Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 81 What we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is no longer speaking about the man of lawlessness, it now turns to Satan, the he who now letteth (Gr. katecho, to hold fast or down, restrain) his secret power of lawlessness. Regardless of his being bound (Gr. deo, to forbid, prohibit, declare to be illicit) from deceiving the nations, Satan’ secret power of lawlessness is still in force, seeking whom he may devour. Satan may have lost his accusatory positional status in the heavens, but obviously his power to wreak havoc on humanity is still in force. Chapter 12 of Revelation speaks clearly of this fact, which also entails the binding of Satan and his being cast down to earth as the result of Christ’s atoning work on Calvary: And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short, (Revelation 12:7-12, NIV). [Bold, underline and italicized word time is by the author, solely for emphasis] In Revelation 13:1-8, we see where the devil has given authority to the Beast (the man of lawlessness) to blaspheme, and the authority for 42 months (of time) to make war against the saints, and to conquer them! Many theorists believe these 42 months’ represent 1260 days that precede The Second Advent of Christ. Others allegorize these numbers to represent various spiritual symbols, types and dispensational precepts that supposedly validate their respective theories. Yet, also, many unproven theories exist in regards to these two specific numbers, including they represent days, years or symbols of various indeterminate amounts of time (as amillennialists deduce) that require various interpretations that throw date-setting totally off kilter. Premillennialists view the numbers as being literal and those immediately preceding The Second Advent. Postmillennialists attach no specific time frame to those numbers, concluding that any millennial references deal solely with a vague period of time that began after the cross that will allow the Christian Church authority to usher in a prolonged time of peace preceding The Second Advent. Amillennialists view them as symbolic of an indeterminate amount of time of wilderness journey for the ecclesia, somewhere in between the crucifixion of Christ and The Second Advent. Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 82 Some theorists view the Beast as the man of lawlessness that will appear anywhere from three and a half to seven years before The Second Advent, and many other theorists believe the Beast will rise from some European confederacy or Middle East nation, three and a half to seven years before The Second Advent; and many others believe the Beast is the Roman Catholic Church from its very inception. Many theorists also interpret the restrainer as the Roman church or a governing political body. Although many see these two entities as being evil in and of themselves (which is truth to a certain extent), they are primarily the (sometimes willing) victims of the secret power of lawlessness. However, they are not the restrainer nor the source of the secret power of lawlessness, Satan is! Also, whomever the Beast may be, or whatever these numbered times (42 months or 1260 days, months, years) truly represent, they are not for us to be concerned with, (Acts 1:7). One thing is certain, whether these names and numbers are symbols and or types that can be applied to past, present or future events and entities, the called out ones of God historically have and will continue to suffer great persecution under diabolical powers until The Second Advent! And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him? 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the word, (Revelation 13:1-8, NIV) [Underline and bold is by the author, solely for emphasis] Regardless of the persecutory time factors preceding The Second Advent, the main issue we are concerned with in this chapter is who or what is restraining the revealing of this man of lawlessness. In verse 7 of 2 Thessalonians 2, we see Paul telling the disciples that the “secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” The secret power of lawlessness is not the Beast, antichrist or the man of lawlessness and it surely is not the Holy Spirit; but, rather, it is Satan, the Prince of this world. While Satan is currently bound from using his demonic powers as Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 83 he did before the works performed by Christ at Calvary, and no longer has a positional status in heaven to accuse the called out ones of God, he is still the secret power of lawlessness for an indeterminate period of a thousand years, which culminates immediately before The Second Advent. The loosing of Satan for a short season is a time of diabolic force unleashed on humanity as never before, which will include Satan going out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them, (Revelation 20:8-9, KJV). No distinction has to be made between the time that