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Well, amen. You're there in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And this is a great passage and you say, well, what brought this up? I was reading it. So, you know, there's sometimes that there's things that are brought up and you're like, you hear something, you're like, I need to rebuke that, I need to preach on that. I'm just gonna be honest with you, I was reading through 2 Thessalonians and, you know, I was just like, well, you know, I don't think I've ever hit on that particularly or explained that as far as what I believe this passage is saying. But let's just look at this passage as far as starting in verse 1 to get context here. The whole book in 2 Thessalonians is about the coming of the Lord, you know, the second coming of the Lord. 1 Thessalonians is really also about the second coming of the Lord. But in verse 1 here we see, okay, what's the subject? It says in verse 1, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him. So what's the subject about what we're talking about? The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him. And what is that talking about? We should be caught up together with Him in the clouds and, you know, it's the rapture, you know, it's talking about how the dead in Christ shall rise and it's the resurrection, okay? So the gathering together unto Him, that's what He's beseeching them about. And it says in verse 2, that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand. So what's being said here is it says, don't let anybody trouble you, don't be soon shaken, even if it's a letter by us saying that the day of Christ is at hand, okay? So the day of Christ is synonymous with the coming of the Lord and gathering together unto us, right, unto Him, right? And so He's basically saying, don't let anybody deceive you. And you say, well, is that what He's really saying there? Well, in verse 3 it's going to clarify that's exactly what He's saying because it says in verse 3, let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposeth and exalted himself above all that is God or that is worshiped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. Now, this is clearly the Antichrist, the beast, you know, that's going to go into the temple, the abomination desolation. He's going to stand in the temple and say, I am God, okay? And what the Bible is saying here is that the day of Christ, it says, what does it say in verse 3? It says for that day shall not come except first there come a falling away first, right? So it's saying, hey, this has to happen first, the falling away, and it says, and the man of sin be revealed the son of perdition. And then it clarifies what that even means, right? You say, well, what does it mean, you know, as far because it pre-tribbers out to be like, well, you know, he's kind of revealed, you know, we all know about him and, you know, so that means he can come at any moment. Now, it clarifies, it says, him being revealed as the son of perdition is talking about who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or does worship so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. So the revealing is him sitting in the temple of God saying, I'm God, okay? That's the revealing, okay? So the falling away would be in the latter times many shall depart from the faith, the Bible says, okay? The Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times many shall depart from the faith. So there's going to be what you would call in a theological term apostasy, right? Okay? So there's this great apostasy and that's just a Greek word that means like departing or, you know, falling away, if you will. Now, what pre-tribbers will say is that that falling away first is the rapture. That's hilarious, right? Because, you know, when you think about being caught up into the cloud, you think about falling, right? Isn't it funny how it's always opposite, right? It's pre-trib. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be dark and the moon shall not give her light and then shall you see the son of man coming in the clouds and he shall send his angels to gather together to elect from the four corners of the earth. After, before, it's complete opposite, okay? Complete opposite. And then it's like, well, you know, we're caught up together in the clouds, the rapture, First Thessalonians chapter four, and that's the falling away first. What? And you can't make this stuff up because it's literally complete opposite. Now, that being said, it's very clear that what it's stating here is that, hey, the day of Christ is not at hand. And what does that mean? It means it's not immediate. It's not imminent, right? Because there's certain things that have to happen. Now, if you see the abomination desolation, you see, you know, him sitting in the temple saying that he's God, at that point you can say it's at hand. Does that make sense? Like you, there is a point where it will be at hand, but it's saying you can't say that now because these things haven't happened yet, okay? Now, what I'm going to be getting to is next because the only way that I've heard them explain that passage that I just read to you right there is that where they say, well, the falling away is literally the rapture, which is, I don't even know where you go with that. I just laugh at that. But they'll basically have to go to another version of the Bible because another version of the Bible, it'll say that, well, don't let anybody deceive you saying that the day of Christ has already happened, okay? That's not what it says, okay? Something being at hand and something already happened are two different things. At hand means it's like about to happen, right? It's like right there. It's, you know, imminent, okay? And it already happened means it's in the past, okay? So, and by the way, it's not what it says in the original. That's, and I haven't looked this up to even see if the critical text even says it that way or if this is just them putting their own doctrine in there, okay? So, forgive me, but I didn't look up what it says in the critical text on what it says here, okay? But that's not the point of sermon. The point of sermon is what we get to next here, okay? Now, notice in verse five, it says, remember ye, or remember ye not that when I was yet with you, I told you these things. So, it's interesting because Paul is stating here that, hey, when I was with you, I told you this, you know? I'm just kind of repeating what I already told you. And if you remember in 1 Thessalonians 5, it says, of the times and seasons, brethren, talking about the rapture, you have no need that I write unto you, right? Why is that? Because he'd already talked to them about it. He'd already spoken to them