The Greek apopsycho (ἀποψύχω) means 'to faint,' 'to lose heart,' or literally 'to breathe out life' — from apo (away) and psyche (soul, breath, life). It appears in Luke 21:26 in Jesus' apocalyptic discourse, describing people 'fainting from fear' or 'dying of fear' at the sight of cosmic upheaval before the Son of Man's coming.
Jesus uses apopsycho to describe the fear-induced fainting of those who witness the signs of the end — but immediately after, He turns to His disciples with a startling command: 'When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near' (Luke 21:28). What causes the world to faint with terror is the signal for the church to straighten up with hope. The same events carry entirely different meanings depending on one's relationship to the coming King. For those without God, the cosmos collapsing is only terror. For those with God, it is the announcement of the arrival of the One they love. Eschatology determines whether cosmic upheaval produces apopsycho (fainting) or hope.