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Excerpt:
Dave MacPherson, author of the book The Rapture Plot (2005) and Ed Tarkowski, a Christian essayist, trace the origin of pretribulation rapture. From the early Church fathers until the Reformation, the generally accepted view of Bible prophecy was "linear historic," that Revelation was in the process of being fulfilled throughout the Christian era. But in the 16th century, a new view of Bible prophecy was devised by a Jesuit priest to stop the Reformers from teaching that the Catholic Church was probably the "whore of Babylon" of Revelation 17:3-6.
In 1591 AD, the Jesuit Ribera invented a "futurist" view. He claimed that Revelation would not be fulfilled until the end of the Christian Era. Ribera taught of a rebuilt Babylon, a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and an end-time Antichrist, near the end of the age of the "three and a half years" when the books of Daniel and Revelation would be fulfilled. The Antichrist would be a person to rise in the future. He also brought forth the idea of a rapture, but not at the beginning or end of Daniel’s "70th week" (see Revelation and the Rothschild connection). He wrote that the Church would be taken to heaven 45 days before the end of the three and a half years.
In 1767, a Chilean-born Catholic Priest, Manuel de Lacunza y Diaz came to Imola, Italy, when the Jesuits were expelled from Spain because of their brutality. There he claimed to be a converted Jew named Rabbi Juan Jushafat Ben-Ezra. Under that alias, he wrote a 900 page book titled, The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty. Lacunza theorized that the Church would be taken to be with the Lord to escape the reign of Antichrist in the last 3-1/2 years of the age, some 45 days before Jesus’ final return to Earth. During that 45 days (while the Church was in heaven), God would pour out His wrath upon the wicked remaining on Earth.
In 1828, "Glory and Majesty" was translated into English by a radical cultist London preacher named Edward Irving. Lacunza’s views could have died there, for most in England saw Irving as a heretic.
At the same time Margaret MacDonald from Port Glasgow, Scotland, claimed she received divine revelations from God about a rapture. According to MacPherson, Miss Margaret had occultic ties, including a friendship with a girl who was into psychic powers and automatic writing. She sent her vision in a letter to Irving and, shortly thereafter, her revelation showed up in print. In September, 1830, The Morning Watch, a periodical put out by Irving’s church, published, "Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches in the Apocalypse."(1)
According to James Whisler (2), the MacDonald clan was intimately associated with the Knights Templar - Margaret’s hometown being in one of the main areas that the Templars sailed to and settled in when they left France. He added, these "Satanic bloodlines" often chose the Christian religion as a cover to hide their origins and their true religion.
About the same time as Margaret Macdonald’s vision, John Nelson Darby was playing with the dispensationalist idea of dividing history into ages or "dispensations." Many prophecy teachers of today credit John Darby with the origin of these teachings because he was a well-educated man who authored many books. In fact, Darby went to see Margaret and her family shortly after she gained notoriety for her vision, and in later years, claimed them as his own.
With financial backing, the "vision" spread
A Little History: Cyrus I Scofield and the Tribulation
Dave MacPherson, author of the book The Rapture Plot (2005) and Ed Tarkowski, a Christian essayist, trace the origin of pretribulation rapture. From the early Church fathers until the Reformation, the generally accepted view of Bible prophecy was "linear historic," that Revelation was in the process of being fulfilled throughout the Christian era. But in the 16th century, a new view of Bible prophecy was devised by a Jesuit priest to stop the Reformers from teaching that the Catholic Church was probably the "whore of Babylon" of Revelation 17:3-6.
In 1591 AD, the Jesuit Ribera invented a "futurist" view. He claimed that Revelation would not be fulfilled until the end of the Christian Era. Ribera taught of a rebuilt Babylon, a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and an end-time Antichrist, near the end of the age of the "three and a half years" when the books of Daniel and Revelation would be fulfilled. The Antichrist would be a person to rise in the future. He also brought forth the idea of a rapture, but not at the beginning or end of Daniel’s "70th week" (see Revelation and the Rothschild connection). He wrote that the Church would be taken to heaven 45 days before the end of the three and a half years.
In 1767, a Chilean-born Catholic Priest, Manuel de Lacunza y Diaz came to Imola, Italy, when the Jesuits were expelled from Spain because of their brutality. There he claimed to be a converted Jew named Rabbi Juan Jushafat Ben-Ezra. Under that alias, he wrote a 900 page book titled, The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty. Lacunza theorized that the Church would be taken to be with the Lord to escape the reign of Antichrist in the last 3-1/2 years of the age, some 45 days before Jesus’ final return to Earth. During that 45 days (while the Church was in heaven), God would pour out His wrath upon the wicked remaining on Earth.
In 1828, "Glory and Majesty" was translated into English by a radical cultist London preacher named Edward Irving. Lacunza’s views could have died there, for most in England saw Irving as a heretic.
At the same time Margaret MacDonald from Port Glasgow, Scotland, claimed she received divine revelations from God about a rapture. According to MacPherson, Miss Margaret had occultic ties, including a friendship with a girl who was into psychic powers and automatic writing. She sent her vision in a letter to Irving and, shortly thereafter, her revelation showed up in print. In September, 1830, The Morning Watch, a periodical put out by Irving’s church, published, "Commentary on the Epistles to the Seven Churches in the Apocalypse."(1)
According to James Whisler (2), the MacDonald clan was intimately associated with the Knights Templar - Margaret’s hometown being in one of the main areas that the Templars sailed to and settled in when they left France. He added, these "Satanic bloodlines" often chose the Christian religion as a cover to hide their origins and their true religion.
About the same time as Margaret Macdonald’s vision, John Nelson Darby was playing with the dispensationalist idea of dividing history into ages or "dispensations." Many prophecy teachers of today credit John Darby with the origin of these teachings because he was a well-educated man who authored many books. In fact, Darby went to see Margaret and her family shortly after she gained notoriety for her vision, and in later years, claimed them as his own.
With financial backing, the "vision" spread
A Little History: Cyrus I Scofield and the Tribulation