about it. He's kind of just reiterating some things that he'd already spoken to them about. Notice in verse six, and now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time, okay? So, what are we talking about? Well, in context, we're talking about the man of sin being revealed, okay, right? The son of perdition. So, it's saying now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time, okay? So, you could go back to say, okay, well, this is talking about the falling away and the man of sin. But see, the man of sin being revealed is what we're talking about. Saying, you know what withholdeth that the man of sin may be revealed. So, at the very least, what's withholdeth is talking about the falling away, right? That there's going to be a falling away first, okay? I believe that verse seven, though, is going to tell you that, hey, there's something else that's going on here that has to happen before that, okay? Now, look at verse seven there. Now, this is your memory verse, okay, if you choose to accept it. You're going to use this out soul winning all the time, okay? Verse seven here, it says, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work. Only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. And this verse, this is like supposedly the John 3.16 of the pre-Trib rapture. And I know you saw why that is, right? Like, you're reading that, you're like, man, that's a hard one to answer. Like, how do I answer this? That's tough, right? You know, I'm going to have to really dig deep to try to figure this one out. I mean, let's be honest here. When you read this, it's a little cryptic as far as what's even being said, okay? But it says, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work. Only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. Now, I know what you really saw was that the Holy Ghost was going to be taken away. Is that what you saw? Now, most of you probably already know this, but that's what most pre-Tribers would say on this. They'll say, well, listen, brother, when the Holy Ghost leaves, I'm going with them. Like, I'm not joking, okay? That's what they believe on this verse. They say, well, he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. That means when the rapture happens, the Holy Ghost is living inside of us, and he's going with us, you know? It's like, what? You know, so you're telling me that God just leaves the world completely. Like, he's just not in presence of the world at all, right? But did you see anything mentioned about the Holy Ghost in here at all in this chapter? Was there anything mentioned about the Holy Spirit or anything like that yet at this point? No. What's the context? Who are we talking about? We're talking about the man of sin, the son of perdition. We're talking about the, how about in the verse? What's the context of the verse there? Who is being talked about in this verse? The mystery of iniquity. And by the way, that's the name of the sermon, the mystery of iniquity. Now, I'm going to answer this verse right here, but let's just keep reading, okay? Just to get context as far as what's coming after this, and I'm going to tell you who I believe is being taken out of the way and, you know, what it means by he who now letteth will let, okay? I'm going to explain that, but let's just get context because even if you don't understand what that verse is saying, a lot of times when you read a verse and it's like, that's kind of strange how that's worded and what's being said there, context would be like, I know what's being said here though, okay? That we know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. Well, that person's the man of sin, you know? That person is the son of perdition, you know? That's the antichrist, so we know what's holding off the antichrist from coming and being revealed, and then it says the mystery of iniquity doth already work. You'd be like, well, obviously that's a bad person, okay? Or that's a bad thing, right? Would anybody say the mystery of iniquity is a godly thing, okay? And it says until he be taken out of the way, so we'll get to that as far as who's being taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked be revealed, okay? So it's basically saying, hey, there's something that's withholding and you already know what it is, and, you know, this thing's going to be taken out of the way, and we'll get to that, and then shall the wicked be revealed, okay? So that's why I preach to say, well, you know, the wicked is going to be revealed after, you know, the Holy Ghost is taken out and we're taken out, okay? That's their logic, okay? But it doesn't make sense in any of the context here, okay? Now it says, 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. Now, if you know the story about the Antichrist, how's the beast killed? With the sword that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jesus, right? The two-edged sword, and what is the sword? It is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, okay? So you can understand, okay, this is how he's being destroyed. He's being destroyed without hand by the spirit of his mouth, right? So keep reading there. Now, verse nine, and the reason I'm going through this is because there are some things that the way it's, the grammar is, can get confusing, okay? Notice what it says in verse nine. So it says, or verse eight, just to get some context, and then shall the wicked, that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. Now, the even him whose coming is talking about that wicked, okay? So it's going back to that wicked person, okay? So it's basically saying that the wicked person, or the son of perdition, the antichrist, if you will, his coming is after, meaning according to, okay? You know, a lot of times if it says, like, this is after this, or after this sword, right, it's according to, is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure and unrighteousness. Now, this isn't the point of the sermon, but I'm going to quickly explain this, okay? Basically what it's saying is that the antichrist is coming according to the working of Satan. If you understand, the dragon gives the antichrist his power, okay? And it says, with all power and signs and lying wonders, now you're getting into the false prophet. If you read Revelation 13, you have the antichrist, the beast, that comes up on the scene, and then you have the false prophet that comes right after that, and he's basically doing all these signs and, like, causes fire to come down from heaven and all this stuff, right? So he's basically deceiving people and pointing them to believe on the antichrist, to put their trust in antichrist, to worship the antichrist, right? And then it says that God's sending