The ‘rapture’ is an event at some time in the future when Jesus will return (not His second coming) to remove all true believers from the earth before He unleashes God’s wrath on a fallen, unbelieving and rebellious world. Is the event described as the rapture true or false? Many deny the doctrine of the rapture with some saying: It isn’t in the Bible It wasn’t taught until the 19th century, or, It is misrepresented and is simply part of the second coming of Christ. This article addresses each of these concerns and shows how the rapture is taught in the New Testament

The rapture isn’t in the Bible

It is true the word rapture isn’t found in our English Bible. The text in question is 1Thess 4:13-18, of which verse 17 reads: Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. The words caught up are a translation of the Greek word harpazo , which literally means “to snatch away” or “to seize by force”. In the Latin Vulgate, this concept is translated using the word raptus of which the verb form is rapturo , which means “to seize” or “carry off”, from where the English term rapture originates. The word rapture isn’t in the Bible, but the event is.

The rapture wasn’t taught until the 19th century

According to Wikipedia: “The idea of a rapture as it is defined in dispensational premillennialism is not found in historic Christianity and is a relatively recent doctrine originating from the 1830s.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture John Nelson Derby is said by many to be the father of modern dispensationalism. It was Darby who popularised the pre- tribulation rapture theology in the 1830s ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nelson_Darby ). However, several early church fathers wrote about the rapture (being caught up) before the end of the 4th century. Some examples follow with relevant words in bold. Irenaeus (130–202 AD ) A disciple of Polycarp, a student of the Apostle John. Irenaeus later became bishop of the church in Lyons, France, and is famous for his five-volume treatise, “Against Heresies”, which described and challenged all false teaching from the emerging cults of his day. He believed in a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church and in “Against Heresies” 5:29.1 he wrote: “And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up (harpazo/raptured) from this, it is said (meaning, follows on from suddenly caught up ), “There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be. ( see Mat 24:21 ) ” For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption .” (see 1Cor 15:50, 53 ) Cyprian (200–258 AD ) Cyprian was Bishop of the church in Carthage during intense persecution by the Roman Empire. In 258 AD he was beheaded for his faith. Several of his works still exist today. In his work “Treatise of Cyprian”, Chapter 7 Treatise VII, on the Mortality, he wrote: 26. “We should consider, dearly beloved brethren -- we should ever and anon reflect that we have renounced the world, and are in the meantime living here as guests and strangers. Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us (harpazo/rapture) hence, and sets us free from the snares of the world (during the tribulation), and restores us to paradise and the kingdom. Victorinus Saint Victorinus was bishop of the Pannonian city of Poetovio (or Pettavium; now the modern Ptui, Slovenia) in the second half of the third century. In 240 AD he authored a “Commentary On the Apocalypse” and was eventually martyred for his faith. In the Fifteenth Chapter, he wrote: “The same Apocalypse repeats the persecution; it says: Seven angels having plagues, because with these the wrath of God is finished. For the wrath of God always struck a stubborn people with seven plagues, that is perfectly, as it says in Leviticus; (plagues) which will happen in the future, when the Church will have gone out from their midst (raptured).” Ephraim the Syrian of Nisibis (306-373 AD ) Ephraem was a prominent Syrian church father known for his hymns and theological writings. In his work "On the Last Times," he explicitly stated that the saints would be gathered before the tribulation, indicating a belief in a pre-tribulation rapture. He urged believers to prepare for the coming of the Lord to escape the impending chaos. In his work, “The Last Times”, Ephraim wrote: “Believe you me, dearest brother, because the coming of the Lord is nigh, believe you me, because the end of the world is at hand, believe me, because it is the very last time. Or do you not believe unless you see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among you of the prophet who declares: “Woe to those who desire to see the day of the Lord!” “For all the saints and elect of God are gathered (raptured), prior to the tribulation that is to come , and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.” These writings on their own do not prove the existence of a pre-tribulation rapture, nor can they be regarded in any way as authoritative as Scripture. They do, however, clearly demonstrate that the teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture is not a “modern invention” that supposedly began in the 1800s

The rapture is misrepresented and is simply part of the second coming of Christ

This chart provides an overview of why the rapture and the second coming are separate events.

Could take place at any moment ( 1Thes 4:15; 1Cor 15:51 ). This is known as the doctrine of imminence. However, I believe Daniel 9:27 contains the marker but, given the current geopolitical situation, it could now be near future, but not necessarily.

Before the tribulation and the outpouring of God’s wrath. ( 1Thes 5:9; Rev 3:10 )