Well, I know that proponents of the Dispensationalism have pointed to some 4th and 5th century writings as potential evidence that the pre-trib rapture existed in the early church. However, while these writings are compelling they really don't represent the commonly accepted pre-mellianial views that existed at that time.
These writings are not "potential evidence" that the pre-trib rapture doctrine existed at that time. The following words from the document in question are conclusive proof that it was a full blown pre-trib teaching.
“Why therefore do we not reject every care of earthly actions and prepare ourselves for the meeting of the Lord Christ, so that he may draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms all the world? Believe you me, dearest brother, because the coming (advent) of the Lord is nigh, believe you me, because the end of the world is at hand, believe me, because it is the very last time. Or do you not believe unless you see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among you of the prophet who declares: ‘Woe to those who desire to see the day of the Lord!’ For all the saints and elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.” (“On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World,” author unknown but called Pseudo-Ephraem, section 2.)
Six ancient manuscripts of this document, in three different languages, have survived to the present day. This is conclusive proof that this ancient doctrine was widely circulated. The manuscripts do not all ascribe the article to the same author. But the unknown writer is called Pseudo-Ephraem because most of the manuscripts say it was written by Ephraem. The date this document was written is unknown, but from events it mentions as imminent, various scholars have estimated its date from as early as 373 to as late as 627. Regardless of when it was written, it is known to have been in church libraries before the year 800, that is, a thousand years before Darby was born.
But this was not the earliest pre-trib teaching. Actually, the oldest document we have that makes any comment whatsoever about the timing of the rapture, comments on the evil of the nations generally and then says, "And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, 'There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.'For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption'" (Against Heresies, by Irenaeus, Book V, Chapter XXIX, section 2.)
We need to notice the following in this short statement:
First, the church will be "suddenly caught up."
Second, after the church is "Suddenly caught up," "There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be." Lest anyone claim that this is not specifically stated to be after “the church is "suddenly caught up," please note that the grammatical construction (when) -- (one event takes place) -- (another event takes place) has two possible meanings. It either means that the two events will take place at the same time or it means that the second event will take place after the first event. But in this case the first event is clearly instantaneous and the second event will obviously consume a significant period of time. So it is unreasonable to argue that the writer’s intention was anything other than to state that this “tribulation” would take place after the church is “suddenly caught up.”
This is from Irenaeus' famous work, Against Heresies, which is believed to have been written between the years 186 and 188. It is the very oldest surviving non-Biblical Christian document that comments at any significant length on Bible prophecy.
For more information on what the early church taught about end time prophecy, see the following post:
http://www.christianforums.com/t7542790-14/
I also understand that a Jesuit scholar from around the end of the 1700's also formulated what appears to be what may amount to a pre-trib rapture; however, I have not been able to locate these writings.
This Jesuit's name was Manuel Lucanza. But he was not alone in teaching a pre-trib rapture in the 1700's. It was also taught in that century by a Baptist preacher named Morgan Edwards and in the early 1800's (but I believe before Darby) by two other expositors named James H Frere and William Cunningham.
But all four of these were pre-dated by Joseph Mede, who discussed it and called it a "rapture" in the 1600's.
While all of this is a bit interesting, I am more interested to know the origins of how Darby came up with the idea of the pre-trib rapture. That connection is found in the vision of Margaret MacDonald. Her vision is that of a partial pre-trib were some of the church are caught up in the clouds while the rest experience tribulation. None-the-less we see the early formation of a pre-trib rapture.
I realize that you are only repeating things you have read, but the claim that Derby got this idea from Margaret MacDonald's alleged vision is completely false.
This false accusation was first made in 1864 by a man named Samuel Prideaux Tergelles. Darby's associates never knew about the accusation until after both Darby and Tergelles had died. But Darby's associate of many years wrote a hotly worded rebuttal of the accusation on the 1880's. interest in this false accusation was heightened by widely circulated in a book titled "The Incredible Cover-up," by Dave MacPhearson. MacPhearson devoted an entire book to proving that Darby visited the Catholic Apostolic Church, which was what MacPherson's church was called, and falsely claims that he covered up that visit. But instead of covering up the visit, Darby openly wrote about it and condemned the group as Satanic!
There is zero evidence that Darby ever even heard about the alleged vision, but there is extensive evidence that he would have discarded it as altogether spurious, even if he did hear about it.
This post is getting too long, so instead of re-posting the evidence that Darby would not have given this vision any credence, even if he knew about it, I will simply give the following link to where I have already posted this information.
http://www.christianforums.com/t7276651-20/
and skipped right over to the coming being like the Days of Lot.
