Sometimes, when people read 2 Thessalonians 2:7, they question whether the Holy Spirit will be present during the tribulation. That verse says, “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The next verse says that, when the restraining force is removed, “the lawless one” (the Antichrist) will be revealed. So, the question is, if the one holding back the forces of evil is the Holy Spirit, and He is “taken out of the way,” then is He no longer present after that time (i.e., during the tribulation)?
We believe the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is indeed the Holy Spirit—or the Holy Spirit working through the New Testament church. In our current age, one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is the restraint of evil. But there is coming a time when the Spirit will no longer hold back the looming flood of lawlessness. We believe this will occur when the church is removed from the world at the rapture. After that time, the Antichrist’s path to power will be unobstructed, and God’s judgment can be unleashed on a rebellious world (see Revelation 6—16).
However, just because the Spirit ceases to restrain the march of evil in the world does not mean He is absent. On the contrary, we believe that the Spirit will be present on the earth during the tribulation. We say this for several reasons:
During the tribulation, the Holy Spirit will modify His work to some extent—He will no longer inhibit evil to the degree He now does, and the result will be an unprecedented time of wickedness on earth. But the Spirit will not take a leave of absence. There will still be evangelists to empower and people to save, and that means the Spirit’s presence will still be required.