In II Thessalonians 2:3, apostasia means a departure, not simply a falling away.
The King James Version renders apostasia as 'falling away,' but Les Feldick notes the Greek word is actually translated 'departure.' He teaches that this departure is the removal of the body of Christ — the rapture — which must take place before the man of sin is revealed.
II Thessalonians 2:3 — This is the verse containing the Greek term apostasia, rendered 'falling away' in the KJV and the focus of the question.
The verse at the center of this question reads: 'Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.' (II Thessalonians 2:3). The passage places two events before 'that day': a falling away and the revelation of the man of sin. The King James Version uses the English phrase 'falling away' in this verse, and the surrounding verses do not define the term.
Les Feldick teaches that the Greek word apostasia is more precisely translated 'departure' than 'falling away.' He says the KJV phrase 'falling away' comes from apostasia, the root of the English word 'apostasy,' and that apostasy is 'that turning away from the revealed truth of the Word of God.' But Les also sees a second definition at work: the departure of the Christian himself from earth. He connects this departure to the rapture, saying that before the Antichrist can be revealed, 'there has to be the departure' — and, as he puts it, 'the departure of the body of Christ.' This means the church must be gone before the man of sin appears.
Les Feldick acknowledges that the King James Version reads 'falling away' in II Thessalonians 2:3. He explains that the Greek word apostasia is actually translated 'departure' — a person departing from one place to another. In his teaching, apostasia carries two senses: the apostasy of Christendom turning its back on the truth of Scripture, and the departure of the Christian himself, who is 'going to be taken out.'
Les says the departure must occur before the 'day' in view. He defines 'that day' as the beginning of the tribulation and the coming in of the Antichrist. The Antichrist will not appear before the church is gone. In Les's words: 'the Antichrist is not going to appear before the church is gone. That day shall not come and that man of sin be revealed.'
Paul writes to believers who were suffering intense persecution. They were afraid the rapture had already taken place and they had missed it, meaning they were now in the tribulation. Les explains that Paul reassures them they had not missed the rapture and gives them points to look for so they would know.
Thessalonians' Fear of Missing the Rapture
Les describes the Thessalonian believers as thinking they had missed the outcalling (rapture) and that they were in the tribulation because of intense persecution.
Apostasia Translated 'Departure'
Les states that apostasia is actually translated 'departure' and shows that in verse 3 there is both the apostasy of Christendom and the departure of the Christian himself.
Apostasia and the English Word 'Apostasy'
Les notes that the KJV reading 'falling away' translates the Greek apostasia, and he defines apostasy as turning away from the revealed truth of the Word of God.
The Apostasy of Christendom Today
Les shows that apostasy is now present in the churches and mentions that there is a second definition of apostasia in the New Testament.
Departure of the Saints Before the Antichrist
Les says 'that day' refers to the beginning of the tribulation and the coming of the Antichrist; the Antichrist will not appear before the church is gone.
Departure of the Body of Christ
Les explicitly identifies the departure in 2 Thessalonians 2 as the departure of the body of Christ — the rapture — before the Antichrist comes on the scene.
Persecution and the Missing-Rapture Fear
Les confirms the Thessalonians' situation: they were afraid the rapture had already taken place and they missed it.
Paul's Reassurance and the Gathering Together
Les explains Paul's phrase 'our gathering together unto Him' sets the rapture apart from the second coming and reassures the Thessalonians they had not missed it.
II Thessalonians 2:3: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
This is the verse under discussion, where the Greek apostasia appears and is rendered 'falling away' in the KJV.
II Thessalonians 2:1: Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
This earlier phrase refers to the gathering of believers to Christ, which Les identifies with the rapture.
Titus 2:13: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Les connects the departure of the body of Christ to the 'blessed hope' Paul mentions here.
No. According to Les Feldick, the departure of the church comes first, and the Antichrist is not revealed until after the church is gone. In his words, 'the Antichrist is not going to appear before the church is gone.'
Les Feldick says apostasia does carry the sense of turning away from the revealed truth of God's Word — the meaning behind the English word 'apostasy.' But he also teaches a second definition: the physical departure of the Christian from the earth.
The Thessalonians were under persecution and feared they had missed the rapture and entered the tribulation. Paul wrote to reassure them that they had not missed it and to point them to signs that would mark the coming day.
Watch the Teaching: The Antichrist Revealed: What 2 Thessalonians Really Says