a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth. You could definitely see how this applies to the mark of the beast. They take the mark of the beast and they're damned, right? Meaning that there's a strong, they're unable to be saved, okay, when they take this mark of the beast, okay? Now, like I said, I'm not trying to get into that per se. What I really want to do is explain verse 7 here. So let's go to verse 7 again. It says, for the mystery of iniquity does already work. Now, who is the mystery of iniquity, okay? Well, go to 1 John chapter 4, and I'm going to give you who I believe it is, because what you have to understand here is that this is already working as Paul is writing his epistle. Does that make sense? So the mystery of iniquity, I don't believe, can be talking about the antichrist, because, I mean, we're talking 2,000 years ago, he's saying it's already working. Does that make sense? So the mystery of iniquity, I believe, it was already there, still here right now, and still working right now, and I'm going to get to what I believe that is. Now, look at verse 1. So 1 John chapter 4, verse 1. It says, beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are going out into the world. So what is this? The context here, okay? There's a lot of false prophets, and don't believe every spirit that's out there, because not every spirit's a good spirit, right? And what the Bible is going to be doing is pitting the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, against, you know, devils, okay? Or what we're going to see as antichrist spirits, okay? Now, notice in verse 2 here, it says, hereby I know you the spirit of God. So notice that not every spirit, believe not every spirit, it says, but try the spirits whether they are of God, and it says, hereby I know you the spirit of God. So he's basically said, the spirit of God pitted against all these other spirits that are not the spirit of God, right? It says, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that, notice that, spirit of antichrist, wherever you have heard that it should come, notice this, and even now already is in the world. See that same wording there? The spirit of antichrist, it says, which you know should, you have heard that it should come, right? You know that it's coming, but it says, even now already is it in the world, okay? So I believe the mystery of iniquity is the spirit of antichrist, or you could even put it in here that we're dealing with the spirit of the devil, right? We're dealing with the devil, the dragon himself that's already working. The devil's been on the scene since the very beginning, and he's been working, okay? Now keep reading there. It says, ye are of God, little children, have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. I use this verse all the time to talk about how if you have the Holy Ghost inside of you, you can't be possessed with a devil, right? Because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. It says, they are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, in the world here at them. We are of God, he that knoweth God heareth us, and he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know ye the spirit of truth and the spirit of error, okay? So I personally believe that the mystery of iniquity is talking about the spirit of antichrist that already is working, right? It's all you've heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. And what does it say in 2 Thessalonians 2 7? It says, for the mystery of iniquity does already work, okay? So I believe what he's stating here is that, hey, you know, this is coming and this is going to be revealed, but know this, that the mystery of iniquity is already working. It's already in the, it's working right now, but it's basically stating to you, okay, there's going to be something that's going to happen that's going to be, that's going to happen to where that's when the wicked is going to be revealed, okay? Something has to happen before that. Now we already saw that before the day of Christ happens, there has to be a falling away first and the man of sin be revealed. Now we're really talking about, well, what has to happen before the man of sin is revealed, okay? That's what he's getting into, is like, well, what? He's getting into the details of the man of sin being revealed. Does that make sense? He's kind of just, okay, here's what needs to happen, okay? Go to 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2. Because the thing that you have to realize is that there's going to be the Antichrist and there's going to be the false prophet, but there's, there's right now Antichrist and false prophets. Does that make sense? Like, that's, that's going on right now, okay? And so, and Jesus, and this is calling, and I'm getting ahead of myself, but this is calling back to what Jesus warned about, okay? So it's not like Paul's coming out in left field to deal with this, okay? He's just kind of wording it a little differently than the way Jesus was talking about it, okay? But in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 18, you're like, this is not a Christmas story. So I have a sermon actually in the afternoon that's more of a Christmas story, but these sermons are very linked as far as a little bit on subject matter, and I was wondering which one to do in the beginning, but this one was in my mind, so this is what I'm doing. I don't want to preach a sermon and be like, I'm really thinking about this one over here, so I got to get this one out before I get into that one. So 1 John chapter 2 and verse 18, it says, Little children, it is the last time. And as you have heard that Antichrist shall come. So, you know, the Bible, this is the only place where it's, it calls the Antichrist by name Antichrist, okay? Everywhere else is plural, Antichrist, and I'm going to get to that. So, but it's either the beast or the man of sin or that wicked, right? And it's basically calling them other things, but here it's clearly stating that you have heard that Antichrist shall come. So it's basically saying you've heard that Antichrist shall come, right? And this is very similar to chapter 4, right? That you have heard that the spirit of Antichrist shall come, but even now already is it in the world, right? And so it's very similar to spirit of Antichrist and the Antichrist himself, and it says, Even now are there many Antichrists whereby you know that it is the last time. So we have a case here where we know that the Antichrist is coming, right? But even now, right now, there's Antichrists in the world, okay? Notice, keep reading there, it says, They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest, they were not all of us. Now is this talking about people that just miss church? Or are we talking