2 Thessalonians 2:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What prevents means an obstacle, that which hinders. What, then, is this? Some say it is the grace of the Holy Spirit. Others say it is the Roman state, and Saint John Chrysostom agrees with the latter. For as long as it is not destroyed, the antichrist will not be able to do as he wishes. Therefore Paul spoke in a veiled way. He did not wish to bring upon himself needless enmity and useless danger. If he had said that the Roman state would soon be destroyed, he would immediately have been wiped from the earth as a rebel. Along with him, all the believers who would rejoice at the destruction of such a state would also have suffered. That the Apostle is not speaking of the grace of the Holy Spirit is clear. First, he would not then have spoken obscurely, but would have spoken plainly.

When he says, "And now you know what restrains him, so that he may be revealed in his own time," he means, "You know what holds him back, and the cause of his delay." He makes clear that they know, but he does not wish to speak of it openly. Therefore we, who do not know what they knew, cannot clarify what the Apostle meant, however much we desire to do so. This is especially true because his following words obscure this meaning.

For if good order and concord belong to those who heed one command and have one king, then every disagreement and discord is a sign of anarchy. On the same basis, such disagreement among us, both with the commandments of the Lord and in relation to one another, can serve as proof either of apostasy from the true King. According to what is said: "Only it will not be fulfilled until he who now restrains is taken out of the way," or of denial of Him, according to what is said: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Ps 13:1).

"But now," he says, "you yourselves know what contributes to his being revealed in his own time." For the apostolate has prevailed, and after it the teaching will spread until the day when the Son is revealed in His own time.

He says that it remains only for the one who must come before the Lord to be revealed, so that we may already hope for the Lord's coming. He spoke of this covertly when he said, "until the weakening first comes." This should be understood as the weakening of the Roman Empire, of which I spoke above. When it begins to decline and when the Antichrist appears, then we must believe that the Lord's coming will soon take place.

By the restraining thing some understood the Roman kingdom, and others the grace of the Spirit. That is, the antichrist will not come while the grace of the Spirit remains. But it is impossible for the grace of the Spirit to cease completely. For how could those deprived of spiritual help overcome his devices? Nor will another kingdom succeed the Roman kingdom. For by the fourth beast divine Daniel indicated the Roman kingdom, and in it arose the little horn that made war with the saints (Dan 7:21). This is the very one concerning whom the divine Apostle spoke the words already quoted. I think the divine Apostle is speaking neither of the Roman kingdom nor of the grace of the Spirit. On the contrary, I recognize as true what others affirm.

Therefore God delays bringing about the dissolution and destruction of the universe for the sake of the seed of the Christians, which He recognizes as the cause of the world's preservation. Thus there may no longer be evil angels, demons, and men. If not for this, it would already be impossible for you to act against us as you do, being stirred up to it by evil demons. The fire of judgment would have come down and destroyed everything without distinction, as formerly the waters of the flood left no one except the one with his family. Among us he is called Noah, and among you Deucalion. From him there again came such a multitude of men, both evil and good.

The Holy Spirit restrains and hinders the appearance of the lawless one. He said that the mystery of lawlessness had begun because schisms and heresies were already appearing in apostolic times. Indeed, the Manichaeans were already saying that the devil is the god of the Law, and Marcion said that the Father of Christ is not the God of the Law. The Marcionites and Manichaeans held that the material world was created by the "evil god" of the Old Testament.

Who is this restrainer, or what is this restraining thing, as in verse 6? Some holy Fathers reasonably thought that by the restrainer the Apostle meant, among other things, civil order and the king who stands at the head of civil society. Lawlessness is at work, but it cannot fully manifest itself and triumph over truth. It will triumph only through deception, by unrighteous deceit in verse 10 and by lying signs and wonders in verse 9. It preaches complete godlessness, exalting itself above everything called God, in verse 4. It violently demands divine worship for itself: in the temple of God he will sit as God, presenting himself as God, in the same verse.

What exactly delays and restrains the appearance of the antichrist on earth? From the Apostle's words it is clear that the Thessalonians knew this well. We now are compelled only to divine the Apostle's thought, guided by patristic opinions and interpretations. There is, for example, the opinion that the appearance of the antichrist on earth is hindered by the fact that the Gospel has not yet been preached to all countries and nations. For according to Christ's word (Mt 24:14), only after this preaching must the end of the world come (blessed Theodoret). Also, the universal conversion of the Jews has not yet occurred. According to the apostolic word, this too must happen in the last times, and therefore before the appearance of the antichrist (Rom 11:25).

"And now." Some understand it thus: you know what now, at the present time, prevents the antichrist from appearing. Others understand it thus: now you know what restrains him.

