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Hardlya week goes by that I don't receive material opposing the pre-trib rapturewhich is filled with all kinds of error, both Scriptural and historical. Forexample, I ran across an article entitled "Origin of the Secret RaptureTheory." The first sentence said, "It may surprise and even shock you thatneither the word 'rapture' nor the teaching of a secret rapture is notmentioned in ANY Christian literature prior to 1830-including the Bible!" I amhardly surprised or shocked that anyone could pack so much error into a singlesentence, but there we have for all to see. This month I want to deal withsome of the popular myths about the pre-trib rapture teaching that Dr. LaHayeand I very much believe is taught in the New Testament Scriptures.

Firstof all, the word "rapture" is found in the Bible, if you have the Latin Vulgateproduced by Jerome in the early 400s. The Vulgate was the main Bible of themedieval Western Church until the Reformation. It continues to this day as theprimary Latin translation of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, as we shall seelater, it was Protestants who introduced the word "rapture" into the Englishlanguage from the Latin raeptius.[1]It was Jerome's Vulgate that translated the original Greek verb harpaz used by Paul, under the inspiration of the HolySpirit, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which is usually translated into English withthe phrase "caught up." The leading Greek Lexicon says that harpaz means "snatch, seize, i.e., take suddenly andvehemently."[2] This is the same meaning of the Latinword rapio "to seize, snatch,tear away."[3] It should not be surprising toanyone, that an English word was developed from the Latin which we use todayknown as "rapture."

InEurope, during the Middle Ages and Reformation periods, the theologians werefrom various countries and therefore spoke different native tongues. However,the single language of the church, both Catholic and Protestant was Latin. Infact, many of the first books written and published in the American Coloniesduring the seventeenth century were in Latin. For example, Cotton Mather'sfamous history of the American Colonies during the seventeenth century waswritten in Latin and called Magnalia Christi Americana, or The Great Works of Christ in America.[4] Because it was done in Latin it couldbe read throughout Europe by the educated class. Thus, it should not besurprising to anyone that many new words came into the English language from aLatin source, especially in the realm of theology. Rapture is just such aword.

Whileit is technically true that the word rapture does not appear in the EnglishBible, it does, nevertheless, appear in the Latin Vulgate translation of theBible. Certainly the notion of a rapture appears many times in the Bible. Translators of the Bible into English could have been justified had theytranslated "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 with the English word "rapture."They also could have translated it by the word snatch. We could just aseasily call the rapture "the great snatch."

Ihave in my personal library at least 50 commentaries on 1 Thessalonians. Virtually all of them use the word "rapture" to describe the event in 1Thessalonians 4:17. They do not appear interested in using it in a derogatoryway nor do any of them go on an excursus about how this word does not appear inEnglish translations. Most of these commentators do not hold to a pre-tribrapture view. They merely use the word because they know that it is one of themany Latin words that have made it into the English theological vernacular. Sorry that some have not yet heard.

Therapture does occur in the Bible, especially if you read the Latin Vulgate. However, there is no doubt that the Greek word harpaz in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, usually translated intoEnglish "caught up," conveys the rapture concept.

Ouranti-rapture diatribe noted earlier said, "the word 'rapture' nor the teachingof a secret rapture is not mentioned in ANY Christian literature prior to1830." Oh really! It is not hard to find out when English words were firstintroduced into the language. One needs only to check The Oxford EnglishDictionary (OED) and it will cite examples of the history of theusage of the word. The oldest word in the "rapture" family is "rapt." OED cites examples of rapt occurring in 1400 inEnglish literature.[5] The earliest instances of "rapture"in secular English literature are cited as 1605, 1607, and 1608.[6] OED provides seven nuances of the word Rapture. Thefourth entry is the biblical one defined as "The act of conveying a person fromone place to another esp. toheaven; the fact of being so conveyed."[7] Two examples of this use are citedfrom the seventeenth century. The first by a writer named Ward in 1647 and theother by J. Edwards (not the American Jonathan) in 1693.[8] Itdoes not take long to realize that these examples are well before 1830.

JosephMede (1586-1638), considered in his day, a brilliant English exegete wrote acommentary on Revelation in 1627 called Clavis Apocalyptica (Key of the Revelation). In it he said, "Therefore, it is not needfulthat the Resurrection of those which slept in Christ, and the Rapture of thosewhich shall be left alive together with them in the air . . ."[9] WhileMede was a premillennialist, he did not hold to a pre-trib rapture. Nor didthe commentator and theologian John Gill (1697-1771) who wrote around 1745 thefollowing in his commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:17: ". . . and to whichrapture will contribute, the agility which the bodies both of the raised andchanged saints will have: and this rapture of the living saints will be togetherwith them; . . ."[10]

Toadmit that the word rapture was used in the English language at least a coupleof hundred years before J. N. Darby came along does not in the least mean thatone believes in pretribulationism. The Greek word harpaz is used fourteen times in the New Testament. Inaddition to 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it is used at least three more times of onebeing raptured to heaven (2 Cor. 12:2, 4; Rev. 12:5). So there is no need toget upset over the use of the Latin based, English word "rapture." It is abiblical word.

Includedin the above tirade is an equation of the so-called "secret" rapture withpretribulationism. Sorry, but this is another mistake, another myth. In allmy reading of pretribulationism and discussion with pretribulationists, I havenever, that I can recall, heard a pre-trib rapturist use the nomenclature of"secret" rapture to describe our view. I have only heard the phrase "secret"rapture as a pejorative term used exclusively by anti-pretribulationists. Why?Apparently they enjoy fighting with a straw man.

