Author: The Rapture in the Dead Sea Scrolls - Ken Johnson

Is the Rapture a modern idea—or has it been taught since the earliest days of the church? In this powerful conversation, Gary Stearman interviews author Ken Johnson about his book The Rapture and the overwhelming biblical and historical evidence for the pre-tribulation Rapture of the church.

Key Highlights:

• The Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 2 Thessalonians 2

• Writings from early Church Fathers: Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Cyprian, and Ephrem

• Prophecy insights from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Enoch

• Why Darby did NOT “invent” the doctrine of the Rapture

• How prophecy brings comfort in times of fear and uncertainty

• The role of Israel and the fig tree prophecy in Matthew 24

This discussion reveals that the Blessed Hope has been a consistent teaching for centuries—rooted in Scripture, affirmed by early believers, and confirmed in ancient writings.

“Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

#Rapture #BibleProphecy #KenJohnson #EndTimes #PreTribulation

The Rapture in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Host:
Today we’re going to talk about my favorite subject—the rapture of the church. My guest, Ken Johnson, has written a book aptly and simply entitled “The Rapture.” Ken, I’m going to enjoy today’s conversation because I enjoy the topic.

Ken Johnson:
Me too.

Host:
I think it is, of course, our blessed hope—but it’s still argued a great deal in the contemporary church.

Ken Johnson:
Yeah, it’s amazing.

Host:
Now, it’s pre-tribulational, and we have evidence. My next question would be: what is the evidence?

Ken Johnson:
To start off, there’s this legend that keeps going around that Darby—or someone in Darby’s time—started the idea of a secret rapture and that it wasn’t taught before that. In the book there’s a list of several—probably close to fifty—people from the 1500s–1700s who taught a pre-trib rapture. That doesn’t prove it’s real, but it disproves the argument that it was invented in the 1700s by Darby, because multiple people talked about it.

Host:
Darby was an ingenious man who was in line to be an Anglican priest—rather high up in the Anglican church. He was a master scholar from Oxford; he knew virtually all the languages. Later in life he translated several Bibles into European and other languages. The man was absolutely brilliant. But he came across the idea of the rapture—I don’t think independently. I think he probably looked back at what others had been teaching.

Ken Johnson:
Oh, I’m sure.

Host:
And you document that. That’s what I like about your book. When Ken writes, he goes back to ancient sources most people haven’t looked at, then up to contemporary times. After you’ve read these things, you have perspective. So let’s talk about the rapture as it has been believed and taught since the days of the church fathers.

History of the Rapture

Ken Johnson:
In the Middle Ages, amillennialism took hold and the concept of the rapture kind of disappeared. Darby may have popularized it in his day, but many in the 1500s–1700s talked about it. For instance, Bishop Ussher—most people don’t realize—believed in a pre-trib rapture. He didn’t use that term, but he describes it, and that’s what we need to look for.

Host:
That’s 16th–17th century?

Ken Johnson:
Yes. And going back further, several church fathers believed it. I have a few quotes.

• Irenaeus (c. 170), a student of Polycarp, who worked with John, wrote in Against Heresies that when the church is “suddenly caught up,” that’s the rapture; he places it before the Tribulation (“such as has not been since the beginning nor ever shall be”).

• Hippolytus, Irenaeus’s student, cites Isaiah: “Come, my people, enter into thy chambers; shut your doors… hide yourself for a little while until the indignation is past,” applying it to protection before the Tribulation.

• Cyprian (c. 250), in Treatises of Cyprian, says when terrible things begin to happen (the seven-year Tribulation), “it is our greatest advantage to depart as quickly as possible, and He will snatch us hence.”

• Ephrem the Syrian (often labeled Pseudo-Ephrem due to attribution issues): “All the saints and the elect of the Lord are gathered together before the Tribulation and taken home to be with the Lord.” The “pseudo” tag only means the exact author is debated between two ancient attributions, not that it’s fake. Someone at that time clearly taught it.

Host:
That’s 4th century—way back there. They got it from somewhere; it was a tradition. Irenaeus is compelling—he studied under Polycarp, who worked with John for over 40 years. He even recounts talking with the Apostle John. That’s an amazing testimony.

The Rapture of the Church

Host:
Perhaps someone is listening and thinking, “Rapture of the church? I’m not really sure what that is.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” That’s very clear-cut. The next verse says we who are alive will be “caught up… to meet the Lord in the air.” What an amazing promise! Yet it’s systematically attacked—maybe because some think it’s too hard to believe.

Ken Johnson:
Scripture presents many hard-to-believe things: God creating everything, Jesus dying and resurrecting. As Christians we believe that. The question is: what does the text say, and how do we interpret it?

Sources

Host:
Where would you take us next?

Ken Johnson:
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the church fathers both give clues. Timing relative to the Tribulation is in 2 Thessalonians 2—it happens when “the restrainer… comes out of the midst” (Greek idiom). I found a commentary by Victor (c. 240s AD), the oldest on Revelation. Commenting on Revelation 15, he says by that point “the church should have already went out of the midst,” quoting 2 Thessalonians—so “out of the midst” was understood as the rapture of the church.

