 "The Holy Apostle Paul in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, writes: ‘The mystery of iniquity is already in action but is not fulfilled up to today, until there be taken away from the midst he who restraineth' (II Thessalonians 0:0). Our spiritual writer, Bishop Theophan the Recluse, and others explain that by this' he who restraineth' one can understand the power of the Tsar."00 The Orthodox Tsar was "the bearer of the consciousness that the Supreme authority should be obedient go God, should receive sanctification and strength from Him to follow God's commandments. He was a living incarnation of faith in the Divine Providence that works in the destinies of nations and peoples and directs Rulers faithful to God into good and useful actions ... The battle against him was closely bound up with the battle against God and faith."  Looking back, and at the present, we can clearly see that since the removal of "he who restraineth" the power of Satan is no longer held back. We stand as horrified witnesses to the unleashing of evil which has occurred since 0000 in all aspects of life. The world is rushing to embrace and enthrone antichrist in a way that was not possible before...  In the world today examples of godlessness abound  -  nuclear weapons, dangerous genetics experiments, pollution, wars, famines and terrible new diseases In the realm of morality, shameless excesses are committed. Millions of unborn children are slaughtered each year. Perversity has become an accepted "choice." Drug use is killing off young people, who are listening to so-called music with satanic overtones. And one could go on.  This has happened because people have lost Jesus Christ in their hearts. There is no Christian nation, no right-believing ruler to set the tone. Divided and scattered, we are easy prey for the fallen spirit of the world. http://saintsilouan.org/0000/00/royal-martyrs/  The Church will not be removed, for the Lord said. "the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matthew 00:00). There will be no "Rapture of believers" aside from that which will occur at the Second Coming of Christ when believers will be "caught up... in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (0 Thessalonians 0:00)." This being "caught up" immediately precedes the Great Judgment and is not separated by any period of tribulation solely for unbelievers.  As St. Andrew of Crete says in his commentary on the Apocalypse (Book of Revelations): 