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2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way” (v. 7).
Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians addresses a church unsettled by questions about the timing of Christ’s return. Some had apparently concluded that the day of the Lord had already arrived, and Paul writes to correct this misunderstanding. Before that day comes, he explains, certain events must occur: a great apostasy and the revelation of “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thess. 2:3). But this man of lawlessness cannot be revealed until “he who now restrains” is removed (vv. 6–7).
The identity of the restrainer is one of the most debated questions in New Testament interpretation. Paul’s original audience apparently knew the answer, for he reminds them of what he told them in person (v. 5). Various proposals have been offered over the centuries: the Roman Empire, whose system of law and order held back the worst excesses of chaos; the Holy Spirit, whose presence in the church restrains the full manifestation of evil; the preaching of the gospel, which must reach all nations before the end comes; or even God’s providential restraint of evil through human institutions and common grace. Each proposal has strengths and weaknesses, and none can be established with certainty from the text alone.
In any case, we can affirm that evil does not operate autonomously in this world but is held in check by the sovereign hand of God, who determines exactly how much wickedness to permit and exactly when to remove whatever barriers currently restrain it. The “mystery of lawlessness” is already at work (v. 7), but it operates only within boundaries that God has established. This means that even in the darkest moments of human history, when evil seems to advance unchecked, God has not abdicated His throne. He permits the mystery of lawlessness to unfold according to His purposes, and He will bring it to a decisive end when Christ returns to destroy the lawless one “with the breath of his mouth” (v. 8).
This truth should guard us against two errors. The first is the presumption that we can identify every detail of the end-times timetable. Some passages of Scripture are genuinely difficult, and humility requires that we acknowledge the limits of our understanding. The second error is fatalism, the idea that because evil is real and growing, the situation is hopeless. It is not. God is sovereign over the mystery of lawlessness just as He is sovereign over everything else, and His purposes will not be thwarted.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Not every question about the last days yields a tidy answer, and faithfulness does not require certainty on every detail. What we can affirm with confidence is that God has not surrendered His throne. He governs the advance of evil and will put a final stop to it at the appointed hour. That assurance is sufficient.
For further study
- Daniel 7:23–27
- Matthew 24:4–14
The bible in a year
- Psalms 138–141
- 1 Corinthians 11:2–16
- Psalms 142–145
- 1 Corinthians 11:17–12:11