Guest Article

Zach Davis and Rick Welch have done a deep dive into the idea of the “Restrainer” in this article. You may remember in my article on the Man of Lawlessness that I gave information on who I think it was. They came up with a different conclusion. This article is a solid bit of exegesis, and although I don’t necessarily agree, it is worth serious consideration.

Paul the Restrainer? A Look at the Apostle Paul’s Role in the Plan of Redemption

By: Zach Davis and Rick Welch

The Divine Pattern: From Genesis to Malachi

From the opening chapters of Genesis through the final visions of Malachi, the Scriptures establish a recurring pattern: when judgment looms, God raises up an intercessor, a mediator, or a prophetic figure who stands in the gap. This figure holds back wrath, calls the people to repentance, and preserves the covenant line. This is the restraining principle, embedded in redemptive history. It is not merely passive delay — it is purposeful mercy.

This chapter will survey the Hebrew Scriptures and show how this pattern unfolds across generations, establishing the typology that Paul ultimately fulfills in the New Testament.

Abraham: The Intercessor for Sodom

Before God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah, He reveals His plan to Abraham:

> “The Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do…?'”

— Genesis 18:17, ESV

Abraham then intercedes on behalf of the righteous in Sodom:

> “Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?'”

— Genesis 18:23, ESV

He bargains with God, appealing to His justice and mercy. The divine judgment is not executed until the intercessory dialogue is complete — a foreshadowing of every restraining moment to come.

> “Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

— Genesis 18:32, ESV

Though Sodom was ultimately judged, Abraham’s intercession modeled the principle: wrath does not fall without a witness and a delay.

Moses: The Mediator Who Withstood God’s Wrath

The most sustained portrait of a restraining figure in the Old Testament is Moses.

After the golden calf incident, God declares:

> “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them…”

— Exodus 32:10, ESV

But Moses refuses to let go. He restrains judgment through intercession:

> “But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, ‘O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people…?'”

— Exodus 32:11, ESV

> “And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.”

— Exodus 32:14, ESV

Again, in Numbers 14:

> “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned, according to your word.'”

— Numbers 14:20, ESV

Moses acts as a covenantal buffer — a restrainer in the purest form. The people are preserved because one man stands in the way of destruction.

Phinehas: Zeal That Stays the Plague

In the face of Israel’s apostasy at Baal Peor, Phinehas acts decisively:

> “Phinehas the son of Eleazar… turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy…”

— Numbers 25:11, ESV

His zeal restrains the judgment of God:

> “Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.”

— Psalm 106:30, ESV

Paul will later appeal to a similar kind of zeal — one redirected toward the mission of Christ (see Philippians 3:6). Like Phinehas, Paul’s actions delay judgment by confronting covenantal corruption.

Ezekiel: The Man Who Marks Before Judgment Falls

Before the executioners in Ezekiel’s vision bring judgment upon Jerusalem, God sends a messenger ahead of them:

> “And the Lord said to him, ‘Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations…'”

— Ezekiel 9:4, ESV

> “But touch no one on whom is the mark.”

— Ezekiel 9:6, ESV

Judgment is restrained until the faithful are sealed. This is echoed in Revelation 7 and Paul’s own sealing ministry among the Gentiles — preserving a remnant through gospel proclamation.

Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet and the Withdrawn Restraint

Jeremiah’s ministry is filled with desperate pleas and warnings:

> “But if you will not listen to it, my soul will weep in secret for your pride…”

— Jeremiah 13:17, ESV

Eventually, God removes the restraining call:

> “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf…”

— Jeremiah 7:16, ESV

This pattern of prophetic restraint finds deep resonance between Jeremiah and Paul. Just as God told Jeremiah,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5, ESV).

Paul would later reflect on his own calling in strikingly similar terms:

“But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles…” (Galatians 1:15–16, ESV).

Both men were sovereignly appointed from the womb, both were tasked with confronting a rebellious generation, and both served as voices of delay and mercy before destruction. Paul, like Jeremiah, bore the burden of divine truth in a time of covenantal collapse — and both restrainers would be rejected by the very people they sought to save.

The removal of Jeremiah’s intercessory authority marks the end of the restraining period. The same will happen in Paul’s case when his death clears the way for AD 70’s judgment.

Daniel: Sealed Prophecies and Appointed Delays

> “There shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation… But at that time your people shall be delivered…”

— Daniel 12:1, ESV

> “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.”

— Daniel 12:9, ESV

The “sealing” of the prophetic message implies a delay until the appointed eschatological hour — the restraint of full revelation and judgment. Paul will explicitly speak of the mystery “now revealed” in his day (Romans 16:25–26).

