In the Bible there is a passage in 2 Thessalonians that talks about a falling away before the end comes. Some Bible teachers try to say this refers to something that already happened. This is more of a Preterist view. The danger of putting everything prophetic as already happening is that it relegates much of prophecy to having no meaning for our life. That we have nothing to look forward to in Christ’s return, as a lot of unfulfilled prophecy is regarding his second coming. These prophecies are for our benefit and ignoring them as already happening will be at our peril. Our hope is placed in Christ’s resurrection so that believing in Him we will also be resurrected into eternal life. Now regardless of whether there is a pre or mid tribulation rapture or not Jesus will still come back at some point. Jesus told us many times that he was coming back and so as believers we do have hope that whether it be in our lifetime or not that Jesus will return. In 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18 we are told about Jesus return and to use this to encourage other believers.
Let us examine 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 (NASB).
"1Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 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, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness."
You see that in context talking about the falling away (Apostasy is used in the NASB translation) it is being referred to as happening before the coming of our Lord. So this is not something that could have happened in 70 A.D. or in the third century or any other time in the past because Jesus has not returned. God gave us things to look out for so that we would not be concerned about His coming and our missing it. So there is no secret return of Christ otherwise why would we be told what to watch out for?
In Matthew 24: 26-27 (NIV) Jesus said this
“So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
This leaves no room for Jesus coming and people being confused or not knowing he has came. Some cults such as the Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus returned invisibly. In light of this scripture that belief falls flat.
So we know that Jesus has not come and there first must be a falling away or apostasy. The Bible speaks of this falling away but the word great is not used. It is my belief the word Great has been added because this must be an obvious falling away and not a few people leaving the church. There will be a large apostasy, so large that it won’t be missed.
Does this apostasy mean that liberal churches will arise or churches that don’t seem to have Christ as a basis will get worse? We have to understand what exactly is an apostasy. An apostasy means to abandon one’s religion. But most every modern English translation of the Bible says apostasy or falling away. You can’t fall away from something unless you are first a part of it. I’m not suggesting that you can lose your salvation but that the falling away must actually be a falling away from something. It can be a falling away from the church or a falling away from the truth.
So what will this falling away look like? There will be churches with liberal and down right false theology. But I don’t believe this in itself will be the falling away, even the growing of these churches in and of itself is not the falling away but I do think it is part of it. It seems fewer and fewer people belong to any church, especially Biblical churches. That is part of a falling away. Movements like the emergent church are drawing people to what seems like a truthless Gospel of love without justice. We also have many false teachers who teach lies about the Bible, or Jesus or who de-emphasize the importance of salvation. This is all part of the falling away I believe. It seems as if the groundwork is being laid for many people to stop attending church all together. If there is nothing binding people to a church then they will not continue to go. False doctrines and watered down messages tell people they don’t need God or fellowship with other believers and while these teachings sound good to the ear they don’t bring people closer together or closer to God.
Many have feared that persecution of the Church will facilitate a large falling away but we have seen that persecution usually makes a church grow. The early church grew under severe persecution and now the church in China is growing under heavy persecution. There will be a time of persecution and some will choose to leave rather than be persecuted but I think a great falling away will come when times are easy and our faith is not challenged. When much of the church looks like the world and church is a country club visit that can be taken or left and only a small remnant dedicated to Jesus and the truth remain, that may be the great falling away or at least its beginning.
the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
