Apostasy Before His Coming — What Scripture Really Says

(The Great Falling Away, Part 1)

“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed…”
— 2 Thessalonians 2:3, NASB1995

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What Is Apostasy?

Apostasy is not simply personal struggle, backsliding, or doubt. It is a deliberate and public departure from the faith—a rebellion against the truth once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).

It is not hidden. It is visible. Widespread. Prophetic.

The Apostle Paul wrote to warn believers that the Day of the Lord would not come unless this falling away happened first. Not alongside. Not after. But first.

This apostasy would signal something deeper: that a lawless system was rising—and behind it, a man of lawlessness would be revealed.

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This Isn’t Just Future. It’s Already Happening.

Many believers picture a last-days falling away as something sudden—like a switch flipped in the end times. But the Bible paints a more sobering picture:

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work…”
—2 Thessalonians 2:7, NASB1995

Even in Paul’s day, the seeds of rebellion were already being sown. Heresies were multiplying. Teachers were twisting Scripture. Some sought power. Others returned to the world.

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Jude Pleaded with the Church:

“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”
—Jude 1:3, NASB1995

This means we must:

• Guard the original Gospel
• Discern false teachings
• Hold fast to Jesus Christ—not man-made religion

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What Will This Series Cover?

In the coming posts, we’ll trace how and when this falling away began—not from modern headlines, but from:

• The words of Jesus and the apostles
• The lifestyle of the early, Spirit-led Church (AD 33–100)
• The slow infiltration of Greek philosophy and political power
• The shift from Scripture to systems
• The call today to come out from among Babylon (Rev. 18:4)

We’ll follow the story of faithfulness… and falling away. And we’ll ask:

Where am I standing? On man’s tradition—or on Christ?

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Application for Today

Many Christians sense something is wrong. The Church looks polished, organized, and systematized—but lacks power, purity, and Spirit-led conviction.

What’s missing is not relevance… it’s repentance.

The falling away is not just happening around us—it is happening to us, unless we return to the Word, the Spirit, and the life Jesus called us to in Matthew 5–7.