Paul Benson – A Bottomless Bucket (Part 7)

Part 6 of this series ends with a brief discussion of Paul Benson’s view on the non-participative role of the Holy Spirit in the Rapture. It is necessary to expand on the Holy Spirit’s alleged uninvolvement in the Rapture, because it is one of the Post-tribulationists’ main arguments against the pre-tribulation Rapture. Paul Benson writes on page 61.

Who Is Hindering Who?

Something I have noticed is that pre-trib preachers most often do not read the entire context, but jump right into verse 8:

‘And then shall that Wicked be revealed’ (2Thess. 2:8) Here’s the Antichrist! Then they back up to read verse 7:

‘only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.’ (2Thess. 2:7) The Holy Spirit and the Church removed! And then they back up again to read verse 6:

‘And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.’ (2Thess. 2:6) Now ye know! That’s all folks!

They act as if Paul had written these verses in reverse order, and verse 6 was referencing verse 8 which it is absolutely not. Paul would not have been explaining in verse 6 a point not presented until later. This mistaken notion comes from reading the text in the wrong direction. Most people reason this text backward because that’s what they have been taught to do. Verse 6 is referencing the subject of the passage up to that point:

The backward or reversed reading of which Paul Benson accuses the Pre-tribulationists would read as follows

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:

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

I emboldened the word “then” to show how insipid Benson’s accusation really is. Does he really think the Pre-tribulationists do not know what the word “then” means? The meaning of the word “then” is so obvious that even a child can understand it. It expresses a time or period following a previous or earlier time or period.

And then he concludes that the unfulfilled prophecies in relation to the Antichrist and the falling away from the faith are the two events that restrain or hinder the Second Coming of Christ, and not the Holy Spirit. On page 60 and 62 he writes as follows:

The Holy Spirit truly restrains sin in the life of one who is submitted to that influence. But I cannot see anything here, or in anything else I have ever studied on the Spirit of God, that would even hint I should think the Holy Spirit in the Church restrains evil men from rising to power in the world. There is no biblical or historical indication of such. In truth MANY have risen up in the spirit of Antichrist and slaughtered countless millions with a large segment of the Body of Christ dwelling right in their midst! Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, and on and on. Why were they not restrained by the Holy Spirit in the believers? Did God have to remove the Church for them to rise to power? No! And on that basis alone I reject the notion of the restrainer of Antichrist’s appearance being the Holy Spirit in the Church. But there is much greater reason for doing so, as we will see.

*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… 2Thessalonians 2:3

After warning them not to believe our gathering together unto Christ was at hand (imminent) he went on to teach there are a couple of things restraining Christ’s coming; a falling away and the man of sin rising to power. The lack of fulfillment of these two things is restraining the Second Coming! That’s the ‘restraint’ being discussed so far in this chapter, not the Holy Spirit; and it’s Christ’s appearing that is being restrained; that is the primary subject at hand thus far.

In summary, he says:

1. Pre-tribulationists read 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 in reverse order, from verse 8 to verse 6.
2. The Holy Spirit does in fact restrain sin but only in the lives of those who are submissive to his promptings or his influence.
3. There is not a single instance in the Scriptures where the Holy Spirit restrains wicked peoples’ sins. Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin committed the most heinous acts of genocide against humanity but were never restrained by the Holy Spirit in the believers. God never removed the church for them to rise to power.
4. It is the Parousia of Christ that is being restrained and not the Antichrist.

FOOD 4 THOUGHT #1: Reverse or Backward Eisegeses

In reverse order? Really? Verses 6 and 7 says that the “withholding” which took place in Paul’s time regarding the Rapture, is still now at work in our present time. When Paul wrote this to his Thessalonian brethren he used the word “nun” (noon, NOW) to express the fact that something or someone was withholding the Antichrist to reveal himself. The word “nun” does not mean “at last” you know or understand; It is a primary particle of the present tense or time;

“now” (as adverb of date, a transition or emphasis); also as noun or adjective present or immediate: – henceforth, + hereafter, of late, soon, present, this (time).