Malachi: The Final Warning and the Coming Messenger

> “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.”

— Malachi 3:1, ESV

> “But who can endure the day of his coming…?”

— Malachi 3:2, ESV

> “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”

— Malachi 4:5, ESV

This final prophetic book ends with an expectation of restraint — a final messenger (John the Baptist) will warn and prepare before the Lord’s judgment. The restraint is built into the eschatological timeline.

Conclusion: A Pattern Embedded in Prophetic History

Every major redemptive transition in the Hebrew Scriptures involves:

• Rising covenantal rebellion

• Impending divine judgment

• The appointment of a restraining figure

• Delay for repentance

• Eventual release of judgment when restraint is lifted

This is not incidental — it is the divine pattern. It prepares us to understand John the Baptist, Jesus, the Great Commission, and ultimately, Paul. Each step continues the story. The restrainer is not an invention of Paul’s theology — it is a fulfillment of the very fabric of Israel’s prophetic history.

The Voice in the Wilderness: John the Baptist

The Hebrew Scriptures end with a warning and a promise:

> “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
— Malachi 4:5–6, ESV

This last prophetic word from God before four centuries of silence prepares Israel for a final restrainer — a last watchman whose voice will call the people to repentance before the Day of the Lord arrives. That voice is John the Baptist, and his arrival marks the beginning of the eschatological clock for apostate Israel.

The Fulfillment of Malachi’s Final Prophecy

Jesus Himself identifies John the Baptist as the fulfillment of Malachi 4:

> “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
— Matthew 11:13–14, ESV

John is not the literal Elijah returned from heaven, but the prophetic fulfillment — the one who continues the pattern of restraining judgment by proclaiming repentance and exposing corruption.

> “He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah… to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
— Luke 1:17, ESV

The appearance of John, then, marks a profound transition. Time is now limited.

The Wilderness Voice: Confrontation and Warning

> “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
— Matthew 3:3, ESV

John’s ministry is modeled after Isaiah 40 — a call to prepare the way for the coming of Yahweh Himself. His message is not therapeutic; it is urgent and judicial:

> “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
— Matthew 3:7, ESV

He speaks directly to the religious leaders of Jerusalem, calling them to repent before it’s too late:

> “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
— Matthew 3:10, ESV

The language is unmistakable: judgment is imminent, but not yet unleashed.

John’s Baptism: A Line of Division

John’s baptism represents more than individual repentance — it is a preliminary sorting of Israel. Those who respond positively to John are aligned with the faithful remnant. Those who reject him seal their own fate:

> “But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”
— Luke 7:30, ESV

Their rejection of John foreshadows their ultimate rejection of the Messiah — and their final judgment. But for now, John’s voice restrains the moment:

> “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
— John 3:30, ESV

His ministry ends when Jesus steps into full public view. The restraint begins to shift.

A Martyrdom that Echoes Jeremiah

Just as Jeremiah’s faithful warnings ended in suffering, John’s calling ends in imprisonment and death. He is arrested by Herod, not for political sedition, but for speaking the truth:

> “For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.'”
— Mark 6:18, ESV

His silencing symbolizes a tragic transition: the final warning to Israel has been muted, and their final hope now rests with the One he introduced.

John’s Ministry as the Final Covenant Summons

Jesus testifies:

> “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.”
— Matthew 11:11, ESV

And yet:

> “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
— Matthew 11:11, ESV

John belongs to the old covenant order — but he is the threshold to the new. His ministry opens the last restraining phase before the judgment on the old system.

> “The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached…”
— Luke 16:16, ESV

The restraining office is now shifting from prophets to apostles — and soon to Paul.

A Witness Handing Off the Baton

John’s mission ends with his famous declaration:

> “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
— John 1:29, ESV

He identifies the Messiah, decreases, and is removed by Herod, which allows the eschatological ministry of Jesus to begin. The restraining role moves to the Son — who will first send His disciples to Israel alone before unleashing judgment.

Conclusion: The Clock Has Started

With John the Baptist, the long-expected Day of the Lord enters its final countdown. He is the last prophetic restrainer of the old order, warning Israel to repent, confronting the leadership, and baptizing a remnant in preparation for the kingdom.

His being silenced is not merely a personal tragedy — it is a symbolic threshold. The restraining is happening, but the axe is now at the root.

In the next chapter, we will examine how Jesus, following John’s ministry, restrains judgment by limiting His own mission only to the lost sheep of Israel, and how He prepares His disciples for a deliberately staged expansion that continues the restraining timeline.

