For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.
only he who now letteth will let: These words "who.. letteth" come from the same Greek word that "what withholdeth" does in verse 6. The Greek word "kateko" means "to hold back, detain, retain" (Thayer 339-2-2722). Thayer continues by saying, "that which hinders, namely Antichrist, denotes the one in whom that power is lodged, the Roman emperor."