The term “Rapture” describes a concept within Christian eschatology, the study of end-times beliefs. It refers to a future event where Christian believers will be removed from the earth to meet Christ. This idea has captured the imagination of millions and is central to modern evangelical thought regarding prophecy and the final return of Jesus. This article provides an overview of the Rapture’s scriptural basis, its historical development, the major debates surrounding its timing, and its influence on popular culture.
Defining the Concept and its Scriptural Foundation
The core definition of the Rapture is the event where all Christian believers, both living and dead, are instantaneously “caught up” to meet Christ in the air. The English word “Rapture” does not appear in the Bible, but it is derived from the Latin Vulgate translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which uses rapiemur (“we shall be caught up”). This Latin term translates the original Greek word harpazo, meaning “to seize” or “to snatch away.” The two primary New Testament passages forming the foundation for the belief are 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
The passage in 1 Thessalonians describes the Lord descending from heaven, the dead in Christ rising first, and then living believers being “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The second passage, 1 Corinthians 15, explains the physical transformation that occurs during this event. It states that believers “will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” This transformation involves the mortal body putting on immortality. The event is understood as a simultaneous resurrection and glorification, resulting in all believers receiving new, immortal bodies to be with Christ.
The Historical Origin of the Modern Doctrine
The specific concept of a secret rapture preceding a period of global judgment is a relatively recent theological development. For the first 1,800 years of Christianity, the gathering of believers was generally understood to occur simultaneously with the visible Second Coming of Christ. The idea of a distinct, two-stage return—first for the church (Rapture) and then with the church (Second Coming)—was not a major doctrine.
The modern doctrine gained prominence in the 19th century through the teachings of Anglo-Irish evangelist John Nelson Darby. Darby, a founder of the Plymouth Brethren movement, developed Dispensationalism and began articulating his views on a pre-tribulation rapture around 1827. This view became highly influential in American evangelicalism, largely aided by the Scofield Reference Bible, which popularized the pre-tribulation timing.
The Major Views on Timing
The most debated aspect of the Rapture is its timing in relation to the “Great Tribulation,” a prophesied period of intense suffering and divine judgment on earth. The three main theological positions—Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation—center on whether the church will experience this period of global distress.
Pre-Tribulation View
This view holds that the Rapture will occur before the Great Tribulation begins. Proponents argue that the church is promised deliverance from God’s wrath and will be removed from the earth before the judgment starts. This position views the Rapture as a separate, secret event where Christ comes for his church, distinct from his public Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation.
Mid-Tribulation View
This view places the Rapture at the midpoint of the Tribulation, after three and a half years. Adherents believe the church will endure the first half, which they see as general tribulation. They contend that believers will be raptured before the second, more severe half, which is identified as the time of God’s specific wrath.
Post-Tribulation View
This view maintains that the Rapture will occur at the end of the Great Tribulation, coinciding with the visible Second Coming of Christ. This position argues that the gathering of the saints and the return of Christ are a single, unified event. Believers are expected to endure the entire period of tribulation and persecution, with the Rapture serving as the final act of deliverance and resurrection before Christ establishes his earthly reign.
The Rapture in Popular Culture
The concept of the Rapture is familiar to the general public due to its dramatic portrayal in media. This cultural familiarity is driven by the scenario of sudden, unexplained disappearances and the chaos of being “left behind,” providing a compelling framework for apocalyptic fiction.
The most significant cultural influence came from the Left Behind book series, written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, starting in 1995. This bestselling franchise vividly depicted the world immediately following a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, focusing on non-believers who must navigate the subsequent Tribulation. Earlier, the 1972 film A Thief in the Night was highly influential within evangelical circles, focusing on the anxiety of those who missed the event.
The Rapture is a belief concerning the removal of Christian believers to meet Christ, rooted in the New Testament’s description of a future resurrection and transformation. While the scriptural basis is ancient, the specific doctrine of a secret, pre-tribulation event is a modern development popularized in the 19th century through Dispensationalism. Its timing remains a subject of significant debate within Christianity, yet the concept maintains a pervasive influence on theological discussion and popular culture.