I. The 1800s: A Century of Doctrinal Upheaval
The 19th century was a theological gold rush. As industrialization accelerated and empires expanded, spiritual anxiety surged. The printing press, now democratized, birthed a new kind of religious influence: the tabloid prophet. Sensationalism sold papers, and any vision, miracle, or apocalyptic claim was fair game.
This was the era of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, Charles Taze Russell and the Watchtower Society, Ellen G. White and Seventh-day Adventism—and most pivotally, Margaret MacDonald and the vision that would echo through dispensationalist theology.
II. Margaret MacDonald: Fever Dreams and Prophetic Fire
In 1830, a young Scottish woman named Margaret MacDonald, reportedly bedridden and feverish, claimed to receive a vision of a coming separation between true believers and the rest of the world. Her vision was cryptic, apocalyptic, and emotionally charged. It described a time of spiritual crisis, where only the truly faithful would be “taken.”
Critics argue that her condition—ill, possibly unstable—casts doubt on the vision’s reliability. Her language suggests a post-tribulation scenario, not the pretribulation rapture later popularized. Her vision was amplified by charismatic circles and tabloid-style religious tracts, not by theological rigor.
Yet this obscure moment would ripple outward, eventually influencing one of the most consequential distortions in modern Christian theology.
III. The Scofield Bible: A Trojan Horse in Leather Binding
Enter Cyrus I. Scofield, a lawyer-turned-theologian whose Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909, embedded dispensationalist notes directly into the biblical text. Released by Oxford University Press, it became a staple in American churches.
Scofield’s Bible taught that believers would vanish before tribulation, that history was divided into rigid dispensational epochs, and that the modern state of Israel was central to prophecy.
This framework birthed Christian Zionism—a movement that fused biblical prophecy with geopolitical allegiance. It reframed the gospel as a roadmap for empire, not endurance.
IV. Christian Zionism: Theology Hijacked by Politics
Christian Zionism is not a biblical doctrine—it’s a political theology masquerading as eschatology. It teaches that modern Israel is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, that Christians must support Israeli statehood unconditionally, and that Jewish identity—even in rejection of Christ—holds prophetic priority.
This ideology ignores Romans 2:28–29, which defines true Israel spiritually. It contradicts Matthew 24 and 1 Corinthians 15:52, which describe a post-tribulation return. It elevates ethnic nationalism over spiritual discernment.
It has led to uncritical support for war and occupation, the silencing of Palestinian Christians, and a distortion of Christ’s message into a geopolitical chess game.
V. The Pretrib Rapture: Escapism Over Endurance
The pretribulation rapture is a theological sedative. It teaches believers to expect escape, not endurance. But Scripture says, “At the last trumpet…” and “Immediately after the tribulation…”
The early church expected persecution, not evacuation.
The pretrib doctrine breeds spiritual complacency. It prepares the church to follow a false Christ. And it undermines the call to resist, endure, and overcome.
VI. Dispensationalism and Zionist Supremacy: A Systemic Critique
Dispensationalism is not just a theological error—it’s a systemic distortion. It replaces the gospel of the kingdom with a timeline of control. It elevates ethnic supremacy over spiritual rebirth. And it justifies empire, war, and cultural erasure in the name of prophecy.
Zionist supremacy, whether religious or political, is incompatible with the teachings of Christ. It turns chosen-ness into domination, and prophecy into propaganda.
VII. The Pretrib Rapture: Profitable Escapism and Selective Salvation
The pretribulation rapture isn’t just a theological error—it’s a fundraising engine. By promising believers an early escape from tribulation, it fills collection plates with urgency-driven donations, fuels book sales, prophecy conferences, and televangelist empires, and creates a spiritual marketplace where fear is monetized and discernment is outsourced.
It’s no accident that this doctrine thrives in wealthy Western churches, especially among white American evangelicals. The implicit message? The rapture is for us—not for the persecuted believers in Nigeria, North Korea, or Mozambique.
But the global reality is stark.
In Nigeria, nearly 200 Christians were massacred in Plateau State in late 2023. In Mozambique, over 30 Christians were beheaded by Islamic State affiliates in 2024. In China, North Korea, and Iran, underground churches face surveillance, imprisonment, and torture. Over 300 million Christians worldwide face persecution, according to the 2025 Global Persecution Index.
And yet, the pretrib doctrine offers no theology of endurance, no solidarity with the suffering church, no call to resist systemic evil. It’s escapism for the comfortable, not empowerment for the oppressed.
🔚 Final Summary: False Doctrine, Real Consequences
From Margaret MacDonald’s fevered vision to Scofield’s annotated Bible, the 1800s birthed a wave of tabloid theology—sensational, profitable, and spiritually hollow. Christian Zionism hijacked prophecy for politics. Dispensationalism fragmented Scripture into a timeline of control. And the pretrib rapture became a golden calf of Western Christianity.
Meanwhile, the true church bleeds.
The fire of Jacob will not consume Edom through hatred—but through truth, endurance, and prophetic clarity. The wheat and tares are ripening. The harvest is near.
Let’s return to the Word—not the notes. To the cross—not the conference. To endurance—not escape.
