John Nelson Darby: An Excursus

J. N. Darby's Life

It seems odd that evangelicalism has been so deeply influenced by John Nelson Darby's views and yet his name is hardly known. 

Consonant with that observation,  Sweetman and Gribben (2009) remark that few biographies of worth have been written about the Irishman even though he was an original thinker and later had great influence in several branches of theology.

Darby seemed destined for the law profession initially and although he qualified and practised for a year, he moved into the clerical ministry of the Church of Ireland (CofI) in Dublin (Anglican). This position seemed well below his past scholarly achievements at Trinity College, Dublin University where he graduated in 1819 having earned a Gold Medal in Classics. He lived an austere life along with his parishioners and followed a 'catholic' view of churchmanship that divine grace was given primarily through the sacraments (hence, a 'High' Churchman).

His Conversion and Gospel Preaching

After a bad riding accident, Darby was laid up in bed and spent time while convalescing in studies which led him to conversion; 'a release from bondage' as he put it. He immediately began to preach the gospel as he had now experienced it and many Roman Catholics in the Dublin area became devout Christ-followers.

Dublin's Archbishop at the time of these new conversions ordered that all those joining the CofI must swear an oath of allegiance to the British Crown. Darby was flabbergasted.  

Can you imagine what effect such an insensitive decision had on Irishmen who resented everything to do with the English? It effectively stopped the flow of converts under Darby's ministry and left him angry and disillusioned with the CofI.

Church and Eschatology Changes Related

With this CofI barrier being placed across his pathway to the gaining of new converts, Darby began to question¹ his commitment to the CofI. He concluded that its being an arm of the State for one thing was unBiblical. 

Moreover, he said that its view of the Church itself was contrary to the Word of God. In his letter of resignation from his curacy in 1828 (but not yet from the CofI--that came later) to the archbishop, he stated that God's people were to be found in all churches, all denominations. The unity of the Church was not to be found in any temporal, institutional organisation but in each individual's spiritual connection to Christ. 

In this significant respect then, the Church was essentially different from cultural Israel he contended. The Church was a spiritual entity with a heavenly destination; Israel was an earthly entity with an earthly destiny. 

Furthermore, up to this point, Darby seems to have held some type of post-millennialism. He seems to have believed that the 'millennium' was a symbolic 1000-year period from Pentecost to the Final Coming of Christ wherein the gospel of Christ would be preached successfully to the nations. On this basis, Jesus was to return after the millennium.

Darby began to question his post-millennialism being led by his newly found belief in the radical distinction between the heavenly Church and the eathly Israel.

The Church's Secret Rapture

Darby began to fellowship with a small of 'Brethren' who 'broke bread' together. He gradually gave up his membership in the CofI and became the driving force in the Plymouth Brethren (as they were known) to his death at 82.

Of course, Darby did not create pre-millennialism which can even be found in some of the church fathers.

However, arguably he did help to develop a scriptural basis for the doctrine of the Coming of Christ in two stages: the first stage was to be a  'secret rapture' of the church from the earth, seven years before the Final Revelation of Christ as Judge of all the nations; after which the millennium would take place. The diagram I've included shows some of this detail.

Daniel's prophecy of the 70 'weeks'² can be found in Daniel 9.24-27. Futurists such as Darby who believed that a radical distinction must be made between the Church universal and Israel insert a 'gap' between the end of the 62 'weeks' and the last 'week' (7 years) which they believe is yet future.

This 7-year period is one of Great Tribulation for the world out of which the Church has already been 'raptured'. Antichrist will arise during this time and dominate the world harassing the Jews mercilessly.  The Jews will have rebuilt the Temple and will be sacrificing offerings to God as they set out in the book of Leviticus.

Then Jesus will return as victorious Lord, chain up Satan and rule for a 1,000 years from physical Mt Zion in Jerusalem.  

Personal

I didn't plan to be writing this post on J N Darby but found his life and beliefs to be compulsive reading. So although I've taken a sidetrack on aspects regarding his life, I trust it will provide readers with valuable background. My sisters and I attended both a local 'Brethren'³ Sunday School and an Assemblies of God⁴ Sunday School and look back to both as places where we learned Bible verses and passages by heart; and also learned to take the holy Scriptures to our hearts.

1. Darby questioned the close association between the State (England) and the CofI in that the latter carried out the dictates of the former and also looked to the State for protection. In this regard Darby was concerned that it was becoming just like the Church of Rome. (This form of connection between State and Church is known as 'Erastianism'.)
2. I've placed 'weeks' in quotation marks to show that the weeks are not normal weeks = 7 days but weeks = 7 years. Hence, 70 weeks equals 490 years.
3. Our Brethren Chapel was first a 'closed' Brethren but then a split occurred and the Chapel continued as an 'open' Brethren group. We knew something big had happened because the main leaders (much loved) departed and then suddenly musical instruments such as a piano accordion appeared!! The former leaders did not allow instruments because they believed that Bible did not sanction their use in their meetings.
4. Ironically, our Pentecostal family and our Church differed over a Brethren doctrine which only goes to show the inroads that Darby's views had made into the various forms of Pentecostalism! Our family followed Darby (without knowing it) and his teaching of a pre-tribulation 'rapture' while the Church adopted a 'mid-tribulation' rapture view.