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Many object to the doctrine of the rapture being before the tribulation on the grounds that this is a relatively new doctrine, one that was never taught before 1830. They claim that this proves it cannot be correct. But this is error, for a rapture before the great tribulation has been taught throughout church history. (The great tribulation is the last half of Daniels seventieth week.)
The very oldest commentary on Bible prophecy of any significant length that has survived to the present day is the last ten chapters of the famous work by Irenaeus, titled Against Heresies. This it thought to have been written between 186 and 188 AD. (There were older Christian comments on Bible prophecy, but all of them that have survived to the present day are short.) Irenaeus wrote of the evil of the nations in general, and then said, "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 elements in this short statement:
First, the church will be "suddenly caught up." This is an obvious reference to the rapture. 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) -- (a second 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 it cannot mean that the second event takes place before the first event. 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 writers intention was anything other than to state that this tribulation would take place after the church is suddenly caught up.
So this statement clearly teaches that the rapture will occur before the great tribulation. But Irenaeus also had the church suffering under persecution from the Antichrist. So his position was what would today be called a mid-tribulation rapture.
Next we come to a late third century commentary on the Revelation, which said concerning Revelation 14:6, And the heaven withdrew as a scroll that is rolled up.] For the heaven to be rolled away, that is, that the Church shall be taken away. Then, concerning Revelation 15:1, it said And I saw another great and wonderful sign, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is completed the indignation of God.] For the wrath of God always strikes the obstinate people with seven plagues, that is, perfectly, as it is said in Leviticus; and these shall be in the last time, when the Church shall have gone out of the midst.
(Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John, by Victorinus.) The date this was written is unknown, but Victorinus is thought to have flourished around 270 AD, and to have died in 303 AD.
These statements are plainly pre-tribulational. For he foresaw the church taken away long before the time of the Antichrist in Revelation 13, and he explicitly mentioned that the Church shall have gone out of the midst during the seven last plagues of Revelation 15.
Again, the following statement by John of Crysostem is evidence of the pre-tribulation rapture having been taught in early Christian centuries.
2 Thessalonians ii. 69
And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of His coming: even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan.
One may naturally enquire, what is that which withholdeth, and after that would know, why Paul expresses it so obscurely. What then is it that withholdeth, that is, hindereth him from being revealed? Some indeed say, the grace of the Spirit, but others the Roman empire, to whom I most of all accede. Wherefore? Because if he meant to say the Spirit, he would not have spoken obscurely, but plainly, that even now the grace of the Spirit, that is the gifts, withhold him. (Homilies on 2 Thessalonians, Homily IV, by John Chrysostom. This is thought to have been written sometime between the years 395 and 407.)
[from Volume XIII of Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, series 2, as translated by James Tweed and edited by Philip Schaff, as found in the American edition edited by Phillip Schaff , and as found online at http://www.ccel.org.]
Although it is strangely stated, this appears to be a saying that some in the day of John of Crysostom were saying that the restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2:6 is the Holy Spirit. As this is one of the key elements of the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture, this appears to be evidence that some were teaching this doctrine around the beginning of the fifth century. This is all the more important historically, because the man who mentioned it did not himself believe it.
But in addition to these critically important comments from the early centuries of the church, there is a document whose age and author is unknown, but which is known to have been in Church libraries before the year 800. One of the surviving copies of this document say its author was Isidore of Seville, (Who is believed to have lived from 560 to 636.) but all the rest say it was written by Ephraem. Based on events referred to in this document as impending, various scholars have estimated its date from as early as 373 to as late as 627. (The latest of these possible dates, along with the time of Isidore of Seville, would classify the date of this document as early medieval.) As scholars do not believe the unknown author could have been the famous Ephraem the Syrian, (who is also known as Ephraem of Nisbis) they call this unknown author Pseudo-Ephraem. This document says:
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.)
