Apostacy
The word apostacy appears in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. In the Koine Greek manuscript the word is apostasia (ἀποστασία).
Translation
Translaters have had difficulty to find the right translation.
In the King James and the New King James it's translated by 'falling away '.
The NIV and the ESV translate the word as 'rebellion'.
The question then is 'falling away' from what? Or 'rebellion' against whom?
Scholars
Let's look at what three scholars (all dispensationalists) say.
Harmonization
Can these three positions be harmonized?
In an discussion between Lee Brainard and Mondo Gonzales on Youtube called The Apostasy Controversy, they came to the conclusion that there is no need to any controversy. Harmonization is possible. It's probable that the rapture (physical removal of believers from the face of the earth) takes place first and soon thereafter the rebellion among the Jews takes place and at the same time the Anti-Christ will be revealed and the tribulation period starts.
Translation
Translaters have had difficulty to find the right translation.
In the King James and the New King James it's translated by 'falling away '.
The NIV and the ESV translate the word as 'rebellion'.
The question then is 'falling away' from what? Or 'rebellion' against whom?
Scholars
Let's look at what three scholars (all dispensationalists) say.
- Andy Woods links the apostacy with the end time trend of falling away from the faith among Christians which leads to the rapture of the church right before the tribulation starts (article in the Phophecy Watchers magazine, 2017). So, he argues that apostacy can be a physical removal of the church, before the Anti-Christ comes on the scene.
- Lee Brainard did a lot of research on documents of events taking place from 250 BS - 600 AD. He found that no-one ever connected apostacy to the physical removal of the church. He wrote a book about that research titled "Apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 / Rapture or Apostasy". The first time that the rapture was attached to apostasia was in 1895. He tends to believe that "rebellion" is a better translation. But who rebells? Probably the Christians.
- Mondo Gonzales holds the position that apostasia is likely the spiritual rebellion of the Jews at the point that the unbelieving Jews sign a covenant with a ruler who allows them to build the third temple including the reinstitution of sacrifices. It's taking them three and half years (mid-point of the tribulation period) to understand that this ruler is deceiving and betraying them.
Harmonization
Can these three positions be harmonized?
In an discussion between Lee Brainard and Mondo Gonzales on Youtube called The Apostasy Controversy, they came to the conclusion that there is no need to any controversy. Harmonization is possible. It's probable that the rapture (physical removal of believers from the face of the earth) takes place first and soon thereafter the rebellion among the Jews takes place and at the same time the Anti-Christ will be revealed and the tribulation period starts.