Satan is bound by Christ from deceiving the nations (Revelation 20:2) for those alleged 1000 literal years (which theorists promote as beginning after The Second Advent), and the war in heaven between Michael, the archangel (Revelation 12:7), who cast down the dragon. They are the same event! Jesus, who had yet paid the price for sin through His atoning work on Calvary, spoke of this binding (in Luke 10:18) when He stated that He saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven. In this prophetic glimpse (in Luke 10:18) Christ reveals to His disciples clearly the binding of Satan that would take place when He paid the price for sin on Calvary. This was in response to the disciples having experienced a preview of the power they would posses in His name. He was telling His disciples (who were excited about their newfound power to cast out demons) that the devil’s power has been hindered and the decline of the evil serpent’s kingdom has begun. However, the secret power of lawlessness will still prevail until Christ returns. Matthew Henry, in his commentary of Luke 10:18, provides added insight to this aspect: Even the devils, those potent enemies, are subject to us. Note, the saints have no greater joy or satisfaction in any of their triumphs than in those over Satan. If devils are subject to us, what can stand before us? He confirmed what they said, as agreeing with his own observation (v. 18): My heart and eye went along with you; I took notice of the success you had, and I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven.’’ Note, Satan and his kingdom fell before the preaching of the gospel. I see how it is,’’ saith Christ, as you get ground the devil loseth ground.’’ He falls as lightning falls from heaven, so suddenly, so irrecoverably, so visibly, that all may perceive it, and say, See how Satan’s kingdom totters, see how it tumbles.’’ They triumphed in casting devils out of the bodies of people; but Christ sees and rejoices in the fall of the devil from the interest he has in the souls of men, which is called his power in high places, Eph. 6:12. He foresees this to be but an earnest of what should now be shortly done and was already begun—the destroying of Satan’s kingdom in the world by the extirpating of idolatry Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 84 and the turning of the nations to the faith of Christ. Satan falls from heaven when he falls from the throne in men’s hearts, Acts 26:18. And Christ foresaw that the preaching of the gospel, which would fly like lightning through the world, would wherever it went pull down Satan’s kingdom. Now is the prince of this world cast out. Some have given another sense of this, as looking back to the fall of the angels, and designed for a caution to these disciples, lest their success should puff them up with pride. (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Luke 10:18) [Underline and bold is by the author, solely for emphasis] However, while the Holy Spirit provides the called out ones with power to resist the devil for an indeterminate period some call a thousand years, a time is coming when Satan will be loosed from this restraining status for a short season, and subsequently gives the man of lawlessness his power and authority. The man of lawlessness cannot be revealed until the time Satan gives him his authority. In Revelation 13:2, the last half of that verse specifically states “The dragon gave the beast his power, and his throne and great authority.” The man of lawlessness does not have anything going for him until Satan gives power to him at this precise time, and it is then that the man of lawlessness is revealed. Verse 2 is confirmed in 2 Thessalonians 2:9, “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeits, miracles, signs and wonders, and every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and be saved.” [Underline is by the author, solely for emphasis] 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 7, speaks solely about Satan, the one who now holds, lets, letteth (Gr. katecho, keeps, possesses) onto his diabolical secret power of lawlessness, and will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. This one is speaking about Satan, the one who has the secret power of lawlessness, and it is not speaking about the Holy Spirit. The one who is eventually taken out of the way is Satan, not the Holy Spirit. Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists interpret this verse to mean that it is the Holy Spirit who is both holding back the secret power of lawlessness and is also the one who is taken out of the way. However, this verse (7) is speaking about only one entity. The one who holds onto it (the secret power of lawlessness) is Satan, who was bound by Christ from deceiving the nations, as he did before Calvary. The one who is taken out of the way is not the Holy Spirit, but it is Satan who holds back (by God’s time frame) his full arsenal attack on God’s called out ones, not the Holy Spirit! To claim that the he (who is taken out of the way) is speaking about the Holy Spirit does not make any sense at all, because the Holy Spirit, who is equal with (and is) God, cannot be “taken” out of the way. The Holy Spirit is God in Spirit form and no one has any authority to “take” God away but God Himself. The scripture does not say, “He removed” himself out of the way. It specifically states that “he is taken out of the way,” and this he is Satan and that event is clearly described in Revelation 12:7- 12. Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 85 Even though Satan’s ability to deceive the nations was bound by the works of Christ, he has not been able to control mankind to the degree he did before Christ’s atoning work at Calvary. However, Satan, who is the mystery of lawlessness, has been utilizing his limited diabolical powers to steal back the called out ones from Christ. However, after he is loosed for a short season, prior to The Second Advent, the devil will unleash his demonic forces on mankind as never witnessed before. The message is very clear. If you apply scripture to verify scripture rather than applying scripture to a theory in hopes it will confirm the theory, then truth rings loud and clear. There is no scripture that indicates, implies or that can even lead one to infer that the Holy Spirit is the “restrainer.” The author can also appreciate the many scholars who espouse that the Roman church or human government could also be the restrainer. However, scripture itself states that Satan is under a time-restrained program, one where he doesn’t have the authority to work his diabolical magic to the fullest extent on earth until he is loosed for a short season in one last effort to confuse, seduce and destroy believers, “because he knows that his time is short, (Revelation 12:12, NIV).” [Underline is by the author, solely for emphasis] This view the author has presented is not his own interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-9, but it’s in concert with God’s word and His overall redemption plan. Although these verses do not specifically mention Satan’s name as the he “who now holds it back” or the he who “is taken out of the way,” neither is the Holy Spirit specifically mentioned as the he. If anything, it is Pre-Tribulationists and Pre-Millennialists who erroneously paint a picture of the Holy Spirit in this context (solely to pad their secret Pre- Tribulation escape to heaven theory), one that is contradictory to His nature. For one, the Holy Spirit is never seen as an agent of warfare against the “man of lawlessness.” Number two, although the dwelling presence of His power on the ecclesia is a force that can overcome a natural world and bring about an earthly peace, as Postmillennialists claim, God’s ecclesia fails (for lack of faith) in exercising that potential force. Not that the Holy Spirit is not willing nor has held back His powers from the church to accomplish this task; however, the majority of the church, unfortunately, lacks the faith to implement Holy Spirit power to its full potential. If that were not the case, then surely the Christian Church would have exercised that power by now. Also, the Holy Spirit is not an entity that can be forcibly removed (taken out of the way). He is one with (and is) God. Also, in verse 6, it doesn’t say, “you know who is holding him back,” it says, “You know what is holding him back.” That what is time! So he (the man of lawlessness) may be revealed at his proper time, only through the diabolical powers he receives from Satan. Also, the Holy Spirit is not a what! The Holy Spirit is a he; the Holy Spirit is God! It is agreed that in the overall scenario, God is in complete control of time; but God is not the one who reveals the man of lawlessness. God doesn’t give him his power, nor does the Holy Spirit; it is Satan who reveals the man of lawlessness, by his power and authority, “in accordance with the (devil’s) Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 86 work.” If accomplished grammarians were to use normal English language standards and mere logic here, it should not be that difficult to ascertain this is exactly what is meant in this passage of scripture. New Holy Spirit Verses Old Holy Spirit? In attempts to confirm that the Holy Spirit is the restrainer, theorists also contend that the Holy Spirit takes on a new and different ministerial dimension after He supposedly has been removed from earth. Theorists contend the Holy Spirit has been forcefully removed and sent packing to heaven along with the Christian Church. But, yet, they still envision the Holy Spirit returning back to earth to do a new work during the so-called Great Tribulation. Either the Holy Spirit is removed to heaven or He is not. Theorists can’t conveniently have it both ways. This particular theory does tremendous violence to both an intellectual and spiritual understanding of God’s Word. It makes no sense whatsoever to see the Holy Spirit