From The Popular Encylopedia of Bible Prophecy:
CLUES FROM THE GREEK
A closer look at the 2 Thesasalonians 2 passage will help answer the question of the identity of the one who restrains. In 2:6 the Greek text is best translated, "and the thing now holding (him) down (or restraining him) you know, so that he (is) to be revealed in his own time". Verse 7 says, "For the mystery of this lawlessness is already working only until the one now holding (him) down (or restraining him) shall get out of the way". The Greek word katecho is a compound word formed from kata (down) and echo (to have, or to hold). From this comes the thought "to hold down or to restrain". Katchecho can have the meaning "to hold back from action, to keep under control, to deprive of physical liberty, as by shackling, or arresting a criminal". The restrainer then is preventing the Antichrist from breaking out until his appointed time, which would be during or just before the beginning of the Tribulation.
In verse 6, to katcheon is a neuter present participle, being translated "the thing now holding (him) down (or restraining him)", though in verse 7 the masculine present participle is used, ho katchoen, and should be translated "the one now holding (him) down (or restraining him). This grammatical difference would certainly exclude the church because church is a feminine word in Greek. Some think the neuter gender in verse 6 refers to the Roman Empire, and the masculine in verse 7 has to do with the Roman emperor. But this view is not plausible. The word "spirit" (pneuma) is in the neuter gender, but when referring to the Holy Spirit, the New Testament uses the masculine pronoun. John 14:26 calls the Spirit whom the Father will send in the name of Jesus the paraclete (the one called alongside, the counselor). Paraclete is a masculine noun, but Spirit is a neuter noun. "The purposeful change in grammar emphasizes the personality of the Holy Spirit. There would be no reason to change from the neuter to the masculine unless the Spirit was understood to be a person." (Enns, p. 149)
THE EVIDENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES
The point of the 2 Thessalonians 1 passage seems clear. The man of sin, the Antichrist, cannot come forth until this restraining power gets out of the way. By divine providence, and by all the evidence of the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit characteristically restrains and strives against sin (Genesis 6:3). The Spirit presently abides in the world in a special way in this age through the Church.
One objection to naming the Holy Spirit as the restrainer has to do with the phrase at the end of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 - "until he is taken out of the way". Many argue that taking away or removing the Spirit of God seems to be an awkward interpretation. But is this what the passage is saying? The Greek word translated "taken" is genetai and is an aorist middle subjunctive from ginomai , a deponent verb. Such verbs appear in the middle or passive form but are still translated as active, meaning the subject (which, in this case, is the restrainer) is doing the action. "The deponent verb does not denote removal by an outside force but rather a voluntary act on the part of the restrainer" (Hiebert, p. 207). "To be taken out of the way" should better read "to get out of the way" (Lenski, p. 421). The Holy Spirit is going to move out of the way. He is not going to be taken out of the way.
While it is probably correct to say the restrainer moves aside at the time of the Rapture of the Church so that "in his time (the Antichrist) may be revealed" (2 Thessalonians 1:6), the Holy Spirit will still continue the work on earth of bringing people to salvation. While the Church is here, He is active as the power working within the lives of believers.
Revelation speaks of the multitudes of Saints killed because of the machinations of the Antichrist sytem(Beast, false prophet false image). My reading of this same passage suggests to me that things start really popping after the AC arises, then at some point a rapture occurs in the midst of everything(Gods great harvest of souls followed by God’s great harvest of wrath as juxtaposed in Revelation).
There will be people left on earth after the Rapture, because they were not saved, who are saved during the Tribulation. These are the "saints" who will be killed by the Antichrist because they refuse to take his mark. These are not Church-age Christians who are removed from the scene prior to the Tribulation.
The Scripture is clear that the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation, when Jesus removes His Bride (those people, both dead and alive, from the entirety of the Age of Grace, who have accepted Christ as Savior) from the scene before He sends judgment. But it also clear that multitudes will come to salvation in Christ during the Tribulation. and those are the people whom the Antichrist will kill.
And yes, we can certainly know the season of His coming. And that season has officially arrived.
Either way, we will not be going through the tribulation. We are promised to be kept from God's wrath upon this world.
Revelation speaks of the AC system being allowed to “wear down the saints” either directly and or by limiting their voice and influence upon men . But it is part of God’s plan. I don’t think the Holy Spirit would necessarily abandon Christians ( not leaving them absolutely powerless to stand against the system so that they lose faith) while taking away the restraints upon the AC system since as scripture says...”Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the World”.
Now, at some point in all this conflagration,Christ catches up Christians dead and alive. I think the timing of events remains vague due to God alone desiring to keep that knowledge close to his vest. I accept Thessalonians as I accept other passages from Matthew, Revelation, the OT concerning the “end times”. Doing a general survey of all these passages, suggests a more complex series of events and timings then what traditional eschatology has ever revealed. You have to include passages that sort of “stick out” and would color what the traditional evangelical eschatology has always touted. Yet don’t mistake that view for a general disagreement with that eschatology on my part. There will be a catching up....there will be a horrible tribulation “such as never occured or will since” as Christ said....and Christ himself will rule out of Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
So if present believing Christians are caught up before all the major stuff occurs...well bonus! If we have to go thru a refining thru general persecution, well then Praise God who “ is able to make us stand...and above all to stand!”