[From The Byzantine Apocalyptic Tradition, by Paul J. Alexander, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985, 2.10. Cited there from Abhandlungen und Predigten aus den zwei letzten Jahrhunderten des kirchlichen Altertums und dem Anfang des Mittelaters, C. P. Caspari, ed. Briefe, Christiania, 1890, 208-20. As found online at On the Last Times, the Anti-Christ, andthe End of the World. This included a Latin text of the pseudo-Ephraem document prepared from four ancient manuscripts. ]
Moving now to late medieval times, an anonymously written history of a fourteenth century leader of a sect called the Apostolic Brethren, who called himself Brother Dolcino,said of him:
Again, [Dolcino believed and preached and taught] that within those three years Dolcino himself and his followers will preach the coming of the Antichrist. And that the Antichrist was coming into this world within the bounds of the said three and a half years; and after he had come, then he [Dolcino] and his followers would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. And that then Enoch and Elijah themselves would descend on the earth for the purpose of preaching [against] Antichrist. (Historia Fratris Dulcini, anonymous, 1316, as found in Codice Ambrosiano-H. 80, and as translated from the Latin by Francis X. Gumerlock in Before Darby, p. 3.)
Note: This was was edited in 1551 and was utilized in the 1600s in several other ecclesiastical histories of the area of Vercelli and Novara. The date of 1316 is confirmed in R. Kestenberg-Gladstein, The Third Reich: A Fifteenth-Century Polemic Against Joachism, and Its Background in Delno West, ed., Joachim of Fiore in Christian Thought, Vol 2 (New York: Burt Franklin & Co., 1975), 599, no. 49. Eugenio Anagnine describes the Historia as a opera stesa probabilmente da un contemporaneo di Biella (1304-7). See Eugenio Anagnine, Dolcino (Firenze: La Nuova Italia, 1964), p. 1.)
This can be read online at:
http://francisgumerlock.com/wp-cont...apture Citation in the Fourteenth Century.pdf
So this record says that Brother Dolcino taught a rapture after the beginning of the time of Antichrist, but before its end. This again appears to be a position that would today be called mid tribulation rapture, but would certainly qualify as a rapture before the great tribulation.
The very oldest commentary on Bible prophecy of any significant length that has survived to the present day is the last ten chapters of the famous work by Irenaeus, titled Against Heresies. This it thought to have been written between 186 and 188 AD. (There were older Christian comments on Bible prophecy, but all of them that have survived to the present day are short.) Irenaeus wrote of the evil of the nations in general, and then said, "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 elements in this short statement:
First, the church will be "suddenly caught up." This is an obvious reference to the rapture. 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) -- (a second 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 it cannot mean that the second event takes place before the first event. 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 writers intention was anything other than to state that this tribulation would take place after the church is suddenly caught up.
So this statement clearly teaches that the rapture will occur before the great tribulation. But Irenaeus also had the church suffering under persecution from the Antichrist. So his position was what would today be called a mid-tribulation rapture.
Next we come to a late third century commentary on the Revelation, which said concerning Revelation 14:6, And the heaven withdrew as a scroll that is rolled up.] For the heaven to be rolled away, that is, that the Church shall be taken away. Then, concerning Revelation 15:1, it said And I saw another great and wonderful sign, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is completed the indignation of God.] For the wrath of God always strikes the obstinate people with seven plagues, that is, perfectly, as it is said in Leviticus; and these shall be in the last time, when the Church shall have gone out of the midst.
(Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John, by Victorinus.) The date this was written is unknown, but Victorinus is thought to have flourished around 270 AD, and to have died in 303 AD.
These statements are plainly pre-tribulational. For he foresaw the church taken away long before the time of the Antichrist in Revelation 13, and he explicitly mentioned that the Church shall have gone out of the midst during the seven last plagues of Revelation 15.
Again, the following statement by John of Crysostem is evidence of the pre-tribulation rapture having been taught in early Christian centuries.
2 Thessalonians ii. 69
And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of His coming: even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan.
