John Nelson Darby and the Rapture

Dr. Thomas Ice, executive director of the Pre-Trib Research Center, tells the story of the life and spiritual growth of John Nelson Darby as he continues to unfold the history of the doctrine of the pre-tribulational rapture.
Dr. Ice explains how Darby grew discontented with the idea of a state church, and describes two key terms in the history of Darby's life: convalescence and deliverance.
Darby, according to Dr. Ice, also became convinced of two powerful truths -- namely, that Christians are united to Christ in heaven and that they are delivered by the power of His resurrection.
Darby's greatest Scriptural discovery, however, was the distinction between the church and Israel, which led him to develop dispensationalism beyond the original idea of a pre-tribulational rapture.
Dr. Ice says that another key is to realize that Darby set his understanding of a pre-tribulational rapture within a theological framework that could support it.
Whitcomb Ministries is grateful to Baptist Bible Seminary in Clarks Summit, Penn., for the kind permission allowing us to post these messages, which were originally given as part of the annual Barndollar Lectureship Series in September of 2010 (www.bbc.edu/seminary/barndollar.asp).

(See also www.bbc.edu/barndollar/Barndollar_Darby_Rapture.pdf.)