It does not only communicate the present tense in the time when it was written, but also its immediacy in terms of our present-day time. In other words, that which withheld in the time of Paul when he wrote it, is still withholding to this very day. Note also his words in verse 7 “only he who now letteth” is also in the present continuous tense. Have the Antichrist and the falling away always restrained Christ’s Advent throughout the ages? Perish the thought! It has been the Holy Spirit who has been restraining the spirit of Antichrist throughout the ages, as we shall see later.

The Amplified says it thus:

And you know what restrains him now [from being revealed]; it is so that he will be revealed at his own [appointed] time. For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming.

Paul makes it very clear that the “withholding” of the Antichrist that was done during the time Paul wrote this letter, is still the very same withholding (present continuous tense) taking place in our time, more than 2000 years after he had written his letter to the Thessalonians. Now, notice the words “then shall” in verse 8. It is the same word (“tote”) used in Matthew 24:21 where Jesus warns the Jews to flee the scourge of Antichrist after he has defiled and desolated the holy of holies in the newly built temple in Jerusalem. Anyone who denies that it conveys an event or events that will happen after, or subsequent to, verses 6 and 7, must visit his headshrinker as soon as possible. Surely, Paul Benson must know that you cannot have the future tense playing out its events NOW and then have it to GO BACK to the present continuous tense. That’s just plain lunacy.

Despite Paul’s distinct and concise affirmation that “noon” (“now” and “withholding”) not only communicate the present tense in the past but is a present continuous tense particle which is still, to this very day, presenting the present tense, Paul Benson turns to the word “enistemi” to prove that verse 6 refers to the past. Only he and his linguistic “cognitive scaffolding” can achieve something so bizarre.

He writes on page 61,

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 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. 2Thessalonians 2:1-2.

(* The Greek word here ‘enistemi’ is used only 7 times in the N.T., and always in the present or future tense, never to refer to something of the past. The primary meaning it conveys is of something that is or will become ‘impending’ or ‘at hand’. Those who render this as a past tense event are in error.)

What Benson is saying, is that the Rapture lies in the future when Christ returns to the earth at his Second Advent, and not in the past (seven years prior to the Second Coming) before the seven-year tribulation, because the word “enistemi” (“at hand”) confirms it as being a future event. You cannot grab a verse there (2 Thessalonians 2:2) and link the word used there for “at hand” (enistēmi), to link it to another verse somewhere else (2 Thessalonians 2:6) where the word “nun” is used to communicate the continuous present tense of “now.” And then say, “See, I told you “that day” is not a day in the past (seven years prior to the Second Coming of Christ). The word “nun” as I have shown, is in the present continuous tense which, as we’ve seen can also refer to events in the past. And yet, to dispute this fact, Paul Benson uses another word (enistēmi; “at hand”) which is, totally out of sinc with his “cognitive scaffolding” philosophy.

But then again, that is so typical of false teachers. They’ll read a text there and a text there, and a text somewhere else and make the conclusion, say something that none of the texts say in isolation. Hence his erroneous contextual teaching on the importance of context. The link to an excellent video may be of value to Paul Benson, because it teaches what the present continuous tense is, and how it is used in words ending in “ing,” like “withholding“.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/present-continuous-tense-definition-examples.html.

Oh sorry, I have forgotten; Paul Benson is not only rewriting the Bible. He is also rewriting the etymological rules of the English language, not to speak of the Greek language, which he is also revisiting and revising to his heart’s delight. Wow, he must be a genius to know how to bend, twist and turn around the meaning of words, just to prove that the Pre-tribulation Rapture is a curse.

We need to ask ourselves what the reasons for the restraint are. The only way to do that is to look at the events that are going to occur during the seven-year tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week) and ask ourselves who the most likely individual will be to fit into these events — the Antichrist or Jesus Christ. When will all the prophecies regarding the Antichrist be fulfilled before Jesus can return to the earth at his Second Advent? If all the prophesied events about the Antichrist must be fulfilled before Jesus can return to the earth, we must consider the very last prophecy to be fulfilled to get it right, as Paul Benson demands. The very last prophesied event to be fulfilled is in Revelation 19:20,

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20).

