I suppose that this statement might shock some, but the doctrine of the "rapture" was never taught in the Church prior to 1830. Even if it's a little uncomfortable to consider, I would ask you to stay with me as I unpack this claim.
This relatively modern doctrine of the "evacuation of the saints" doesn't appear in any of the foundational creeds of Christianity. It’s absent from the Nicene Creed (325), the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381), the Chalcedonian Creed (451), and the Athanasian Creed (500). It doesn’t show up in the Augsburg Confession (1530), the Canons of Dort (1618-1619), the Baptist Confession of Faith (1644), the Westminster Confession (1646), or even the Methodist Articles of Religion (1784). For over 1,800 years, the Church lived, thrived, and endured without this teaching.
So where did it come from?
The roots trace back to early 19th-century Scotland, where a young woman named Margaret MacDonald (1815–1840) from Port Glasgow experienced a supposed prophetic vision during a wave of charismatic fervor in 1830. MacDonald, confined to her bed, claimed to see a vision of the Church being caught away to heaven before a time of tribulation. She declared:
"this is the light to be kept burning - the light of God - that we may discern that which cometh not with observation to the natural eye. Only those who have the light of God within them will see the sign of his appearance. No need to follow them who say, see here, or see there, for his day shall be as the lightning to those in whom the living Christ is. 'Tis Christ in us that will lift us up - he is the light - 'tis only those that are alive in him that will be caught up to meet him in the air."[1]
MacDonald's ecstatic utterance caught the attention of many church leaders, including John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), a theologian in the Plymouth Brethren in England. Historian Timothy Weber observed,
“The Plymouth Brethren commissioned Darby to go to Scotland and investigate. He arrived in the middle of 1830 and according to his own testimony twenty three years later, actually met MacDonald and heard her prophesy . . . Darby returned home . . . convinced that Margaret McDonald’s view of the rapture was true. He subsequently fit it into his [Dispensational] system, but never acknowledged his debt to her.”[2]
Darby adapted MacDonald's ideas into his theological framework. Historians Carl Armerding and W. Ward Gasque suggest that it is likely that MacDonald's prophecy "was grist for Darby's mill. . . As he left Scotland, he carried with him impressions which, after some years of reflection, would play their part in the formation of the teaching of the secret pretribulation rapture."[3]
At first, Darby’s novel teachings faced skepticism. In the mid-1800s, most theologians and church leaders dismissed his ideas. They were considered fringe, perhaps even absurd. As I already mentioned, aspects of Dispensational teaching conflicted with the ancient creeds and the historic understanding of the faith. Nevertheless, some began to embrace Darby’s doctrines, and they started to spread through the Bible institute movement.
Dispensational teachings are commonplace today, but it’s important to recognize that they represented a new framework for understanding Scripture. Those who embraced those views faced the challenge of introducing concepts that had never before been part of mainstream Christian teaching. As Timothy Weber explains, “It was not easy to stand against Christian consensus and still claim to be orthodox, but that is precisely what Dispensationalists were forced to do.”[4] Even C.H. Mackintosh, a devoted follower of John Nelson Darby, admitted this tension, writing, “It looks presumptuous to contradict, on so many subjects, all the great standards and creeds of Christendom. But what is one to do?”[5]
Once you open the box, it's hard to put everything back in. By the 1880s, D. L. Moody and a few other Fundamentalists were open to Darby’s Dispensational system. They felt that it might help stir up the people and assist in their evangelism efforts. Thus, the rapture and its related apocalyptic story-line began to gain traction in some prominent camp meetings and Bible conferences.
Nevertheless, what cemented the rapture doctrine into the American consciousness was the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. Its notes presented John Nelson Darby’s Dispensational framework as if it were part of the biblical text itself. As historian Charles Lippy observed:
“One did not need to be a convinced premillennial dispensationalist to be influenced by the Scofield Reference Bible . . . for generations of American Protestants it was the only edition of scripture to use for reading and study . . . etching deeply into the popular religious consciousness.”[6]
By the early 20th century, Darby's ideals were no longer thought to be on the fringe. His teaching became mainstream, influencing countless revivalists, pastors, and authors. Today, Darby’s doctrine is still deeply entrenched in the American consciousness, shaping the worldview and expectations of millions.
The rapture is a cherished doctrine, often featured in books, podcasts, and sermons. However, its roots may not run as deep as many assume. Strikingly absent from the historic creeds of Christianity, there is no clear evidence of the rapture being taught prior to the 19th century. This historical silence raises important questions about its place in the broader framework of Christian belief.
If the rapture was not foundational in Christian theology for over 1,800 years, how did the early believers navigate the intense persecution, trials, and martyrdom they faced? What sustained spiritual giants like Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley, who witnessed entire communities transformed and nations stirred by the presence and power of God?
Can we imagine those revivalists, whose lives were centered on advancing the Kingdom of God, embracing a version of Christianity focused on escaping the world rather than redeeming it? Would their vision of faith—marked by sacrifice, perseverance, and unshakable hope—recognize a theology that prioritizes leaving over living out the gospel here and now?
It’s time for an honest conversation. Let’s dig deeper into the faith of our forefathers. Let’s rediscover a theology that calls us to stand firm, not flee. We need to embrace the kingdom mission that Jesus proclaimed—not an evacuation plan.
[1] Margaret MacDonald quoted in Dave MacPherson, The Incredible Cover-up. (Omega Publishers, 1975), 151. Here MacPherson cites Robert Norton, Memoirs of James and George MacDonald of Port-Glasgow (1840), 171-176.
[2] Timothy P. Weber. On the Road to Armageddon: How Evangelicals Became Israel’s Best Friend. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 2004) 24.
[3] Carl E. Armerding and W. Ward Gasque. A Guide to Biblical Prophecy: A Balanced and Biblical Assessment of the Nature of Prophecy in the Bible. (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1989), 52.
[4] Timothy P. Weber. On the Road to Armageddon: How Evangelicals Became Israel’s Best Friend. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 2004) 28, 31.
[5] C.H. Mackintosh. Papers On The Lord’s Coming. (London: 1907), 56.
[6] Charles H. Lippy. Being Religious, American Style: A History of Popular Religiosity in the United States. (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 1994), 134.
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