Apostasy in Scripture
The Word Apostasy is translated from the Greek as “a falling away” from the faith. There have been several minor or short seasons of apostatizing from time to time in scripture and there are some others of note that may not have been called that. The first mentioned in scripture which is not usually referred to as “falling away;” but, the fall of Adam or Adam’s disobedience in the matter of the forbidden fruit.1
The scripture that deals with the God’s call to Noah (cir 1650 cl) shows how far mankind had fallen away since Adam’s expulsion from the garden bringing God’s judgment of the flood.2 The next of note was at the tower of Babel (cir 2000 cl) after the flood and brought the judgment of God which brought about the dispersion caused by God’s confusing of languages.3
Shortly after the building of the tower Abraham was called of God to leave his home and go down into Canaan; he was chosen to be the father of God’s chosen people. It is not certain whether Abraham’s father worshipped the One God; but, Abraham learned it from someone, scripture indicates it was direct revelation from God. Worship in Ur of the Chaldees was centered around moon worship. This is not an attempt to make an exhaustive study of the subject but to recall some of the more critical points in history of the Judeo/Christian faith.
The Apostle Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica wrote, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (catching out/rapture) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed (the antiChrist), the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (II Thessalonians 2: 3&4)
The Apostle is speaking of the the tribulation. There will be a catching out (the resurrection) of believers, but there will also be a tribulation period of seven years of which the last of three and one half years will be the “great” tribulation filled with horrible acts of the justice of God visited upon unbelievers still on the earth. This is also called the “time of Jacob’s trouble.”
“I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (I Thessalonians 4: 13-18).
Prior to the second coming of Messiah (Jesus Christ) there will be another great Apostasy announced by an increase of false teachers, false messiah’s and false prophets. The Apostle wrote this warning; “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24: 4-14).
This latter will be the last apostasy before the Lord comes again to raise the righteous dead (final judgment of God and second resurrection) to finish the last age prior to the new heaven, the new earth and the coming to earth of the new Jerusalem.
- Genesis 2: 16-17; “… the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. See also Genesis 3: 8-13
- There was such spiritual depravity God searched for a righteous man, Noah and his family alone were saved. Genesis 6: 5-8
- Genesis 11: 5-9
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