But, this takes place only after Jesus had already returned to the earth. That makes Paul Benson’s requirement that ALL the unfulfilled prophecies about Antichrist and the falling away must be fulfilled, rather senseless, unless one unfulfilled prophesy does not make any difference. Should Benson be prepared to slacken the reigns on his requirements and make some kind of deal or concession to allow one prophecy unfulfilled, he should also make the same compromise in his demand that all prophecies should be fulfilled with regard to the doctrine of imminency (We shall deal with it later). I should think that’s a fair tit for tat deal to make the playing field equal, don’t you?

At any rate, let’s briefly look at the things that are going to transpire from the very outset of the seven-year tribulation, and ask ourselves whose restraint should be lifted before they can take place.

Seven Seals

1. A false peace depicted by a rider on a white horse (Revelation 6:1-2) (Jesus or Antichrist?)
2. War depict ed by a rider on a red horse (Revelation 6:3-4) (Jesus or Antichrist?)
3. Famine depicted by a rider on a black horse (Revelation 6:5-6) (Jesus or Antichrist?)
4. Pestilence depicted by a rider on a pale horse (Revelation 6:7-8) (Jesus or Antichrist)
5. Martyrdom and great tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11) (Jesus or Antichrist?)
6. Heavenly signs (Revelation 6:12-17).
7. Seven trumpet bowls (Revelation 6:12-17).

Bear in mind that Jesus breaks the seven seals while He is still in heaven, which means that He, and He alone, sets the seven seal judgments in motion because He is the only one worthy to do it. In addition, and in harmony with the breaking of the seven seals, is the lifting of the restraint so that Antichrist, and NOT Jesus, can realize these judgments. Ironically, Bensons question,

In truth MANY have risen up in the spirit of Antichrist and slaughtered countless millions with a large segment of the Body of Christ dwelling right in their midst! Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, and on and on. Why were they not restrained by the Holy Spirit in the believers? Did God have to remove the Church for them to rise to power?

It’s a great question because it proves beyond doubt that the restraining must be done by the Holy Spirit, and not the unfulfilled prophecies about the Antichrist and the falling away. The answer is, because it was not yet the time for Antichrist to be revealed. The phrase “in his time” is crucial to a correct understanding of the Holy Spirit restraint of the Antichrist. Allow me to explain.

Paul was not referring to the resurrection at the Second Coming (Parousia) of Christ. If he had he would rather have used the word “Parousia” and not “apokaluptō” in verse 6 where he says, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.” There is not a single instance in the Bible where the words “apokaluptō en heautou kairos” are used in reference to the Second Coming of Christ. In fact, this is the only place in Scripture where it is used. Why would that be so? Well, it is easy to see why. God has decreed a specific time for Antichrist to be revealed, which neither he (Antichrist) nor Satan or anyone else can alter. He will appear at the time appointed by God. Can we say this of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming? Indeed, God the Trinity alone knows when Jesus Christ will return to earth at his Second Coming, but it is not in the context of Him being restrained before the Antichrist and the falling away are revealed to happen. His slackness (bradutēs) is not, as some see it, a tardiness or delay because he first wants the prophecies of Antichrist’s coming and the falling away to be fulfilled. His slackness plays out purely in the context of his unfathomable mercy and kindness to mankind.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9).

God and God alone is the One who restrains Christ’s Coming for one reason only, and that is to give everyone ample opportunity to be saved, nothing more and nothing less. Paul Benson’s view that it is the unfulfilled prophecies about Antichrist’s appearance and the falling away, is sheer heresy. The restraint in 2 Thessalonian 2:6 is something completely different from God’s slackness in 2 Peter 3:9. Thanks to Paul Benson’s supernatural linguistic expertise, he again completely ignores the word “then.” Surely, he must know that “then” points to something following something else. And so, it does, thanks be to God. Note that in verse 8 the very same word “apokaluptō” is used in reference, not to Christ and his Second Coming, but to that “Wicked” (“anomos”) one. Unless Jesus is the Wicked one (lawless one) in verse 8, we dare not assume that in verse 6 it is the Antichrist who restrains Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. Had it been true, we would have had to rewrite Paul’s mystery as follows.

And now ye know what withholdeth that he (Jesus Christ) might be revealed in his time [at his Second Coming]. For the mystery of iniquity [Antichrist’s lawlessness] doth already work: only he [Antichrist] who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way [prophecies pertaining to Antichrist and the falling away are fulfilled]. And THEN shall that Wicked [Jesus Christ and his Second Coming] be revealed, who shall be consumed with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his [Antichrist’s predicted] coming: Even him, whose coming (Antichrist’s predicted Coming] is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians2:6-9).

