This is a difficult thread to begin, partly for it's complexity, and partly for what it represents however, it's important.

Let's start by describing what "apostasy" means.

"a-pos'-ta-si, a-pos'-tat (he apostasia, "a standing away from"): I.e. a falling away, a withdrawal, a defection. Used twice in the New Testament, in the Greek original, to express abandonment of the faith." (Source)

From the WT I had always got the impression that an apostate was someone who spread teachings of demons, while in fact the word apostate means falling away from service to God, such as the fallen angels before the flood; "And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day." Jud 1:6

However, it's the apostasy to come that interests us, the great falling away...

2Th 2:3 "Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first."

1Tim 4:1 "However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons,"

2Tim 4:4 "They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories."

It's at this point I ask myself, what begins the moment of the great falling away, and with that said, is there a way to determine what starts it all, what those "false stories" are? Well, that's when I start walking the path of the text...

The time of the end begins with the hurling of denunciations toward the holy covenant, with fire from heaven and lying signs, with deception leading some away, fulfilling Rosh Hashanah. Can we determine what is said that leads 2/3 of Gods people to fall away? Let's dig in...

Dan 11:30 "He will go back and hurl denunciations against the holy covenant and act effectively; and he will go back and will give attention to those leaving the holy covenant."

Rev 13:5,6 "It was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and it was given authority to act for 42 months. And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his dwelling place, even those residing in heaven."

Dan 7:25 "He will speak words against the Most High, and he will continually harass the holy ones of the Supreme One."

So what is it the KOTN/Little Horn/Lion is saying in blaspheme against God and the holy covenant? Well whatever it is, it starts a destructive course for the future of the constant feature.

Dan 8:12 "And an army was given over, together with the constant feature, because of transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success."

So by some transgression the constant feature is in trouble.

Dan 8:13 "How long will the vision of the constant feature and of the transgression causing desolation continue,"

Transgression = #6588 פֶּשַׁע pesha` {peh'-shah} / Rebellion / Sin

No doubt we are looking at the sin of the elders all throughout Ezekiel and their lack of concern for Jehovah's sheep, and it's because of this Jehovah allows the "established place of his sanctuary" to be removed.

So again, what are the words against the holy covenant used by the Northerner?

Dan 8:11 "It exalted itself even against the Prince of the army,"

Dan 8:25 "And by his cunning he will use deception to succeed; and in his heart he will exalt himself; and during a time of security he will bring many to ruin."

So he uses some kind of "deception" that's known as lying signs in Rev 13.

Rev 13:14 "It misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that it was permitted to perform in the sight of the wild beast."

The lying signs are the words against the holy covenant, which should be understood separate then the transgression, for that is the sin of the elders, and not the deception put out by the Northerner.

An interesting part of the blasphemous words from the Northerner is that he attempts to change laws.

Dan 7:25b "He will intend to change times and law."

This is tied into them setting up the image of the beast.

Rev 13:14 "while it tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the wild beast."

It's this "image" that refines true believers by fire when they do not follow it. Remember the image set up by Babylon measuring 60x6x6?

Dan 3:7 "all the peoples, nations, and language groups fell down and worshipped the image of gold that King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar had set up."

While of course the buying and selling are spiritual.

Rev 3:18 "I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich,"

And those who receive the mark are those that fall away from true worship, becoming apostate, just like Solomon.

1Kin 10:14 "And the weight of the gold that came to Solʹo·mon in one year amounted to 666 talents of gold,"

So then, the image of the beast is the laws they attempt to change, as they hurl lying allegations toward the holy covenant, and Gods name itself, drawing many of Gods people away in this great falling away, that great apostasy in the end.

Dan 11:32 "And those who act wickedly against the covenant, he will lead into apostasy by means of smooth words."

These "smooth" words, these "cunning, deceptions, lying signs" succeed in drawing away 2/3 of Gods people, and refining 1/3 by the fires of these denunciations from the Northerner, and they believe the "fake stories."

2Th 2:11 "That is why God lets a deluding influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie,"

What are the results of these public denunciations?

Mth 24:9-12 "Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold."

This increasing of "lawlessness"... Definition = GRK: ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν / Inequity / Sin

These scriptures in Mth 9-12 are speaking of JW's, they are the ones that the greater number will cool off.

Remember these admonishments brothers and sisters!

2Pt 3:17 "You, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on your guard so that you may not be led astray with them by the error of the lawless people and fall from your own steadfastness."

Mth 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones."

Where does this lawlessness come from?

2Th 2:9 "But the lawless one’s presence is by the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonder."

And those who receive the mark of the beast/fall into apostasy believe these lies by the northerner.

2Th 2:10 "and every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved."

And this influence is by Satan, and the words, lying signs, image.

2Th 2:11 "That is why God lets a deluding influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie,"

Unlike many believe, the apostasy/lie is not "the day of Jehovah is here", that is not the reason for loosing out on salvation, nor is it the reason for the mark of the beast. The lie is what is spoken by the beast of Rev 13, the deception that he announces while attempting to change laws. The deception is not 1914, it still lays before us, still yet future...

So I've run out of scriptures, and Jehovah doesn't tell me what the Northerner is going to say. So I guess I'll have to hurry up and wait...