about Antichrists? You know, see how context matters? So when you're looking at this, it says, They went out from us. Who's the they? The Antichrists, okay? It's going to get into what the Antichrists were, okay? So it's basically stating that these Antichrists went out from us because they were not of us, okay? And notice, keep reading there, in verse 20 it says, But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. This is talking about the anointing of the Holy Spirit that you have inside of you. It says in verse 21, I have not written unto you, because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no truth is of the lie. All right, I'm sorry, and that no truth is of the lie, yeah. Good night, I cannot speak. I'm not dyslexic, at least that I know of, okay? That no lies of the truth, okay? There we go, all right. I guess that would be true, like there's no truth of the lie, right? But verse 22 there, Who is a liar, but he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son. So now we get a definition of what it means to be Antichrist. It's very similar to those to be the spirit of Antichrist, which is to say that the Jesus Christ is not come in the flesh, right? Does that make sense? So I mean, it's very, it's pretty much the same thing, right? So there's going to be many Antichrists that are already working, and the spirit of Antichrist is already here, okay? But we know that the spirit of Antichrist is going to come, and we know that the Antichrist is going to come, okay? And so that's what we're dealing with in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Now, just to show you another place of dealing with being a Antichrist or an Antichrist, go to 2 John chapter 1, 2 John chapter 1. These are actually the two places where you'll see 1 John and then 2 John where you're dealing with the term Antichrist, okay? And verse 7 here says, For many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist. Sound familiar? It's all the same that you're dealing with there, but the key here is that right now there are many Antichrists, and right now the spirit of Antichrist is already here, okay? And I believe that's what Paul is stating here. He says, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, okay? So we're talking about the Antichrist coming and being revealed, but he's making a point. He's saying, hey, you know, that mystery of iniquity, that spirit of Antichrist is already working right now, okay? It's not like that hasn't come at all. It's just that the Antichrist hasn't come yet, and it's still, it's working at this moment. Now, go to Matthew chapter 24, Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24, because when Jesus is talking about his coming, he mentions this, okay? So it's not, like I said, it's not like Paul coming out of left field here to talk about things that are going to come before his coming, okay? Things that have to happen. I mean, the whole, all of it discourse is him saying, listen, this has to happen first. This is the beginning of stars. The end is not yet, right? He keeps saying, like, you know what's interesting? It's the same phrase, let no man deceive you, is used in this passage. So Paul is literally just kind of, you know, paralleling what Jesus is saying, you know, in his whole discourse about his coming, and he's saying, let no man deceive you by any means. And notice in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 4, it says, Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many. So many are going to come in his name. Now the term anti-Christ is meaning that in the place of Christ, meaning, like, that person is stating that I am Christ. Does that make sense? Like, I am the Messiah. So when we're talking about someone being anti-Christ, they're saying, Jesus is not the Christ, right? I am the Christ, okay? So when it says Jesus Christ, the Christ didn't come in the flesh yet. I am that Christ. That's what the anti-Christ is going to be saying, is that, and that's what Jesus is saying, many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ. Now go down to, and shall deceive many, right, in verse 23. So Matthew 24 and verse 23 says, Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before, wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. So he's stating, hey, there's going to be people that are going to say, I am Christ. There's going to be false Christs, false prophets that are going to try to deceive you. And he's stating this, that that's going to happen, you know, in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 5, that that's going to happen, you know, basically before you even get into the beginning of sorrows. Because that was happening in First John, you know, he's basically saying, hey, even now there are many anti-Christs. So it's not like saying, like, oh, this is only going to be in the end times that there's anti-Christ. But I believe it's going to be amplified. Does that make sense? Like everything that you see when it comes to the beginning of sorrows, you'd be like, well, we have earthquakes, you know, we have pestilences, and we have this and that. Yeah, but it's going to be amplified. It's going to be amplified to where it's going to be called the beginning of sorrows, meaning that it's going to be to another level when it comes to that. But I don't believe you're going to know for sure at that point whether it's the end, right? Because all that stuff you could say, well, man, it's pretty bad, you know, it's pretty bad, but we don't know, you know, how bad it's going to be when that happens, okay? So we would just be guessing at that point, and so that's where he gets into, you know, when you see the abomination desolation, okay? Then you know, right? So that really the midpoint of the week or the seven years is really the all-out, like, we know, okay? And that's what 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, go back to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, it's talking about saying that when he's sitting in the temple saying that he's God, he's revealed. And at that point, you can say it's near, right? That's what he's stating is that, you know, let no man deceive you that the day of Christ is at hand, because there has to be a falling away and the man of sin has to be real. That means at that point when that happens, you can say it's near. You can say it's about to happen, and that's true, okay? So at that point, you can state that, but until that happens, you can't state that. You know, you'd be deceiving people to say that, yeah, the day of Christ is at hand, when obviously he hasn't been revealed yet. Now, he who now letteth will let. Now, back in 2 Thessalonians, so you're like, are you going to finally get to what you're