THIS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU
The answer
John Nelson Darby. In the 1800s Darby developed the idea of a rapture of the faithful before a tribulation, leading to Christ's return and thousand-year reign. The Scofield Reference Bible of 1909 printed it in notes beside the text, and from there it spread.
Why it’s interesting
Scholars call the scheme premillennial dispensationalism. It divides history into set periods, and it became a foundation of American fundamentalism and the evangelical movement built on it.
Scholarly consensus
Learn the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.