If Holy Spirit is "removed" along with the Faithful Church in the Rapture, how then is John 16: 7-11 to be interpreted?
 
  In John 16:8 Holy Spirit CONVICTS the world of sin. If Holy Spirit is completely absent during the Tribulation, how then will sinners come to repentance without conviction of sin? As for the UNFAITHFUL Church who is left behind, who will give Her "remembrance" (John 14:26) of the Word after the Antichrist shuts down the Internet, all spiritual broadcasting, prohibits Bible sales and other Christian writings and reading, and probably even assembling together at homes to study the Word, etc.? Probably even close down Christian churches. From where will She draw her boldness and strength to refuse the Mark of the Beast?
 
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  Let us look at 2 Thes. 2:7: "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way." (NKJV)
 
  [The following comments are quoted from DAKE'S ANNOTATED REFERENCE BIBLE, p. 230, N.T., columns 2 and 3.]
 
 
  The hinderer of lawlessness (2:7) What is it? ~~ (1) It is something already known (vs. 6); ~~ (2) It now hinders lawlessness (vs. 6-7); ~~ (3) It is strong enough to prevent the revelation of the Antichrist (vs. 6-8); ~~ (4) It will hinder lawlessness until it is removed from the earth (vs. 7-8); ~~ (5) It is called "he" (vs. 7); ~~ (6) It will be removed from the earth before the second advent (vs. 7-8); ~~ (7) It will not be here when Christ comes to destroy Antichrist (vs. 7-8).
 
  The hinderer is one of 3 things: (1) Governments (Rom. 13:1-7; 1Pet. 2:13); ~~ (2) The Church (Mt. 5:13; 2 Cor. 2:15-16; Eph. 6:12-18; 2Cor. 10:4-7); ~~ The Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:7-15).
 
  The hinderer of lawlessness must be the one that will be taken out of the world before Antichrist can be revealed (vs. 6-8). Will governments be taken out of the world? No, because Antichrist reigns over many kingdoms (Dan. 7:24; 11:40-45), and other kings reign over the rest of the earth all during the time the hinderer of lawlessness is removed (Rev. 11:15; 16:13-16). Will it be the Holy Spirit? No, for He will be here all through the Tribulation and forever (Jn. 14:16; Acts 2:16-21; Rev. 12:17 with 19:10; Zech. 12:10-13:1). Multitudes will be saved by the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation, as now (Acts 2:16-21; Rev. 6:9-11; 7;1-21; 12:5, 17; 15:2-4; 20:4-6). It is the Church. It will be raptured before Antichrist comes and this is the only one of the hinderers of lawlessness that will be removed from the earth (1Th. 4:16).
 
  The "he" of 2Thes. 2:7: The only argument used to prove that the Holy Spirit is the hinderer of this passage is the pronoun he. It is believed that the Church could not be referred to as he because it is the Bride of Christ; that the Church is spoken of as a virgin, a woman, and that it is referred to by feminine pronouns.
 
  On the contrary, the Church is:
 
  (1) Not referred to by feminine pronouns ~~ (2) Never symbolized by a woman ~~ (3) Never called the Bride of Christ (see note, Rev. 21:9-10: The word Bride is used only 5 times in connection with Believers (Jn. 3:29; Rev. 21:2, 9; 22:17). The word Bridegroom is used 10 times in connection with Believers (Mt. 9:15; Mk. 2:19-20; Lk. 5:34-35; Jn. 3:29). All these passages refer to Believers who will live in the New Jerusalem, which is the Bride, the Lamb's wife (Rev. 21:2, 9-10).
 
  The Church is called a man (Eph. 2:15; 4:13 -- new man) and the Body of Christ (1Cor. 12:12-13, 27; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18, 24). Because Christ is a man, it would not be proper to compare His Body to that of a woman or to use feminine pronouns in referring to the Church. Since the Church is not a woman, a lady, a virgin, a bride, and is not referred to by feminine pronouns, and since the Church is called a man and the Body of Christ who is a man, the Church can be referred to by the pronoun he.
 
  The Church is the only one of the three hinderers of lawlessness that will be taken out of the world. We must, therefore, conclude that the he or the hinderer of lawlessness of 2Th. 2:7 must refer to the Church being taken out of the world. And then shall that wicked [one] be revealed who will be destroyed 7 years later by Christ at His second advent (vs. 7-8).
 
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  Beloved in Christ, according to Scripture, and not popular "opinion,"  HOLY SPIRIT will STILL be on earth CONVICTING THE WORLD OF SIN during the Tribulation!
 
  InHisControl,
 
  Celia