The Lost Sheep First: Jesus’ Mission to Israel Alone

John the Baptist’s fiery message had ignited the eschatological clock: the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and the axe was already laid to the root of the trees. Yet, judgment did not immediately fall. Instead, Jesus entered the scene — not as a bringer of fire, but as a shepherd calling lost sheep. His mission, surprisingly restrained in scope, was not global but national.

For a time, Jesus deliberately restricts His own ministry to the house of Israel, postponing judgment and calling His covenant people to repentance. The restraint tightens. The opportunity to turn remains — but only for a little while.

A Deliberate Limitation: Israel First

In one of the most pointed instructions Jesus ever gives, He restricts His disciples’ outreach:

> “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
— Matthew 10:5–6, ESV

This is not exclusionary by prejudice — it is a covenantal priority. Israel was the original recipient of the promises. They must be confronted with the kingdom first. Jesus is following the prophetic pattern: warn the covenant breakers first, offer mercy, then bring judgment.

The Warning in His Words: Mercy Before Fire

Though Jesus speaks frequently of judgment, His actions are consistently patient. He mourns over Jerusalem rather than destroy it:

> “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
— Matthew 23:37, ESV

And yet:

> “See, your house is left to you desolate.”
— Matthew 23:38, ESV

Jesus knew the judgment was coming — but He weeps because it had not yet come. The window of restraint remained open. He would not shut it early.

A Gentile Woman Confronts the Order

When a Canaanite woman begs for help, Jesus responds:

> “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
— Matthew 15:24, ESV

Though He ultimately heals her daughter, His initial resistance underscores the covenantal priority. The restraint remains in place — Israel must be confronted first before the blessings go to the nations.

This woman becomes a preview of what is to come — the Gentiles will have their moment, but only after Israel is given her chance to repent.

Parables of Patience and Postponement

Jesus’ parables frequently illustrate this divine restraint.

In the parable of the fig tree:

> “And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.’”
— Luke 13:7–8, ESV

The fig tree represents Israel. The judgment is ready — but postponed. One more season. One more chance.

In the parable of the wedding feast:

> “Again he sent other servants… but they paid no attention and went off… The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.”
— Matthew 22:4–7, ESV

The servants (prophets, John, Jesus, apostles) are sent in stages. The final destruction does not come until the full rejection is complete. Restraint precedes wrath.

The Apostolic Extension: Delayed to the End of the Earth

Jesus commissions His disciples to carry the mission forward — but the expansion remains staged:

> “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
— Acts 1:8, ESV

The order matters. The judgment on Jerusalem cannot come until the testimony has reached them fully — a testimony to the whole city, and even its leaders. The Great Commission begins as a restraining commission.

The Transition Is Coming

By the end of His ministry, Jesus begins to prepare His disciples for the next phase:

> “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
— Matthew 28:19, ESV

But He adds:

> “…beginning from Jerusalem.”
— Luke 24:47, ESV

This is not an accidental echo — it is a divine sequence. The wrath is not arbitrary. It is judicial. Israel must reject the kingdom fully, with eyes wide open. Only then will the judgment fall.

Conclusion: A Compassionate Restraint

Jesus did not come to destroy Jerusalem — not first. He came to call her to repent. His ministry was geographically, theologically, and temporally restrained — for the sake of Israel’s salvation.

His parables, His miracles, His tears over the city, His sending of disciples all point to the same pattern:

> Judgment waits until mercy is fully offered.

But the mission will not remain limited forever. Once Jerusalem has heard, and the gospel is proclaimed to the cities of Judea, the Gentiles will receive their invitation. And one man will be called to spearhead that final extension.

That man will be Saul of Tarsus — converted by Christ not merely to preach, but to restrain.

From Jerusalem to the Nations: The Great Commission as the Restraining Period

When Jesus rose from the dead, He did not immediately pronounce judgment on those who rejected Him. Instead, He gave His disciples a global task — one that would slow down the wrath to come. This task was the Great Commission, but it was far more than a call to evangelize. It was a restraining mechanism—a divine buffer zone between resurrection and retribution.

Before judgment could fall on apostate Israel, the gospel had to be proclaimed first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles, and to the ends of the earth. The mission itself served as the countdown clock. Once completed, the floodgates would open.

The Risen Christ Issues a Sequential Commission

Jesus does not send His disciples everywhere at once. He gives them a chronological order of operations:

> “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
— Acts 1:8, ESV

This order is not just geographical — it is judicial. Israel must hear and have opportunity to repent. The gospel cannot go around Jerusalem — it must confront it.

> “And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
— Luke 24:47, ESV

This is the divine pause. The gospel must begin in the epicenter of covenant rebellion — giving apostate Israel one final opportunity.

