Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
There are several extensive web sites like "Apostasy in the church and false doctrines of men," by Don Koenig, that attribute the apostasy of 2 Thes.2 to the church and claim that a fallen or 'apostate' church is the prophesied evil religion of the last days. There's not one verse or reason to believe that.
Christianity is the only religion that has a different definition of apostasy and the purpose of this page is to explain why.
Look at how different the Christian definition is compared to Islam.
Apostasy - (noun)
1. The act of abandoning a party or cause.
2. The state of having rejected your religious beliefs, political party, cause or sports team in favor of opposing beliefs, causes or teams.
3. A defection, renunciation, disaffiliation, abandonment or revolt from a previous association.
4. (Islamic definition) Rejection in word or deed of one's former religion.
5. (Christian definition) To fall away from the truth.
In many countries of the world and especially in Islam, all you have to do is say is, "I believe Jesus is my Savior" or convert to Christianity or any other religion and you could die. In Christianity an apostate is believed to be a heretic, backslidden, or lukewarm which is incorrect and I'l expalin why that definition has been accepted. What's also disturbing is that they attribute this apostasy to the church which implies that Christians will accept the man of sin. Most of the experts call the harlot of Revelation 17 "the apostate church" and I could make the case that that's blasphemy.
The words 'falling away' in 2 Thes. 2:3 are a poor translation of the word apostasia and the only place it's translated "falling away." It's actually the word 'forsake' and pertains to something about the man of sin and not the church. Read the entire passage and notice there's not one reason to associate the apostasy with the church.
To understand how the word apostasy is used look at Acts 21:21. The only other place where the word apostasia translated 'forsake' is used.
Luke is telling the Jews to "forsake' (apostasia/abandon) the law of Moses and accept the new covenant. To forsake is the correct meaning of the word.
Acts 21:21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
The reason why the church has accepted a different definition is because they associated the falling away with other similar verses which use a completely different word than apostasia.
In 1 Tim 4 the words "fall away" are used but that's not the word 'apostasia.' The word aphistemi is used and it means something totally different.
1Tim 4
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,......
The KJV uses the words "shall depart from" the faith.
Another verse that misleads them is Mathew 24 where again the word apostasy isn't used and neither is 'fall away' used in the KJV.
Matt 24
"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The KJV reads. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
The word apostasia isn't used in 1John 2:18-19 but this is a verse they use to explain apostasy and the church accepting the man of sin.
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
The words fall away in the following verses are not the apostasia either!
In Luke 8:13 fall away is used. It's the word 'aphistemi' and not associated with apostasia.
They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.(aphistemi)
Hebrews 6:6 is another place fall away or 'parapipto' is used and not associated with apostasia.
If they shall fall away, (parapipto) to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.
The word apostasia comes from a word whose root meaning is a divorce. It isn't being lukewarm, backsliden, or a heretic or the spiritual condition of a church or lack of devotion of an individual. It is not false doctrine or heresy and will have nothing to do with the end-time church. Verses 3-9 are all about the man of sin, what he's like and what brings him to power...which is an apostasy! So don't fall for the phrase, "the apostate church" or fall for the blasphemous lie that the harlot of Revelation 17 is the so called "apostate church!"
For a Christian to be an apostate, he must renounce Christianity, disolve his union with God, and accept another religion.
Apostasy is also described in the Old Testament with Esau and Ishmael. They were opposed the true God of Israel and went into other directions. It's no surprise that they are the fathers of todays Arab's dominated by the oppressive religion of Islam.
Bakers dictionary of theology. (Emphasis is mine)
Apostasy
A word of increasing interest found twice in the NT. (Acts 21:21; 2Thes. 2:3 It comes from the Greek apostasia a late form of apostasis, originally to desert a post or station in life. It is used of Plutarch of political revolt and is found in the OT in the sense of revolt against the Lord. (Josh. 22:22)
Antiochus Epiphanes enforced an apostasia from Judaism to Hellenism (1 Macc 2:15)
In the AV it is translated "falling away" in relation to the man of sin or antichrist. In this sense the thought is of religious revolt. Cremer states that apostasia is used in the absolute sense of "passing over to unbelief," thus a dissolution of the "union of God subsisting through Christ." Amdt adds rebellion or abandonment in the religious sense. On the nature of apostasy there are lengthy articles in both the JewEnc and the CE developing an extensive doctrine of apostasy.
In the NT. 2 Thes 2:3 is part of a prophetic passage of apocalyptic character. The falling away invites conjecture about whom and from what. The event seems future and thus related to antichrist. The implication is that the apostates will welcome the man of sin. Entire kingdoms have gone into apostasy when it's ruler or king called for one. And it was always to change the "national religion." Antiochus enforced an apostasy from Judaism to Hellenism.