The first reading is supported by the fact that verse 7 speaks similarly: "he who now restrains." It also seems simpler and clearer. The second is supported by the structure of the Greek text, according to which this place can only be translated, "now you know."

Whichever connection one adopts, the chief thought of the text remains one and the same, for the force of the passage does not lie there. Our Slavonic and Russian translation follow the second rendering: "now you know."

Now, that is, remembering what was said in person, and keeping in mind what has just been written before this, you know. Here there seems to be a kind of silence on the part of the holy Apostle.

Having allowed the Thessalonians to consider both what he has just written and what he had explained in person, he draws the conclusion: and now you know what restrains him.

From this it is easy to pass to the main subject of this part of the epistle: what restrains him is also the reason why the Lord delays His appearing. By this alone he already dispelled all their perplexity.

The restraining thing means "that which hinders and prevents" (Oecumenius). "What, then, is this restraining thing, which restrains him from appearing or prevents him?" (Chrysostom). The question is not superfluous.

In this saying lies the chief thought of the Apostle, together with the other saying, "the mystery of lawlessness is already at work." Yet in itself it gives no definite concept and opens a broad field for conjectures.

For us, the safest course is to adhere to the opinions of the Fathers. Let us cite them and draw a general conclusion from them.

Saint Chrysostom writes, "Some suppose that by this one must understand the grace of the Holy Spirit, and others the Roman state." Theodoret, Oecumenius, and Theophylact repeat the same, although some of them also mention other opinions.

Thus Theodoret writes, "By the restraining thing, some understand the Roman kingdom, and others the grace of the Spirit. That is, the antichrist will not come so long as the grace of the Spirit remains."

And below: "I acknowledge as true what others affirm. It is pleasing to God that the antichrist should appear at the consummation of the world. Therefore the divine decree does not permit him to appear now."

"Yet I think this saying also contains another meaning. Since the divine Apostle knew what the Lord had said, that the Gospel must be preached to all nations, and then the end would come (Mt 24:14), but also saw that the service of idols still prevailed, he followed the Master's teaching."

"He said that first the dominion of superstition would be crushed, and the saving preaching would shine everywhere. Then the adversary of the truth would appear."

Photius, cited by Oecumenius, says, "He will appear in his own time, that is, when the time appointed for him and permitted, or allowed, by God arrives."

Severus, cited by the same Oecumenius, says, "The Holy Spirit restrains and does not allow the lawless one to appear. When He withdraws and departs because of the increase of evil among men, then that lawless one will have freedom to reveal himself and come forward. There will be no one to hinder him."

Everyone can easily draw the conclusion from these opinions. When the Gospel has passed through all nations dwelling on the earth, and has chosen from all of them those capable of receiving it, and thereby of being sanctified and reborn by the grace of the Holy Spirit, then there will be no further reason for the present order of things to remain.

The end of the world, or the last days, will come. In them the Lord has appointed to come again, to execute judgment on all who dwell on the earth. He will bring some into the kingdom of His glory, and deliver others to the bitter lot they have chosen.

According to the Apostle, this coming of the Lord will be preceded by the appearance of the antichrist. In him God will allow evil to reveal itself in all its breadth and power, so that those who are parts of it may be manifested and convict themselves.

Thus, after or at the same time as the human race has already yielded all who belong to God, and no more of them are to be expected, all those who are not God's will come into the open, having cast off the mask. Then the harvest will be ready.

The Lord will send the reapers, and then the end of all things will come. Just as the ripening of the harvest has its appointed term, so these final manifestations have their own time appointed by God.

Both good and evil have already been sown. They develop and grow. Each will ripen in its own time. Before that appointed term, this cannot be.

Now, when asked why the reapers do not appear in the field, the direct answer is that the time has not yet come and the harvest is not ready.

So also, when asked why the expected world events are not yet visible, the direct answer is that the time appointed by God for their manifestation has not yet come.

But the appearance of the antichrist also belongs here. Consequently, he too does not appear for the same reason. This is what restrains him.

It is the divine decree, as blessed Theodoret and after him blessed Photius said. This alone brings events onto the stage of the world or pushes them back, not to please anyone, but according to its own plan of world governance, incomprehensible to us.

It pleased God to reveal to us in His word some of the purposes of His rule over the world. Applying them to our subject, we may see in them also what restrains the antichrist.

The world stands in order that the power of salvation placed by the Lord in our race, like leaven in dough, may accomplish its work. The power of salvation is the divine Word and grace, received by faith and carried into life by self-denying zeal to please God.

