Guest Post: In response to the Rapture doctrine being somehow invented by John Darby in the 1830's
In a digging quest for a credible source to verify a PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE, I ran across the works of early Church fathers, Irenaeus, Cyprian, and Ephraim. Irenaeus was an eyewitness to Apostle John, (who wrote Revelation and was Jesus' "beloved disciple"). Irenaeus also was a disciple of Polycarp, who studied directly from Apostle John. Irenaeus is best known for his five-volume treatise, "Against Heresies." (I have this book). Irenaeus' end times teachings and writings supported a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. He verifies that the end times begin when Israel returns as a nation, which then sparks a series of prophecies to be fulfilled that will help us correctly interpret the rest of the prophecies. He verifies that the church, in general, will become apostate, but the true church will be raptured before the tribulation begins. Then the antichrist will enforce a covenant for seven years. At the end of this seven years Jesus returns to begin the Millennial reign. In "Against Heresies 5.29" Irenaeus writes: “Those nations however, who did not of themselves raise up their eyes unto heaven, nor returned thanks to their Maker, nor wished to behold the light of truth, but who were like blind mice concealed in the depths of ignorance, the word justly reckons “as waste water from a sink, and as the turning-weight of a balance — in fact, as nothing;”(1) so far useful and serviceable to the just, as stubble conduces towards the growth of the wheat, and its straw, by means of combustion, serves for working gold. 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.”(2) For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption.”
Irenaeus is describing the church leaving the sinful world just before disaster strikes. During the tribulation years more will convert to Christianity and will "recieve the incorruptible crown." Cyprian (200 AD- 258 AD) was a Bishop of the Church in Carthage and helped the Church through the Roman Empire persecution. In his "Treatises of Cyprian" he wrote: “We who see that terrible things have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly as possible. Do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself, that by an early departure you are taken away, and delivered from the shipwrecks and disasters that are imminent? Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us hence, and sets us free from the snares of the world and restores us to paradise and the kingdom.” Cyprian encouraged the believing to rejoice that the church would be taken away before the disastrous tribulation. Ephraim (306 AD - 373 AD) became the Bishop of Nisibis. One of his works, a sermon, "On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World," has a compelling reverence to the rapture: “We ought to understand thoroughly therefore, my brothers, what is imminent or overhanging. Already there have been hunger and plagues, violent movements of nations and signs, which have been predicted by the Lord, they have already been fulfilled (consummated), and there is not other which remains, except the advent of the wicked one in the completion of the Roman kingdom. Why therefore are we occupied with worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or on the anxieties of the ages? Why therefore do we not reject every care of worldly business, and why is our mind held fixed on the lusts of the world or on the anxieties of the ages? 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. And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord. And we think that the earth exists with blind infidelity, arriving at its downfall early. Commotions are brought forth, wars of diverse peoples and battles and incursions of the barbarians threaten, and our regions shall be desolated, and we neither become very much afraid of the report nor of the appearance, in order that we may at least do penance; because they hurl fear at us, and we do not wish to be changed, although we at least stand in need of penance for our actions!” Ephraim expresses a strong warning of urgency and clearly states the saints and elect who are believers in Jesus Christ will be taken to the Lord before the Tribulation. He also identifies that the "Day of the Lord" and the end times Tribulation are the same event. He stresses that believers should turn away from this world and look to Heaven and work on pleasing God. He distinguishes the second coming of Christ from the rapture, placing the rapture before the tribulation to come. Although there are few writtings left of the early Church fathers, it is clear they believed and taught an early rapture for the church before the end times "Day of the Lord/Great Tribulation." Rapture doctrine did in fact exist, and was part of the early Christian beliefs since the days of the apostles.