Here is a list of apostates that have gone from one religion to another.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Apostasy (Greek, apo, "away, apart", stasis, "standing") is the formal renunciation of one's religion.
Noted apostates
This is a list of notable persons that have followed a religion and then publicly abandoned or publicly criticized it and attracted notable attention by this defection, or had a notable influence on society with their defection; or if the person has been notably been referred to as an apostate by other groups or people regardless whether the person accepts this label or not.
Ambedkar an ex-Hindu who became a Buddhist
Karen Armstrong ex-Roman Catholic nun who became an atheist
Julian the Apostate ex-Christian and Roman emperor
Aurelius Augustine (Augustine of Hippo) Former adherent of Manicheism who converted to Christianity and criticized Manicheism in his book called Confessions, though generally not labelled as an apostate because the term is originally used for people who leave Christianity, not for people who convert to it
Marjoe Gortner ex-Christian
Ayaan Hirsi Ali ex-Muslim
Maria Monk Sometimes considered an apostate, though little evidence exists that she ever belonged to the religion she supposedly fled
Taslima Nasrin born in a Muslim family who became an atheist
Friedrich Nietzsche grew up in a Lutheran family and became a confirmed Christian in his teens but later became a staunch atheist
Salman Rushdie Accused of being an apostate of Islam by Ruhollah Khomeini due to the publication of his book The Satanic Verses
Baruch Spinoza excommunicated from the Jewish community
Ibn Warraq ex-Muslim
The rebellion or revolt that's taking place in the Arab Islamic world could very well be the apostasy prophecied in 2 Thessalonians. It's a political revolt that results into fallen dictators who are the fallen kings mentioned in Revelation 17:10. The religious revolt is the end-time radicalization of the Muslim world who want a regional Islamic Caliphate. This apostasy (currently passing) will result in a power vacumn in the Arab/Islamic world creating the perfect conditions for the entry and revelation of the man of sin. The common people in the Arab world want political restructure and religious unification. They want one currency and less borders. Sound familiar?
When Assad falls things could go real bad real fast. He may launch his weapons toward Israel knowing he has nothing to lose. Widespread chaos is coming in the region because the Mahdi is said to return in 2013 during a time the region is in complete chaos. Islam is self-fulling prophecy and because of this I believe this year we will see the beginning of tribulation. This is only my opinion. When Syria goes down there will a major struggle for dominance of the country as it is the hub of Islamic terrorism in the region. And several others will fight for dominance of the entire region.
Hasan A. Yahya, the Dean of Arab Writers in North America said,
"This article calls for wider scope of protest and revolutions in the Arab countries, otherwise, these revolutions and protests are incomplet and misguided. In his opinion, the revolution may satisfy one country, it does not satisfy all Arabs who aspire for unity, one currency, one economy, and one flag that covers a land with no borders between."
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/philosophy-articles/a-new-definition-of-apostasy-and-heretics-sociological-analysis-1387803.html#ixzz1EcNgMQnk
The current condition in the Middle-East is related to the topic of apostasy since I believe that's what's currently taking place. It has and is causing dictators who have been in power for decades to fall in rapid succession. The rebels want a whole lot of things that align with bible prophecy. Kings that have already fallen from the current apostasy could be these..
Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
I know the church has traditionally taught that this beast depicts a progression of world empires starting with Egypt that would lead up to the final empire of the beast. I have never accepted this view. I see this beast as a complete end-time entity and believe the creation of this beast is apostasy in motion today.
FIVE ARE FALLEN.
The word are is a third person plural present indicative.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1526&t=KJV
These may be some of the "are fallen" ones.
Hosni Mubarak---------------Egypt
Moammar Gadhafi-----------Lybia
Ben Ali--------------------------Tunsinia
Ali Abdullah Saleh------------Yemen
(Saddam)
These five have already fallen. I think they are the 5 mentioned in Rev. 17.10.
And one is...
This could be Assad of Syria.
The two scariest heads on the beast are, soon to fall Bashar Al-Assad of Syria, and soon to welcome the Mahdi, Ahmadinejad of Iran.
I think the fall of Saddam, who believed he was the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, is one of the heads on the seven headed, ten horned beast....the first one and the last one. (the eighth) That's another topic.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
The 10 kings mentioned in verse 12 seem to either replace the fallen ones of verse 10. Some possibilities are Abdullah Gul of Turkey, Amadinejad of Iran, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Talabani of Iraq, Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, Abdullah of Jordan, Mohamed Morsi> Egypt, Mohammed Yusuf Magariaf >Yemen, Moncef Marzouki >Tunisia,
But it seems everybody is waiting for a rapture, a global dictator, and a one world religion.
When the next 9-11 comes the only admonition the jihadist have for the world is, "brace yourself."
