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Watch out for potholes!
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only he who now letteth will let,
until he be taken out of the way.
(2 Thessalonians 2:7 King James Version)
There are multiple problems for this verse
in the King James Version of the Bible!
First, of course, is the "old English" as in the word "doth" means "does."
Next "iniquity" in the Greek means "lawlessness" or "without law", and is the idea of "disobedience to the law".
And the strangest part for the modern English speaker, "let" (and "letteth")!
Here this Old English word "let" as used here, means exactly the opposite of "let" in our present day English!
And finally "he" may not be masculine, may be better translated as "the one".
So a better translation would be something like this:
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work:
only the one now restraining will do so,
until [that one] is taken out of the way.
(2 Thessalonians 2:7)
So who or what is "taken out of the way"?
I was taught and have heard from many teachers over the years that it is the Holy Spirit that was restraining, but will be taken out of the way. But if we look at what Jesus said to His disciples just before His ascension into the clouds:
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
(John 16:7 NKJV)
And earlier Jesus had spoken of this Helper as being the Holy Spirit:
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
(John 14)
And notice He says "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." So when Jesus ascended 40 days after His resurrection, the disciples waited in the upper room for just 10 days until the Holy Spirit came upon them, as He said "He dwells with you and will be in you."
So here when Jesus said "I will come to you" that happened after ten days, not 2000 years!
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Hebrews 13:5)
So it is not the Holy Spirit that will be "taken out of the way."
So what or who will be taken out of the way?
This letter to the Thessalonian church was one of Paul's earlier letters. Years later, on Paul's journey ultimately to Rome, the ship stopped at Miletus. We read this in Acts 20:
17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
This is the last time Paul will be face to face with these Ephesian elders, and in verses 29-30 he says:
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Here Paul is telling them that the "flock" will be torn apart. The flock is "the one" that was taken out of the way.
By the time John wrote Revelation, to the seven churches, in the first letter to the Ephesians, He said "you left your first love", and by the time you get to the last of the seven, He says they were "wretched, blind and naked."
So that beautiful bride that Jesus had after the day of Pentecost was taken away.
Now our cry is "Return Return, O Shulamite!"
Random notes:
KJV "let" means "restrain" and "suffer" means "let" - Wow!
flock = Shulamite = bride = early church
man of sin = take father's wife
We desperately need the Holy Spirit and all the gifts (and functions) operating TODAY NOW
He will lead us into all truth
When that which is perfect is come -- flock = bride = love (1 Cor 13)
- the in part "gifts" will be done away
- "functions" are full in real mature church
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Jesus said "only to the Jews (Judeans)" before His death and resurrection
Then "disciple all the nations."
Paul said to the Jew (Judean) first and also to the Greek (@?)
- those from the nations are grafted into the true Israel olive tree
NOT "converts" (Rabbinic Judaism) who say they are Jews and are not, but lie - the synagogue of Satan
- in Revelation, letters to Smyrna and to Philadelphia.
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My prayer in tongues (which I have been doing for over 35 years, and more recently)
- uses words in languages of men and angels (messengers)
- There are words in one language that have a very very full meaning
that in another cultures language has absolutely no concept of.
- So other languages are needed to communicate them.
- Spirit understands all things - mind unfruitful, does not
- when picture gets painted in our spirit, then our mind can see it
This kind of "picture" is worth many thousands of words in other languages
Example - Try translating "smart phone" into the Hebrew of King David's day.
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The Bible is NOT "the pillar and base of the truth"
- The "church of the living God" IS
- this "church" does not exist right now (early 2026)
- it was taken out of the way
- so "man of sin" (antichrist) could be revealed = Pope
- many antichrists
- "anti" here means "in place of" (not "against" per se)
- we want a Jesus "with skin on"
- The word "pastor" has been removed from the ESV Bible
- it originally was there in only one place (Eph. 4)
- it was removed after Chuck H. (a friend of mine, Sarah's dad)
wrote a letter to the ESV translation committee to change it to "shepherd"
- and they did!
- The Holy Spirit of the living God working through
The church of the living God -> bride
is (or will be) the pillar and base of the TRUTH!
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"Spellers" video
- consider how they have their "meetings" and learn many things
- but are unable to speak to us "normal people"
---
Then remember the father of John the Baptizer
could not speak until it happened
John was born, and his father wrote "his name is John"
And his mouth was opened!
I believe God showed me this will happen when the bride starts to exist again
and this will help her make herself ready!
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Still need to paint the picture of how the wisdom of God will be displayed through this church!