The mystery of iniquity and he who lets ...

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For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only he who restrains it will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him by His appearing and coming. 2. Thess:2 vs 7-8.

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First let me say this, it is a very improper way to speak about the Holy Spirit as being "taken out of the way" that is not the right way to speak about God, and any way He is always omnipresent at all times.

To discover the meaning of this text we must go all the way back to when man's iniquity or lawlessness began, we must go back to the Garden of Eden. Man had rebelled against God's law and partaken of the knowledge of good and evil which was forbidden him and God drove them out of his Garden home of beauty and abundance. God never changes, when He created man He placed him in the garden of beauty and abundance, this was and is always God's will for mankind. It kind of amuses me the way folk fight against the idea that God wills above all things that we be in health and prosper, even as our souls prosper. Wherever the gospel has spread God's blessings have followed.

After man was driven away God said "Behold the man has become like one of us knowing good and evil and now lest he put forth his hand and eat of the tree of life and live forever ...." at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

The mystery of iniquity or lawlessness is man's constant drive to find and partake of that tree, to become immortal, to live forever yet while in his sin. To overcome and defeat that law "the soul that sinneth it shall surely die" 

You see it in every field of human endeavor in the field of arts man knows he must die but he wishes to leave a name that will last forever, you see it in the quest for power, certainly you see it in science and even philosophy. This lust for a name and a fame that will endure forever.

It's this mighty cherubim, probably Michael, with his flaming sword who prevents man from finding and partaking of the tree of life who will be taken out of the way. Angels with Michael at their head are the custodians of the law so when he is taken out of the way the man of lawlessness will be revealed.

I'm going to say something shocking, this title the man of lawlessness is a very peculiar title in scripture, it has a very specific meaning. It doesn't just mean one who breaks the law or who is an outlaw it means one to whom the law has no application whatever. He has overcome the law, he has discovered the secret of life forever. His number is 666 which is the number of a completed man, body soul and spirit, his power will be to promise this life to all who will follow him and receive his mark 666.

There is only One greater than he, One who is able to slay him, to destroy him. God, the Lord Jesus Christ.