Matthew 28: Discipling the Nations Takes Time

> “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
— Matthew 28:19–20, ESV

Discipling nations, baptizing them, teaching them — these are not instantaneous acts. They require time, movement, confrontation, and witness.

This global commission functions as a divine stay of execution. The mission holds off the inevitable. In this way, the Great Commission becomes the Great Restraint.

Paul’s Interpretation: A Mission That Delays Judgment

Paul sees the Gentile mission as the condition that must be fulfilled before judgment comes:

> “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
— Romans 11:25, ESV

This aligns with Jesus’ prophecy:

> “…and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
— Luke 21:24, ESV

The gospel to the nations isn’t a side quest — it’s the spiritual condition that holds back the destruction of Jerusalem.

The Holy Spirit Empowers the Restraining Mission

The delay is not human. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit:

> “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
— Acts 2:4, ESV

The mission unfolds in stages — and each stage reinforces the delay. For example:

• Acts 2–7: Jerusalem
• Acts 8–9: Judea and Samaria
• Acts 10–28: Gentile world through Peter, then Paul

At every stage, restraint is implicit. The judgment that Jesus predicted in Matthew 24 is held back — even when Jerusalem continues rejecting the message.

The Testimony Must Be Completed Before Judgment Falls

Jesus explicitly warned:

> “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
— Matthew 24:14, ESV

The gospel’s expansion is the trigger — not the result — of the end.

Paul affirms that by his lifetime, this testimony had reached its peak:

> “…the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven…”
— Colossians 1:23, ESV

By the time Paul’s ministry concludes, the restraining work of the Great Commission is complete — and the end draws near.

Jesus Warns of What Will Happen After the Mission Ends

Jesus made it clear that the mission must conclude before judgment begins:

> “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
— Matthew 10:23, ESV

This implies that judgment will come quickly once the testimony reaches its fullness.

The Great Commission is a mission on a timer — a stay of judgment.

A Mission That Demands Suffering Before Wrath

Jesus doesn’t just send His followers to preach — He tells them they will suffer. This echoes the restraining patterns of the prophets:

> “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”
— Matthew 24:9, ESV

The apostles, like Moses and Jeremiah before them, must suffer before the final judgment is released.

This will culminate in the suffering of one man in particular — Saul of Tarsus, chosen by Jesus Himself to carry the mission into its final stage.

Conclusion: The Great Commission Is the Great Restraint

The Great Commission is not merely evangelistic — it is eschatological. It is God’s pause button on Jerusalem’s destruction. The gospel must go to the Jews first, then the Gentiles, then the end will come.

But the mission requires a vessel. A man who will suffer. A man who will finish the testimony to the Gentiles. A man who will be both messenger and martyr.

That man is Saul — the ravenous wolf turned apostle. The restrainer.

A Chosen Instrument: Paul’s Conversion and Commission

The pattern of restraint was embedded in Israel’s prophets. The voice in the wilderness — John the Baptist — started the eschatological clock. Jesus offered Israel one final call to repentance, containing His mission to the lost sheep. Then the Great Commission opened the floodgates, but not all at once. It unfolded in deliberate stages.

Now, as the gospel is poised to go to the nations, God does something shocking. He does not choose an apostle from Galilee. He does not pick a neutral bystander. He chooses the chief antagonist of the Church. The persecutor becomes the preacher. And more than that — the restrainer.

The Man: Saul of Tarsus, the Perfect Candidate

Paul’s background made him uniquely suited for the role God had prepared for him:

> “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”
— Philippians 3:4–6, ESV

> “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel…”
— Acts 22:3, ESV

Saul was:

• From the tribe of Benjamin, fulfilling Genesis 49:27’s prophecy of a ravenous wolf.
• A Pharisee, trained by the most respected rabbi in Jerusalem.
• A Roman citizen — with legal protections no other apostle had.
• Guiltless under the law — the perfect Pharisaic résumé.

He was the apex of Israel’s old order — and thus, the perfect vessel to become its restrainer and transformer.

The Encounter: Stopped and Sent by Jesus Himself

The moment of Paul’s conversion is direct and sovereign:

> “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest…”
— Acts 9:1, ESV

> “And suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 9:3–4, ESV

Jesus appears not in metaphor, but in blinding glory. And what He says next reveals Paul’s destiny:

> “But the Lord said to him [Ananias], ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’”
— Acts 9:15–16, ESV

Paul will not just preach — he will suffer. He will embody restraint. He will delay wrath by carrying it in his body.

