Post-Tribbers say, as though it were fact, that there is no Pre-Trib statements before 1830 (John Nelson Darby).  And of course if you produce one like Pseudo-Ephraem’s sermon, they either ignore it and still make their erroneous statements, or try to discredit it with jargon and gobbledygook that sounds right but has no substance and can’t stand the test of logic.  To read what Pseudo-Ephraem said go to www.bibleprophesy.org/ancient.htm  (the ‘s’ in prophesy is on purpose) and read for yourself in Section 2 and at the bottom is a rebuttal of post-trib saying it is not a pre-trib statement.  There are other Pre-Trib statements made by others like Morgan Edwards and Brother Dolcino that show that the Pre-Trib view was held by those before the 1800s. Read this article by clicking on this address   www.pre-trib.org/data/pdf/Ice-YetAnotherPre-DarbyRa.pdf  I am not trying to prove the Pre-Trib Raptue by statements of those in history but by the Scriptures.  However to say the view was not in existence before Darby and thus disprove the Pre-Trib view is absolutely wrong even if that were true. After all is ‘salvation by grace alone’ wrong because Martin Luther invented or revived it after 1200 years or so of Church teaching? No! The fact is that the Church going back to the fourth century has taught non scriptural dogma in many fields of theology and even the early Church and Apostles did not have scripture entirely developed in many areas including the Trinity and Eschatology.

Until I can write in more detail I will list here names and years of men who wrote about the Rapture in history. these include those who either knew about the teaching of a Rapture before the Second Advent (proving some in their day believed it even if they didn’t) or believed it themselves or that they believed it was imminent (an aspect of Pre-Tribulationism only, read page 1).

1. Shepherd of Hermas AD 140
2. Pseudo Ephraem (sermon witten between 374-672)
3. Brother Dolcino 1304
4. Increase Mather 1639-1723
5. Peter Jurieu 1687
6. John Asgill 1700
7. Thomas Collier 1674
8. Philip Doddridge 1738
9. Bernard Lambert 1738-1813
10. Morgan Edwards 1744
11. Jean Agier 1748-1823
12. John Gill 1748
13. James Macknight
14. Thomas Scott 1792

Peter Jurieu in his book Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687) taught that Christ would come in the air to rapture the saints and return to heaven before the battle of Armageddon. He spoke of a secret Rapture prior to His coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. Philip Doddridge’s commentary on the New Testament (1738) and John Gill’s commentary on the New Testament (1748) both use the term rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear that these men believed that this coming will precede Christ’s descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over.   Paul N. Benware, Understanding End Times Prophecy: A Comprehensive Approach (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), pp. 197-98. 1

Frank Marotta, a brethren researcher, believes that Thomas Collier in 1674 makes reference to a pretribulational rapture, but rejects the view,  thus showing his awareness that such a view was being taught. Perhaps the clearest reference to a pretrib rapture before Darby comes from Baptist Morgan Edwards (founder of Brown University) in 1742-44 who saw a distinct rapture three and a half years before the start of the millennium.  (Frank Marotta, Morgan Edwards: An Eighteenth Century Pretribulationist (Morganville, N.J.: Present Truth Publishers, 1995), pp. 10-12.) 1

1. From the Thomas Ice Collection Myths Click this link for a lot more information on early Rapture statements.

Much more will be written here but it is your responsibility to decide what you believe and that takes a lot of prayer, study, meditating on scripture and asking the Holy Spirit what is the truth He has for you.

God bless you in all your endeavors to Study to shew Thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the work of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.