God bless...

AJ

 

There is an interesting correlation between Exe 32 and Rev 13 that pertains to the mark of the beast that I would like to share. The 666 in Rev 13 correlate with the mark of Solomon and the 666 talents of gold he collected in defiance to Jehovah, and his apostasy by falling away from true worship. As well the 60x6x6 image set up by Nebuchadnezzar, and the golden calf set up by the Israelites all tie us back to the mark of the beast in Rev 13. These connections may help us to understand the future apostasy we are to expect among Gods people.

Starting with Exe 32, this chapter tells us of the events leading up to Moses descending the mountain after receiving the tablets from God to find the Israelite's worshiping a golden calf.

Exe 32:4 "Then he took the gold from them, and he formed it with an engraving tool and made it into a statue of a calf. They began to say: “This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt.”

What is interesting about this event in Exe 32 parallels the account recorded for us in Rev 13. Here we see a two horned beast, worshiped by God's people, which brings about their downfall as having the mark in the first bowl;

Rev 13:11 "Then I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, but it began speaking like a dragon."

Rev 16:2 "The first one went off and poured out his bowl on the earth. And a hurtful and malignant ulcer afflicted the people who had the mark of the wild beast and who were worshipping its image."

We also have many more connections between these two chapters, so let's explore them...

What about the "gold" the calf is made up of in Exe 32, does it have a parallel in Rev 13? In fact it does:

Rev 13:18 "This is where it calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number, and its number is 666."

Notice the 666 in Rev 13 takes us to Solomon and his gathering of gold beyond what was directed by Jehovah, in connection with his false worship that he allowed to seep in, influenced by his foreign wives.

1Kin 10:14 "And the weight of the gold that came to Solʹo·mon in one year amounted to 666 talents of gold,"

So we see, a worship of a gold two horned calf in Exe 32 that matches the worship of a two horned wild beast in Rev 13, that is associated with the gold that Solomon gathered in defiance to Jehovah.

Rev 13:15 "And it was permitted to give breath to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who refuse to worship the image of the wild beast."

Instead we are admonished by our Lord not to buy gold offered by the wild beast of Rev 13, but rather gold from him;

Rev 3:18 "I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich,"

Another parallel between these two events are engravings by Jehovah. One, the tablets given to Moses to take to the people;

Ex 32:16 "The tablets were the workmanship of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets."

Second, in the time of the end one of the two witnesses are given a stone engraved by Jehovah.

Zech 3:9 "See the stone that I have set before Joshua! On the one stone are seven eyes; and I am engraving an inscription on it,"

Now, what are the results of Moses seeing this calf after coming down from the mountain, and what are the results of the image set up in Rev 13?

Exe 32:20 "He took the calf that they had made and he burned it with fire and crushed it into powder;"

Rev 8:7 "The first one blew his trumpet. And there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green vegetation was burned up."

Rev 13:13 "And it performs great signs, even making fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind."

As well the waters themselves do not escape both prophetic events.

Exe 32:20b "then he scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it."

Rev 8:10 "The third angel blew his trumpet. And a great star burning like a lamp fell from heaven, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is Wormwood. And a third of the waters turned into wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because these had been made bitter."

The actions of those claiming to represent Jehovah in the time of the end are extensively recorded for us throughout the old and new testaments, and represent what has occurred many times in the history of Gods people, for once their hearts desired to serve Jehovah, they then became complacent while waiting and began to set up their own objects of worship, and begin making their own rules for themselves.

Exe 32:21-23 "And Moses said to Aaron: “What did this people do to you that you have brought a great sin upon them?” Aaron replied: “Do not be enraged, my lord. You well know that the people are inclined to do evil. So they said to me, ‘Make for us a god who will go ahead of us, for we do not know what has happened to this Moses, the man who led us up out of the land of Egypt."

Luk 12:45,46 "But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming, and starts to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting him and at an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones."

The response of Moses and Arron at Sinai after seeing the degradation of actions by the Israelite's closely matches the response directed to be taken by a small group of men toward the established sanctuary of God, in the time of the end.

Exe 32:26,27 "Then Moses took his position in the gate of the camp and said: “Who is on Jehovah’s side? Come to me!" And all the Levites gathered around him. He now said to them: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘Each of you must fasten on his sword and pass through all the camp from gate to gate, killing his brother, his neighbor, and his close companion.’”

Eze 9:5-7 "And to the others he said in my hearing: “Go through the city after him and strike. Do not let your eye feel sorry, and do not feel any compassion. Old man, young man, virgin, little child, and women you should kill off completely. But do not go near to any man on whom there is the mark. You should start from my sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were in front of the house. Then he said to them: “Defile the house and fill the courtyards with the slain. Go!” So they went out and struck down people in the city."

According to these scriptures we can be certain that there are currently some individuals within ranking positions within the WT that have fallen away from true worship, setting up for themselves forms of worship they feel best fits themselves, rather then being directed by Jehovah God himself. They feel our Lord has delayed his coming, and in so doing will be surprised at his true arrival, at which point it will be too late.

We look forward to the "lying signs", "fake stories", that will begin the time of the end, and facilitate that final great apostasy. Not that we are joyful at anyone's fall, but that then we shall know our Lord is close at the door...