Why do I say that's a good thing? Because it's not true.
If you grew up the way I did, your mind is being blown away right now. I grew up in a church that taught left behind theology. The academic name for these views is called dispensational pretribulational premillinialism. Specifically, I am attacking the idea of a "secret rapture," whether there is a future tribulation or not.
Why blog about this?
First, I've had a lot of discussions lately with friends and family who are very confused on this subject, and have (literally) called or texted me about this.
Second, I have a deep burden for other Christians who have been taught some of the same things I was taught that just aren't biblical.
Third, I have started reading a new book that calls into question the basic hermineutics (study of how to interpret Scripture) used by those people who believe that a secret rapture is going to happen.
Today's blog will discuss origin of "left behind" theology. Then I will move on to the movement in America, followed by a discussion of biblical interpretation of prophecy, visions, and apocolyptic literature found in the Bible, and then finally, I will wrap up with my biblical reasons why this position falls apart.
So lets get started...
The views of eschatology (the study of the last things) that espouse a future 1,000 year earthly reign of Jesus Christ that follows his second coming date back to the early church fathers, however the view that there is a secret rapture of the church only goes back to the beginning of the 19th century.
I think it's important to note that this view is not very old. Now I realize that whether something is new or old isn't as important as what the Bible says, but one does have to wonder why some of our greatest leaders of the church did not jump on the "secret rapture" band wagon. Why didn't Martin Luther or John Calvin teach this doctrine?
The history of this view can be traced back to a woman named Theodosia Anne Howard. She was born in 1800 in South Dublin, Ireland, in the parish of Powerscourt. The Howard family was a very old aristocratic family. Theodosia grew up in a protestant anglo-irish community. She married Richard Wingfield who was the Lord of Powerscourt. Lord Powerscourt died in 1823, leaving Theodosia widowed.
History tells us that she attended a Prophetic Bible conference in Albury in Suffolk, which may have lead her to begin hosting prophetic conferences at Powerscourt House.
She would invite clergy and lay persons from all over Britain. Once such attender of these conferences was John Nelson Darby. Darby was born in London, England in 1800. He was educated at the Westminster School and Trinity College in Dublin. It is said that he formed his view of the "secret rapture" in and through these prophetic conferences that took place between 1831-1833. By this time, Darby had also joined the Brethren Movement. The Brethren Movement began in Dublin in 1825. Darby is said to have joined them in 1827. The Brethren Movement started because they had such different views on the end times and wanted to see a turn back to more unity in the church.
"Tregelles, a member of the Brethren in these early days, tells us that the idea of a secret rapture at a secret coming of Christ had its origin in an 'utterance' in Edward Irving's church, and that this was taken to be the voice of the Holy Spirit. Tregellas says, 'It was from that supposed revelation that the modern phraseology respecting arose." (The Blessed Hope by George Eldon Ladd pg. 40-41)
Samuel Tregellas was an English Biblical Scholar of the 1800's. He was born in a Quaker family, later became part of the Brethren movement and eventually left and became Presbyterian.
Commenting on this "utterance" given to John Nelson Darby in his book The Hope of Christ's Second Coming, Tregellas says, "It came not from Holy Scripture, but from that which falsely pretended to be the Spirit of God."
Darby is said to have vigorously promoted his view among the Brethren Movement. A rift eventually followed in the Brethren Church that was never healed. The division was over whether the church would go through a future tribulation or be secretly raptured before a future tribulation.
My next post on this subject will explain the rise of the "Left Behind" theology in America. I hope that as we explore this topic, you will be driven to study the Word of God as I was when I first began to study eschatology.
Be Edified!
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