There are several extensive web sites like "Apostasy in the church and false doctrines of men," by Don Koenig, that attribute the apostasy of 2 Thes.2 to the church and claim that a fallen or 'apostate' church is the prophesied evil religion of the last days. There's not one verse or reason to believe that.
Christianity is the only religion that has a different definition of apostasy and the purpose of this page is to explain why.
Look at how different the Christian definition is compared to Islam.
Apostasy - (noun)
1. The act of abandoning a party or cause.
2. The state of having rejected your religious beliefs, political party, cause or sports team in favor of opposing beliefs, causes or teams.
3. A defection, renunciation, disaffiliation, abandonment or revolt from a previous association.
4. (Islamic definition) Rejection in word or deed of one's former religion.
5. (Christian definition) To fall away from the truth.
In many countries of the world and especially in Islam, all you have to do is say is, "I believe Jesus is my Savior" or convert to Christianity or any other religion and you could die. In Christianity an apostate is believed to be a heretic, backslidden, or lukewarm which is incorrect and I'l expalin why that definition has been accepted. What's also disturbing is that they attribute this apostasy to the church which implies that Christians will accept the man of sin. Most of the experts call the harlot of Revelation 17 "the apostate church" and I could make the case that that's blasphemy.
The words 'falling away' in 2 Thes. 2:3 are a poor translation of the word apostasia and the only place it's translated "falling away." It's actually the word 'forsake' and pertains to something about the man of sin and not the church. Read the entire passage and notice there's not one reason to associate the apostasy with the church.
To understand how the word apostasy is used look at Acts 21:21. The only other place where the word apostasia translated 'forsake' is used.
Luke is telling the Jews to "forsake' (apostasia/abandon) the law of Moses and accept the new covenant. To forsake is the correct meaning of the word.
Acts 21:21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
The reason why the church has accepted a different definition is because they associated the falling away with other similar verses which use a completely different word than apostasia.
In 1 Tim 4 the words "fall away" are used but that's not the word 'apostasia.' The word aphistemi is used and it means something totally different.
1Tim 4
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,......
The KJV uses the words "shall depart from" the faith.
Another verse that misleads them is Mathew 24 where again the word apostasy isn't used and neither is 'fall away' used in the KJV.
Matt 24
"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The KJV reads. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
The word apostasia isn't used in 1John 2:18-19 but this is a verse they use to explain apostasy and the church accepting the man of sin.
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
The words fall away in the following verses are not the apostasia either!
In Luke 8:13 fall away is used. It's the word 'aphistemi' and not associated with apostasia.
They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.(aphistemi)
Hebrews 6:6 is another place fall away or 'parapipto' is used and not associated with apostasia.
If they shall fall away, (parapipto) to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.
The word apostasia comes from a word whose root meaning is a divorce. It isn't being lukewarm, backsliden, or a heretic or the spiritual condition of a church or lack of devotion of an individual. It is not false doctrine or heresy and will have nothing to do with the end-time church. Verses 3-9 are all about the man of sin, what he's like and what brings him to power...which is an apostasy! So don't fall for the phrase, "the apostate church" or fall for the blasphemous lie that the harlot of Revelation 17 is the so called "apostate church!"
For a Christian to be an apostate, he must renounce Christianity, disolve his union with God, and accept another religion.
Apostasy is also described in the Old Testament with Esau and Ishmael. They were opposed the true God of Israel and went into other directions. It's no surprise that they are the fathers of todays Arab's dominated by the oppressive religion of Islam.
Bakers dictionary of theology. (Emphasis is mine)
Apostasy
A word of increasing interest found twice in the NT. (Acts 21:21; 2Thes. 2:3 It comes from the Greek apostasia a late form of apostasis, originally to desert a post or station in life. It is used of Plutarch of political revolt and is found in the OT in the sense of revolt against the Lord. (Josh. 22:22)
Antiochus Epiphanes enforced an apostasia from Judaism to Hellenism (1 Macc 2:15)
In the AV it is translated "falling away" in relation to the man of sin or antichrist. In this sense the thought is of religious revolt. Cremer states that apostasia is used in the absolute sense of "passing over to unbelief," thus a dissolution of the "union of God subsisting through Christ." Amdt adds rebellion or abandonment in the religious sense. On the nature of apostasy there are lengthy articles in both the JewEnc and the CE developing an extensive doctrine of apostasy.
In the NT. 2 Thes 2:3 is part of a prophetic passage of apocalyptic character. The falling away invites conjecture about whom and from what. The event seems future and thus related to antichrist. The implication is that the apostates will welcome the man of sin. Entire kingdoms have gone into apostasy when it's ruler or king called for one. And it was always to change the "national religion." Antiochus enforced an apostasy from Judaism to Hellenism.
