Subscribe Daily Bible Study Mailing List Receive Daily Bible Studies directly into your email inbox.
You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
6 And [kai] now [nun] ye know [eido] what withholdeth[katecho] that [eis] he [autos] might be
revealed [apokalupto]
in [en] his [heautou] time. [kairos]KJV-Interlinear
6 And you know what restrains him
now, so that in his time he may be revealed. NASB
What existed in Pauls day, that continues to exist
in our day, and everyday throughout the history of our dispensation?Well, obviously people come and go from
generation to generation, so we as people are not the restrainers of the evil
one.
Organizations that
existed back then, do not exist today, and likewise,
organizations that exist today, did not exist back then. So, organizations are not the restraint of
the evil one.
The only things that
existed in both of our times, is God and Satan.The evil one is a person, but he has a normal lifespan as we all
do.So even the anti-christ
did not exist, nor has he existed for all of these centuries.
God is the restraint on
evil.Satan is evil.God sent His Son into the world to save, and
Satan likewise would like to have his chance as a personal representative, to
do his own bidding.But that is not to
be until the time is right.
God controls history.
Within our
dispensation, the one sustaining life is the Holy Spirit.The Holy Spirit indwells all believers, and
the residence of the Holy Spirit in believers, is the principle restraint mechanism
for the restraint of evil.And that
restraint means that evil is prevented from being unleashed with total freedom
of action.
There is evil in the
world today, but it is under restraint.Evil is far worse when unrestrained.We live in a society that has a restraint on evil, that restraint
provided by the Holy Spirit.
However, one day, the
Holy Spirit will withdraw from this world, and along with Him, every believer
in the world will be withdrawn as well.This is the Rapture event that we have been studying.
Our indwelling by the
Holy Spirit is permanent and eternal.Therefore He cannot leave the world and leave believers behind.But there will come a day, when the Holy
Spirit will be withdrawn, just as ambassadors are withdrawn when war is about
to be declared.Therefore, that is the
reason that the Rapture will occur, and that is the reason why believers will
all leave this world instantaneously.
Likewise, and
concurrent with that event, we will all be changed into our resurrection
bodies, from corruptible to incorruptible.
This means that we as
believers, from within our dispensation, will never know the identity of the
anti-christ.
Guess all you want, but
you will be wrong.Why?
Because
God has chosen to not reveal his identity.
Who is he and when will
he live?Well,
we do not know who he is, but when the Rapture occurs, at that given moment,
the anti-christ will already be alive, and we can
presume that he will be a young charismatic man.Perhaps someone who is in
his thirties or forties.The age
is of course only speculation.
With only seven years
remaining for the Tribulation to complete itself, and with the anti-christ assuming power immediately following the Rapture,
then he has to be an adult, presumably with some political or military post or
position which will allow him to seize power almost immediately.
This also means that he
will be alive during the last years or decades of our dispensation, the Church
Age.
If the Rapture were to
occur today, then this person is alive and out there somewhere right now.If the Rapture is not going to occur for
another century, then the anti-christ will not have
been born yet.
Our dispensation, is
called the Church Age, or sometimes it is called the Age of the Royal Family,
or sometimes it is called the Age of the Bride of Christ.These are all terms refer
to our dispensation.
During our
dispensation, believers are raised up on the written word only, supported by
the Holy Spirit (unseen, undetectable, unfelt) only.
During our dispensation,
the population of the world will expand to all four corners of the world, and
the gospel will likewise be spread to all four corners of the world.
During our
dispensation, God will position all of the powers, all of the believers, all of
the unbelievers, all of the technologies, all of the ingredients of this world
(as in a chess match), into a position that will make the world ready of the final
confrontation.
In war, the generals
try to gain the advantage over their enemy, with regard to disposition,
strength, high ground, and so forth, such that the enemy can be defeated.
During our
dispensation, God is making the enemies of God, a footstool for the Lords
feet.That is to say, he is making them
ready for the last battle.And this will
not be complete until all of the details of history and of life are precisely
in place as God has designed.
And now you know, just
as the Thessalonians had known, why history is what it is and why life will go
on and should go on, for you and for everyone.Why your first concern is to remain responsible in your life, in your job,
in your focus on spiritual growth, and not get caught up in some sort of hoax
prediction of the end of the world.
Now is the time to post a prayer.
End Of Lesson
Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
If you enjoy these Bible Studies, please consider making a Donation
Subscribe Daily Bible Study Mailing List Receive Daily Bible Studies directly into your inbox.