saying? Yes. The mystery of iniquity, I believe, is talking about the spirit of Antichrist, okay? I believe it's already working. I believe it's already here, and it was back in that day, okay? And he's just stating a point. He's basically just stating that, hey, the spirit of Antichrist is working. Now, the spirit of Antichrist is not just some floating apparition of, like, thoughts. Does that make sense? I believe it's a person, okay? The spirit of Antichrist is a person. I believe it's the devil. I believe, because if you understand end times, you understand that there's the dragon, there's the beast, and then there's the false prophet, and the dragon is the devil. The beast and false prophet are men. Does that make sense? So if you're going to say, what was there in Paul's day and still going to be there in the end times? Well, the Antichrist and the false prophet can't be that, right? It's very clear that they're just men. So they're not working in Paul's day, you know, and they're not doing all this in Paul's day. But you can say that about the devil. And so we're reading there in verse 5. It says, Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things. Now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. Okay, so what I want you to see here, because you can say, well, that withholdest is talking about the falling away first, right? I don't believe that's what it's talking about, because notice verse 5, it says, Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things. So he's calling back to, hey, I told you about something when I was with you. And it says, and now ye know, right? Why? Because I told you when I was with you. Okay, so I believe he's basically stating, I'm going to talk about something I told you when I was with you. Okay, and it says, you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in this time. So he's basically saying, I'm going to tell you about something that has to happen or is withholding his revealing. Does that make sense? I'm about to tell you that. And he's stating, hey, the mystery of iniquity, notice in verse 7, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work. So he's stating a fact. Okay, the mystery of iniquity is already working. Only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. Now, he being taken out of the way, I personally believe is talking about the mystery of iniquity. Okay, and I'm going to explain what I mean by this. But first of all, he who now letteth will let, I believe is the same thing as talking about he that withholdeth or what withholdeth. Okay, you're like, well, let, you know, means like to allow something. Well, a let can also mean the opposite, like to withhold or hinder, right? Go to Isaiah 43. I'm just going to show you a verse here that would be very clear that we're not talking about allowing something. But also, you could just look up the word let and see that there's a definition for that. Now, it's not used most of the time anymore, it's more of an archaic definition, if you will. But that doesn't mean that it wasn't used. Mind you, the King James Bible was written in 1611. Okay, so we're obviously back in time when, you know, words sometimes were used in different manners, okay. And this isn't a sermon on so-called archaic words. But I'll say this, when you're reading this, the context is something's withholding the revealing, right? So when you think of context, you could see that when it says, he who now letteth will let, it's talking about withholding, you know, he who's withholding, right? So something's withholding and, you know, when that's withholding, right, it's clear by context, that's what it's saying. But I do want to show you that there's a verse in the Old Testament that would allude to that. In verse 12, so Isaiah 43 and verse 12 says, I have declared and have saved, and I have showed when there was no strange God among you. Therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am He, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who shall let it? Okay, so it's basically, he's stating here that no one can deliver out of my hand. I'm gonna work, and who's gonna let it, okay? That means who's gonna stop me, right? That's what he's stating, okay? And all I have to say is that, you know, in Second Thessalonians, I've always believed that let meant the same thing as withholdeth, but if you look at the definition of it, and you don't need to go back to the Greek, although if you did, you'd understand it's the same word, okay? So it's the same thing, but I didn't need to go back to the Greek to figure that out, and actually before I ever knew Greek, I already knew that's what it meant, okay? So it's very clear by context and by the Bible itself defining itself, right? So you see there that let can mean like to stop or hinder something, right? Because God's asking a rhetorical question. He's basically like, who's gonna let it, right? And it wouldn't make sense to be like, who's gonna allow it, right? It's like, you don't have a choice, right, you know? That wouldn't make sense. So obviously it's talking about who's gonna basically stop me, right? I'm gonna work and who's gonna stop me. No one can deliver out of my hand, you know? So it's very clear what's being said there. Now I'm gonna give you one interpretation. Now I already gave you an interpretation that's ridiculous, right? The interpretation of Second Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 7, he who now letteth will let until be taken out of the way, and that's that it's the Holy Ghost, okay? Let's just throw that out on its head because that's where it belongs, okay? Because there's no context to show you that and it doesn't make any sense at all because if God is God then he's going to be at all places at once at all times. Are you telling me that the Holy Spirit is not omnipresent? It's ridiculous, okay? Now, so let's get that out. That's stupid, okay? But there's another position here that he that's being taken out of the way is talking about the Antichrist himself, okay? And I'll say this, what they believe as far as what they're saying about it is true and right, okay? But it's like when you go to James 2 and you have two people that believe right on James 2 as far as like salvation and all that stuff but they explain it two different ways, okay? Both doctrines are good but the passage can't be saying two different things, right? It can't be talking about two different subjects, okay? So and the one that I'm going to show you, it's good doctrine and if you hold to that you have good doctrine but I don't necessarily believe that's what that verse is saying, okay? And like I said, it's basically they're stating that the Antichrist is going to die first, okay? And that's true, okay? So