Here is a list of apostates that have gone from one religion to another.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Apostasy (Greek, apo, "away, apart", stasis, "standing") is the formal renunciation of one's religion.
Noted apostates
This is a list of notable persons that have followed a religion and then publicly abandoned or publicly criticized it and attracted notable attention by this defection, or had a notable influence on society with their defection; or if the person has been notably been referred to as an apostate by other groups or people regardless whether the person accepts this label or not.
Ambedkar an ex-Hindu who became a Buddhist
Karen Armstrong ex-Roman Catholic nun who became an atheist
Julian the Apostate ex-Christian and Roman emperor
Aurelius Augustine (Augustine of Hippo) Former adherent of Manicheism who converted to Christianity and criticized Manicheism in his book called Confessions, though generally not labelled as an apostate because the term is originally used for people who leave Christianity, not for people who convert to it
Marjoe Gortner ex-Christian
Ayaan Hirsi Ali ex-Muslim
Maria Monk Sometimes considered an apostate, though little evidence exists that she ever belonged to the religion she supposedly fled
Taslima Nasrin born in a Muslim family who became an atheist
Friedrich Nietzsche grew up in a Lutheran family and became a confirmed Christian in his teens but later became a staunch atheist
Salman Rushdie Accused of being an apostate of Islam by Ruhollah Khomeini due to the publication of his book The Satanic Verses
Baruch Spinoza excommunicated from the Jewish community
Ibn Warraq ex-Muslim
The rebellion or revolt that's taking place in the Arab Islamic world could very well be the apostasy prophecied in 2 Thessalonians. It's a political revolt that results into fallen dictators who are the fallen kings mentioned in Revelation 17:10. The religious revolt is the end-time radicalization of the Muslim world who want a regional Islamic Caliphate. This apostasy (currently passing) will result in a power vacumn in the Arab/Islamic world creating the perfect conditions for the entry and revelation of the man of sin. The common people in the Arab world want political restructure and religious unification. They want one currency and less borders. Sound familiar?
When Assad falls things could go real bad real fast. He may launch his weapons toward Israel knowing he has nothing to lose. Widespread chaos is coming in the region because the Mahdi is said to return in 2013 during a time the region is in complete chaos. Islam is self-fulling prophecy and because of this I believe this year we will see the beginning of tribulation. This is only my opinion. When Syria goes down there will a major struggle for dominance of the country as it is the hub of Islamic terrorism in the region. And several others will fight for dominance of the entire region.
Hasan A. Yahya, the Dean of Arab Writers in North America said,
"This article calls for wider scope of protest and revolutions in the Arab countries, otherwise, these revolutions and protests are incomplet and misguided. In his opinion, the revolution may satisfy one country, it does not satisfy all Arabs who aspire for unity, one currency, one economy, and one flag that covers a land with no borders between."
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/philosophy-articles/a-new-definition-of-apostasy-and-heretics-sociological-analysis-1387803.html#ixzz1EcNgMQnk
The current condition in the Middle-East is related to the topic of apostasy since I believe that's what's currently taking place. It has and is causing dictators who have been in power for decades to fall in rapid succession. The rebels want a whole lot of things that align with bible prophecy. Kings that have already fallen from the current apostasy could be these..
Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
I know the church has traditionally taught that this beast depicts a progression of world empires starting with Egypt that would lead up to the final empire of the beast. I have never accepted this view. I see this beast as a complete end-time entity and believe the creation of this beast is apostasy in motion today.
FIVE ARE FALLEN.
The word are is a third person plural present indicative.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1526&t=KJV
These may be some of the "are fallen" ones.
Hosni Mubarak---------------Egypt
Moammar Gadhafi-----------Lybia
Ben Ali--------------------------Tunsinia
Ali Abdullah Saleh------------Yemen
(Saddam)
These five have already fallen. I think they are the 5 mentioned in Rev. 17.10.
And one is...
This could be Assad of Syria.
The two scariest heads on the beast are, soon to fall Bashar Al-Assad of Syria, and soon to welcome the Mahdi, Ahmadinejad of Iran.
I think the fall of Saddam, who believed he was the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, is one of the heads on the seven headed, ten horned beast....the first one and the last one. (the eighth) That's another topic.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
The 10 kings mentioned in verse 12 seem to either replace the fallen ones of verse 10. Some possibilities are Abdullah Gul of Turkey, Amadinejad of Iran, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Talabani of Iraq, Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, Abdullah of Jordan, Mohamed Morsi> Egypt, Mohammed Yusuf Magariaf >Yemen, Moncef Marzouki >Tunisia,
But it seems everybody is waiting for a rapture, a global dictator, and a one world religion.
When the next 9-11 comes the only admonition the jihadist have for the world is, "brace yourself."