A:

The Rapture and the Tribulation are theological inventions of John Nelson Darby, the nineteenth-century founder of the Plymouth Brethren. Barbara R. Rossing (The Rapture Exposed) says that Darby's new teaching was that Christ would return twice, first in secret to "Rapture" his church out of the world and up to heaven, then a second time after seven years of global tribulation for non-believers, to establish a Jerusalem-based kingdom on earth. More recent proponents of the Rapture and the Tribulation saw what they felt were flaws in Darby's scheme, and some altered it to have the Rapture occur mid-tribulation, while others have opted for a post-tribulation Rapture.

The Lutheran Church says that this is false theology, whether pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or post-tribulation. Perhaps there are some Lutherans who would believe it, but either way, the Rapture has no genuine biblical support, so there is no good reason to believe there will ever be a Rapture.

A:

'Post-tribulation' is a term used to define a version of theology originally invented by John Nelson Darby, the nineteenth-century founder of the Plymouth Brethren. Although few people belong the the Plymouth Brethren Church, many Christians believe in Darby's most enduring theological creation, the Rapture. However, one of the ways in which his original theology has evolved, is to diverge into pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation and post-tribulation strands.

Barbara R. Rossing (The Rapture Exposed) says that the Rapture has its origins in the nineteenth century beginning, according to one critic, with a young girl's vision. In 1830, in Port Glasgow, Scotland, fifteen-year-old Margaret MacDonald attended a healing service, where she was said to have seen a vision of a two-stage return of Jesus Christ. The story of her vision was adopted and amplified by John Nelson Darby, a British evangelical preacher and founder of the Plymouth Brethren.

The belief that Jesus will come again was not new, and Christians have always taught that Jesus will return to earth and that believers should live in anticipation of his second coming. Darby's new teaching was that Christ would return twice. The first return would be in secret, to "Rapture" his church out of the world and up to heaven. Christ would return a second time after seven years of global tribulation for non-believers, to establish a Jerusalem-based kingdom on earth. This, then was "pre-tribulation." Rossing says that some evangelists deal with the charge that this implies escapism for Christians, by delaying the Rapture until midway through (ie: "mid-tribulation") or even after (ie: "post-tribulation") the supposed seven-year tribulation. The beauty of Rapture theology is that, as it is not really true, it can be what you want it to be. The Rapture can be pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or post-tribulation.