“For then there will be a great tribulation,
such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever
will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but
for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” Matthew 24:21-22.
Why Read This Paper
Dr. Oswald J. Smith said, “The new
pre-tribulation Rapture teaching was first proclaimed as a direct revelation by
a woman in Edward Irving's church [in 1830], and then taken up by John Nelson
Darby [1800-1882] (and the Scofield Reference Bible [first published on 1909])
in direct contradiction to the teaching of the Church for eighteen hundred
years”.
That was quite a statement! In so many circles
today, pretribulationism is a doctrine maintained with such unwavering
dogmatism that one would think it had always been part and parcel of historic
Christian teaching. However, while a premillennial interpretation of Scripture
can be found in the Apostolic Fathers, pretribulationism did not exist until
the 1800s. Scruby gives a very entertaining critique of this position. We hope
you enjoy it.
Description
In The Great Tribulation: The Church's Supreme
Test, Scruby discusses the origin, nature, and effect of the
pretribulation-rapture theory. His critique includes a discussion of the
arguments used to support this view. We have reproduced the entire book. It was
not divided into chapters per se, so we have divided it into seven parts. Most
of the real theological “meat” is in section 4 and following. Scruby
published the book himself in 1933. During the early twentieth century, he also
published a magazine called The Standard Bearer, but we could find no other
information about him.
Content
1. Background And Introduction To Pretribulationism
2. Experiences Of Other Men When Confronted With Pretribulationism - Origin Of Pretribulationism
3. The Result Of The Introduction Of Pretribulationism
4. Examination Of Matthew Chapter 24
5. The Tribulation: What The Church Will Experience
6. Pretribulationism: A Doctrine Built On Inference
7. Is The Flood A Type Of A Pretribulational Rapture?
2. Experiences Of Other Men When Confronted With Pretribulationism - Origin Of Pretribulationism
3. The Result Of The Introduction Of Pretribulationism
4. Examination Of Matthew Chapter 24
5. The Tribulation: What The Church Will Experience
6. Pretribulationism: A Doctrine Built On Inference
7. Is The Flood A Type Of A Pretribulational Rapture?
