2 Thessalonians 2:6 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2 Thessalonians 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

2 Thessalonians 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 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:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "withholdeth", "might", "revealed", and "time". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "withholdeth" and "might", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Remember ye not that when I was..." into verse 7's "For the mystery of iniquity doth already...", so "withholdeth" and "might" belong inside that flow. In 2 Thessalonians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "withholdeth" and "might" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.