I really don’t know why I am wasting so much of my time to read and re-read Paul Benson’s book and the amount of garbage he sends out to his readers, and why I also spend hours in writing a whole series of critiques. I suppose it is because I abhor the way so-called Christians are demeaning, disparaging, mocking, humiliating and corrupting Jesus Christ and his doctrines. It distresses me to see how many so-called Christians are being deceived and misled by his dreadful lies. Nonetheless, we always must bear in mind what Pauls says in Second Timothy.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:1-4).

May God have mercy on their pitiful but precious souls. Nevertheless, let’s give Paul Benson the benefit of the doubt and commend him for his honest reference to 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 where the Wicked one is mentioned in close association with “apokaluptō” but he does not provide any believable reasons why he attributes the restraining office to Antichrist and the falling away and not the Holy Spirit. He simply says, “Why would anyone assume this hindrance is the Holy Spirit, and that He must be removed for Antichrist to come forth? There is no evidence here (or anywhere else) from this reasoning. Where is the Scriptural foundation for this? I invite anyone to explain this from the Word of God.”

The absence-argument is as old as the Bible itself and can easily be proven as poor and puerile reasoning. Show me a single instance in the Bible where the word Trinity appears. There is not one. Does that prove that God the Trinity is non-existent?

If we were to take Paul Benson’s reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 as Gospel truth, we should interpret is as follows: “only he who letteth (that is, the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning the appearance of Antichrist in his time and the falling away), THEN (subsequent to that) shall that Wicked (lawless one) be revealed.” It doesn’t make sense. You can’t have the Antichrist prophetic appearance restraining his own time to be revealed. That’s ludicrous, unless that Wicked one (lawless one) in verse 8 is Jesus Christ and his Second Coming, which Paul Benson says is being restrained, in so many words.

Lo and behold, Paul Benson again uses his escape hatchet which he calls “ratio emphasis” theology. He writes on page 63:

Yes, there is truly a restraint of Antichrist’s appearance expressed here; but it is a _MINOR concern overshadowed by the MAJOR factor of Christ’s Return being restrained.

FOOD 4 THOUGHT: Should we not question why so much discussion takes place over Antichrist’s restraint, and so very little is discussed about the remainder of this chapter, particularly the restraint of Christ’s appearance? Has that thought ever occurred to you?

I think that fact is very telling and speaks of an improper focus to say the least! The distraction introduced to this passage minimizes the major focus and maximizes the minor, and thereby obfuscates important truths. To properly understand this chapter, we need to keep the main focus upon Jesus where it belongs.

The doctrine of restraint cannot be such a minor distraction when Post-tribulationists, like our friend Paul Benson, spends so many time and effort, and writes so many words in books, to discredit and refute the restraining office of the Holy Spirit. I find that peculiarly odd, to say the least. I have already shown that this argument is very poor and puerile. It holds no water, whatsoever, let alone a bottomless bucket full of holes. To cover up his own confusion he quickly plays the “I don’t know for sure (and neither do you)” card when he writes on pages 63 and 64:

As to what restraints Antichrist, I feel (only speculating here) it could be as simple as unfulfilled events awaiting the fullness of time to be fulfilled. Then at the appointed time they are fulfilled. And when the restraint (lack of fulfillment) is taken out of the way, naturally the man of sin will now arrive. (Before you scoff at that idea please remember we just saw a similar restraint expressed concerning the appearance of Christ. His appearance is shown to be restrained by two events needing to be fulfilled! So there IS a biblical precedent for this possibility, and right in this very chapter!) I am not dogmatic on that idea. I am just saying it could be that simple, and not the big distracting issue most make it into.

Many others feel this restrainer is the Archangel Michael. And as I have heard some very convincing arguments in favor of that idea I am open to the possibility. All in all we do not have enough Scriptural input upon which to base a firm statement as to who this restrainer is. All we can do is speculate.

