I clearly remember the first time I heard about the “rapture.” My teacher told us that the rapture would occur before the seven-year Tribulation period. I asked my teacher where the Bible taught that the rapture would occur before the Tribulation. He could not answer me. Thus, I have for decades questioned the “any-moment” rapture, before the seven-year Tribulation. Then I found out that the pre-tribulation rapture was first popularized by J. N. Darby, and that Darby “got” it from a fifteen-year-old girl named Margaret MacDonald, a charismatic who “dreamed” about it. For some reason J. N. Darby began to proclaim it. Later it was proclaimed by C. I. Scofield in the Scofield Study Bible. That is now the position of the majority of new-evangelicals.
Ninakumbuka waziwazi mara ya kwanza niliposikia kuhusu “kunyakuliwa.” Mwalimu wangu alituambia kwamba unyakuo ungetokea kabla ya kipindi cha Dhiki cha miaka saba. Nilimuuliza mwalimu wangu ni wapi Biblia ilifundisha kwamba unyakuo ungetokea kabla ya Dhiki. Hakuweza kunijibu. Kwa hivyo, kwa miongo kadhaa nimehoji unyakuo wa "wakati wowote", kabla ya Dhiki ya miaka saba. Kisha nikagundua kwamba unyakuo wa kabla ya dhiki ulienezwa kwanza na J. N. Darby, na kwamba Darby "alipata" kutoka kwa msichana mwenye umri wa miaka kumi na tano aitwaye Margaret MacDonald, charismatic ambaye "aliota" juu yake. Kwa sababu fulani J. N. Darby alianza kuitangaza. Baadaye ilitangazwa na C. I. Scofield katika Biblia ya Masomo ya Scofield. Huo sasa ndio msimamo wa wengi wa wainjilisti wapya.