Blessings Joy,
Let us analyze the entire passage of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 to see what can be determined of the restrainer.
[2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NKJV] 1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
Paul is addressing the church in Thessalonica who are concerned that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to gather together to Him who are His had already come, and tells the church not to worry. Paul calls this the day of Christ and many Christians today call this the rapture.
[2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 NKJV] 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for [that Day will not come] unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
Paul explains that the day of Christ will not come unless the following take place:
- The falling away
- The man of sin is revealed, who exalts himself above all gods and objects of worship
[2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NKJV] 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains [will do so] until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Paul explains that the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work, the one who is restraining will do so until he is taken out of the way, and then the lawless one is revealed. Hence, the order Paul gives is:
- The falling away
- The one who is restraining is taken out of the way
- The man of sin is revealed
- The day of Christ
Those claiming the restrainer is the Holy Spirit would place the day of Christ (item 4) in with the removal of the restrainer (item 2), which then allows the man of sin to be revealed (item 3). Note the contradiction this creates with the order Paul gives where the removal of the restrainer and the Day of Christ are not only two separate events, but the removal of the restrainer is a prerequisite to both the man of sin being revealed and the day of Christ.
Who then is the restrainer? Daniel 12 is a prophetic chapter of the end time with events parallel to those explained by Paul.
[Daniel 12:1, 11 NKJV] 1 "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands [watch] over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, [Even] to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. ... 11 "And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, [there shall be] one thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Daniel 12:1 explains that Michael the prince, who stands over the Jewish people, will stand up as the initial event before the time of great trouble takes place. Afterwards, in Daniel 12:11 the daily sacrifice is taken away and the AOD is set up. These verses are parallel to 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 and 2:3-4, respectively, where Paul explains that the restrainer being taken away is the prerequisite to the revealing of the man of sin whereby he exalts himself as God in the temple of God.
Where exactly does Michael get taken to?
[Revelation 12:7-9 NKJV] 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Michael will be taken from earth to heaven where he will battle Satan and his forces, permanently casting Satan out of heaven and down to earth.
[Revelation 12:12-13, 17 NKJV] 12 "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male [Child]. ... 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Satan, knowing his time is short, persecutes Israel and God's people fervently.
[Revelation 13:1-6 NKJV] 1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like [the feet of] a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who [is] like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
Satan, now bound to earth, gives full power to the beast. The beast emerges and blasphemes God.
In an earlier time, Michael has already been a restrainer to the demonic forces against Israel.
[Daniel 10:13, 20 NKJV] 13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. ... 20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come.
In Daniel 10 an angelic being comes to deliver a message to Daniel. The angel explains that he was stopped by the prince of Persia for 21 days until Michael, one of the chief princes, came to his aid (verse 13). He explains to Daniel before departing that he must return to fight the prince of Persia and then the prince of Greece will come (verse 20). The prince of Persia and prince of Greece are likely demonic forces influencing Israel's enemy nations and bringing them to power. Daniel was in captivity in Babylon which at the time was the most powerful nation. Persia and Greece would follow but they were fought (restrained).
[Ephesians 6:12 NKJV] 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places].
Events on earth are directly linked, if not caused, by spiritual activity.
God may withdraw His presence but it seems unfitting to say that He gets 'taken out of the way'. God is sovereign and is taken by no one; He directly causes or allows all to happen at will.
The entire passage of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 actually disproves both a pre-trib rapture and the claim that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit entirely in itself. Parallel passages in Daniel 12, Revelation 12, and 13; along with Daniel 10, give insight into who the restrainer is and his role in past, present, and future events concerning Israel.