Also, Enoch 70 (a Dead Sea Scroll) describes Enoch being “caught out of the midst”—the idiom for being snatched away (harpazō). We then notice places where “out of the midst” appears: Luke 4 (Nazareth—Jesus passes through the midst), John 8 (they seek to stone Him—He passes through the midst), and 1 Kings 18:12 (Obadiah fears Elijah will be “snatched away”). These help confirm the idiom.

Host:
So you document from lesser-referenced sources and the Bible to solidify the concept, showing how the idiom was used.

Ken Johnson:
Exactly. Don’t guess at idioms—find documents that define them.

Host:
In Matthew 24:21, “for then shall be great tribulation…” He ties it to the abomination of desolation (Daniel). Without the rapture, we’d think, “I hope I’m not alive then.” But the New Testament gives comfort—much needed in times like COVID-19. Things may get worse, but there is the blessed hope.

Ken Johnson:
In Daniel 12, from the time of the “shining and the resurrection” (the rapture), there are 1,260 days to the abomination of desolation and 1,290 to the end—indicating a pre-trib rapture. One Scroll says this event “engenders repentance”—those left realize it’s real and have a chance to accept Messiah. It’s not that we’re “extra special”; the Lord is giving people one more chance.

The Calling

Host:
If you preach God’s Word, your challenge is to make “unbelievable” truths real—like being caught up to be with the Lord. Ken’s book documents this so people say, “This really is going to happen.” That’s teaching: making people believe in the blessed hope.

Ken Johnson:
And many “unbelievable” things are simply true if Scripture says so.

The Proof

Host:
What I like about Ken’s writing is the documentation: “This is true, here’s the proof.” Quotes, chains of transmission—a case built carefully.

Ken Johnson:
There has to be evidence somewhere.

Host:
Where do we go from here?

Ken Johnson:
A few more quotes:

• Enoch (DSS): “In those days a change will take place for the holy and the elect on the day of tribulation… It will cause others to witness this so that they may repent…” The change (rapture/glorification) prompts repentance among those left.

• Another text: “If you survive to see the kingdom, you will see those who have been taken up who have not tasted death since their birth.” Not just the two witnesses—a group (the raptured saints).

• “When these signs come to pass, the bride will be revealed, and what is now withdrawn from the earth will be brought back… Whoever is delivered from these predicted evils will rejoice and remain with them a thousand years.” That documents the order: Tribulation, rapture, return with Messiah, and Kingdom age.

The Essenes

Host:
In the last 20–30 years, several volumes of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been published. Many theological scrolls weren’t widely available until 1996, so most seminaries haven’t deeply studied them. The ancient Essenes (200–100 BC) held what we’d call Christian doctrine: one Messiah with two comings; first to die for sins (32 AD), marked by the veil tearing; then the age of grace begins at Pentecost, and later the second coming initiates the Kingdom age.

Ken Johnson:
They literally call it the age of grace in multiple places. Josephus notes the Zadok priests (associated with Essenes) as accurate prophets. There were always true believers expecting Messiah.

Host:
1 Thessalonians 4:17: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up…”—the group who never taste death, as you mentioned. And the Essenes spoke of it between 200–100 BC.

Ken Johnson:
All BC. That’s prophecy.

Why Ken Johnson

Host:
You see why I like talking to Ken? He looks where others don’t and documents what we believe by faith—showing saints thousands of years ago believed the same by divine revelation.

Ken Johnson:
The prophetic gifts didn’t cease. The church fathers even reference schools of the prophets into the church age (e.g., Agabus).

Where Did the Rapture Come From?

Host:
Where did the idea of the rapture come from? How far back can we go? Critics say it’s a 19th-century invention.

Ken Johnson:
First, the rapture is taught in the Bible; the debate is when. It’s not true that Darby invented a secret rapture—we have many prior witnesses: early church fathers and the Dead Sea Scrolls. According to those sources, it’s consistent doctrine to be seriously studied—and praised God for.

What Jesus Said

Ken Johnson:
In Matthew 24, Jesus answers three questions: When is the Temple destroyed? What is the sign of Your coming? What is the sign of the end of the age? He answers the Temple first, then His coming, then the end of the age—the fig tree sign. In the Scrolls, believing Israel is a vine; unbelieving Israel is a fig tree. Israel returns in unbelief (1948). Sometime after, there is a rapture—that’s what the end of the chapter discusses. Jesus talked about it too.

Conclusion

Host:
Do you believe? We do—not on a vague hope, but on a grand tradition going back millennia. Ken documents it in “The Rapture.” We’re offering a package (seven books, three DVDs) including The Rapture, The End Times, Ancient Law of Kings, Ancient Testaments of the Patriarchs, Ancient Book of Enoch, Ancient Prophecies Revealed, plus Ed Hindson & Mark Hitchcock’s Can We Still Believe in the Rapture? and presentations like Watchers Weekend (Ken on the Dead Sea Scrolls) and Defending the Rapture with me and Dr. Thomas Ice.

There’s a wealth of information—so interesting and timely. Ken Johnson always delves where few look, and I’m glad he does. I’m Gary Stearman. Hey, keep watching… we are!