MARGARET MCDONALD FALSE RAPTURE SUPPORTER early 1830, Margaret McDonald, a 15 year old Scottish Girl had visions that included a Secret Rapture of believers before the appearance of the Antichrist. Edward Irving (1792-1834) her Scottish Presbyterian pastor and forerunner of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, attended prophecy conferences that began in Dublin Ireland in that same year, 1830, at Powerscourt Castle. There he promoted the doctrine of the Secret Rapture. John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), a minister of the Church of Ireland, later became a member of the Plymouth Brethren and also promoted a Secret Rapture after attending the same Powerscourt Bible Prophecy meeting in 1830 where he learned of Margaret McDonalds vision. He visited Margaret McDonald at her home in Port Glasgow, Scotland, then later visited America several times where his Secret Rapture theology was quite well accepted. The writings of John Darby greatly influenced Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921) who incorporated this doctrine in the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible, first published by Oxford University Press in 1909. One million copies were printed by 1930, firmly establishing this Futurist interpretation in the Bible schools and denominations of the United States in the 20th Century. Did this Secret Rapture doctrine really start with Margaret McDonald, John Darby and Cyrus Scofield, or did it originate much earlier? Historical evidence shows that it originated much earlier. Before and during the Protestant Reformation, the Reformers embraced the Historical interpretation of the Bible, where the antichrist was clearly seen as a SYSTEM of apostasy and persecution rather than a single individual. John spoke of antichrist that shall come but he added that even now are there MANY antichrists. 1 John 2:18 So we know that there are, and/or have been, MANY antichrists, NOT just one, AND that the system of antichrist was operating at the time John was writing, almost 2,000 years ago. The conclusion of those who studied these prophecies during the Reformation was that there was only one system that fit all the characteristics of the antichrist power: the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. Its characteristics included the following: 5) It would rule over many nations, people and tongues. In other words, it would be a universal world governing body (Rev 13:7) 6) It would claim authority over all kings (Rev 17:18) 3) Its leaders would make great and blasphemous claims against God. (Rev 13:1,6) 4) It would claim it had the power to change times and laws. (Dan 7:25) 5) It would be a mother harlot church with apostate daughters coming from her. (Rev 17:5) 6) It would be an apostate church that would make all nations drink of her apostasy. (Rev 14:8) 7) It would persecute the saints of Jesus Christ. (Rev 13:7) 8) It would rule for 1260 years (according to the day-for-a-year prophecy concept, adopted by many denominations) following the fall of pagan Rome and then would suffer what would appear to be a deadly wound. (Rev 11:2,3; Rev 13:3) 9) It would be revived after the deadly wound, and the whole world would wonder at its revival. It is not surprising that the Catholic Church was so violently opposed to the Bible being available for everyone to read for themselves. To control what they considered a heretical doctrine, the Catholic Church called for a special meeting, known as the Fifth Lateran Council (1512-1517), which FORBADE anyone to publish a book without prior censorship. It also prohibited anyone from preaching on the subject of antichrist! The leaders of the Council and their governing body, the Catholic Church, also attempted to ban or burn all the Bibles, heretical books, and the heretics that owned or preached from them. One major characteristic identifying the antichrist power was this 1260 days prophecy (interpreted as 1260 prophetic years) of persecution of the saints, which appeared to be fulfilled in the Catholic Churchs persecution of Christians throughout the dark ages, beginning in 538 A.D., after the fall of the pagan Roman empire, and extending to 1798, when the Pope was taken prisoner by Napoleon (considered by some to be the deadly wound). In order to divert attention AWAY from the Catholic Church as the antichrist power, a new interpretation would have to be found for this twelve century papal rule of the middle ages. This was done by rejecting the Historical interpretation, and instead accepting the Futurist interpretation proposed by a Jesuit doctor of theology, Francisco Ribera (1537-1591). In his book, entitled In Sacrum Beati Ioannis Apostoli, & Evangelistiae Apocalypsin Commentarij, he postulated that the 1260 day prophecy (Rev 12:6) (42 months (Rev 11:2, 13:5), or time, times and half a time (Rev 12:14) - 3 1/2 times) were not 1260 years, but a literal 3 1/2 years, or 1260 actual days, and therefore NONE of the book of Revelation had any application to the middle ages or the papacy. It applied to a future period just prior to the Second Coming of Christ, hence it was called Futurism or the Futurist interpretation. Manuel De Lacunza (1731-1801), a Jesuit priest from Chile, also advocated futurism in his manuscript entitled La Venida del Mesias en Gloria y Magestad (The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty). Writing under the assumed name of Juan Josafa (Rabbi) Ben-Ezra, Lacunza hoped to obscure the fact that he was a Catholic, in order to give his book better acceptance in Protestantism. To make the prophecy fit its new interpretation, the 70 Weeks prophecy of Dan 9:24-27, beginning in 457 B.C. with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 7:1-27) had to develop a gap. Arbitrarily, the 70th week (7 days = 7 years) of Daniels prophecy is detached from its context and placed at the end of the age, 2000 years later. This week will, according to its proponents, constitute the seven year tribulation period, prior to which the Secret Rapture will occur. This gap theory states that all fulfillment of this prophecy is suspended until the Christian era is over. Then the last week of the 70 weeks prophecy becomes operative again, constituting the 7 year (a day is a year in prophecy*) period of tribulation. The Rapturists teach that the first sixty nine weeks of this seventy-week prophecy (490 years) reached from 457 B.C. to 27 A.D., the year that Christ began His ministry. The Historical view teaches that the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9 began in 457 B.C. and ended when Stephen was stoned to death in 34 A.D. It was at that time that the gospel went to the Gentiles and the Jewish people lost their place as those Chosen to spread Gods message to the world. They had rejected Christ by calling for His crucifixion in the middle of the week, in 31 A.D. and then rejected Christs followers by stoning Stephen 3 1/2 years later, at the end of the 70th week (34 A.D.). *(1 day in prophecy = 1 year: Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6)
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 08:15:21 +0000
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