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Prophecy

What Is the Rapture?

The rapture is the belief that Christ will return to take His church out of the world before or during a period of tribulation. While the word 'rapture' does not appear in the Bible, the concept is drawn from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and other passages.

Key Question

What does the Bible say about the rapture?

Evidence

Key Scriptures (ESV)

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.”

Scholar Insights

JH
Jack Hibbs
“The pre-tribulation rapture is not a recent invention — the concept of God removing His people before judgment is consistent throughout Scripture, from Noah to Lot to Rahab. God has a pattern of protecting His own.”
GL
Greg Laurie
“The rapture should not be a divisive issue among Christians. Whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib, the important thing is that you are ready. Live every day as if He could come today.”
MW
Mike Winger
“The rapture debate is a secondary issue — Christians can disagree on the timing while agreeing on the essentials: Christ is returning, the dead will be raised, and we will be with Him forever.”