The Commission: To the Gentiles First, but Not Only

While Peter opened the door to the Gentiles (Acts 10), Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles:

> “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.”
— Romans 11:13–14, ESV

But note: Paul’s mission also includes Israel. He is the bridge — preaching to both sides of the covenant divide until the fullness of the Gentiles is complete.

The Sufferer: Filling Up What Is Lacking

In one of Paul’s most mysterious and profound statements, he links his suffering to Christ’s own:

> “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church…”
— Colossians 1:24, ESV

This is not salvific suffering — Christ’s atonement is complete. But Paul’s temporal suffering serves as a covenantal buffer. He suffers instead of the people. He bears persecution, rejection, stoning, beatings, and imprisonment — not for personal glory, but to hold back the flood of judgment until the Church is fully formed.

The Messenger to Kings: Fulfilling His Prophetic Call

Jesus told Ananias that Paul would bear His name before kings. Luke carefully documents how Paul does just that:

• Felix – Acts 24
• Festus – Acts 25
• Herod Agrippa II – Acts 26
• Caesar – anticipated in Acts 27–28

Paul is placed in front of rulers, testifying before judgment arrives — just as Jesus predicted:

> “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you… bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.”
— Luke 21:12–13, ESV

Paul’s presence before rulers is not a detour — it is a restraining witness. No king or ruler can say he was not warned.

The Buffer Between Apostate Israel and God’s Wrath

Paul becomes the key figure standing between the rebellious covenant nation and the judgment Jesus prophesied. He delays their judgment by proclaiming the gospel, by taking beatings in their place, and by appealing to Caesar to slow the process down.

> “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there…”
— Acts 20:22, ESV

> “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
— Acts 21:13, ESV

His presence in Jerusalem, his appeals to Roman law, his ongoing preaching — all are instruments of divine delay. And this delay has a name in Paul’s own writing:

> “And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time… only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7, ESV

Paul does not name the restrainer. But the Thessalonians knew who it was — the man who had just left them, after being chased from city to city. The man whose ministry delayed the man of lawlessness from being revealed.

Conclusion: From Wolf to Watchman

Saul of Tarsus was the ravenous wolf — devouring the Church in his zeal.

But Jesus transformed him into a shepherd-apostle, restraining wrath and scattering gospel seed across the Roman Empire.

He was the chosen instrument. The suffering vessel. The apostle to the Gentiles. The final restrainer.

When he is removed, the end comes quickly.

Encounters, Escapes, and Legal Delays: Paul in Acts as the Active Restrainer

The Book of Acts is not a mere missionary travelogue. It is Luke’s theological account of how the gospel moved from Jerusalem to Rome under divine orchestration. Within this grand movement, Paul emerges as the key restraining figure — the man who holds back Jewish apostasy and delays divine judgment by preaching, suffering, and invoking legal mechanisms that buy time for the gospel to reach its fullness.

From Acts 9 onward, Paul confronts rising opposition. But again and again, he resists the momentum of rebellion — through escape, legal defense, and gospel witness. Every detour is providential. Every delay is restraint.

Paul’s Immediate Threat: Jewish Opposition from the Start

After Paul’s conversion, his former allies turn on him immediately:

> “When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him…”
— Acts 9:23–24, ESV

Paul’s presence instantly reveals the hostility of the Jewish leadership toward the gospel. But rather than fueling retaliation, Paul’s escape becomes a providential stall in escalating conflict.

Paul vs. Elymas: Restraining a False Prophet

Paul confronts a sorcerer interfering with a Gentile’s conversion:

> “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness… will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?'”
— Acts 13:9–10, ESV

> “And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.”
— Acts 13:11, ESV

This event models the restraint of deception — Paul literally blinds a deceiver to prevent him from hindering the gospel. Elymas represents the spirit of lawlessness, and Paul temporarily halts its advance.

Paul in Thessalonica and Berea: Escaping to Delay Escalation

> “But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob…”
— Acts 17:5, ESV

> “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea…”
— Acts 17:10, ESV

> “Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea…”
— Acts 17:14, ESV

These escapes are not cowardice — they are tactical retreats that preserve Paul’s mission and restrain the opposition’s ability to provoke full Roman reprisal against Christians. The gospel is spreading — but not at a reckless pace. Restraint is still in place.

Paul in Corinth: Protected by Rome from Jewish Hostility

When the Jews try to prosecute Paul in Corinth, the Roman proconsul Gallio intervenes:

> “But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint…'”
— Acts 18:14, ESV

> “And he drove them from the tribunal.”
— Acts 18:16, ESV

Gallio’s judgment sets a legal precedent that protects Christian preaching as a legitimate expression of Judaism — and this Roman recognition delays persecution and judicial judgment on the Church. Paul didn’t win this by eloquence — the restraining power came through Rome itself.

