The Pretribulation
Rapture
Clarence Larkin (1850–1924) — Baptist Pastor, Bible Teacher, Chart-Maker
Clarence Larkin was an American Baptist pastor and influential dispensational Bible teacher best known for his meticulous prophecy charts and the classic book Dispensational Truth (or God’s Plan and Purpose in the Ages). Trained as a mechanical draftsman/engineer and educator before entering pastoral ministry in Pennsylvania, Larkin brought a draftsman’s precision to Scripture—turning complex prophetic themes into clear, visual timelines that could be taught from the pulpit and reproduced for lay readers.
Larkin wrote widely on prophecy and related doctrines, including works such as Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, The Book of Revelation, and The Spirit World. A staunch premillennialist, he taught a Pre-Tribulation Rapture and helped popularize dispensational study among early 20th-century evangelicals. His charts and hand-drawn illustrations remain staples in many prophecy libraries and continue to shape how pastors and students visualize the Bible’s big picture.