He Who Now Letteth

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way, 2nd Thessalonians 2:7.

Who lets? To phrase that question in Late Modern English as opposed to the Early Modern English of our King James Bible does not make it any clearer. If it reads, "he who know lets will let" doesn't tell us anything new. To understand who is doing the letting we need to look at the context. Whoever it is that lets, it is a direct contrast to the first part of the verse; For the mystery of iniquity doth already work.

What happens when he who now letteth is taken out of the way?

2nd Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2nd Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

2nd Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2nd Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

2nd Thessalonians 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Two major things happen. The anti-christ (that Wicked) will be revealed in all his phony glory. The second thing that happens is that those who received not the love of the truth when it had been preached to them will no longer be able to repent. God will make it personal.

He will see to it that they believe the lies. They will no longer be allowed to depart from iniquity. Why can't they depart from iniquity? Because he who had been letting them depart from iniquity is taken out of the way.

How do we know that? We know that from 2nd Timothy 2:19; Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. When the Spirit of God seals a person, what does that let the person do? It lets him depart from iniquity.

God seals those who truly believe.

2nd Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

2nd Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

To be sealed is a work of the Holy Ghost. It is the reversal of the Day of Pentecost that takes the Holy Ghost (he who now letteth) out of the way. On the Day of Pentecost all those in the upper room were corporately baptized by the Holy Ghost. He came upon and inhabited them as a group. When he is taken out of the way, when we are taken up to be with the Lord as a group, those who had heard the gospel and had had a chance to be allowed to depart from iniquity, will no longer be able to do so.

The strongest objection to identifying "he who now letteth" as the Holy Ghost is that the Holy Ghost will be on the earth during the great tribulation. To understand that think of John 20:22; And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. The apostles received the Holy Ghost individually for specific tasks that they were given. Later, at Pentecost, they were given the Holy Ghost in a totally different way.

Even though he who now letteth will be taken out of the way as the Lord recalls the Holy Ghost and all those who he inhabits, individual believers can and will still receive the Holy Ghost. It will be one person at a time, not a corporate sharing of the Spirit.

Before my conversion, while I attended church and earnestly sought to depart from iniquity, I learned that I could not. I would conquer one sin only to have two others take its place. I became a twofold more child of hell. My sins were more subtle like pride and private doubts. When I came to repentance, the Holy Ghost took up residence and he allowed me to depart from sin. He didn't force me to depart, he let me depart.

To my shame there were sins that I held on to for too long. Being indwelt by the Spirit of God, I felt shame as I had never felt before. When I became willing, he let me have victory over those sins. He will let people depart from iniquity as long as they come to the truth of Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ comes for the church, he who now letteth will be taken out of the way and a new start is made on the earth.

The apostles and prophets will be resurrected and they will evangelize the world of the anti-christ. Men and women who repent and receive the truth will be saved. Those who rejected the truth prior to that will be eternally damned.