Paul in Jerusalem: Surrounded and Rescued

When Paul returns to Jerusalem, the conflict escalates:

> “Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple…”
— Acts 21:30, ESV

> “Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.”
— Acts 21:33, ESV

Instead of being lynched by the mob, Paul is restrained by Rome — literally bound, but also preserved. This delay gives Paul time to testify before authorities — an act Jesus explicitly foretold.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin: Dividing the Opposition

In a brilliant move, Paul exploits the theological divide among his opponents:

> “Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out… ‘It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.'”
— Acts 23:6, ESV

> “Then a great clamor arose…”
— Acts 23:7, ESV

He turns the Sanhedrin against itself, further stalling the movement toward unified condemnation. Paul’s sharp thinking again restrains the momentum of persecution.

Paul’s Appeal to Caesar: Legal Delay as Theological Strategy

Paul’s appeal to Caesar is the most dramatic and sustained act of restraint in the book:

> “If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
— Acts 25:11, ESV

This appeal does several things:

• Prevents Paul’s execution in Jerusalem.
• Delays the Sanhedrin’s momentum toward anti-Christian legislation.
• Ensures the gospel will reach the heart of the empire before judgment falls on Jerusalem.

Paul’s legal standing as a Roman citizen becomes a tool of divine delay. Rome ironically serves as a restraining agent through Paul.

Paul in Rome: Preaching Without Hindrance, Yet Bound

The Book of Acts ends not with closure, but with tension:

> “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”
— Acts 28:30–31, ESV

Paul is under house arrest — but the word of God is not bound. His mission continues. The restraint is still active. But time is running out.

This final note is Luke’s way of saying: the gospel has gone out. The mission is almost complete. The restrainer remains. But not for long.

Conclusion: Paul, The Wall Holding Back the Flood

Paul’s every move in Acts — his escapes, his speeches, his appeals, his preaching — buys time. He restrains Jewish hostility, delays Roman reprisal, and carries the gospel across the Mediterranean. He is the human buffer between lawlessness and the apocalypse.

Soon, Paul will be removed — likely executed under Nero — and within a few short years, Jerusalem will burn.

Luke’s message is clear: Paul was no mere missionary. He was the restrainer.

Preparing for Removal: Paul’s Final Letters and the Rise of Lawlessness

Paul had restrained apostasy with teaching, preaching, legal resistance, and suffering. But as his ministry drew to a close, his language changed. His tone shifted. The apostle to the Gentiles, the man who had delayed judgment through his own presence and pain, now sensed that his time was nearly up.

His final letters — 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus — are filled with urgency. They warn of false teachers, impostors, apostasy, and the growing reality of deception within the Church. Paul is handing off leadership, preparing the next generation — but he knows the dam is about to break.

Paul’s Warning: Apostasy Will Follow My Departure

Paul does not hide what’s coming:

> “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
— Acts 20:29–30, ESV

This warning, delivered to the Ephesian elders, foreshadows the content of 1 and 2 Timothy. Paul is not speculating — he is prophesying. The restrainer will be removed, and then the wolves will come.

1 Timothy: Guard the Doctrine, Guard the Church

> “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine…”
— 1 Timothy 1:3, ESV

> “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…”
— 1 Timothy 4:1, ESV

Paul senses the shifting winds. Lawlessness is brewing not just in Jerusalem, but within the Church. The restraining influence of his apostolic authority is weakening, and he tasks Timothy to carry it forward.

But the tone reveals something deeper — this departure from the faith is not decades away. It’s at the door.

Titus: Rebuke the Circumcision Party

> “There are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced…”
— Titus 1:10–11, ESV

These are the Judaizers — the very group that had followed Paul from city to city, undermining his gospel, resisting the Gentile mission, and preserving temple loyalty.

Now, with Paul soon gone, they are growing bold. Titus is charged with silencing them, but Paul knows their influence is rising. His presence had restrained them. But that presence is nearly finished.

2 Timothy: The Time of My Departure Has Come

> “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.”
— 2 Timothy 4:6, ESV

Paul is writing from a prison cell, under Nero, likely in the early to mid-60s AD. Roman persecution has begun. Jerusalem’s leaders are inflamed. Paul knows he will not leave Rome alive.

And so, he warns Timothy:

> “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money… having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
— 2 Timothy 3:1–5, ESV

> “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12–13, ESV

The restraining period is ending. Paul is not optimistic about a moral revival. He is preparing Timothy for the rise of lawlessness — just as he had warned in 2 Thessalonians 2.