the man of sin is going to die before he's revealed at the temple and saying that he's God, okay? Go to Revelation chapter 13, Revelation chapter 13. So like I said, it's a true thing, right? So obviously that has to precede his revealing is that he's going to have to die and if you didn't know that, I'm going to show you something here, that the Antichrist, the beast, is actually going to physically die. Not just, you know, like have a terminal like, you know, illness or something like that. He's going to die, okay? Because if he doesn't, that wouldn't be that big of a miraculous thing, okay? If he just like, well, he had this mortal wound but he got healed, okay? People get healed of mortal wounds all the time where you're like, that person should have died and they didn't. It's like, and people don't like go worship that person and set up an image and make a world government around them, okay? We're talking about someone actually dying. Now verse 3 here, so Revelation chapter 13 verse 3, it says, and I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death. Now this is talking about the seven-headed dragon and it's basically saying that the Antichrist is one of those heads and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast. Now go to chapter 8. So it's going to clarify what that means, meaning that one of his heads was wounded, right? And it says that it was wounded to death. So it's not saying that he just basically had a deadly wound. That wound killed him, okay? So he actually dies and if you, I'd like to see how you get out of this verse right here in verse, so Revelation chapter 17 verse 8, it says, the beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. Now that term is not, you know, it's just like Rachel weeping for her children because they are not, right? The idea is that they died, okay? And listen, why would he be ascending out of the bottomless pit? By the way, that's hell. You say, well that doesn't make sense. How can he die and ascend out of the bottomless pit? How can he come back from hell? I didn't write the Bible, okay? So there's things that that's just what the Bible says is going to happen. I believe that's what's going to happen, okay? So you can understand though, why is he called the Antichrist? Because he's going to die and raise again from the dead. That's what's going to happen. That's why he's going to say, I am Christ. Listen, I died and I'm back from the dead, okay? And Jesus, this big key of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, not in his flesh did see corruption. You see how they're going to be using the Bible to state? They're going to go to Psalm 16 and say, see, I told you this is what, I'm Christ, right? And they're going to deceive many by that. Now we're not going to be deceived. It says the elect's not going to be deceived, but you can see how they're going to do that. So if you took that interpretation, it says only he who now led us will let until they be taken out of the way, and it says, and then shall that wicked be revealed, okay? It's true, right? I mean, meaning like that statement of the Antichrist is going to die, he's going to be taken out of the way in a sense, right? He's going to die and therefore then he's going to be revealed after that because as soon as he dies and comes back to life, that's when he's going into the temple saying that he's God. Does that make sense? So it's, that definitely precedes it. That definitely has to happen before he's revealed, okay? So it's not bad doctrine, not a bad, I wouldn't say it's a bad interpretation. I just don't hold to that one, okay? Now my interpretation as far as what I believe this is talking about is talking about what kick-starts the whole thing, and that is Michael and the devil warring in heaven, okay? And I believe he's calling back to that. Now I'll give you my reasoning. Go to Daniel chapter 12. Daniel chapter 12. Like I said, both interpretations are good doctrine because what I'm going to show you is going to happen, okay? And it does precede, you know, his revealing, okay? So whatever you get from this doctrine as far as what you believe this verse is talking about, then, you know, you have your doctrine in either one of those interpretations, but you have to choose, okay, which one do I think that fits, okay? So as long as you know the Holy Ghost is not that, then we're good, okay? That's all I wanted to get out there for you is that the Holy Ghost is not the one that's being taken out of the way. So now I personally, like I said, I personally believe that the key that's being taken out of the way is talking about the mystery of iniquity, okay? That's the subject of what's being said there, and, you know, basically saying it's already working, but he's gonna be taken out of the way, and I believe that's the devil. The devil is going to be taken out of the way, okay? And then shall that wicked be revealed, okay? And I'm going to explain that now in Daniel chapter 12 verse 1. Daniel chapter 12 verse 1. 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. 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, and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. So this is a very clear, you know, basically passage on the tribulation. There's gonna be a time of trouble, and what's synonymous with trouble? He's gonna recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, it says in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. So it's, you're talking about the same thing, and what's going to happen in Matthew 24? There's gonna be great tribulation such as the world has never seen, and that's what it's stating here as far as the trouble, right? But what happens before that happens, right? Michael stands up. Now this is Michael the archangel, okay? So Michael the archangel stands up, and it says he stands up for the children of thy people, right? Well go back to chapter 10 of Daniel, chapter 10 of Daniel, and I want you to see a similar phrase that's being used here dealing with Michael. It's very similar to what we see in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and you say, well, how would this equate back to Michael? Well, it doesn't have to, because it's talking about the devil, right? It's just the fact that Michael's in that whole process, right? Okay, and I'm going to explain that. So you say, well, how's Michael? That's the point I'm trying to get across is that Michael's not mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 1, 2, or 3, okay? So it's not like Michael is like the antecedent to the he, okay? But I'm not saying that. I'm saying that the he is talking about the mystery of iniquity or the devil, okay? So in Daniel chapter 10 and verse 21, it says this, but