The pre-tribulational rapture theory, popularized by John Nelson Darby in the nineteenth century, contends that God has two distinct people and two distinct plans for their two distinct destinies. The church will be raptured—what David Jeremiah dubs “the Great Disappearance—seven years prior to the second coming of Christ, and Jews will suffer tribulation. Beginning with Darby, rapture theorists hold that, due to the murder of Messiah, Jews were in for a time of unprecedented suffering referred to as the “Great Tribulation.” The late Tim LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind series, described the coming Jewish holocaust as “Antichrist’s ‘final solution’ to the Jewish problem.’” According to LaHaye, “the mind-boggling terror and turmoil of the Tribulation” will be a nightmarish reality far exceeding “even the Holocaust of Adolf Hitler in the twentieth century.” These ideas have been firmly planted in the minds of millions today through Dr. Jeremiah’s global ministry—but Christians everywhere must critically assess these claims with the following question—is the pre-tribulational rapture theory biblical?For more on this check out the special print edition of the Christian Research Journal entitled “A Biblical Response to Christian Zionism.” Click the following link for more information: A Biblical Response to Christian Zionism – Christian Research Institute. https://www.equip.org/product/special-print-issue-of-the-christian-research-journal-a-biblical-response-to-christian-zionism-hup/
