The Restrainer
Overview
- Testament: New
- Book: 2 Thessalonians
- Chapters: 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7
- Summary: Paul refers to a force or person currently holding back the revelation of the man of sin — called “what withholdeth” and “he who letteth” — whose removal will allow the lawless one to be revealed before the Day of the Lord.
Details
In 2 Thessalonians 2, after describing the man of sin, Paul wrote: “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.” The Greek uses both a neuter form (“what withholds,” katechon) and a masculine form (“he who withholds”), suggesting either a principle and its personal embodiment, or a deliberate ambiguity. Paul indicates that the Thessalonians knew what he meant — which implies he had taught them this detail orally in more explicit terms that were not recorded.
The identity of the Restrainer has generated more scholarly debate than almost any other NT passage. Major interpretations include: (1) the Roman Empire and its emperor, who maintained order (this was the dominant patristic view — Tertullian and others; once Rome fell, the lawless one would appear); (2) the Holy Spirit, withdrawn before the final tribulation; (3) the church, whose presence restrains evil until the rapture; (4) Michael the archangel, drawn from Daniel 12:1; (5) the preaching of the gospel, which must be completed before the end; (6) a principle of divine providential restraint operating through various institutions.
Key People Involved
- Paul (Apostle) — The apostle who referred to the Restrainer
- Thessalonian Christians — Who were told they already knew what the Restrainer was
Key Places
- (Cosmic/heavenly context)
Important Verses
“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.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7
Cross-References
- Related: The Man of Sin — The one the Restrainer holds back
- Related: The Dragon — The supernatural power behind lawlessness
- Related books: 2 Thessalonians, Daniel 12, Revelation 20
Notes
The Restrainer passage is one of the most exegetically challenging in Paul’s letters. The deliberate ambiguity (neuter/masculine forms) and Paul’s reference to prior oral instruction make definitive identification impossible from the text alone. Whatever the Restrainer’s identity, the theological point is clear: God controls the timing of eschatological events; lawlessness does not run free but is divinely limited until the appointed moment of revelation. The passage grounds Christian patience: evil is not ungoverned — it operates within divinely set boundaries.