Echoes of 2 Thessalonians 2: The Mystery of Lawlessness Unleashed

> “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:7, ESV

That time has come. Paul is being “poured out.” The restrainer is about to be removed.

The man of lawlessness — likely the apostate leadership of Jerusalem and the high priesthood — will soon be revealed. The temple is about to be desecrated. Jesus’ warnings in Matthew 24 are about to unfold.

The New Testament writers begin to reflect this urgency.

After Paul: A Surge of Imminent Language in the Epistles

After Paul’s final letters, the other apostles intensify their warnings:

> “The end of all things is at hand…”
— 1 Peter 4:7, ESV

> “The judge is standing at the door.”
— James 5:9, ESV

> “Children, it is the last hour…”
— 1 John 2:18, ESV

> “For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay…’”
— Hebrews 10:37, ESV

They speak of nearness, not generations away. The restraint is gone. The Church has been warned. The judgment is imminent.

Paul’s Legacy: A Final Charge to the Faithful

> “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7, ESV

Paul’s departure is not a loss. It is a release. The restraint served its purpose: the gospel went to the nations, the Church was built, the apostles were grounded.

But now, the restrainer is removed. And the judgment Jesus foretold will come swiftly — as He promised it would.

Conclusion: The Final Witness Steps Aside

Paul’s final letters are not just instructions to pastors. They are inspired insight into the end of an era. The “mystery of lawlessness” was already working — but Paul had held it back.

Now, he is being poured out.

And soon, the man of lawlessness will be revealed, the temple will fall, and the age of the old covenant will pass away.

The restrainer is removed. And the end has come.

When the Restrainer Is Removed: Paul’s Death and the Judgment on Jerusalem

The warnings were clear. The witness had been sent. The gospel had been preached. The restrainer had fulfilled his calling.

Paul, the chosen instrument, had carried Christ’s name before Jews, Gentiles, and kings. He had suffered in his own body, filled up what was lacking, delayed judgment through preaching, teaching, and legal intervention. He had been hunted by Jewish leaders, shielded by Roman law, and protected by divine providence.

But now, he is removed.

And the flood begins.

The Restrainer Taken Out of the Way

Paul wrote:

> “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed…”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8, ESV

The phrase “out of the way” (ek mesou genetai) can mean “taken from the midst” or “removed from influence.” Paul foresaw a moment when his ability to hold back apostasy would cease. And according to both Scripture and early church tradition, that moment came in AD 64–66, during Nero’s brutal persecution.

Church historian Eusebius writes:

> “It is recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter likewise was crucified under Nero.”
— Ecclesiastical History, 2.25

Once Paul was removed, the walls cracked. The gospel had gone to the nations. The restraint was lifted. Now came the storm.

The Man of Lawlessness Revealed

Paul had prophesied that once the restraint was lifted:

> “…the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth…”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:8, ESV

In context, this “man of lawlessness” fits the apostate leadership of Jerusalem:

• They claimed divine authority.
• They persecuted the Church.
• They rejected the Messiah.
• They desecrated the temple with hypocrisy and bloodshed.

> “He takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:4, ESV

The high priesthood in the final years before AD 70 had become deeply corrupt. Josephus reports bribery, violence, assassinations, and open collusion with Roman powers. The lawless regime was now visible for what it was.

Paul had restrained it by confronting it, by proclaiming the gospel, by slowing its rise. But now it was unmasked — and unopposed.

The Final Surge of Apostasy

Paul’s letters had warned of false teachers, impostors, and the spread of deceit. After his death, these spread rapidly:

The Jerusalem church came under pressure from Judaizers and zealots.

Many Gentile churches were infiltrated by heretical teachings (Gnosticism, legalism).

The beast of Revelation — a combination of Roman tyranny and Jewish apostasy — began to devour the faithful.

The Book of Revelation, likely written shortly before or during the Jewish War (AD 66–70), reflects this post-Pauline world — a time when the restrainer is gone and the full fury of tribulation begins.

—

The Judgment Comes: AD 70 and the Destruction of the Temple

Jesus had foretold this judgment:

> “Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
— Matthew 24:2, ESV

And again:

> “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.”
— Luke 21:20, ESV

In AD 66, the Jewish revolt began. By AD 70, Rome — under Titus — laid siege to Jerusalem. The temple was burned. The city razed. Over one million perished, according to Josephus.

• The man of lawlessness had been revealed.
• The restrainer had been removed.
• The judgment had come.