I actually think it is not that important we know, or God would have given us more info on it. But my main point here is that making Antichrist’s arrival the main focus forces an inflated, and distracting, importance on his restraint. And keeping Christ’s Coming (and its restraint) as the main focus is paramount to a proper rendering of this chapter. Keep the focus on Jesus!

What a nice way to perpetuate your deception and false teachings without the slightest sense of compunction; Just keep your eyes focused on Jesus and everything will just be fine, even during your deceptions and false teachings. It is akin to saying “Carry on with your sins. It matters very little what you do or believe. It’s alright when you keep your eyes focused on Jesus.” By the by, this is one of all the false teachers most adorable and loving methods to deceive others and one that parrots the angel of light’s villainous deceptive tools to the hilt. One hears ad infinitum, “Just love one another and focus on good relationships with Jesus and others by keeping your eyes focused on Jesus.” It sounds so nice but is one of Satan’s deadliest poisons. How can you focus your eyes on Jesus when your spiritual eyes are darkened and blinded by false teachings? Let’s see why this is so. Jesus Himself is talking.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. (John 10:1-5)

If you don’t flee from false teachers like Paul Benson, you probably don’t know the voice of the Good Shepherd. Paul Benson ends this section with a plea on page .

The presence of the Church is not hindering Antichrist’s appearance; the wait for Antichrist’s arrival is hindering the Coming of Christ and our catching away! Let’s get it right!

That is the truth presented in this chapter! Some of us need to take this chapter to the LORD and ask him to breathe upon it; and to blow away the deceptive cloud of false reasoning that is hiding the truth we ought to be receiving here. Seriously.

Paul, please remember John 10:17-18 and ask yourself why anyone else, least of all Antichrist and Satan, will be able to hinder or restrain his Second Coming when no one could restrain his death or resurrection. He laid his life down Himself and took it again Himself and no one was able to stop or hinder Him. To suggest that anyone else could do it, implies that they have more power than God Himself. Peter tried to hinder Him from laying down his life Himself and got the rebuke of his life, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” And that is precisely where your views belong — with Satan.

FOOD 4 THOUGHT #2: The Holy Spirit does in fact restrain sin but only in the lives of those who are submissive to his promptings or his influence.

Paul Benson’s cognitive scaffolding and speculative eisegesis reach such new heights of ridiculous reasoning that it boggles the mind. He says on page 62,

The Holy Spirit truly restrains sin in the life of one who is submitted to that influence.

In more simplified language, it means that the Holy Spirit can only restrain sin in the lives of people who are submissive (subservient) to his influence and promptings. Does Benson realize what he is saying? If, as he says, it is the antichrist’s unfulfilled prophecies that are restraining the Parousia of Jesus Christ, it follows that Jesus Christ must be subservient (submissive) to that influence so that the restraint of his Parousia may be successful. The prophecies of Antichrist cannot be separated from his lawlessness and sin because the predictions describe to the letter everything he is going to do to overspread the entire world with his lawlessness and sin. As such, it means that Jesus Christ will be submissive (subservient) to his lawlessness and sin which, of course, will make Jesus an accomplice in Antichrist’s lawlessness and sin. It doesn’t take much of your grey matter to be in a working order to see that this is sheer blasphemy.

Indeed, it is true that the prophecies in relation to the Antichrist must be fulfilled before Jesus’ Parousia takes place, but not in terms of a restraining of his Second Advent. It must be fulfilled to allow the lawlessness and sins of Antichrist and those who take his mark 666 to run its full course during the seven-year tribulation. To substantiate this, I must again refer our readers to Isaiah’s prophecy

With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9)

The word “earth” here refers to the land of Israel (Judea) and not the entire earth, as in Isaiah 24:1, 4. The word – (תבל têbêl), is used here as synonymous with the ‘land,’ and denoting the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, which substantiates the Pretribulation view that the seven-year tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week in Daniel 9:24) is an exclusively Jewish phenomenon and has nothing to do with the ONE man in Christ (Bride of Christ). The verse in Isaiah clearly speaks of the judgments (wrath) of God. Therefore, the ONE man in Christ cannot possibly be on earth during the entire gamut of the seven-year tribulation. If the ONE man in Christ were to be subjected to the tribulation, as Benson believes, she would have been subjected to the wrath, judgment and indignation which characterizes the period, and because of her oneness with Christ, He too and likewise, would be subjected to the same visitation. According to 1 John 4:17 this is impossible.