The Word of God goes through the earth. It awakens those who sleep and leads them to the fountains of grace. Having been reborn, they become workers of their own salvation, to the glory of the Lord, who has ordered salvation for all.

Such manifestations occur everywhere, among unbelievers, among those in error, and among the right-believing. For not all who are called are chosen, just as not all fish caught in the net are fit for the table.

To those born from above, who "were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," power is given "to become children of God" (Jn 1:12-13).

From these the Lord builds His spiritual kingdom. They are the material prepared on earth for heaven by the Word of God and grace, when free will surrenders itself to them.

When these powers have chosen from the earth all suitable material, and the kingdom of God has been fully built, then the Lord's salvation will have accomplished its work. The present order of things will then have no reason to remain.

The world stands because not all who are fit for the kingdom of Christ have yet entered it, or because not as many have yet entered it as must.

"And other sheep I have," said the Lord, "which are not of this fold; them also I must bring... and there will be one flock and one shepherd" (Jn 10:16). When this is accomplished, then comes the end. Then also comes the appearance of the antichrist.

Hence what restrains his appearance is that the power of salvation placed by the Lord in our race has not yet fully accomplished its work. Its continuing action restrains him. When it ceases to act, then he will come forward.

If we divide this general point into its parts, we receive the following. The antichrist is prevented from appearing because the Gospel has not yet been heard and received by all, and because the grace of the Holy Spirit still remains and still has work in the human race.

Among the holy Fathers and teachers of the Church, as we have seen, some set forth one side of the power acting for our salvation, and others the other, as restraining the appearance of the antichrist.

But this is the same as if each of them pointed to both, for they are inseparable.

Our interpreters also counted the Roman kingdom among the powers restraining the antichrist. In their time, when the Roman kingdom still existed, one could point to this on the basis of Daniel's prophecy.

In our time, such a thought can have any weight only if by the Roman kingdom one understands kingly authority in general. It would be understood in this way.

Kingly authority, having in its hands the means to restrain popular movements, and itself holding to Christian principles, will not allow the people to turn away from them. It will restrain them.

Since the antichrist's chief work will be to draw everyone away from Christ, he will not appear while kingly authority is in force. It will not allow him to unfold himself. It will hinder him from acting according to his own spirit.

This, then, is the restraining thing. When kingly authority falls, and peoples everywhere establish self-rule, republics and democracies, then the antichrist will have room to act.

It will not be difficult for Satan to prepare voices in favor of renouncing Christ, as experience showed during the French Revolution. There will be no one to say with authority, "Veto." A humble confession of faith will not even be heard.

Therefore, when such orders are established everywhere, favorable to the disclosure of antichristian tendencies, then the antichrist will appear. Until that time he will wait and will be restrained.

The words of Saint Chrysostom lead to such thoughts. In his time, he represented kingly authority under the form of the Roman state.

He says, "When the Roman state ceases to exist," that is, kingly authority, "then the antichrist will come. For so long as he fears this state," this kingly authority, "no one will quickly submit to the antichrist."

"But after it is destroyed," that is, when this authority ceases, "anarchy will be established, and he will hasten to seize both human and divine authority."

One might reasonably object that the people themselves will guard their faith. But, as has already been said above, it is difficult to admit that faith will grow more and more in strength with the passage of time.

It is pleasant to meet the bright portrayals of future Christianity in some writers, but there is nothing to justify them. The gracious kingdom of Christ does indeed broaden, grow, and become fuller. But it does so not visibly on earth, but invisibly in heaven.

It is formed from persons prepared for it both there and here, in earthly kingdoms, by the saving power of Christ. On earth, however, the dominion of unbelief and evil is foretold.

It is visibly expanding. When it has gained great strength, the matter will stand only in need of a beginning. Let some influential example, or a powerful voice, simply be given, and apostasy from the faith will begin to take place.

This impulse will be given by the antichrist. Hence we may hold that what restrains the antichrist is also that there is not yet sufficient preparation among men to receive him.

Unbelief and impiety have not yet gained the upper hand. There is still much faith and goodness in the human race.

After all that has been said, the words are self-explanatory: "that he may be revealed in his own time." "Be revealed" refers neither to the Lord nor to the apostasy, but to the man of lawlessness, the antichrist.

"His own time" means not the time he would like to choose, but the time appointed for him by divine Providence. He will not appear against the will of God.

In God's plans for governing the world, both he and his preparation and the consequences of that preparation have their place. This is not because God wills such evil for men, but because men themselves will bring themselves to that point.

God has postponed this moment to the very last possibility, waiting to see whether anyone else might appear who desires to turn to Him and serve Him.