2 Thessalonians 2 and the Pre-Trib Rapture

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

Paul beseeched the Thessalonians by the rapture of the Church that they should not have been troubled as if the Day of Christ were at hand. "At hand" is an idiom that means "happening" or "at present". Apparently then the Thessalonian believers were not experiencing the Day of Christ, but they thought they were. Paul assures them by the rapture of the Church that they were not in it. They were going through terrible tribulations, trouble, and persecution (1 Thes. 3:3-4, 2 Thes. 1:4-6) but they were not in the "time of Jacob's trouble"/"day of distress"/"day of calamity" etc. (Obad. 1:12-15, Jer. 30:7). Therefore the rapture of the Church takes place before the Day of Christ, else "we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon...troubled....as that the day of Christ is at hand" is a meaningless statement. The rapture of the Church is the basis for not being troubled over Daniel's 70th week, because we are raptured before it takes place. 

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....And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2 Thes. 2:3, 2:6-7)

Paul said that the Day of Christ would not come until after a falling away first and the son of perdition be revealed. However, Paul says that "now" the Thessalonians know what withholds the son of perdition from being revealed. What has he said so far that they would "now" know what withheld the man of sin from being revealed? It can only refer to the Thessalonians themselves from verse 1, the "what" of verse 6 is the rapture and the "he" of verse 7 would be the believers. That is the logical flow of the passage.

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him"

"that ye be not soon...troubled....as that the day of Christ is at hand"

"for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed"

"And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."

Paul said "now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time", the only thing he had mentioned happening before the son of perdition is revealed was the coming of Christ and the gathering of the brethren unto Him.

I have heard some people say that the "what" and "he" of verses 6-7 is the man of sin himself or possibly Satan, but that does not make any sense. The man of sin was not even alive when Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians, it also wouldn't make sense for the man of sin to be witholding himself. Likewise it would not make sense for Satan to be doing it either. Contextually the "what" and "he" can only be the rapture and the brethren.

Another important thing to consider is the fact that the members of the Body of Christ (Church) will be in heaven during the Day of Christ, we will not be on earth.  Paul repeatedly states that Christ descends to the  air to gather the Church to heaven BEFORE the Day of Christ (1 Thes. 4:13-18, 1 Cor. 15:51-58, Phil. 3:20-21, Col. 3:1-3, Rom. 16:20, Eph. 2:6-7). Members of the Church are being judged at the judgment seat of Christ in heaven during this time, we will not be on earth with the man of sin.

1 Corinthians 1:7-8 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (the coming of Christ and the "end" for believers precedes the Day of Christ)

1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:
[12] For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.  
(compare with Philippians 3:20-21....For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.)
[13] For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;
[14] As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 1:9-10 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

Philippians 2:15-16 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. (Notice the contrast between "in the world" and "in the day of Christ", we will be in heaven during the Day of Christ...not in the world.)

Notice that during the Day of Christ believers are rejoicing in heaven over each others service and fruit (because they will be rewarded). They are not on earth being punished by the wrath of God as Israel will be during this time (Jer. 30:7, Ezek. 7:1-14, Luke 21:23, Jer. 32:37, Isa. 54:8, 57:17-21, 60:10, Zeph. 1:18).

I fully understand that the scriptures teach that there is a Post-Tribulation Post-Wrath rapture* (of JEWS to Jerusalem) after Daniel's 70th week and after Israel's last days of prophecy, but the rapture of the Body of Christ is clearly said to take place before the Time of Jacob's Trouble, the Day of Christ (2 Thes. 2:1-7, 1 Thes. 1:10, 5:9).

* See Ezekiel 11:16-20, 20:33-38, 28:25-26, 34:1-31, 36:16-38, 37:1-14, 37:21-28,  39:23-29, Jeremiah 23:1-8, 30:1-31:9, 31:31-34, 32:36-42, 33:1-18, 50:18-20, Isaiah 10:20-23, 14:1, 26:19, 27:12-13, 51:11, 54:5-9, Micah 2:12, Hos. 1:11, Zeph. 3:15-20, etc. and Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21.

--Eli Caldwell