I think Kelley is most likely correct on who exactly the restrainer in 2 Thess. 2: 6-8.  I have always had a problem with the interpretation that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit as He indwells the Body of Christ, and that the "taking out of the way"  of the Holy Spirit/Church is what will allow the Antichrist to be revealed. The Church may be removed from Earth, but the Holy Spirit is omnipresent--He can't be removed from anywhere.  He will still be doing things here on Earth after the Church is gone. 

 

It is true though, that as long as the Church is still here on Earth, the Antichrist cannot be revealed, or even confirm the covenant with Isreal.  And this is because God will not commence His program for Isreal until He is finished with His program for the Church.  But if Paul were speaking of the Church being the restrainer, then it seems as though he would have come right out and said it!  And the word "restraineth" is an active verb, not a passive one.  In light of this, the Church is not actively restraining the Antichrist.  It is just a "passive" fact that the Antichrist won't be revealed while the Church is still here.  Satan wants very badly to reaveal his Beast and get on with things.  But he is being restrained, not until the Rapture happens, but until the time is right for him to bring the Antichrist on to the scene. 

 

As Kelley said, Michael is an archangel, and more specifically, the leader of God's warrior angels.  He has power over Satan, and with God's instructions he can keep Satan from doing things.  And right now he is making sure that Satan doesn't bring about any event's down here until God is ready for them to be brought about.  And this includes restraining the immergence of the Antichrist onto the scene.  And when Michael and his warrior angels are called off from this duty, then Satan will be free to bring the Antichrist onto the scene.  He will still remain in Heaven though, until mid-trib when he is booted from Heaven and comes down to indwell the Antichrist.  While still in Heaven, he will be deceiving people and nations into believing and giving their allegience to the Beast.

Again, I am not being dogmatic about this--about the retrainer being Michael.  It just seems to be more logical.

 

Also, it is worth noting that in 1Thess. 4:16, many Christians believe that "an archangel" will accompany Jesus when He comes for the Church.  But it doesn't actually say this.  It says that "The Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the VOICE of an archangel, and with the Trumpet of God..."  It doesn't say that an archangel will be with him....whether it be Michael or any other archangel.  Nor does it imply that the "voice" is even coming from the mouth of an archangel.  Notice the word "with," used 3 times in the verse.  The Lord descends WITH a shout.....does this mean He brings a shout with Him?  Of course not!  He Himself shouts while He is descending.   The next "with" is "with the voice of an archangel."  Does He bring the voice of an archangel with Him?  NO!   Rather, what He is saying when He shouts is being said with a voice that is like the voice of an archangel--very powerful and commanding.  And the final "with" is when He has the Trumpet of God with Him when He descends--only He actually does bring this Trumpet with Him.