In the book “Prophetic Light in the Present World” by Kenneth Wuest, p. 38-41, it says, “The other thing which Paul says must come before the Great Tribulation is a ‘falling away’ (A.V.). The Greek word is ‘apostasia’, and it is preceded by the definite article. The words ‘falling away’ are the translators interpretation of what they thought the Greek text meant here, not the translation of the Greek word itself. The root word ‘aphistemi’ means ‘to cause to withdraw, go away, depart, withdraw from.’ In a context where true and false doctrines are in view, it would mean ‘to fall away from true doctrine’ but the additional idea comes from the context, not the verb. No such specification is attached to the word here. The fact that our word ‘apostasy’ is the transliteration of the Greek word means nothing except that in a context where a departure from the faith is in view, the verb does have reference to an apostasy, and that word apostasy has been invested with that meaning. But that cannot serve as the interpretation of the word in a context where a withdrawal from the true faith is not mentioned. Thus, the A.V. offers an interpretation rather than a translation of the word, and should have allowed the English reader to make his own interpretation in light of the context.”
“The root aphistemi is found fifteen times in the New Testament. It is translated ‘depart’ eleven times. It is used once in connection with departure from the faith (1 Tim 4.1). The very fact that the qualifying words ‘from the faith’ are added shows that in itself the word does not have the idea of a defection from the truth. Eight times it is used of a departure from a person, once in the sense of a departure from a place. In the other places where it is found it is translated ‘fall away’ in the case of those in temptation (Luke 8.13) and ‘drew away’ much people (Acts 5.38). The predominant meaning of this verb in the New Testament, therefore, is that of the act of a person departing from another person or from a place. The neuter noun, ‘apostasion’ is translated in its three occurrences by the word ‘divorcement’ which in itself suggests a withdrawal of one person from another. Thayer translates the word ‘a defection’ of a freeman from his patron, ‘a divorce, a repudiation.'”
So, the word “apostasy” is in 2 Thes 2.3, “unless the falling away comes first.” That is understood today as a falling away from the faith. What Wuest is saying is that it is mistranslated, it does not mean a falling away from the faith unless it says “the faith.” What the word means is “to depart” or “departure.”
With that said, Wuest continues, “The feminine form ‘apostasia’ appears in Acts 21.21 where Paul is charged with teaching ‘all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses’ with ‘forsake’ being the A.V. translation of the word. To ‘forsake’ involves a departure. This word is found only here in our Thessalonians passage.” So, “apostasia” is used twice in that form (feminine) in the New Testament. But the word means “a departure.” It can have another word telling us what they are departing from.
Wuest continues, “Liddell and Scott in their classical lexicon gave as their second meaning of apostasia as ‘a departure, a disappearance.’ Dr. E. Schuyler English, to whom the author is deeply indebted for calling his attention to the word ‘departure’ as the correct rendering of ‘apostasia’ in this context, is authority for the fact that the following understood the Greek to mean a ‘departure’ in this context: Tyndale (1534), Coverdale (1535), The Geneva Bible (1537), Cramer (1539), and Beza (1565), and so used it in their translation. The author is well aware of the fact that ‘apostasia’ was used at times both in Classical and Koine Greek in the sense of a defection, a revolt, in a religious sense, a rebellion against God, and of the act we today call apostasy. Liddell and Scott give the above as the first definitions of the word.” In other words, the earlier translations listed gave the meaning of apostasia as a departure. After 1565, it was put as an apostasy from the faith.
Wuest continues, “Moulton and Milligan quote a papyrus fragment where the word is used of a rebel. But these are acquired meanings of the word from the context in which they are found, not the original, basic, literal meaning, and should not be impose upon the word where the context does not qualify the word by these meanings with the pure translation of the word before us now, the next step is to ascertain from the context, that to which the departure refers. The Greek text has the definite article. A Greek word is definite in itself, and when the article is used, the exegete must pay particular attention to its syntactical use. The basic function of the article is to point out ‘individual identity.'” Wuest is saying that we need to translate the word “apostasia” literally, which means “to depart.” The only way you can make it “to depart from the faith” is to add the words “from the faith” as in 1 Tim 4.1.
Again from Wuest, “Here the article points out a particular departure defined in the context or by some previous reference to the same thing, or as a departure both to the readers and the writer of this letter. Paul does not specifically define the word by a qualifying phrase. Therefore, the article must point to something mentioned in the immediate context, in a wider context, or assumed to be known by both the readers and the writer of the letter. The Apostle had just referred to the gathering together of the saints to the Lord Jesus at his coming (2.1), which is the departure of the church from the earth. In his previous letter (1 Thes 4.13-18), he had described that event in the words, ‘Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air’ which involves a departure from the earth.”
God is restraining (retaining, to seize, hold fast to) Satan from bringing forth (or empowering) the False Messiah until the departure of the true believers from the earth in what is called the Natzal (Rapture) on Rosh Ha Shanah, Tishri 1, year 6001 from creation. After that, Satan can empower his man, who will make a military treaty with Israel about ten days later, on Yom Kippur, Tishri 10, year 6001 from creation (Dan 9.24-27). Wuest is saying the same thing as Paul in 2 Thes 2.3, and what the Talmud says in Sanhedrin 98a. The False Messiah cannot take power until the righteous are removed from the earth, leaving only unbelievers temporarily.
What are some reasons for the gathering of 2 Thes 2.1? The righteous are gathered to allow the False Messiah to take power because the time (the Day of the Lord) of the final reckoning has arrived. The righteous are also gathered so they can attend the coronation and the wedding of the Messiah in heaven. So, let’s talk about these events.
First, the False Messiah cannot take over Europe until the righteous are removed. Why do we have a False Messiah anyway? Because God is bringing everything to judgment. God will not be restraining or holding back Satan from bringing forth the False Messiah, but letting him loose to try to defeat Yehovah. If they can, than they can rule.
Secondly, the righteous are going to the coronation and the wedding of the Messiah in heaven. People will say, “Why should believers expect to escape the Tribulation. Israel went through the exile in Babylon and the slavery in Egypt. There are many examples of trials and tribulations and God did not deliver them out of the way, so why should believers expect to be taken out?” But we have to understand there are three reasons why God delivers believers at this time. So the False Messiah can be revealed, so the believers can be present at the coronation of the Messiah, and so the believers can be a part of the wedding of the Messiah.
So, when the False Messiah comes to power, only the “average people” (the Chata’im or “sinners”) and the wicked (Rashim) will wonder after the beast (Rev 17.8). Where are the righteous (tzaddikim)? They have been “gathered” together in heaven, leaving only the average sinner and the wicked behind on the earth (temporarily) at this time.
We will pick up here in Part 32.
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