2 Thessalonians 2:6

2 Thessalonians 2:6

And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

a. NLT: And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.

b. NIV: And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.

c. YLT: and now, what is keeping down ye have known, for his being revealed in his own time,

d. Amplified Bible: And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time]; it is so that he may be manifested (revealed) in his own [appointed] time.

e. Worrell Translation: And now ye know what hinders his being revealed in his own season.

f. Wuest Translation: And now you know with a positive assurance that which [namely, the departure of the Church, the saints being assembled together to the Lord] is preventing his being disclosed [as to his true identity].

1. “And now ye know what withholdeth…”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee  apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. now [Strong: 3568 nun noon a primary particle of present time; "now" (as adverb of date, a transition or emphasis); also as noun or adjective present or immediate:--henceforth, + hereafter, of late, soon, present, this (time).]

c. ye know [Strong: 1492  eido I’-do a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent 3700 and 3708; properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by implication, (in the perfect tense only) to know:--be aware, behold, X can (+ not tell), consider, (have) know(-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wish, wot.]

d. what withholdeth [Strong: 2722 katecho kat-ekh-o ; kata-an intensive; echo-to have, to hold] [Zodhiates: Hold fast, retain, or hold down, quash, suppress.] [Thayer: to restrain, hinder (the course or progress of).]

1). Because Paul had told the Thessalonian believers, they knew what the restraining force was, because Paul had told them (2 Thessalonians 2:5).

2). Most of the modern translations are slightly different than the King James, in that they add the pro-noun “him” to the phrase (NIV; NLT; Amplified Bible). Perhaps the manuscripts from which these translations come from have it in the text.

3). In his Interlinear translation of the Greek text from which the King James is taken from George Ricker Berry translates it this way:  “And now that which restrains ye know…”

4). I don’t like the newer translations because they imply that the person of the anti-Christ is what is being restrained. I don’t believe that is what is being said because it would imply he was alive at that time. The next verse says very clearly what is being restrained or suppressed, it is “the mystery of iniquity” that is being restrained, it is Satan’s plan since his fall, the fall of Lucifer, to spread rebellion and lawlessness against the throne of God, all over the world. It is that process which being unchecked would end in the goal of the anti-Christ on the throne which  is being restrained. Because of that I prefer the other translations which do not imply the person of the anti-Christ is being suppressed or restrained, but rather the process that is attempting to bring him to the throne.

a). [ASV] “And now ye know that which restraineth…”

b). [Young’s Literal Transaltion] “and now, what is keeping down ye have known”

c). [Darby] “And now ye know that which restrains.”

5). It is for that reason I will post part of what Albert Barnes writes in his NT Commentary.

a). Barnes: And now ye know what withholdeth. Marg., holdeth. The reference is, to something that then operated to constrain or hold back the obvious tendency of things, so that "the man of sin" should not at once appear, or so that things should not soon so develope themselves as to give rise to this antichristian power. There were causes at work, even then, which would ultimately lead to this; but there was also something which checked the tendency of things, so that the revelation or development of the "man of sin" was put off to a future period. The obvious meaning of this would be, that, when the apostle wrote, there was a tendency to what would occur under the great apostasy, and that this would soon develope itself if it were not restrained…It is not known precisely what is referred to by the phrase "what with- holdeth," to katecon. The phrase means, properly, something that holds back, or restrains. The word here is in the neuter gender, "What withholdeth." In the following verse it is in the masculine gender, o katecwn,-- "he that letteth", or withholdeth; and the reference would seem to be to some agency or state of things under the control of an individual, or of some civil power, that then operated as a restraint on the natural tendency of things. Of this, the apostle says, they had had full information; but we can only conjecture what it was.

b). Rick Renner11/28/16 Paul told the Thessalonian believers that a Force “withholdeth” the antichrist from being revealed. Although the Greek doesn’t specifically state the identity of the restraining Force in this verse, it seems to suggest that Paul is referring to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Think of it — what if the power of the Spirit of God was suddenly withdrawn or removed from the earth? It would be only a brief matter of time before the devil quickly consummated his dream of world domination. You see, the Holy Spirit is the Great Restrainer, and He is holding back this evil from coming to pass in the world today. The King James Version uses the word “withholdeth” to describe this restraining work of the Spirit. In Greek, it is the word katecho and carries the idea of holding something down or suppressing something. It is clear that this is an evil so horrendous that it must be held down, held back, or suppressed lest it be loosed to release a wide range of wicked effects. The supernatural Force Paul refers to is stalling, delaying, and postponing the evil that is craving to be fully released and set into operation.

6). My personal opinion is that although civil power can and does keep evil in check, that is not what is being referred to here and I will explain that in the next verse. I believe it is the “mystery of iniquity” that is being restrained. The “mystery of iniquity” is the process the devil is using to put the anti-Christ on the throne.

2. “…that he might be revealed in his time.”

a. that [1519 * eis] [Strong: a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

b. he [846 * autos] [Strong: from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

c. might be revealed [601 * apokalupto] [Strong:  from 575 and 2572; to take off the cover, i.e. disclose:--reveal.]

d. in [1722 * en] [Strong: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

e. his [1438 * heautou] [Strong: from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the genitive case (dative case or accusative case) of 846; him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etc.:--alone, her (own, -self), (he) himself, his (own), itself, one (to) another, our (thine) own(-selves), + that she had, their (own, own selves), (of) them(-selves), they, thyself, you, your (own, own conceits, own selves, -selves).]

f. time [2540 * kairos] [Strong: of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. set or proper time:--X always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while.]

1). This is definitely referring to the person of the anti-Christ. He is not going to be revealed until the time of the end, but the process that is used to bring him and his kind to power was in operation during Paul’s day.