{That which restraineth} (	o katechon). {And now you know}
(kai nun oidate), says Paul in this cryptic apocalyptic
passage. Unfortunately we do not know what Paul means by {that
which restrains} (holds back, katechon), neuter here and
masculine in verse  7  ho katech(936e). "This impersonal principle
or power is capable also of manifesting itself under a personal
form" (Milligan). "He is Satan's messiah, an infernal caricature
of the true Messiah" (Moffatt). Warfield (_Expositor_, III, iv,
pp. 30ff.) suggested that the man of lawlessness is the imperial
line with its rage for deification and that the Jewish state was
the restraining power. But God overrules all human history and
his ultimate purpose is wrought out. {To the end that} (eis
to). Another example of eis to and the infinitive for purpose.
{In his own season} (en t(9369) autou kair(9369)). Note autou (his),
not heautou (his own), {revealed in his time}, in the time set
him by God.