If she was to be subjected to judgment again, the promises of God would be of none effect and the death of Christ would be totally ineffective. In that case we should forget his words on the cross, expressing final completeness – TETELESTAI. Christ cannot be brought into judgment again in behalf of his beloved bride. If Paul’s persecution of the church effected Christ Jesus (Acts 9:4) because of his oneness with his bride, he will also be effected by his Fathers judgments because of his oneness with his bride, if they were to be subjected to his wrath and judgments during the seven-year tribulation. I doubt whether Paul Benson knows what the essence of the ONE man in Christ really means.

FOOD 4 THOUGHT #3: There is not a single instance in the Scriptures where the Holy Spirit restrains wicked peoples’ sins.

Who says historical non-events determine future events? Paul Benson seems to think so. Since when is God bound by non-events in the passed so that He cannot do the things which never happened in the past, in the future? I need to stress here again how puerile Paul Benson’s eisegeses really are. Not only has he fabricated a little story that the unfulfilled prophecies about Antichrist are restraining Christ to return, he now also wishes to vaunt his knowledge that non-events in the past is hindering God the Holy Spirit from restraining the Antichrist. How far is he prepared to go in his wilful disparagement of God? When is he going to learn that he is playing with fire? His god is a weak god who can easily be restrained by Satan and his Antichrist and non-events in the past. On page he writes,

The Holy Spirit truly restrains sin in the life of one who is submitted to that influence. But I cannot see anything here, or in anything else I have ever studied on the Spirit of God, that would even hint I should think the Holy Spirit in the Church restrains evil men from rising to power in the world. There is no biblical or historical indication of such. In truth MANY have risen up in the spirit of Antichrist and slaughtered countless millions with a large segment of the Body of Christ dwelling right in their midst! Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, and on and on. Why were they not restrained by the Holy Spirit in the believers? Did God have to remove the Church for them to rise to power? No! And on that basis alone I reject the notion of the restrainer of Antichrist’s appearance being the Holy Spirit in the Church. But there is much greater reason for doing o, as we will see.

It is typical of Paul Benson’s resolve to evade commitment to any kind of truth and rather rely on his subjective and speculative research on the Rapture. It gives him a loophole to escape (pun intended) criticism with a shrug of his shoulders and say, “I was merely speculating and not making a solid statement,” His arguments against the Pre-tribulation Rapture are something like a see-saw where the one side is high and the other low for a moment, only to switch positions with the opposite side from a low to a high and then again from a high to a low, and so on. It makes it very difficult to get a grip on his speculative reasoning. For instance, he says “the Holy Spirit truly restrains sin in the life of one who is submitted to that influence” . . . but “There is no biblical or historical indication of such. In truth MANY have risen up in the spirit of Antichrist and slaughtered countless millions with a large segment of the Body of Christ dwelling right in the midst.”

Unless murder and slaughtering people are not sin, he cannot use it as a truism to validate his see-saw reasoning. He claims that there is no biblical or historical proof that the Holy Spirit restrained evil men in the past, causing them not to perpetrate their sin. Perhaps the Holy Spirit failed to restrain monsters like Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, and so on because they refused to submit to his influence? What about Abimelech whose roaming and lustful eyes which were forever focused on beautiful women, nearly caused him his death. You know the narrative, don’t you? If not, please read Genesis 20. I shouldn’t think Abimelech was particularly interested in submittitng to the influence and promptings of the Holy Spirit because he was a Philistine and an unbeliever. God had to use some hefty strongarm techniques to warn him against his sin in taking Sarah, Abraham’s wife into his harem.

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. (Genesis 20:1-7).

Benson may argue that it was not the holy Spirit but God the Father Himself who warned Abimelech so sternly. The word for God in verse 3 is “‘ĕlôhı̂ym” (plural) which, of course, includes the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God brought Abraham and Sarah together as man and wife (one flesh in marriage) to produce a godly seed, and to remain pure from the idolatrous influences of other nations. This was basic to God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17. Another incident in the Old Testament where God the Holy Spirit ceased to restrain the antediluvian people, was also a ploy of Satan to intermingle in marriage the holy seed and the unholy seed in Genesis 6. It had absolutely nothing to do with the heresy some Christians hold to that it was fallen angels who married earthly women to produce Nephilim (giants) on the earth.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. (Genesis 6:1-3).