I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth, and there is none that, what, holdeth with me in these things but Michael your prince. See something very similar in that terminology? Talking about holding. Now, like I said, my sermon this afternoon is very lengthy because I'm going to be talking about Gabriel, the angel Gabriel, and I'm going to be getting into this a little more as far as what angels do, okay, or some of the things that angels do, okay? But here, basically, I believe this is Gabriel talking about saying, hey, there's none that holds with me, and they're talking about fighting with these kings, or I don't want to get into my sermon. I'm going to get into my sermon, but basically he's saying there's none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your prince, and then you get to chapter 12 and it's talking about Michael standing up for his people, okay? And think about this. I want you to go to Revelation chapter 12. Actually, go to Jude chapter 1, Jude verse 9. It's right there before Revelation anyway because when you're talking about withholding or holding something, right, you're withholding it, you're holding it back, right? Another word that you could be using there is contending, and when I read Revelation chapter 12 you're going to know exactly what I'm talking about when it says that, okay? So in Jude verse 9 here, now this happened with Michael and the devil back when Moses died, okay? So the only point I'm trying to get here is that there's what's going on between Michael and the devil, okay? Now, in verse 9 here it says, 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. So we see that Michael contends with the devil, and tonight I'm going to get more into this as far as the angels contending with devils, okay, or basically the spiritual realm of battling that's going on, but if you don't believe me that there's a spiritual battle, there's literally a war in heaven between Michael and the devil, okay? So go to Revelation chapter 12. This is what I believe it's talking about when it says the mystery and iniquity that's already worked, and he's saying, you know, Paul's basically saying, hey, when I was with you I told you these things, and now you know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in this time, right? For the mystery and iniquity that's already worked, only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way, okay? And I believe you're talking about the devil contending, okay, with Michael here. Now this is my interpretation. You don't have to hold to it, but this is what I believe it's talking about because what kicks off that 70th week? This right here in Revelation chapter 12. This is what kicks it off, okay? So we're talking about Daniel's 70th week where the Antichrist, by the way, the Antichrist is going to confirm his covenant for one week. That means the Antichrist is from the very beginning of that. Now what we're talking about in 2 Thessalonians is when he's revealed as being the Antichrist, and that doesn't happen until the midst of the week at the abomination desolation. That doesn't mean that he wasn't there and he wasn't doing things. He was confirming his covenant from the very beginning of that week, okay? But at the beginning of the week, it's really the devil that's doing a lot of the damage, okay? The Antichrist is in there, but he's not really revealed. He's not the one that's being put in power yet until the abomination desolation. Now Revelation chapter 12 verse 7 here. Remember Daniel 12. What did it say? That Daniel shall stand up for thy people, right? And Revelation chapter 12 and verse 7 it says, And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels. So I believe that the withholding or the holdeth, you know, all that that's talking about Michael standing up is talking about him warring with the devil, okay? There's going to be this war in heaven between the devil and Michael and his angels, right? And it says verse 8, And prevailed not, neither was there found place any more in heaven. Notice this. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and satan, which deceived the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. Who is that? The mystery of iniquity. The mystery of iniquity. When the mystery of iniquity is taken out of the way, then that's when the Antichrist is going to be revealed, right? And it doesn't mean like immediately, but basically that has to happen. That is withholding. The Antichrist coming is that the devil has to be kicked out of heaven. He has to be taken out of the way, okay? That's what I believe this is talking about. Now let's keep reading there because we see here that I want to show you how this leads up to the Antichrist revealing, okay? Because it just goes straight down the line here. Verse 10, it says, And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now has 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. 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 dead. Therefore, rejoice ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea, for the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. So there's a short time that's happening here when he's taken down. It says, And when the the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, and she is nourished, it says, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent. This is the first half of the week. This is the first half of that seven years. What starts it? The devil being cast out of heaven. Is there any other thing that you can see that starts this, okay? The whole point of why he has wrath on the woman, and the woman is the mother of all living, by the way. So if you notice that the first half is the beginning of what's happening on the whole earth. When you see the first five seals, or first four seals at least, it's all on the earth, right? It's just everybody. Everybody is getting the wrath of the serpent or the devil, right? And the devil is cast out. That's what starts it. But notice down in verse 17, because the dragon can't take out the horde, like God doesn't let that happen. He doesn't, he can't kill everybody. A quarter of the earth dies, but not everybody. Verse 17, it says, and the dragon was wroth with a woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which kept keep the commandments of God and had the testimony of Jesus Christ. So now he's more honing in on who he's coming after. Does that make sense? He's going after the whole world. He's just going after the woman in general, right? The woman is referring back to Eve and the serpent, right? You know, there's between the serp, between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed. You know what's interesting about that? Is that in the very first you have the devil going after the whole