removed, solely to justify a secret pretribulation escape to heaven, and then see the Holy Spirit back on earth again, this time working under a new modus operandi. More importantly, this inference comes short of denying (if not blasphemes) the glory and power of the Holy Spirit, who is God! Hal Lindsey asserts that the Holy Spirit reverts back to do the “work as He did in the Old Testament.” He goes on to say that the Holy Spirit “will not be gone from the world, but His unique ministries in, through and for the believer will be removed with the church. (Hal Lindsey, The Rapture, Bantam Books, Page 138.)” Yet, Mr. Lindsey provides not one single verse to substantiate that claim. He further insults the spiritual intelligence of his readers by asserting (in the same page, 138) that: “The Holy Spirit will endow the 144,000 chosen Israelites with the same type of Holy Spirit power he manifested with the prophets in the Old Testament.” Mr. Lindsey also states, “In fact, two of the mightiest prophets from the economy of law will return to shake up the world. The Holy Spirit will convince men of their need of salvation, bring them to faith and regenerate them as He did from the beginning of man’s sin.” Obviously, Mr. Lindsey doesn’t feel the Holy Spirit was powerful enough to convince mankind to accept salvation when He was in the world the first time around. Now, Mr. Lindsey, in essence, is saying that the Holy Spirit first has to be removed in order to get the Christian Church to heaven, and then immediately returns back to earth to give it another try during the so-called Great Tribulation. This time around, Mr. Lindsey would have us believe the Holy Spirit is now seen receiving help from the Two Witnesses, after they “shake up the world” a little bit, to sort of soften up potential converts, so the Holy Spirit might be able to complete the job. Mr. Lindsey goes on to further say how the Holy Spirit is now going to finish His salvation work when he states that “the unique Church economy ministries of indwelling, baptizing, sealing, gifting and filling of every believer will be removed with the Church. This is consistent with all that is revealed of the Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 87 average Tribulation believer’s level of spiritual insight, knowledge and maturity, (also on page 138).” Mr. Lindsey and other theorists not only postulate that the Two Witnesses preach the gospel and help lead the way for the Holy Spirit to do His job, they also assert that 144,000 “Jews” also get into the preaching act and help convert those who remain on earth after the Christian Church has been snatched up and taken to heaven. And these theorists claim the 144,000 are all virgin Jewish preachers, too! Let’s examine the two groups of scripture pertaining to the 144,000 and the group that pertains to the Two Witnesses: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Rueben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe if Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000, (Revelation 7:3-8, NIV). The word for sealed (vs. 4) in the Greek (according to Vine) is sphragizo, which is the verb for the noun sphragis, which is interpreted “a seal or signet,” Revelation 7:2, “the seal of the living God,” an emblem of ownership and security, here combined with the destination (as Ezekiel 9:4), the persons to be sealed being secured from destruction and marked for reward.” Let’s briefly examine Ezekiel 9:3-6 to see the similarity of this protective seal spoken about in Revelation: Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” 5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion, 6 Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple, (Ezekiel 9:3-6, NIV). [Bold and underline is by the author, solely for emphasis] Here we see a perfect example of God’s purpose for “sealing” a select group of people, as He did during the Passover and throughout many similar events in the Old Testament. The word “sealed” in Revelation, Chapter 7 does not connote any embellishing or indwelling of the Holy Spirit for any evangelistic purposes; but, Chapter 3 Is The Holy Spirit Removed? 88 rather, it’s an act of mercy on God’s part that signifies His ownership and provision of security with a destination in mind. No mention whatsoever is made or implied in Revelation 7 that a “baptism of the Holy Spirit” for the purposes of preaching the gospel has ensued. Yet, theorist upon theorist interprets that to be the case. Let’s examine the other group of scriptures that mention the 144,000 in Chapter 14: Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless, (Revelation 14:1-5). [Underline and bold is by the author, solely for emphasis] As the scripture here reveal, the 144,000 are now seen standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion (with the name of God and the Lamb sealed on their forehead),
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 19:26:57 +0000
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