The falling away, I believe it will be tribulation that will cause it. In fact as you know the words are parked right there in the middle of it all.
There are those as you know who claim they are of Christ and the body. Yet they are not, this is in the word. There are those who are for a lack of a better term fair weather followers. As long as things aren't hard and they don't get in the fire. They will go along with it. The Bible says basically there will be something that will pit brother against brother. Even family will turn each other in. Apparently to judgement and death. Now there are arguments for pre-trib, what other call mid-trib and post tribe rapture. I think this has something to do with the falling away.
Example: to me there seems to be arguments that mix up tribulation and wrath. I even am in disagreement with my wife about his one. I think most all agree there is the week of Jacobs sorrow, or seven years of trouble. Now when we read Thessalonians and Mathew they echo each other. In fact it clearly states:
7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then many will fall awaya and betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
To me it clearly states why, tribulation. The thing a lot of people say they won't see. Tribulation is trouble and testing. Christ went through it, the brothers the apostles did. Many after them did. Now even today it has begun on the other side of the world our brothers and sisters are being killed for their faith. It just hasn't caught the world on fire yet. Now it goes on to talk about the false teachers and the anti Christian. Then it says:
9“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
After the tribulation he gathers his elect. This is in perfect alignment with the trumpet in Thessalonians and the words re-iterate the reason for falling away. Because they have no hope. Which ties into the five wise maids and the five foolish and their lamps. Why such grieving? What happened that they would lose hope? Mass extermination/genocide? Causing a falling away? A betrayal In Order to preserve ones life and love it? Note that Matthew reflects those same thing listed bellow, in the clouds, trumpet call, angels gather his elect. Both dead and living. Those who are alive, who are left (after tribulation). Because there will be mass killings of those who do not conform.
◄ 1 Thessalonians
13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,d that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
So what do I believe? We will see tribulation and be hated by all nations as it is written. Some will be tourmented and killed. These terrible times will cause a great falling away. Now some will argue we are not appointed to wrath. This isn't Gods wrath, that comes upon the earth after we are taken out. Tribulation and wrath are two separate times in the seven years. So it isn't mid-trib, it is end of trib, beginig of wrath and judgement. That is how it reads, that is how I see it. those two (Matt and these)mirror each other perfectly. How can that be explained? Another trumpet? Another gathering in the clouds? No, they are one in the same. As stated immidatly after the tribulation. For you will be hated by all nations. There will be a false version of a Christianity that is promannent. The beast with horns of a lamb (representing itself as Christianity) but speaks as a dragon (rev). Teaches falsely. It will be our own "brotheren" for lack of a better term that will judge us and persecute us causing (a great falling away). For we will be on the side of truth. Not accepting to a false Christian type of teachings. Because others believed they would not see that day, or they fair weatherly accepted some watered down version of Christ. They will say we are heritics, liars, and Blasphemers. Be exceedingly glad in that day for so we're the prophets and brotheren before us also treated in this manner. Christ said in Matthew 16
16“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
So if they did it to the Lord and our brothers of old. Why would they not do it to us? Are we special to avoid standing for our faith? That all the blood from Able to Zachariah shall come upon the earthly inhabitants? Justifying his wrath to be unleashed? That we be a testimony and testament for God? That they hear the truth so that after Gods wrath seeeps them up like the flood of old. They will have no excuse that they did not hear the truth. That they did not see the truth. Rather they ran from the truth.