Does 2 Thessalonians 2:7 teach that the Spirit will be taken out of the world?

This text is from a transcript of a talk by David Gooding, entitled ‘The Salvation of the Lord’ (2001).

I wait to see the actual explicit statement of the New Testament that the Holy Spirit will be taken away. The view of many godly and careful expositors is that 'what restrains' (2 Thessalonians 2:7) is the Holy Spirit. But that is not explicitly said. It is an interpretation.

All I want to say in this matter is to put in a plea for careful examination of what is our doctrine of salvation, and our doctrine of the atonement and the contents of salvation bought for us by Christ's death on the cross. I myself would be very hesitant to say that the gift of the Holy Spirit and being baptized in the Holy Spirit is a product of the death of Christ but only for some believers and not for others. That I would be very loathe to say myself, though I hear the arguments on the other side. I appeal for more positive, direct, explicit statements in those passages of Scripture that are concerned to expound the gospel.

Similarly, I respect the judgment of those who would say that 2 Thessalonians 2, which speaks of the removal of the restrainer, is referring to the removal of the Holy Spirit. I respect those who hold that view, and I am aware of the many different interpretations of that verse. On the other hand I want to say that the view that that is the Holy Spirit is not an explicit statement of Scripture; it is a suggested interpretation. Therefore, I think we should be careful to found our prophetic views more on explicit statements of Scripture, on those that we can be certain of, and hold with less tenacity those things that we have deduced from Scripture. Of course, deduction from Scripture is something we all do and must do, but our deductions do not have the same authority as the explicit statements of Scripture. Therefore the idea that a thing bought for us by the blood of Christ is not necessarily given to all believers, fills me with great hesitation. Though, as I say, I continue to respect those that uphold that view.

I do think, in our prophetic schemes, we should do as the great and godly Harold St. John used to say: 'Every now and again you should challenge your own axioms to see whether they are really scriptural.' And I would want to say we must put first rank on the explicit statements of Scripture, and then hold with a somewhat lighter hand what are deductions from Scripture.