The Apostasy

Paul warns of the coming Apostasy, which he links to the unveiling of the Man without Law when he takes his seat in the Church.

Paul responds to misleading claims about the imminence of the Day of the Lord by declaring that it will not begin until the Apostasy occurs and the Son of Destruction is revealed. Disinformation about the return of Jesus was circulating among the members of the Thessalonian congregation.

The Apostle Paul was not the first man of God to warn of future apostasy. What sets Paul’s exhortation to the Thessalonians apart is that he connects this event to the Man of Lawlessness, the Son of Destruction.

[Abandoned Church - Photo by Dan Meyers (Oregon) on Unsplash]

This end-time deceiver will cause many believers to abandon the Apostolic Faith. In describing him, Paul uses language from the Book of Daniel that originally described a figure called the ‘Little Horn’ by Daniel.

• “Now, we urge you, brothers, concerning the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him; so that you not be quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand. Let no one seduce you in any respect, because except the apostasy comes first and the man without law, the son of destruction, is revealed, HE WHO OPPOSES AND EXALTS HIMSELF ABOVE ALL THINGS THAT ARE CALLED GOD or sacred, so that he sits in the sanctuary of God, presenting himself that he is god” – (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. Note the verbal allusions to Daniel 11:36 and Daniel 8:25 [“He will magnify himself in his heart”]).

The Greek term translated as “apostasy” in this passage is ‘apostasia’ (αποστασια), which means “apostasy, abandonment, defection.” In the Scriptures, it is applied to the betrayal of the true faith by the people of God - (For example, Matthew 5:31, Acts 21:21, 1 Timothy 4:1, Hebrews 3:12).

Scriptural references to this future apostasy are frequent, including warnings from Jesus about coming “lawlessness” or ‘anomia’ (ανομια) that will cause many disciples to betray one another. Moreover, false prophets and “false anointed ones” – false messiahs – will target God’s elect for deception and apostasy. For example:

• “Then, many will be caused to stumble, and they will betray one another, and they will hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and deceive many. And because of lawlessness COMING TO THE FULL, the love of the many will grow cold” - (Matthew 24:10-12. Note the allusion to Daniel 8:23 [“When their sins are coming to the full”]).

• “For false messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect” – (Matthew 24:24).

• “When the Son of Man comes, will he find the faith on the earth?” – (Luke 18:8).

THE BOOK OF DANIEL

The source of the idea of a final great apostasy and wicked deceiver is the Book of Daniel. The figure that Daniel calls “the little horn” and “the king of fierce countenance” persecuted the saints of Israel and caused many Jews to compromise and betray the ancient faith:

• “And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will wear out the saints of the Most High. And he will think to change times and law: and power will be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time” - (Daniel 7:25, the Septuagint or LXX).

• “And out of one of them came forth one mighty horn, and it grew very great toward the south, and toward the host. And it magnified itself to the host of heaven. And there fell to the earth some of the host of heaven and of the stars, and they trampled on them” - (Daniel 8:9-10, LXX).

• “And at the latter time of their kingdom, when their sins are coming to the full, there shall arise a king bold in countenance, and understanding riddles. And his power will be great, and he will destroy wonderfully, and prosper, and practice, and he will destroy mighty men, and the holy people. And the yoke of his chain will prosper. There is guile in his hand; and he will magnify himself in his heart, and by cunning he will destroy many. And he will stand up for the destruction of many, and he will crush them as eggs in his hand” - (Daniel 8:23-25, Septuagint).

• “And those who are ready to deal lawlessly with the covenant, he will pervert by flatteries. But the people who know their God will be strong and act effectively. <…> And the king will act according to his will; and he will exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak powerfully against the God of gods” - (Daniel 11:32, 36).

Paul uses this deceitful ruler, the one described by Daniel, as the model for the man without law, and he will cause many Christians to betray the faith of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle warns elsewhere in his letters of this coming apostasy. For example:

• “But the Spirit declares expressly that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons” - (1 Timothy 4:1).

• “Indeed, and those who would live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and howling impostors will become worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” - (2 Timothy 3:12-13).

• “For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will gather to themselves teachers after their own lusts, and they will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths” - (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Paul’s focus in 2 Thessalonians is on the Man of Lawlessness, and therefore, he provides less information about the final apostasy than he does on this end-time deceiver. He will be empowered by the Devil with all the tools necessary for misleading God’s elect:

• “Whose arrival is according to the energy of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for those who are perishing, because they rejected the love of the truth, that they might be saved” - (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).

The warnings and exhortations of 2 Thessalonians are addressed to believers, not to humanity in general. Satan cannot deceive any of us arbitrarily. He is able to do so when we reject the love of the truth. This is same idea is found in 2 Timothy 4:3, that believers abandon the faith because they do not tolerate “sound doctrine.”

God sends “strong delusion” to those who reject the truth. They bring deceit, apostasy, and judgment upon themselves because they “delight in unrighteousness.” We avoid the lies of deceivers by remaining faithful to the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles – (2 Thessalonians 2:11-15).

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[Citations of Old Testament passages in this article are based on the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint. Text printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS represents quotations and verbal allusions from the Old Testament. The Septuagint is represented by the Roman numeral for ‘seventy’ or LXX based on the Latin name of the translation, ‘Interpretatio septuaginta virorum’] 

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SEE ALSO:

• Missing Events - (Two events must occur before the Day of the Lord begins: The Apostasy and the unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness in God’s House)

• The Day of the Lord - (Jesus will arrive to gather his saints on the Day of the Lord, but only after the apostasy and the unveiling of the Son of Destruction)

• L'Apostasie - (Paul met en garde contre l'apostasie à venir, qu'il lie au dévoilement de l'Homme sans Loi lorsqu'il prend place dans l'Église)

• Impostors and Beasts - (The New Testament warns that false prophets will appear, causing many believers to abandon their faith and betray Jesus Christ)