Most people know of the Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1917. This study bible, published in America, probably did the most to popularize the “futurist method" of interpreting bible prophecy. This study bible popularized the pre-tribulation rapture teaching.
Most people do not know who the first was to advance this proposition. His name was Francisco Ribera. He advanced it in 1583.
Origin Of Rapture Doctrine He was a Jesuit Priest: A Roman Catholic. He had a very obvious motive for advancing his proposition.
Martin Luther and the other reformers had made great headway against Roman Catholicism with their own proposition: that the Pope in any age was antichrist, and the Roman Catholic Church was the fulfillment of what the bible called Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17.