To many it is both amazing and shocking to discover that neither
the word rapture nor the doctrine/teaching of a "secret rapture"
is to be found in any bible translation. Moreover, it is not
even mentioned in any "Christian" literature prior to the year
Dave MacPherson, author of The Unbelievable Pre-Trib Origin,
reveals that the "rapture" teaching born in England during the
mid-1800's. MacPherson's research found that a Church of
Scotland minister, named Edward Irving, was the first to preach
the "rapture gospel."
Just how the "rapture" theory occurred to Irving is an
intriguing facet of modern churchianity's history. Irving held
some eccentric positions on the use of "spiritual" gifts,
including speaking in tongues and prophesying. He contended that
these gifts were for the present day "church", and had quite a
few followers of his radical notions. However, when chaotic
disturbances arose in Irving's services during the
manifestations of these "gifts", the Church of Scotland took
action, dismissing Irving from his position as minister in 1832.
The ultimate result of Irving's dismissal was the formation of
the Catholic Apostolic Church, which still exists until this
day. Irving's movement grew and became the basis of modern day
Pentecostalism. The natural evolution of this movement has
resulted in the recent emergence of the "Toronto Laughing
Spirit" phenomenon which has seduced and mislead more than a few
However, in 1830 during one of Irving's sessions before his
dismissal, a young Scottish girl, named Margaret MacDonald, fell
into a "trance". After several hours of "vision" and
"prophesying" she revealed that "Christ's" return would occur in
two phases, not just one. "Christ" would first come visibly to
only the righteous, then He would come a second time to execute
wrath on the unrighteous in the nations.
This "secret rapture" was promoted by Irving claiming he, too,
had heard a "voice" from heaven commanding him to teach it.
(Some modern researchers submit that Irving's speculations of
the "rapture were influenced by the Spanish Jesuit priest,
Lacunza whose book Irving had translated in 1827 under the
title, The coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty)
John Darby, an Englishman and pioneer of the "Plymouth Brethren"
movement became caught up in the rapture philosophies of Irving.
When Darby heard about Irving's activities, he traveled to
Scotland to talk with Irving and his followers about the "secret
rapture". It was Darby who became the master developer of
"scriptural" arguments to support the theory/doctrine that
Darby's development of the "rapture" theory has since become
widely popularized in Britain and finally in the U.S., largely
as a result of Cyrus Scofield's notes in his Scofield Reference
Belief in the "secret rapture" doctrine has become so widespread
among today's "evangelicals" and "fundamentalists" that many
sitting in the pews assume that the teaching dates back to the
apostles themselves and the Messiah. Regardless of whom one
regards as the originator of the teaching — whether Irving,
Darby, Margaret MacDonald, or a Jesuit priest - one thing is
obvious; the "secret rapture" theory is of relatively recent
origin. Moreover, it has no basis in fact nor was it ever a
teaching of the Messiah, Apostles, or the early movement begun