Throughout Scripture, we see a pattern of God removing His people before executing divine judgment. This is not just a theme but a prophetic foreshadowing of the final removal of the Restrainer—the Holy Spirit—before the great outpouring of God’s wrath. The Apostle Paul speaks directly to this in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, saying:
“And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 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.”
This “He who now restrains” is a reference to the Holy Spirit, who is actively restraining the full force of wickedness in the world. When the Holy Spirit is removed, lawlessness will be unbridled, paving the way for the Antichrist to rise. The critical question we must ask is: How is the Holy Spirit removed? If He indwells believers, then this removal suggests the rapture—the taking away of the Church before judgment falls.
A Biblical Pattern: Removal Before Wrath
This principle is not new; God has consistently removed the righteous before unleashing His judgment.
Noah and the Ark
In Genesis 7:16, God sealed Noah and his family inside the ark before the flood came:
“So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.”
The shutting of the door symbolizes divine protection, sealing the righteous before destruction. This parallels the Church being caught up with Christ before the Tribulation.
Lot and Sodom
When Abraham interceded for Sodom, he asked God if He would destroy the righteous with the wicked. The answer was clear: God does not bring judgment upon the righteous. Genesis 19:22 records the angel’s words to Lot:
“Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
God withheld judgment until Lot was safely removed, just as He will with the Church before the Tribulation.
Enoch Taken Before the Flood
Enoch, a man who “walked with God,” was taken up before the flood. Genesis 5:24 says:
“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
This foreshadows the rapture, as Hebrews 11:5 clarifies:
“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death.”
Just as Enoch was removed before judgment, so will the Church be.
The Church as the Temple of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit indwells every believer, making the Church the dwelling place of God on earth. 1 Corinthians 6:19 declares:
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
If the Restrainer is removed, and the Holy Spirit indwells believers, this suggests that the Church must be removed as well. The rapture is the vehicle by which this happens.
The Days of Noah and the Days of Lot
Jesus Himself made the connection between the days of Noah and Lot with the coming judgment:
“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:26-29)
The key phrase is “on the day that Lot went out.” Judgment did not fall until the righteous were removed.
The Rapture and the Restrainer
Paul speaks of this removal in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
When the Church is taken, the restraining presence of the Holy Spirit through believers will be removed, and the world will be handed over to the Antichrist.
My Final Thoughts
The removal of the Holy Spirit before judgment is consistent with God’s character. He is both just and merciful, never allowing the righteous to suffer His wrath. The rapture is not an escape plan; it is the fulfillment of God’s promise to His bride. When the Restrainer is taken away, the floodgates of evil will be opened, and the world will experience the full weight of judgment.
For those who are in Christ, our hope is secure. We do not look for wrath but for our blessed hope:
“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)
The time is short. The world is primed for the removal of the Restrainer. The question is not whether He will be removed, but whether you are ready when He does.
