During the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th Century, a parallel movement in England produced the innovative eschatological scheme known as Dispensationalism - a creation by John Nelson Darby. This movement was widely popularized in American through James Brooks and his most famous protege, C.I. Scofield.
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The foundations of Dispensationalism (the secret pre-rapture and the Israel/Church division) is based on Darby's supposed vision/revelation that he receive from the Holy Spirit while reading Isaiah 32:
“In my retreat, the 32nd chapter of Isaiah taught me clearly, on God's behalf, that there was still an economy to come, of His ordering; a state of things in no way established as yet. The consciousness of my union with Christ had given me the present heavenly portion of the glory, whereas this chapter clearly sets forth the corresponding earthly part. I was not able to put these things in their respective places or arrange them in order, as I can now; but the truths themselves were then revealed of God, through the action of His Spirit, by reading His word. {…} I saw in that word the coming of Christ to take the church to Himself in glory. I saw there the cross, the divine basis of salvation, which should impress its own character on the Christian and on the church in view of the Lord's coming;”
- John N. Darby - Letters, Volume 3, number 226
Font: http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/darby/letters/53226E.html
Then in 1878 he recalled:
"Isaiah 32 it was that taught me about the new dispensation. I saw there would be a David reign, and did not know whether the church might not be removed before forty years’ time. At that time I was ill with my knee. It gave me peace to see what the church was. I saw that I, poor wretched, and sinful J. N. D., knowing too much yet not enough about myself, was left behind, and let go, but I was united to Christ in heaven."
- John N. Darby - Bible Treasury, Volume 12, Thoughts on Revelation 14-16
Font: https://bibletruthpublishers.com/thoughts-on-revelation-14-16/john-nelson-darby-jnd/bible-treasury-volume-12/la68020
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"Plymouth Brethren have no feeling wherever their principles are concerned. I know indeed of no sect or denomination so utterly devoid of kindness of heart. It is the most selfish religious system with which I am acquainted. It is entirely wrapped up in itself. {...} With this feeling is naturally associated an amount of arrogance in the assertion of their own views, which those who differ from them often find to be unbearable. And in this respect their leader, Mr. Darby, sets them an example. In his case it assumes the form of infallibility. Mr. Darby is, to all intents and purposes a thorough Pope, though under a Protestant name. He will never admit that he is in error; and therefore very naturally declines to argue with those who controvert the soundness of his views".
Mr. Grant on "The Darby Brethren" by C. H. Spurgeon - From the June 1869 Sword and Trowel.
Link to the full article: http://archive.spurgeon.org/s_and_t/dbreth.php
- Other important articles:
Darby, Gaebelein and Messianic Judaism - Sep 12, 2016
Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20190929135142/http://hinehyeshua.com.au/?p=608
Edward Irving and John Nelson Darby by David Malcolm Bennett - 2015
Link: https://www.edwardirving.org/untitled
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