Page 42 - Watchman- What of the Night

The Golden Text of the Rapturist

We shall conclude this study with an examination of the Golden Text of the
advocates of the pre-tribulation rapture, II Thess. 2:7. The familiar authorized
translation is as follows: ―For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who

now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.‖ The note in the Scofield
Reference Bible states ―… The restrainer is a person— ―he,‖ and since a ―mystery‖
always implies a supernatural element, this Person can be no other than the Holy

Spirit in church, to be ―taken out of the way.‖ (Italics ours). The italicized portion is
another one of the broad and unfounded assertions which abound in the Scofield notes.
That a verse so obscure and vague is seized upon as the Golden Text of the
pre-tribulation rapture theory, is eloquent proof of the bankruptcy of the whole case. It
will be noted that there is not a line of the N.T. that declares a pre-tribulation rapture,

so its advocates are compelled to read it into certain indeterminate texts, that are
found on examination to teach nothing of the kind. We believe that the reader, who
has followed us with a fair mind through the course of these discussions, has observed

that we have not adduced evidence from vague or indeterminate scriptures that require
interpretation, but from categorical and unmistakable assertions that demand the very
conclusions that we have drawn.
Even if we were to accept the A.V. translation of II Thes. 2:7 as correct (which we
emphatically do not as we shall show later) there are at least two assumptions that

have to be adopted before we could move to their conclusion. ―…only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.‖ The first part of Dr. Scofield‘s
statement that ―the restrainer‖ is a person and ‗since a mystery‘ always implies a

supernatural element‖ can be conceded as correct, but the next statement ―this
Person can be no other than the Holy Spirit in the church‖ is entirely unwarranted.
There are two august, powerful and supernatural personages. One is God, the other is
Satan. Which of the two is referred to in this passage must be concluded from a
careful and sane exposition of the context and not from the oracular assertion of

anyone, however eminent. We earnestly insist that the Person can be other than the
Holy Spirit, and that without proof or reason it is assumption to assert that the Holy
Spirit is referred to. That is assumption number one.

But even were we to concede that the Holy Spirit is referred to, what particular
feature of the Holy Spirit‘s activity and work is implied would still need to be settled.
The Blessed Lord Himself set forth five acts of the Holy Spirit in John 16:8-14.
Elsewhere this Blessed One is said to be the perpetual Abider and Indweller (John
14:16-17). Even then were the Holy Spirit meant in the text, it would remain to prove
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