Page 143 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Raplure Question: Revised and Enlarged Edition
posttribulationists, however, docs their cause more harm than
good and raises the question as to why such an approach is
used if their doctrine has a sound exegetieal basis. Inasmuch
as some posttribulationists give this argument first place in
prominence, it has been necessary to dispose of it in that ;
order. Actually, posttribulationism is founded on doctrinal i
premises that now may be discussed.
Historical Argument
One of the strongest arguments of the posttribulational
view is the claim that prctribulationism is a new doctrine.
Reese, after citing a formidable array of ancient and modem
scholars who were posttribulationists, stated: “The fact that
so many eminent men, after independent study of the Scrip­
tures, reached similar conclusions regarding the subject of
Christ’s Coming and Kingdom, creates a strong presump­
tion—on pre-millennial presuppositions—that such views
arc scriptural, and that nothing plainly taught in Scrip­
ture, and essential to the Church’s hope, was overlooked.”'1
He went on to trace the rise of pretribulationism: “About
1830, however, a new school arose within the fold of Pre-
millennialism that sought to overthrow what, since the Apos­
tolic Age, have been considered by all pre-millennialists as
established results, and to institute in their place a series of
doctrines that had never been heard of before. The school I
refer to is that of ’The Brethren’ or ‘Plymouth Brethren,’
founded by J. N. Darby.”12 Similar quotations could be
multiplied from other posttribulationists. Ladd devoted two
long chapters, almost one-third of the entire volume, to dem­
onstrating this point.13
The assertion that pretribulationism in its modern form
can be traced to some extent to Darby is supported by Darby’s
own writings. In his search for premillennial truth, Darby
arrived at the position that the church is a special work of God
distinguished from His program for Israel. This, in turn, led to
150