Was the Pre-Trib Rapture made up by John Darby in the 1800s?

 

Most Christians who believe in a post-tribulation rapture will cite that the rapture was a concept invented by John Darby in the early 1800s along with the theology of dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is the belief that the history of mankind from God's perspective has been divided into dispensations or particular time periods in which God dealt with man differently.  You can do a quick google search and find various articles on the standard dispensations most theologians believe. For example, the Dispensation of Innocence was the time from Adam's Creation to the Fall, then we have the Dispensation of conscience that lasted until the Flood, the Dispensation of Human Government that lasted until the call of Abraham... etc. We are currently in the Dispensation of Grace. The last Dispensation will be during the millennial reign.  People argue that this is a false belief, but in truth, a solid read through the Bible does indeed reveal that God dealt with mankind in different ways during different eras. So, call it what you will, it's Biblical. 

 

Now that that's out of the way, let's address the rapture. Before I ever heard about Darby or learned anything about eschatology, I read the Bible through multiple times. Yes, I had heard a few sermons on the rapture in church as a young girl, but nothing specific about whether it was before or after the Tribulation.  I can honestly say that after I read through the Scriptures, I came away with a belief in a pre-trib rapture. I just assumed it was commonly believed. When I heard some theologians I respected say that it was post-trib, I read some of their books and actually changed my mind. I mean, who was I to disagree with them? They had fancy degrees and years of experience!   But over the years, I kept coming back to what the actual Bible said, and it bugged me and bugged me until I matured enough in my faith to actually ask the Lord. It was during those times with my Bible open in my lap and the Lord revealing things to me that I came back to my Pre-trib belief.

 

However, so many still believe that Darby actually invented the Pre-Trib Rapture idea!  So I did more research. What did the early church fathers believe? Did they even discuss it? Surely Christians who knew the Apostles or knew someone who knew them would know about the rapture! 

 

Polycarp was born around AD 60 and was martyred around AD 155. So, he was around 10 when Rome destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. When Polycarp was in his 30s, the Apostle John was banished to Patmos to labor in the mines where he received the book of Revelation from Jesus. However, John's stay at Patmos was shortlived as the new emperor Nerva granted him amnesty and John returned to Ephesus, where Polycarp became his disciple until AD 98 when John died. Polycarp became a pastor of Smyrna, probably in his late 40s and would have received the letters to the churches John wrote in Revelation.  What I'm trying to prove to you is that Polycarp was taught by the Apostle John. And since John received such a great revelation about end times from Jesus, surely they would have discussed the rapture!

Against Heresies was written by Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp

 

On the subject of the Rapture, in Against Heresies 5.29, he wrote:
“Those nations however, who did not of themselves raise up their eyes unto heaven, nor returned thanks to their Maker, nor wished to behold the light of truth, but who were like blind mice concealed in the depths of ignorance, the word justly reckons “as waste water from a sink, and as the turning-weight of a balance — in fact, as nothing;”(1) so far useful and serviceable to the just, as stubble conduces towards the growth of the wheat, and its straw, by means of combustion, serves for working gold. And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, “There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.”(2) For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption.”

Irenaeus in this passage describes the church leaving the sinful world just before unprecedented disasters. Note his use of the term “caught up” which is Rapture terminology as that is the meaning of harpazo, the term for “caught up” in the King James Bible describing the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4. He then quotes Matthew 24:21 where The Lord Jesus Christ says: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” And it is during this time that those who convert to Christianity during the final years will receive the incorruptible crown mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:25. In Irenaeus’ belief, the Rapture took place prior to the end times Tribulation.

 

And so, you have it. If you need to hear from more early church fathers, check out this Article. However, I thought Polycarp's own words were more than enough to dispel any doubt. 

 

So, keep looking up, Saints!!  Our Redemption draws Nigh!