One may naturally enquire, what is that which withholdeth, and after that would know, why Paul expresses it so obscurely. What then is it that withholdeth, that is, hindereth him from being revealed? Some indeed say, the grace of the Spirit, but others the Roman empire, to whom I most of all accede. Wherefore? Because if he meant to say the Spirit, he would not have spoken obscurely, but plainly, that even now the grace of the Spirit, that is the gifts, withhold him. (Homilies on 2 Thessalonians, Homily IV, by John Chrysostom. This is thought to have been written sometime between the years 395 and 407.)
[from Volume XIII of Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, series 2, as translated by James Tweed and edited by Philip Schaff, as found in the American edition edited by Phillip Schaff , and as found online at http://www.ccel.org.]
Although it is strangely stated, this appears to be a saying that some in the day of John of Crysostom were saying that the restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2:6 is the Holy Spirit. As this is one of the key elements of the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture, this appears to be evidence that some were teaching this doctrine around the beginning of the fifth century. This is all the more important historically, because the man who mentioned it did not himself believe it.
But in addition to these critically important comments from the early centuries of the church, there is a document whose age and author is unknown, but which is known to have been in Church libraries before the year 800. One of the surviving copies of this document say its author was Isidore of Seville, (Who is believed to have lived from 560 to 636.) but all the rest say it was written by Ephraem. Based on events referred to in this document as impending, various scholars have estimated its date from as early as 373 to as late as 627. (The latest of these possible dates, along with the time of Isidore of Seville, would classify the date of this document as early medieval.) As scholars do not believe the unknown author could have been the famous Ephraem the Syrian, (who is also known as Ephraem of Nisbis) they call this unknown author Pseudo-Ephraem. This document says:
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.)
[From The Byzantine Apocalyptic Tradition, by Paul J. Alexander, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985, 2.10. Cited there from Abhandlungen und Predigten aus den zwei letzten Jahrhunderten des kirchlichen Altertums und dem Anfang des Mittelaters, C. P. Caspari, ed. Briefe, Christiania, 1890, 208-20. As found online at On the Last Times, the Anti-Christ, andthe End of the World. This included a Latin text of the pseudo-Ephraem document prepared from four ancient manuscripts. ]
Moving now to late medieval times, an anonymously written history of a fourteenth century leader of a sect called the Apostolic Brethren, who called himself Brother Dolcino,said of him:
Again, [Dolcino believed and preached and taught] that within those three years Dolcino himself and his followers will preach the coming of the Antichrist. And that the Antichrist was coming into this world within the bounds of the said three and a half years; and after he had come, then he [Dolcino] and his followers would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. And that then Enoch and Elijah themselves would descend on the earth for the purpose of preaching [against] Antichrist. (Historia Fratris Dulcini, anonymous, 1316, as found in Codice Ambrosiano-H. 80, and as translated from the Latin by Francis X. Gumerlock in Before Darby, p. 3.)
Note: This was was edited in 1551 and was utilized in the 1600s in several other ecclesiastical histories of the area of Vercelli and Novara. The date of 1316 is confirmed in R. Kestenberg-Gladstein, The Third Reich: A Fifteenth-Century Polemic Against Joachism, and Its Background in Delno West, ed., Joachim of Fiore in Christian Thought, Vol 2 (New York: Burt Franklin & Co., 1975), 599, no. 49. Eugenio Anagnine describes the Historia as a opera stesa probabilmente da un contemporaneo di Biella (1304-7). See Eugenio Anagnine, Dolcino (Firenze: La Nuova Italia, 1964), p. 1.)
This can be read online at:
http://francisgumerlock.com/wp-cont...apture Citation in the Fourteenth Century.pdf
So this record says that Brother Dolcino taught a rapture after the beginning of the time of Antichrist, but before its end. This again appears to be a position that would today be called mid tribulation rapture, but would certainly qualify as a rapture before the great tribulation.