The End of the Old Age, the Rise of the New

Paul’s removal coincided with the end of the age Jesus described:

> “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
— Matthew 24:34, ESV

Paul had said the gospel must go to the nations first, and then the end would come:

> “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
— Matthew 24:14, ESV

By the time of his death, Paul could say:

> “The gospel… has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.”
— Colossians 1:23, ESV

His work was complete. The restraining role fulfilled. The time of mercy had run its course.

Now came the harvest of wrath.

Paul’s Final Act: The Vessel of Delay Becomes the Catalyst for Fulfillment

Even in death, Paul’s life accomplished its divine purpose. He had:

Delayed judgment by preaching to Israel.

Proclaimed the gospel to kings and Gentiles.

Suffered instead of retaliating.

Written the foundational theology of the Church.

Passed the baton to faithful men like Timothy and Titus.

With his death, the pause ends. The trumpet sounds. And Jerusalem reaps what it sowed.

Paul was not merely a missionary or theologian. He was the final restrainer — the one who stood between God’s wrath and Israel’s rebellion.

Conclusion: The Last in the Line of Restrainers

From Abraham to Moses, from the prophets to John the Baptist, from Jesus’ earthly mission to the Great Commission, the restraint of judgment was always part of God’s redemptive plan.

Paul was the final man in that line — a chosen instrument to delay the inevitable so that grace could reach its full extent.

And when he was taken out of the way, the end came, just as Jesus had promised.

The restrainer was removed. The lawless one was revealed. And the temple was no more.

Conclusion

This thesis began with a question — not merely theological, but deeply devotional: Could the apostle Paul be the restrainer spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2? Can we link him to Revelation 10’s end of delay? And if so, what would that mean for our understanding of redemptive history, the first-century Church, and the fall of Jerusalem?

We did not arrive at this conclusion quickly or casually. This work was born out of years of prayerful study, continual and sporadic conversations, and a relentless love for the Scriptures. Like so many before us, we were captivated by Paul — not just as a theologian or church planter, but as a man caught between two worlds: the fading glory of the old covenant and the rising light of the new.

As we traced the pattern of restraint through the Scriptures — from Abraham to Moses, from the prophets to John the Baptist — we began to see that Paul’s role was not incidental. He was not just another apostle. He was the culmination of a divine pattern, the final man in a long line of intercessors who stood between God’s judgment and His people.

We came to see that Paul’s life, his sufferings, his legal appeals, and his gospel preaching were all components of a divinely orchestrated delay — a mercy that gave Israel one final opportunity to repent before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.

This realization didn’t just expand our eschatology — it deepened our worship. It made us marvel at the precision of God’s plan, the courage of His servants, and the layers of meaning embedded in the biblical text. It reminded us that the Bible is not a loose collection of disconnected books, but a unified story — told by one Author through many voices — with Christ at the center and His apostles faithfully bearing witness to the end.

Our hope is that this study invites you into that same wonder. That it pushes you deeper into the Word. That it sharpens your sense of the times and seasons God has revealed in Scripture. And that, like us, you will be stirred to honor Paul not only as a preacher of grace, but as the restrainer — the man who stood in the way of wrath so that the gospel could reach the world. Jesus chose him.

May his example inspire us to stand firm in our own generation, to proclaim the gospel with passion, and to love the Scriptures with all our hearts.

— Zach Davis & Rick Welch

Epilogue – The Two Witnesses and the Final Testimony

The vision of Revelation 11 brings closure to the theme of restraint through witness. Two witnesses are granted authority to prophecy for 1,260 days, symbolizing a divinely sanctioned delay before destruction. These witnesses testify in sackcloth—a posture of mourning and prophetic urgency—against a city identified as “Sodom and Egypt,” where the Lord was crucified: Jerusalem.

Their ministry corresponds to the final restraining testimony that must occur before judgment. They are killed, lie exposed in the great city, and after three and a half days, are resurrected and vindicated by God.

This imagery aligns with Paul’s own ministry and martyrdom. Like the witnesses, Paul proclaims the gospel in hostile territory, is persecuted, and is ultimately killed—yet his message lives on. He functions as the culminating restrainer, representing the prophetic voice that delays wrath until every opportunity for repentance is exhausted.

The two symbolic witnesses may point to Paul and Peter as the final apostolic voices, or to the larger prophetic role of the early Church. Either way, their presence fulfills the divine requirement: before judgment falls, there must be a clear, confrontational, and restraining testimony. When that testimony is complete, the city falls. And in AD 70, it did.

As with this thesis, we’re not sure, but we think we’re on to something here. Our hope is that you will all join us in the study and keep learning from the greatest written work ever completed on earth, the Holy Bible. Amen.