There was yet another incident in the Old Testament where God had to deal with the intermingling in marriage of Israel and foreign women in Ezra 10. From these three examples in the Old Testament, it is plain that God (Eloheem) intervened when Israel sinned against Him and married foreign women so that He may bring forth his Son as Saviour in the fulness of time. Had He not done so, Jesus would could never have said, “salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). A good example in the New Testament is Ananias’ and Saphira’s death in Acts 5. Although the Holy Spirit did not restrain their sin, He prevented their sin to compromise the revival that followed the Day of Pentecost.

So, as you may have seen, Paul Benson’s barely knows or understands Scripture, and yet he has the audacity to say,

Teachers serve an important function in the Church (I should know because I am one); but a teacher should only be confirming what the Spirit and the Word are already speaking to you (plus you can benefit from many hours of research and prayer condensed into a short teaching). God never intended for ‘education’ to replace the function of the Holy Spirit as teacher! All in all you don’t need a guru (or me) to tell you what to think or believe. And with so many theological theories at odds with each other it is quite obvious ‘higher learning’ does NOT necessarily equate to higher levels of truth!. (Emphasis in red added).

Indeed, higher learning does not equal high levels of truth, and neither does speculation, as he so often does to come to conclusion such as “There is no biblical or historical indication of such” (that the Holy Spirit restrained sin in the lives people in the past). I ask the question again: How can you trust Paul Benson’s teaching when the Word of God exposes his fallacious “higher levels of truth” so often? Those who think he is the cat’s whiskers are heavily deceived, and sadly, can’t see it. But, then again, that is how deception works. You think you are on the right path without realizing or understanding that you are actually on a wrong path.

FOOD 4 THOUGHT #4: It is the Parousia of Christ that is being restrained and not Antichrist

I have already dealt with this argument to some degree, However, I would like to add the following few points. If Jesus is the only worthy Person to open the seven seals, we may safely affirm that He is the only One who sets things in motion, including God’s judgments upon the entire world, and Antichrist’s divinely permitted involvement in this wrath as the entity whom God uses to perform his judgments. As such, it is He who actually hinders or restrains his own Parousia, because it is his hand behind the scenes that makes it possible for Antichrist to do his damnedest on earth.

As I said earlier, there is not a single human being who can restrain his Second Advent. Moreover, no prophecy and its fulfillment depend on the will of men  (2 Peter 1:11). The Holy Spirit reveals them to God’s prophets, making Him the only Person to permit Antichrist’s appearance on the world scene in his time, the moment when He retracts his restraining of those prophecies, and, of course, the Antichrist’s involvement in those prophecies. These prophecies are embedded in a precisely determined time frame as we may see from Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy in Daniel 9:24. In fact, Because of the exact duration of its time frame, there is no element of imminence attached to this prophecy as it is to Paul’s prophecy of the Pre- tribulation Rapture. Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy is not an anytime prediction as is the Pre-tribulation Rapture. Hence the exhortation to the church to watch out for his return to rapture his Bride at the Pre-tribulation  Rapture.

I need to emphasize again the absolute puerility of Benson’s view that it is the unfulfilled prophecies about Antichrist that are restraining the Second coming of Christ, and not the Holy Spirit restraining the Antichrist. His view, as I said earlier, willfully breaks every etymological law, and yet he boasts that he is a “cognitive scaffolding” expert par excellence. “My eye!” is all one can say to this, as the expression goes. Show me a single instance in the Bible where the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible to refer to Bible prophecies as “he,” i.e. “only he who now letteth” and “until he be taken out of the way.” Had it been the prophecies (plural) restraining the Second Coming of Christ, the Holy Spirit would at least have used the plural personal pronoun, “them.” False prophets would do everything in their power to uphold their lies, and even change simple language and rewrite the Bible to their advantage. Isn’t that what the spirit of Antichrist has been doing all along, to change the laws, even the laws of language? (Daniel 7:25).

Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? (Malachi 3:13)

Their self-proclaimed innocence like sweet honey drips profusely from their lips,