We must travel 1400 years from the first mention of a pre-tribulation "catching away" before we find another word about it, and the source we find is not altogether convincing. The story goes that a Mr. Morgan Edwards was in his 20's at the writing of this paper, and wrote it for a college professor who wished Edwards to defend the literal interpretation of Scripture, a process not in vogue in that day. To do so, Morgan invented "a new doctrine" which it seems he did not espouse for himself, but rather he theorized as an intellectual pursuit. He even used Acts 17:19, 20 on his title page: "May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears." Morgan actually quoted the words of pagan philosophers!
And Mr. Edwards certainly would have delighted the men of Mars Hill, for not only does he come up with a pre-tribulation rapture, he also speculates that the lake of fire is in the moon, and that all planets in the solar system are inhabited. Some historians looking for the modern beginnings of pre-trib teaching discount Edwards altogether.
So there is this fourth-century hermit and a Bible college student on assignment espousing the pre-trib view, and they lived 1400 years apart. Not exactly a part of the "stream of revelation" one would expect for such a serious doctrine, if it be serious.
Historically, I suggest that 1830 is a more substantial date for the beginning of this doctrine . It was during this year that 15-year-old Margaret Macdonald, a "prophetess" of the newly arising Pentecostal movement in Scotland, uttered a vision that stated that Christians were to be raptured just prior to the Great Tribulation.
This event surely causes many, especially the Pentecostals of our own day, to give pause. Surely if something was spoken by a "word from the Lord," one cannot take it lightly, they reason. Yet these same people would have to take the words of Jesus and Paul lightly, to believe Margaret. One sadly lacking gift in the explosion of charisma over the years has been the gift of discernment, whereby utterances should, yea must, be challenged and compared to what God has already said. And when it is discerned that deception is at hand, a further discernment is needed, namely the identification of the spirit coming forth into the meeting and the subsequent repudiation of it along with the teaching it promotes. One doesn't
see this too often. It seems Margaret was not challenged then and is not now.
Within a year or two afterwards, Presbyterian pastor Edward Irving, of "Irvingite" fame in London (The Catholic Apostolic Church), heard about this dream, developed it theologically, and began teaching the pre-tribulation rapture to his congregation. By the time dispensationalist Darby got hold of it, it was already circulating fairly well. But Darby we will talk about another time.
For now, the point is made, I think, that the idea that Christ will catch away His bride before trouble breaks out planet-wide, then come back in 7 years to set up His Kingdom, having left "tribulation saints" behind to be punished for their lackadaisical ways... historically, it's just not there.
http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!
And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.
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