What Is Rapture in the Bible?
The word rapture does not appear in most English Bibles. It comes from the Latin word rapiemur, which was used in the old Latin Bible to translate the Greek word harpazō in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Harpazō means to be caught up or taken suddenly.
During the rapture, believers who have already died in Christ will be raised from the grave. Then those who are alive in Christ will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord. From that moment on, we will always be with Him.
Who will be taken? The Bible makes it clear that those who belong to Jesus will be taken. It will not depend on what church we attend, our family name, or our background. What matters is whether you have believed in Christ as your Lord and Savior.
During this moment, we will be changed forever. Our weak and mortal bodies will be transformed into glorious, eternal bodies. There will be no more sickness or death.
For believers, it will be a joyful reunion and the fulfillment of our hope. For the world, it will be sudden and shocking.
Bible Verses About the Rapture
Here are the key scriptures that speak about the rapture:
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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.”
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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
John 14:2–3
“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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Philippians 3:20–21
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
Matthew 24:40–41
“Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”
When Will the Rapture Happen According to the Bible?
The Bible tells us the rapture will happen suddenly, but it does not give us the date or hour.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:36:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
We don’t know the exact time or date. But the Bible warns us to always be ready. It will come like a thief in the night.
Many Christians have different views about whether the rapture comes before, during, or after a time of great tribulation. But no matter when it happens, when Jesus returns and the trumpet sounds, we should be ready to join Him in the clouds.
How Should We Prepare For the Rapture
We should live every moment as if the rapture could happen right now.
We need to ask ourselves if we are ready. Are we walking with Christ? Are we holding on to things that will pass away, or are we living with eternity in view?
The rapture is a promise that Jesus will come for us. It is hope for the weary, comfort for the grieving, and strength for all of us who wait for Him.
Matthew 24:31 Jesus tells us when the trumpet will sound spoken of in 1 Thess and 1 Cor; “He will send out His angels with a LOUD TRUMPET…”
Only after “the tribulation of that day…” will Jesus be revealed.