Today, many evangelical Christians believe in a pretribulation (or mid-tribulation) rapture of the church. The message here being that Christians will be taken out of the earth to Heaven before the great tribulation period foretold by Christ and detailed in the book of Revelation. This particular view has grown in popularity over the last several decades until it has pretty much permeated contemporary Christian culture.
John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
The pretribulation rapture view was given a great boost by a 19th century theologian named John Nelson Darby. Darby claims to have “discovered” the pretribulation rapture through careful study. Darby, a hugely influential leader in the Plymouth Brethren movement, popularized his view in the 1830s, which holds that believers will be taken up to heaven before a period of tribulation occurs on Earth.
Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)
Dwight L. Moody, the founder of the Moody Bible Institute, was greatly influenced by the works of Darby and further promoted the pre-tribulation rapture view during the late 1800s.
The Moody Bible Institute’s teachings proclaim that the church will not endure the tribulation.
Moody’s influence helped promote the pre-tribulation rapture teaching to a much wider audience. Many influential evangelists of the last century can trace their pre-tribulation rapture views back to Moody’s influence. Moody’s perspective aligns with dispensational premillennialism, which divides Christ’s return into two phases: first, a secret rapture of the church, followed by Christ’s visible return to establish His millennial kingdom on earth.
Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843-1921)
Another shot in the arm for the pre-tribulation rapture viewpoint came from the Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909. C. I. Scofield (Cyrus Ingerson Scofield) was an influential American theologian who was also greatly influenced by John Nelson Darby. He taught the pre-tribulation rapture view and included commentary thereto in his reference bible. By 1940, over two million copies of the Scofield Reference Bible were printed and distributed. It is still being printed and sold today by Oxford University Press and other online retailers.
Tim Lahaye (1926-2016)
As a result of these ministries the balance of thinking shifted more predominately toward the pretribulation rapture view of things. (This view was given a tremendous boost, with the publication of Tim Lahaye’s 1990s “Left Behind” series and by the teachings of famous TV evangelists with such titles as ‘What To Do If You Miss The Rapture’).