Anti-pretribulationist,Ken Gentry declares, "On the very surface it is remarkable that one of thenoisiest verses in Scripture is said to picture the secret rapture."[11]The truth of the matter is that Gentry wrongly assumes that pretribulationistscharacterize their view of the rapture as "secret." We do not! However, thereare anti-pre-trib rapture advocates, like Dave MacPherson who have taught thismyth. As a result, unwitting critics like Gentry have absorbed this myth intotheir rhetoric without doing their homework.

Verylikely it was Dave MacPherson who has spread this myth that equatespretribulationism with a secret rapture. "In 1880 William Reid, in his book onBrethrenism," declares MacPherson, "stated that 'Edward Irving contributed thenotion of . . . the secret rapture of the saints.'[12]"[13]MacPherson later concludes, "The pretrib rapture eventually became known asthe 'secret rapture.' This label was based on the presupposition that onlycertain persons would have privileged visibility or knowledge during theoccurrence of this catching up."[14] MacPherson does not actuallyreference anyone who believes in a pre-trib rapture when he makes thesestatements. It is through slight of hand that he slips such an assumption intohis plot of fictional myths about the origins of pretribulationism.

Infact, Brethren researcher R. A. Huebner refutes MacPherson's misinformationabout the pre-trib rapture and its supposed association with a secret raptureteaching.[15] Huebner notes that supposed relationof pretribulationism and a secret rapture are built upon the following falsehistorical assumptions: First, the "erroneous notions are the result of themyth that the Irvingites held a pretribulation rapture and also results fromtrying to link J. N. D. with this falsified Irvingism."[16] Second, when speaking of events transpiring in the 1830s, Huebner says, "theSecret Rapture as used at that point in time did not refer to thepretribulation rapture."[17] Third, "it seems that up to thispoint in time [the 1830s, T. D. I.], 'Secret Rapture' referred to a rapture atthe appearing [the second coming, T. D. I.]."[18] Fourth, "I am notaware if JND ever thought that the rapture would be 'secret.'"[19]

Itwas the Irvingites, and not the Brethren, who believed in the secret rapture. Since the secret rapture and pretribulationism are not the same, this is wheremuch of the confusion resides. The Irvingite view of the secret rapture was abelief that a few enlightened ones would be taken right before the secondcoming at the end of the tribulation. This is what Irvingite, MargaretMacdonald's revelation is about. It is impossible to find a pre-trib raptureof any kind in her vision.[20]

Iam sure that this call to anti-pre-trib rapture advocates will not result inmuch of a reduction of their zealous proclamation of mythological falsehoodsabout our blessed hope. It seems that too many are blinded by their zeal tooppose the biblical teachings of the any-moment hope of the rapture for them totake time to get their information straight. No wonder Columba Graham Flegg,in his scholarly work on the Irvingites spoke specifically of Dave MacPherson'swork as "less scholarly." Flegg said, the "conclusions reached in this workand the rationale behind them are hardly convincing."[21] Nowwhy is an expert on the Irvingites not impressed with MacPherson's work? Because Flegg has a thorough knowledge about the times in which MacPhersonwrites and realizes that he is spinning out myths. Maranatha!

[1] The Compact Edition of The Oxford EnglishDictionary (New York, OxfordPress, 1971), s.v., "Rapture."

[2] Walter Bauer, William Arndt, and Wilbur Gingrich,A Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament and Other Early ChristianLiterature (Chicago: University ofChicago Press, 1957), p. 108.

[3] Cassell's Latin Dictionary (New York, MacMillan, 1968), pp. 500-01.

[4] Cotton Mather, The Great Works of Christ inAmerica, 2 vols. (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1979). The first edition was printed in London in1702.

[5] OED,s.v., "Rapt."

[6] OED,s.v., "Rapture."

[7] OED,s.v., "Rapture."

[8] OED,s.v., "Rapture."

[9] Cited in R. A. Huebner, Precious TruthsRevived and Defended Through J. N. Darby, Vol. 1 (Morganville, NJ: Present Truth Publishers, 1991), p. 95.

[10] John Gill, Exposition of The Old & NewTestaments, 9 Vols. (Paris, AR:The Baptist Standard Bearer, [1809] reprint 1989), Vol. 9, p. 238.

[11] Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., He Shall HaveDominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1992), p. 279.

[12] William Reid, Plymouth Brethrenism Unveiledand Refuted (Edinburgh: Wm.Oliphant & Co., 1880), p. 10.

[13] Dave MacPherson, The Rapture Plot (Simpsonville, SC: Millennium III Publishers,1994), p. 17.

[14] MacPherson, Rapture Plot, p. 72.

[15] R. A. Huebner, The Truth of thePre-Tribulation Rapture Recovered(Millington, NJ: Present Truth Publishers, 1976), pp. 40-49; and Huebner, PreciousTruths, Vol. 1, pp. 95-99.

[16] Huebner, Pre-Tribulation Rapture Recovered, p. 43.

[17] Huebner, Pre-Tribulation Rapture Recovered, p. 42.

[18] Huebner, Pre-Tribulation Rapture Recovered, p. 48.

[19] Huebner, Precious Truths, Vol. 1, p. 99.

[20] To read a copy of Margaret Macdonald's vision seeMacPherson, Rapture Plot, pp.249-52.

[21] Columba Graham Flegg, 'Gathered UnderApostles': A Study of the Catholic Apostolic Church (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992), pp. 4-5.