world. Then you have the Antichrist, which is the seed of Satan, the son of perdition, right? Going after who? The sons of God, the children of God. So even in Genesis chapter 2, it foretells of the sequence of events of what happens in Daniel 7 and 8th week, okay? But go to chapter 13, chapter 13 and verse 3 here. Chapter 13, and for sake of time, you know that the seven-headed dragon with ten horns is calling back to Daniel, talking about these seven kingdoms throughout time, and there's going to be this final kingdom, and it's getting into the fact that this head, this final head, is going to be the Antichrist. And verse 3 here says, And I saw one of his heads, as it were, wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon, which gave power unto the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty in two months. So now we see the Antichrist is put into power for what? Three and a half years. So the devil was there on the earth, you know, going after the woman for a time, times, and half a time. That's one, and then times is two, and half a time is a half. So that's two, that's three and a half, three and a half years. And then, so that's, what's half of seven? Three and a half, right? So the next half is the Antichrist, okay? Verse 6, it says, And opened his mouth, and blasphemed me against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. Sound familiar? That he's going to go until he sitteth in the temple of God, and you know, exalting himself above all that is called God, sitting in the temple saying that he is God. That's exactly what it says in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. This is the revealing, okay, of the Antichrist. It says in verse 7, And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them, and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues of nations. World power here, and he's coming after the saints. He's making war with the saints. So go back to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. With all that in mind, now think about this verse, okay? So we're obviously talking about the day of Christ. So the chapter starts off saying, hey, there's certain things that happened to happen before the day of Christ, before Christ's coming, before we're raptured out of here. There has to be a falling away first, and the man of sin has to be revealed. Then he says, hey, I told you when I was with you what withholdeth, until he's revealed in his time. And he's basically getting, okay, let's talk about that revealing a little bit there, right? What's withholding that? And he says, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. Who? The mystery of iniquity. And I believe that to be the devil being cast out of heaven, and, you know, that's who I believe. And, you know, the letting, like I said, let can mean hinder or to withhold. So when it's talking about you know what withholdeth, what's holding back everything right now? That right there. That event of Michael and his angels, or Michael and the devil and his angels fighting, having war in heaven, contending with each other, that is what's holding this whole thing back. And that's what I believe he's talking about. And you say, that's a little cryptic. Yeah, it's a little cryptic, okay? But this is where it comes into, you know, you have to compare spiritual things with spiritual, and you have to rightly divide the word of truth. But, like I said, it's not like you can't see that in that verse, right? That the he is talking about the mystery of iniquity. I mean, if you just put mystery of iniquity in all the he's there, only the mystery of iniquity who now letteth will let until the mystery of iniquity is taken out of the way. Would that not be true with the devil fighting with, with, you know, they're contending with each other, right? And that the mystery of iniquity is going to be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked be revealed? Doesn't that line up perfectly with Revelation chapter 12, chapter 13? And like I said, if you say, well, I think this is talking about the Antichrist dying. I'm not against you. It's a good doctrine, right? It's a true doctrine. It's very true. I just don't believe the mystery of iniquity is the Antichrist. I believe if it's already working in that time, it has to be the devil, okay? And you say, well, the spirit of Antichrist, you know, what is that talking about? Well, don't forget that God is the spirit. When it's talking about God the Father, God is the spirit. We must worship him in spirit and truth. The devil is the spirit. You say, well, he gives his spirits, you know, it talks about, he makes his angel spirits and his ministers flaming fire, right? So the devil is a spirit, okay? And by the way, you know, he's going to be inside of the Antichrist. And you say, well, how do you know that? Well, there's only two people that's called the son of perdition. That's the Antichrist, the beast, and Judas. And what happened when Judas betrayed Jesus, who entered him? The devil. Because the devil is a spirit. And so the spirit of Antichrist, maybe it's the spirit that's inside of the Antichrist, which is the devil himself, okay? So I hope that makes sense. And you say, where did this come from? Did someone preach a sermon? Did you see something? Are they like just purporting, you know, the pre-trib to the point where you're just angry about it? No, I just was reading 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and I know that I hadn't gone in detail on this as far as that goes. And this is a verse that's taken out of context a lot of times. I just wanted to show you what I believe it's saying. You can have different interpretations on that. Like I said, both those are good doctrines as far as your interpretation on that verse. The only thing that's not a good doctrine is saying the Holy Ghost is being taken out, because that's weird. That messes with the Trinity, okay? That messes with God's omnipresence. But let's end with a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for today, and thank you for your word, and Lord just pray that you be with us throughout the rest of the day. I pray to be with those that aren't feeling well, and Lord just thank you for your word, how everything fits together, and it is just fun, Lord, to put the pieces together. Honestly, I love doing that personally, but Lord, just help us to know this so that we can use it in our lives, and Lord willing, if we're in the end times where we're going to be in the great tribulation, Lord, we'll know these things that are going to be coming to pass before you're coming, and Lord, just pray that you be with us as we go out soul-winding. Lord, we love you and pray all this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.