MARCO QUINTANA PARROTS JACOB PRASCH'S FAULTY VIEW OF THE RESTRAINER

As expected, Marco Quintana (DevoreTruth) parrots Jacob Prasch's faulty view of the Restrainer of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8. The error comes at the end of Quintana's rather tedious teaching, during the final ten minutes or so.

The view that identifies the Holy Spirit as the Restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 originated with John Nelson Darby and is predominantly a pre-tribulation rapture assertion. Prior to Darby, this view was completely unknown. Paul does not specifically identify the Restrainer due to the fact that he had previously identified him to the Thessalonian church.

The Restrainer is referred to both in the neuter (what verse 6) and masculine gender (he verse 7). Colin Nicholl's ground breaking research and journal article "Michael, The Restrainer Removed (2 Thess. 2:6-7)" {2000} is a vital resource on this subject:

Alan Kurschner: "Nicholl believes the best explanation is recognizing the Greek can use the neuter gender to refer to a person while the emphasis is on an exceptional quality of the individual (e.g., 1 Cor 11:5; 1 Cor 1:27–28; Gal 3:22; John 3:6; 17:24; 1 John 5:1–4; Matt 12:6). Thus, the neuter in verse 6 refers to Michael with a focus on his restraining ministry, while the masculine in verse 7 refers to Michael himself." {1} 

THE PROBLEM

The view of Jacob Prasch and his parrot Marco Quintana is completely illogical. According to Prasch, lawlessness is restrained during the entirety of 70th week of Daniel.

The passage in 2 Thessalonians 2 indicates that certain things must happen before the Restrainer ceases to restrain. The rebellion (apostasy) must occur first, and then the Antichrist will take his seat in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God. This happens at the mid point of the week. The man who is destined to become the Antichrist will be preparing to fulfil his vile destiny prior to the mid point of the 70th week, but not until the then will he become possessed by Satan, set up the abomination of desolation and be revealed. (Daniel 7:25; 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Hence it is the mid point of the 70th week that the Restrainer is taken out of the way.. not during the entire 70th week as Prasch teaches! {2} This leaves us with a proverbial "elephant in the room" that Prasch has never bothered to address.

Quintana also parrots Prasch's now infamous Intra-Seal "Pentecost is reversed" argument. John 14 gives us the reason for Jesus departure: I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2-4). The scriptures do not indicate that Jesus' return necessitates a reversal of Pentecost and the departure of the Holy Spirit. Intra-Seal is pseudo theology; Prasch's own heinous concoction that is easily and completely debunked by the scriptures. 

A more likely answer to the question of the Restrainer lies in the book of Daniel, in a parallel verse to Matthew 24:15-22; Daniel 12:1; Zechariah 13. Although I would not be dogmatic about his identity, it appears that Michael stops restraining half way through the 70th week when the abomination of desolation occurs: Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:7-10, 12-14; Jude 1:9.

Alan Kurschner (Eschatos Ministries) submits six reasons why he believes that Michael is the likely candidate for the Restrainer:

1. Contemporary Jewish literature during Paul’s time viewed the characteristics of Michael having eschatological pre-eminence as the chief opponent of Satan and Restrainer of God’s people.

2. Michael is viewed as a celestial restrainer of God’s people in Daniel 10–12, the passage serving as the source for Paul’s exposition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8.

3. Daniel’s use of the Hebrew term ʿmd comports with the ceasing activity of the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

4. The Greek term parerchomai in Daniel 12:1 of the Septuagint (LXX) means, 'to pass by,' which corresponds with the ceasing of restraint in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

5. Early Rabbinic interpretation of Daniel 12:1 perceived Michael as 'passing aside' or 'withdrawing' just after Antichrist’s establishment near or at the temple mount (Dan 11:45), and just before the eschatological unequaled tribulation against God’s people (Dan 12:1).

6. Revelation 12:7–17 supports viewing Michael as the Restrainer because it links the cessation of Michael’s war against the dragon with the unprecedented persecution of God’s people, which is consistent with 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 and Daniel 11:45–12:1. {3}

Although I favour the pre-wrath view that Michael is the Restrainer, I believe that any attempt to identify the Restrainer unequivocally is purely speculative and goes beyond what is written.

..that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. (1 Corinthians 4:6)

1. https://www.alankurschner.com/2015/05/20/archangel-michael-the-restrainer-removed-2-thessalonians-26-7-part-2-of-2-ep-35/
2. https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2016/07/busted-jacob-praschs-presumptous.html
3. https://www.alankurschner.com/2017/03/24/6-reasons-why-michael-is-the-restrainer/


Further Links

https://readingacts.com/2012/12/03/what-who-is-the-restrainer-in-2-thessalonians-2/
https://www.tmin.org/pdfs/The%20Restrainer.pdf