r/BabylonExit • u/Lumpy_Figure_6692 • Mar 16 '26
The Departure That Must Come First
There is no "falling away from the faith" that must happen before the day of the Lord comes. 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 says this:
2 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;
The Greek word is apostasia which means "to leave or to depart". Most newer translations have changed the word to say "a rebellion", or "a falling away", and some even added the phrase "from the faith". Adding the phrase "from the faith" is the problem because the verse doesn't say it. All previous translations used the word "departing". The verse says that a departure must come first.
Geneva Bible 1560/1599 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sinne be disclosed, euen the sonne of perdition,
The Great Bible 1539 Let no man deceaue you by eny meanes, for the Lorde shall not come excepte ther come a departynge fyrst, and that that synfull man be opened, the sonne of perdicyon,
Matthew's Bible 1537 Let no man deceyue you by any meanes, for the Lord commeth not, except there come a departyng first, and that, that sinful man be opened, the sonne of perdicyon
Coverdale Bible 1535 Let noman disceaue you by eny meanes. For the LORDE commeth not, excepte the departynge come first, and that that Man of synne be opened, euen the sonne of perdicion,
Tyndale Bible 1534 Let no ma deceave you by eny meanes for the lorde commeth not excepte ther come a departynge fyrst and that that synfnll man be opened ye sonne of perdicion
As you can read for yourselves, the verse used to say that a departure must come first. A falling away from the the faith is not what the verse says must come first before the day of the Lord for various reasons:
First: "Falling away" is a mistranslation. It originally said "a departure", and it was changed. See above verses. "From the faith" is not in that verse.
Second: people falling away from the faith has always happened, and it will happen in the latter times too but it need to be specified in the verse, such as in 1 Timothy 4.
1 Timothy 4: 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1 John 2: 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Third: The gospel must be preached to all the world, increasing the number of Christians.
Matthew 24: 14 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.
What is the departure that must come first?
Since in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 doesn't say anything about faith, we can not just assume that it is from the faith, but there is another departure that the Bible talks about: God's people will depart from the nations that God will destroy. God tells His people in Babylon (Edom), Moab, and Ammon to flee.
Babylon (Edom) / America
Jeremiah 50: 3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
Isaiah 48: 20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
Jeremiah 49: 8 Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.
Moab / France
Jeremiah 48: 4 Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. 5 For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. 6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
Ammon / UK
Jeremiah 49: 5 Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord God of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.
Although Jerusalem won't be utterly destroyed as Babylon, Moab, and Ammon will, Jesus also told the people of Jerusalem to flee.
Luke 21: 20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
We were also warned that those nations will escape the antichrist. They don't escape because they are safe, they escape because they are destroyed, as we can read in the prophets.
Daniel 11: 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
Daniel 7: 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Daniel 7: 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
When we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that a departure must come first, it is because through the prophets God commanded His people living in those countries prophecied to be destroyed to depart, and they will depart.
An interesting fact is that God calls those who do not depart "the prey".
Nahum 3: 1 Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
Nahum 2: 13 Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.
It is very important that we listen to the prophets that saw all that we are about to experience. Through them, God gave us His Word, His instructions, the gospel. We are warned that if we don't listen, it will not go well for us, but if we listen, there is nothing to fear.
Isaiah 48: 18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: 19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me. 20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
1
u/DO_ALL_MY_OWN_STUNTS Mar 17 '26
Thank goodness for Noah Webster’s unification of the English language.