No, my comment was to another comment that has since been removed. That domment attacked the doctrine of pre-tribulation rapture viciously. There are enough threads attacking.
OK
But there has been very little discussion in this area lately, So I will throw this out for discussion, not for debate, for I am not even taking a stand, just observing on a possibility.
We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,
"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; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
The Greek word translated
falling away in this passage is
apostasia. Some pre-tribbers insist that the Greek word
apostasia in this passage is a reference to the rapture. This is not because they are failing to check the Greek. It is because they are checking the Greek more completely than others. I still feel that this is incorrect, but here are the real and complete facts from the Greek.
The basic meaning of the Greek word
apostisia is most definitely
departure. But it does not necessarily mean a departure from the faith. The departure can be from the faith or from something else.
Checking the use of this Greek word in the Bible is not much help, because it is used only one other time in the entire Bible. That place is Acts 21:21, where
apostasia is used in regard to a departure from the ways of Moses.
The word itself is derived from the Greek word
apistison, (word number 647 in Strong's Greek Dictionary) which is used in three times scripture, but only of divorce. This is in Matthew 5:31, Matthew 19:7, and Mark 10:4.
This second word in turn is derived from the Greek word
aphistemi. (word number 868 in Strong's Greek dictionary)
This word is used 15 times in scripture. Of these 15 times, it is used only 3 times in regard to departing from the faith. These three times are Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1, and Hebrews 3:12. It is also used 2 times in regard to departure from a place. These are Luke 2:7 and Luke 4:13. And it is used 8 times in regard to departing from people. These are Luke 13:27, Acts 5:37, Acts 5:38, Acts 12:10, Acts 19:9, Acts 22:29, 2 Corinthians 12:8, and 1 Timothy 6:5. And it is used 2 times in regard to departure from activity. These are Acts 15:38 and 2 Timothy 2:19.
Outside of scripture, in the ancient Greek literature, the word
apostasia is used of a departure from a place or a nation.
The famous Greek historian Herodotus said the nation of Ethiopia once lived along the upper reaches of the Euphrates river, which would put them in what is now called Turkey. But their numbers became so large that they were overcrowded in that location, so about half of them moved to the upper reaches of the Nile river, which is where they still remain. Thereafter in his account he called those who had moved the
apostate Ethiopians.
In conclusion, it is my opinion that it is by no means certain that Paul (actually, the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul) meant a departure from the faith. I believe that is what he meant, but this simply cannot be proved. So I conclude that it is possible, but unlikely, that the word
apostasia, that is,
departure, in this passage is a reference to the rapture.
If that is correct, then this scripture explicitly teaches the pre-tribulation rapture.
