Years ago, when I took Bible college courses endorsing this subject and read many books by rather well-known Pre-millennialist teachers, I do not remember any one of them even once acknowledging their theological debt owed to Rev. John Nelson Darby, the man who brought the rapture belief into the visible church, widely taught it, and whose basic system of bible interpretation gives form to the many variations of rapture/tribulation theology we find today. Either they didn’t know, which for many of these highly educated theologians should be doubtful, or they didn’t object. At any rate, they did not consider it proper to inform their listeners and readers. Note: now, some are offering the “red herring” argument that Darby didn’t originate the system. Irrelevant. He was the central force in establishing today’s basic theological system of the rapture and tribulation.
Simply stated, prior to Darby, the concept of a “secret rapture”/2 stage return of Christ was not a teaching in the Christian church nor did it come from a careful examination of the Scripture and thoughtful development of known, solid Bible truths. It is established beyond serious argument that rapture theology flows directly from Rev. Darby. While he may have developed it himself, there are strong indications he acquired it from an earlier cultic pastor named Edward Irving, who heard it from a women who had an ecstatic revelation. Since this rapture teaching was unknown in the church before 1830 and is not taught in Scripture, as we examined in five earlier posts, and since Revelation 22:18-19 soberly warns us never to add to or subtract from the things taught in Revelation, and I would say, in or from any and all of the Bible, we seem to have a serious problem if we accept the teaching of a rapture. After all, this belief blatantly adds to and subtracts from the Scriptures and admittedly originates from outside of Scripture as one cannot “see” the rapture in Scripture unless one first believes in such an event.
Revelation 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
According to John Nelson Darby, in 1830 a Glasgow Scottish Pentecostal woman named Margaret McDonald had an ecstatic revelation in which she claimed God had revealed to her that Jesus would return in a “2-stage” second coming. The “rapture” would remove the church from the earth, a great tribulation would follow and then Jesus would return to earth to establish his millennial kingdom. Darby embraced and incorporated these ideas into the older, erroneous Dispensation theology that he already held. Darby worked tirelessly to spread this belief in the British Isles and later, in the United States. Eventually, his interpretation/system was embraced by Cyrus Scofield, whose margin notes in his Scofield Reference Bible became virtually synonymous with the Scripture in some church bodies. Other reference bibles like the Thompson Chain and Ryrie Study further mainlined this belief system. Now movies, books, video games, bible schools, theological schools, the Internet and more spread this far and fast. Rarely will any mention the extra-biblical source they all embrace and to which they grant divine authority.
Ultimately, regarding the rapture belief, one must either accept the clear teachings of the Bible that there is one, and only one return of Jesus at the end of the age, or, supplant and supplement the Bible with derived beliefs flowing from the false framework of dispensationalism and perhaps even ecstatic, unverifiable, anti-biblical experience of Mary McDonald. While many who claim to be Christians are comfortable with “new” revelations and “re-imagined” truths, I am not. Nor should you be. The motto of the Lutheran Reformation remains the heart cry of faithful Christians everywhere: “The Word of the Lord Endures Forever.” His word is eternal, unchanging, life giving. The faithful church doesn’t change it. We hear, believe, and preserve it.
In conclusion, rapture teachers and believers must do exactly what Darby did – accept the word of a human over the written word of God. While they are free to do so, might I suggest it is both unwise and a mark of sinful unbelief in the clear testimony of Jesus and the apostles.
Regarding the overall Premillennial framework of bible prophecy interpretations, a matter for later posts, I close with something to ponder. Might it be possible that the framework itself is in error? After all, its original assertions have to date been entirely falsified. As Rev. Don Matzat, a Lutheran pastor and radio personality who was once a fervent holder of these views wrote in early 1990’s, and which words have far more historical vindication now: “It is the primary end-time position taught within much of modern Evangelical Christianity, even though all the predictions that have arisen as a result of this view have come to naught.”
And yes, the pre-millennial framework of bible interpretation is in serious error.
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