What does the Greek word translated 'falling away' mean?
The Greek word translated 'falling away' denotes a departure or going away—either departing from another person or departing from one place to another. In this context, it refers to the departure of believers before the tribulation, not a moral or spiritual apostasy.
Les explains that the Greek word behind 'falling away' means a departure, either of a person departing from another person or from one place to another. He stresses this makes all the difference, because the tribulation cannot begin until the departure occurs. He connects this to the believer's sudden departure from this place to the other, after which the man of sin, the Antichrist, the son of perdition, is revealed. He also notes Judas Iscariot was called the son of perdition, and the Antichrist is similarly described, suggesting a possible analogy without being dogmatic.