The Rapture is the future event
when Jesus Christ will catch away
all believers to meet Him in the air.
The dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them.
And so we will always be with the Lord.
The word rapture comes from the Latin rapio, which translates the Greek harpazo in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. It means to snatch away or to catch up suddenly.
At the Rapture the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then those who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. From that moment believers will always be with the Lord.
- The Rapture is for believers only. Only those who belong to Jesus Christ are caught up.
- It is sudden and bodily. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead are raised incorruptible and the living are changed.
- Many Bible students understand the Rapture as occurring before the Great Tribulation and Daniel’s 70th Week. Other views place it at the middle or the end of that period.
- The Rapture is distinct from the Second Coming of Christ. In the Rapture He comes for His church in the air. At the Second Coming He returns with His saints to the earth.
- It is the blessed hope and a source of comfort.
The promise is meant to encourage. Believers are told to comfort one another with these words.
The dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them
to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will always be with the Lord.
Prior to the Rapture:
After the Rapture:
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is the primary passage for the catching up.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 describes the change in a moment, at the last trumpet.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
- John 14:1-3 records Jesus’ promise to come again and receive His own to Himself.
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
- The Descent – The Lord Himself comes from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God.
- The Dead – The dead in Christ rise first.
- The Living – Those who are alive and remain are caught up with them.
- The Meeting – In the clouds, in the air, to meet the Lord.
- The Change – In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye; incorruptible bodies.
- The Result – Always with the Lord.
- The Distinction – Coming for the church in the air, distinct from the return to the earth.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
- John 14:1-3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
- Titus 2:13 – “Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 – “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”
- Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:23 – “But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”
- 1 John 3:2 – “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
- Colossians 3:4 – “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1 – “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him…”
- Revelation 3:10 – “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”
The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will always be with the Lord.
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
The Rapture is the catching up of believers to meet the Lord in the air. It is a source of comfort and hope. Encourage one another with these words.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.