Rapture timing part 4 The tribulation: When is it? In John 15 we see a warning

Apostasy: Did Paul mean Rapture or a departure of faith?

In 2 Thessalonians, Paul said the church will experience apostasy.

Apostasy. What did Paul mean when he told the church to expect an apostasy before the return of Christ? For many scholars, the meaning is clear. They see it as a departure or a denial of faith in Christ. But in recent years there is an increasing number of believers/teachers who think this was Paul’s clever way of referring to the rapture. A simple search of easily available resources will help you see the generally accepted definition of the word.

I should clarify. This definition is generally accepted by most biblical scholars. Even most pre-tribulation scholars see the clear meaning of the Greek word. The word is found twice in the New Testament and it means defection, revolt, falling away, or departure. But what are the people going to fall away from?

Did Paul mean a departure/falling away from the faith or a departure from the earth? As I just mentioned, many pre-tribulation believers are suggesting Paul said that the rapture would occur before the appearance of the “man of sin.”

As we explore the two views let’s first look at the two verses that have the Greek word which Paul used.

 

https://thewritelife.tech/2018/08/12/olivet-discourse-after-the-tribulation-the-son-of-man-shall-appear/

 

Comparing verses.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.

Acts 21:21

And they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake G646 Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

 

An original Greek word is often translated differently depending on the context. In the first verse, the translators settled on “apostasy” and in the second, they used the word “forsake.” But in both instances, the meaning is exactly the same. In Acts, we see that the Jews were concerned about Jewish believers forsaking the practice of following the Mosaic customs and ceremonies. Paul used the same word in Thessalonians. And as you might expect, it means the same thing. He warned about “confessing” Christians denying their faith in Christ. He wasn’t warning about a secret rapture event.

 

 

A definition from ‘Vines Greek Expository.’

Forsake:

“an apostasy, defection, revolt,” always in NT of religious defection, is translated “to forsake” in Act 21:21, lit., “(thou teachest) apostasy (from Moses);” in 2Th 2:3, “falling away.”
See FALL.

 

The definition as found in the Strong’s Concordance.

STRONGS NT 646: ἀποστασία

ἀποστασία, -ας, , (ἀφίσταμαι), a falling away, defection, apostasy; in the Bible namely, from the true religion: Acts 21:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; ([Joshua 22:22; 2 Chronicles 29:19; 2 Chronicles 33:19]; Jeremiah 2:19; Jeremiah 36:32 (Jeremiah 29:32) Complutensian; 1 Macc. 2:15). The earlier Greeks say ἀπόστασις; see Lob. ad Phryn., p. 528; [Winer’s Grammar, 24].

 

In the quote below, you’ll find the words of respected Greek scholar Dr. Alan Kurschner. He is a proponent of the Pre-wrath position and produces numerous articles and podcasts in support of his views. He is an ardent opponent of the popular pre-tribulation teaching. As most of you are familiar with, that idea supposes that Jesus will arrive secretly in the clouds and whisk Christians away from the earth before the tribulation begins.

I was once in the ‘secret rapture’ camp. I was taught and then fulling accepted the pre-tribulation rapture. As a young Christian, I trusted that my teachers and pastors had done a thorough job of studying the scriptures and coming to sound decisions concerning this doctrine. I have since learned that was not the case at all.

As for Dr. Kurschner’s belief in a pre-wrath position, I’m not fully in line with his belief on the subject. But there is no question that his teaching aligns more closely with the scriptures than the pre-tribulation rapture idea.

I encourage you to read the brief quote below and click the link to listen to the podcast of his well-reasoned approach to the topic.

 

From the words of Dr. Alan Kurschner.

Click the link here to listen to Dr. Kurschner’s 30-minute podcast

Pretribulational interpreters attempt to argue that Paul in 2 Thess 2:3 teaches that the “apostasy” and “the revelation of the man of lawlessness” will happen “during” the day of the Lord and not before it. But the Greek does not support such an interpretation. Rather, we shall see it clearly supports the pre-wrath interpretation that those two events will occur first, before the day of the Lord.

“Let no one deceive you in any way; for the day of the Lord will not come unless [ean mē] the apostasy comes first [prōton] and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction.” (2 Thess 2:3)

A couple of simple cross-references of the same Greek construction in 2 Thess 2:3 to other biblical examples will demonstrate that the pretribulational view skews Paul’s message. The Greek is constructed with the conditional “unless” (ean mē) coupled with the adverb “first” (prōton), which results in placing the conditional events sequentially before the main event.

For example, John 7:51:

“Our law doesn’t condemn a man unless [ean mē] it first [prōton] hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?”

That is to say, before the event of “condemnation,” two events need to happen first: (1) hearing from the accused, and thus (2) learning what he is doing. The two events do not happen “during” the condemnation, as the flawed pre-trib Greek analysis would have it. Rather, they occur before the verdict of condemnation.

 

So what do you think? Are you firmly in the pre-tribulation camp as I was? Or do you think Paul really meant what he said? Apostasy in the church is growing. It will get much worse.

 

https://thewritelife.tech/2018/01/20/fifth-seal-revelation-will-tribulation-christians-face-persecution/

 

 

The ClayWriter


Comments

5 responses to “Apostasy: Did Paul mean Rapture or a departure of faith?”

