The Greeks had a word for "fall" [to fall - pipto]... the word in verse 3 (under present discussion) is NOT THAT WORD.
"a falling away" is not an accurate translation
It is an accurate translation.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come
a falling away (apostasia) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The word "falling away" is apostasia from where we get the words Apostate and Apostasy. Obviously it means a moral and spiritual religious "departure" not a physical departure.
Don't believe anything that says this event is the rapture. Here are 5 expert sources that prove the "departure" in 2 Thess 2:3 is the Apostasy:
Strong's definition G646
apostasia
ap-os-tas-ee'-ah
Feminine of the same as G647;
defection from truth (properly the state), (“apostasy”) : - falling away, forsake.
Total KJV occurrences: 2
Thayer Definition:
G646 apostasia
1)
a falling away, defection, apostasy
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: feminine of the same as G647
Citing in TDNT: 1:513, 88
Total KJV occurrences: 2
Abbott-Smith Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament
Apostasia
defection, apostasy, revolt; in late Gk. (MM, Exp., viii; Lft., Notes, 111; Cremer, 308) for cl. ?p?stas?? , freq. in sense of political revolt, in LXX (e.g. Joshua 22:22, 2 Chronicles 29:19, Jeremiah 2:19)
and NT always of religious apostasy: Ac21:21, II Th 2:3.
Liddell and Scott:
A defection, revolt, v.l. in D.H.7.1, J.Vit.10, Plu.Galb.1; esp.
in religious sense, rebellion against God, apostasy, LXX Jo.22.22, 2 Ep.
Th.2.3 .
Winer's Grammar:
Apostasia,
a falling away, defection, apostasy; in the Bible namely, from the true religion: Acts 21:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ; ((Joshua 22:22; 2 Chronicles 29:19; 2 Chronicles 33:19); Jeremiah 2:19; Jeremiah 36
29) 32 Complutensian; 1 Macc. 2:15). The earlier Greeks say Apostasis; see Lob. ad Phryn., p. 528; (Winer's Grammar, 24).
The only other use of this word in the bible was people departing from the teachings of Moses which is an Apostasy from his teachings. Neither use has anything to do with simply going somewhere physically.