whose hearts the HOLY SPIRIT lives, is the way--the only way--HIS restraining influence on sin is removed, ridding the world of salt and light. Christians are GOD's preservative forces, as well as the dispellers of darkness. Imagine what happens when the SPIRIT's restraining influence (the Church) is removed via the rapture. Quite literally, all hell will break lose upon the earth. 

Source: Dr. Jack Van Impe