  1. Ken Steele Avatar
    Ken Steele

    2 Thessalonians 2:3 is described as the “problem verse” for the pre-tribulation rapture. Renald Showers points out that Paul was refuting the Christians that thought they had missed the Rapture and were in the tribulation. Paul said “that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed”. What Paul is trying to prove is how do you know you’re not in the tribulation? The falling away hasn’t happened and the man of sin hasn’t been revealed. What’s in view is the tribulation, not the Rapture. Obviously, the confusion was that the Christians thought that the tribulation had started and there wasn’t a Rapture. Paul reassures them by saying, “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled”. He doesn’t say, “wait, you guys blew it! I didn’t tell you there would be a Rapture before the tribulation!”. So instead of being a “problem verse”, it’s actually a very strong verse for the pre-tribulation Rapture!

  2. 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4 is not a difficult verse for pre-tribulation believers. All these verses are saying is, that before the rapture of the church an apostasy will take place and the man of sin will be revealed. That can easily happen before the tribulation.

    1. Doug Drake Avatar
      Doug Drake

      I understand why you answer in the way you have. It’s a commonly used…shall I say…a diversionary tactic. You miss the point but I do not suggest that you are doing it maliciously. It is how you have learned to respond to challenges in the scriptures to the popular rapture theories.

      1Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the [a]coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2that you not be quickly shaken from your [b]composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a [c]message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the [d]apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4who opposes and exalts himself above [e]every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [f]He who now restrains will do so until [g]He is [h]removed. 8Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His [i]coming; 9that is, the one whose [j]coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false [k]signs and wonders, 10and with [l]all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11For this reason God [m]will send upon them [n]a deluding influence so that they will believe [o]what is false, 12in order that they all may be [p]judged who did not believe the truth, but [q]took pleasure in wickedness.

      The Apostle Paul is clearly quoting from Daniel’s prophecies and the Lord’s validation of those prophecies in the Olivet Discourse.

      The Abomination of desolation is the most critical ‘timing event’ in all of the yet to be fulfilled prophecies. The event takes place in the middle of the final seven years of Daniel’s famous prophecy.

      These verses to Thessalonica didn’t say that these two events will take place before the final seven years. That’s a made-up interpretation. Read the passage as it is, not as popular theories suggest. Read it as it is. The abomination will take place mid-way through the final seven.

      Read the truth below. “in the middle of the week…” the abomination will take place. that “week’ is the final seven years of Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy. The popular rapture theory has the “good” believers heading out early before the final seven years begin. But that is not what the Bible teaches. That’s the Hal Lindsey model and mimicked by many other popular teachers.

      26Then after the sixty-two weeks, the [ab]Messiah will be cut off and have [ac]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And [ad]its end will come with a flood; even to the end [ae]there will be war; desolations are determined. 27And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of [af]abominations will come the one who [ag]makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is [ah]decreed, gushes forth on the one who [ai]makes desolate.”

  3. Phillip Elliott Avatar
    Phillip Elliott

    Gay used to mean “happy” Judas used to mean “praise” ! The “modern” meanings of words change over time. Apostasia used to mean “Departure” 2000 years ago. Five Bibles translations before the KJV translated it so…(wycliffe, Tyndal, Coverdale,Great, Geneva),and the oldest translation we have is the greek to Latin Vulgate in 400 AD that translated it decessio..”to depart” Decessio is never translated “rebellion” and since Latin is a dead language it never will! Thank you KJV for changing this gay-praise word from a harmless Departure to a viscious Rebellion in dictionaries ever since….
    #2 There is a definate article in front of apostasia in Thessalonians..meaning “the or that”. that would indicate that falling away was a momentary single event not…a general falling away. What would cause that sudden change??? Better, If it is translated “that” it would be referring back to the gathering together moment in the clouds in verse 1.
    #3 Paul believed the rapture would happen in his time (we who are alive and remain) The church in his day was tiny and far flung….the falling away would not have been obvious enough to notice even by him!.
    #4 Finally, here is my best reason….Paul was attempting to to comfort these people….Let me give you this alternative reading of the text as you see it…”Hey Thessalonians….I told you back in my last letter about us flying up to the clouds away from earth to meet Jesus…Again I want to remind you of that gathering with him. You are suffering from Roman tyranny and you believe that the Tribulation has come and you have missed the Rapture…..NO….The Tribulation will not come until many of you FIRST FALL AWAY FROM YOUR FAITH and then the Antichrist will be revealed to kill you!!!….If I were a Thessalonian I might slit my wrists….More than likely the message the Thessalonians got ended with: “the Tribulation will not come before Jesus gathers you up to meet Him in the air to be with Him forever”. Then the Man of Sin will appear and Wrath on earth will begin.
    I approached my pastor in our mission minded church and asked him…Why is it that this Sunday you are preaching about the tens of thousands maybe millions of converts that are pouring into our missions all over the world….”10,000 new pastors in India” “There is a great harvest of new souls coming to Christ every day! and this Sunday you preach that the world is racing toward apostacy as Paul preached in 2Thess”….crickets. My personal belief that most “falling away” proponents have preached it, written books about it, studied under Gamaliel-types about it that it is “hard for them to kick against the goads of Pre Rapture doctrine as Christ said to Paul about his traditional Judaism background. Its easier to be stubborn and prideful and profit than to admit error…Sorry, i got a bit carried away, huh?

Let me know what you think.

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