There's more of a likelyhood that the one who 'restrains' is an archangel (or a man) than anything else. My opinion.
Amen, amen. There is far more evidence in scripture the one who restrains is an angel than any of the other theories.
Below is a repost of mine from another thread:
Who is the he who now letteth?
2 Thess. 2: 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only
he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him,
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
It is the contention by many the Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit within the church is the only one who could possibly restrain the man of sin, until “his time”. The scriptures below prove that is absolutely false. Notice it always Michael the archangel who shows up when satan or one of his fallen angels are to be dealt with.
Daniel 12:12 And
at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and
there shall be a time of trouble,
such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and
at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Thy people are “every one that shall be found written in the book”
2 And
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Note, when Michael “stands up” it is at the time of the tribulation and the resurrection.
Daniel 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo,
Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
The prince of Persia (fallen angel) withstood one of God’s unnamed angels until he received help from Michael.
Daniel 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will
I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo,
the prince of Grecia shall come.
21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and
there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Michael fights with one of God’s angels against the fallen angel the prince of Persia. Interesting wording in verse 21 “there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince”.
Jude 9
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Michael contends with the devil over the body of Moses.
Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Michael and his angels fight with the devil and his angels and cast them out of heaven.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for
the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Note it is after satan is cast out of heaven he has great wrath.
Many like to throw around clichés about the church restraining the man of sin, but there are never any scriptures to back that up. The uncomfortable fact for pretribbers is they need it to be so, to nullify what 2 Thess 2 really says. How convenient, if the Holy Spirit with the church is departed from this earth. I would like to see a list of scripture like those above that show the Holy Spirit doing battle with the evil one and his angels. No, I am not doubting the power of the Holy Spirit, that is just not His role as laid out in scripture. If you disagree post specific scriptures where that happens.
Fact is Michael the archangel has power over the devil and his crowd. All through the Old and New Testament we find angels carrying out missions for God, that’s what they do.