Now go back to 2 Thessalonians 2, and this is where people get confused.
They get confused by this part where it says in verse 7,
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work,
Only he who now letteth will let, Until he be taken out of the way.
The now there, I don't believe it's the apostle Paul saying now as in first century
A.D.
I think he's telling the story about that, and he's saying now as in at this point in
the story.
Like, okay, the anti-Christ is now revealed when this that happens.
See a lot of times the Bible will use the present tense about things in the past and
future because it's storytelling.
For example, it says in Revelation 13, He causeth all, both small and great, rich and
poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right.
So it speaks about in the present because you're in the story.
And there's a lot of places we could show that grammatical example.
So it says, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work,
Meaning at this point in the story, But he who now letteth will let,
Until he be taken out of the way.
Then shall the wicked be revealed, Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, And shall destroy with the brightness of
his coming.
Now, that doesn't happen right away.
That happens 42 months later because power is given at him to continue 42 months or
three and a half years.
After three and a half years, the Lord's going to consume him with the spirit of his
mouth and destroy him with the brightness of his coming.
Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan,
With all power and signs and lying wonders.
Those are the wonders that the false prophet does where he brings fire down and so forth
from heaven.
And then it says, With all deceivableness of unrighteousness
in them that perish, Because they receive not the love of the
truth that they might be saved.
For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe
a lie, That they all might be damned who believe
not the truth, But had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Now, there are other theories here about the he who now letteth will let.
Because not everybody buys into this crazy holy spirit and dwelling the believers being
taken out thing.
Some people have put forth a theory that says, hey, the he who now letteth will let
is Michael the archangel, okay?
Which I think that that's actually a legitimate theory.
You know, there's scripture to support that when you compare Daniel and Revelation,
different things, Michael's part in the end times.
I can see that theory, okay?
One of the big problems I have with that theory is that he's not mentioned in the
passage.
No antecedent, okay?
But at least that theory makes sense.
So if somebody has that theory, you know, I wouldn't criticize that theory because I
can see scriptural support for it.
I believe that it makes more sense, though, that the he who now letteth will let is
the man of sin, the human being, so that the beast can be revealed.
So that the antichrist can be revealed, which is a spirit from hell, and is not a human
being.
Because the human being's taken out of the way, frankly, so that this guy can take
over the reigns of the world government.