https://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-origin-of-the-concept-of-a-pre-tribulation-rapture/
“Peter Jurieu in his book, Approaching Deliverance of the Church
(1687) taught that Christ would come in the air to rapture the saints and return to Heaven before the battle of Armageddon… Philip Doddridge’s commentary on the New Testament
(1738) and John Gill’s commentary on the New Testament
(1748) both use the term rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear these men believed that this coming will precede Christ’s descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight
(1763 ) and Thomas Scott
(1792) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over.
Tommy Ice, the director of the Pre-Trib Research Center, asserts that the first person to spell out in detail the idea that the Rapture would occur before the Tribulation begins was a Baptist leader named Morgan Edwards.4 This remarkable man was born in Wales and preached at churches in England and Ireland before emigrating to the United States in
1761 to become pastor of a church in Philadelphia. He proceeded to become the founder of Brown University and was recognized as the leading Baptist historian of his day.
As early as the
1740’s Edwards was espousing a pre-tribulational viewpoint in his writings about eschatology. The difference in his view and the modern Pre-Trib concept is that he believed the Rapture would occur in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week, about 3 1/2 years before the Second Coming.
The Modern Pre-Trib View
The person who crystallized the modern Pre-Trib viewpoint was a man named John Darby
(1800-1882) .”
Darby was obviously not the first to teach the pre-trib doctrine. Even Paul had to teach against the concept of Christ coming at any time so the idea existed when Paul was alive.
The idea of a pretrib or "at any moment" second coming/rapture existed back in Paul's day due to people misunderstanding something he said.
1Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
He shouldn't even have to speak of these things because he would have told them in person when he was with them but for some reason he decides in fact to re-tell them this:
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that
the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
This is it. The idea that Christ could come suddenly without any warning before the tribulation and Antichrist etc is what started the Pre-trib theory. This one sentence will be misunderstood and the idea that Christ could come at any time, even before the tribulation happens, is born. The facts are that Christ cannot and will not just suddenly appear because there are major events that have to take place first before he arrives but those who are unsaved and spiritually blind won't know this and so the second coming will surprise them without warning as a thief in the night but not those who are awake and watching for the right signs.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
And this is the part that was missed or ignored. Christ only comes suddenly and without any warning
to those who are deceived and in spiritual darkness, and are worshiping a false god in the tribulation. Christ's actual appearance will be sudden and shocking to them! But not to us!
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others;
but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night
So the confusion about Christ appearing suddenly at any moment reached Paul and he wrote a second letter to explain what he meant in the first one!
2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
He is saying DO NOT BE WORRIED THAT CHRIST CAN JUST SUDDENLY RETURN AND SURPRISE YOU!
Look at his words:
1. by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
That is the second coming!
2. and by our gathering together unto him
That is the rapture!
3. that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Don't be worried that the second coming and the rapture "is at hand" meaning they could happen at any moment instead of after the tribulation as Christ said in the gospels.
2Th_2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Some people think "at hand" means happened already in the past but that isn't what it means.
"at hand" is used elsewhere where the meaning is clearer:
Mat 26:18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith,
My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
Of course that time had not come already in the past. It was near...same in 2 Thess where people thought the second coming was near. They did not think it had already happened. There would literally be no reason to think they missed the second coming given all of the major events that happen that day. No one will be here during the second coming and not realize it had happened due to the absolute change to the world and the changes to the lives of all peoples.
"at hand" means something that is near, not something that had already happened. It is the same when Paul wrote it. The Thess's thought Paul was saying Jesus could come as a thief in the night but he only meant that in regard to the unsaved and blinded...not the Christian watchmen.
2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
All the disciples and Apostles did think they were going to live to see the second coming so the idea that the last days were coming soon is no surprise. Here the same Greek word is used but the writer is not saying the end times have already happened but is yet to come but with the implication is is near, as in near your hand or as we would say, "almost within reach". It's the same idea in 2nd Thess. When Paul is comforting them by telling them Christ will not show up as a thief in the night and surprise you. There are signs that will tell you it is very near ie: at hand or almost within reach or close.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
There are major things that happen first which will let the faithful know the return of Christ is soon! That is mainly the Tribulation and Apostasy where essentially the whole world, all religions and even Atheists, will believe in this person who will claim and seem to be God! I believe he will claim to be Jesus Christ leading so many astray.
So Paul has just said don't be worried that the second coming and rapture can happen before the tribulation and the Apostasy led by the Antichrist! IE: a pre-trib rapture is not true, right from the mouth of Paul himself.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Now he has to remind them...but some will never let go of this "any moment" doctrine that Christ can return suddenly to "rapture the Church away".
