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Jan Luyken's illustration of Matthew 24 verse 40, from the 1795 Bowyer Bible, which proponents take as a reference to the rapture
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The Rapture is an eschatological (end-times) concept held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Christians who are still alive, together will rise "in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."[1] [2]

Many different timelines have been asserted which tie to ideas of a seven-year Great Tribulation (e.g. pretribulation,[3] midtribulation, prewrath, and posttribulation raptures) and to a thousand year age of Messianic rule (Millennialism) (premillennialism, postmillennialism, amillennialism, preterism).[4][5]

The origin of the term extends from the First Epistle to the Thessalonians in the Bible, which uses the Greek word harpazo (Ancient Greek: ἁρπάζω), meaning "to snatch away" or "to seize". 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.

Most Christian denominations, and the numerically largest, do not subscribe to rapture theology and have a different interpretation of the aerial gathering described in 1 Thessalonians 4.[6] They do not use rapture as a specific theological term, nor do they generally subscribe to the dispensational theology associated with its use.[7] Instead they typically interpret rapture in the sense of the elect gathering with Christ in Heaven directly after the Second Coming and reject outright the idea that a large portion of humanity will be left behind on earth for an extended tribulation period after the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.[6][8]

Etymology

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Rapture is derived from Middle French rapture, via the Medieval Latin raptura ("seizure, kidnapping"), which derives from the Latin raptus ("a carrying off").[9]

Greek

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The Koine Greek of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the verb form ἁρπαγησόμεθα (harpagēsometha), which means "we shall be caught up" or "we shall be taken away". The dictionary form of this Greek verb is harpazō (ἁρπάζω).[10] This use is also seen in such texts as Acts 8:39,[11] 2 Corinthians 12:2–4,[12] and Revelation 12:5.[13] Linguist, Dr. Douglas Hamp, notes that Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates lists harpagēsometha as the first-person plural future passive indicative of the Greek stem, harpagē (har-pag-ay),[14] “the act of plundering, plunder, spoil.” The future passive indicative of harpázō (although not used by Paul in 1 Thess. 4:17) can be viewed at verbix.com: ἁρπασθησόμεθα (harpasthēsometha).[15] GS724 harpagē means: 1. the act of plundering, robbery; 2. plunder, spoil.[16] When the rapture and the "restoration of all things" (Acts 3:20-21[17]) are viewed as simultaneous events (according to Romans 8:19-21[18]) then it makes sense why Paul would use "shall be plundered" to match the verbiage of the distortion of the Earth described in Isaiah 24:3,[19] "The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered...".[20]

Latin

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The Latin Vulgate translates the Greek ἁρπαγησόμεθα as rapiemur[a] meaning "we will be caught up" or "we will be taken away" from the Latin verb rapio meaning "to catch up" or "take away".[21]

English

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English translations of the Bible have translated 1 Thessalonians 4:17 in various ways:

Doctrinal position

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A pretribulational rapture view is most commonly found among American Fundamentalist Baptists,[22] Bible churches,[23] Brethren churches,[24] certain Methodist denominations,[25] Pentecostals,[26] non-denominational evangelicals, and various other evangelical groups.[27][improper synthesis?]

Vatican City. Sistine Chapel. The Fresco "The Last Judgement" by Michelangelo, 16th century. Catholic view of resurrection at Christ's return, with angelic aerial couriers and saints assisting.

The Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church,[28] the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, and Reformed denominations have no tradition of a preliminary return of Christ. The Eastern Orthodox Church, for example, favors the amillennial interpretation of prophetic Scriptures and thus rejects a preliminary, premillennial return.[29] Most Methodists do not adhere to the dispensationalist view of the rapture.[7]

Aquinas and Augustine of Hippo

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In his Compendium Theologiae, Thomas Aquinas quotes another Doctor of the Church, St Augustine, to explain that no one is spared death and the separation of the soul from the body. The rapture of the Church, on the other hand, concerns the death of the faithful and their immediate resurrection of the flesh immediately after death:[30]

Accordingly those who are found alive at the Lord’s coming will be marked off from those who have died before, not for the reason that they will never die, but because in the very act by which they are taken up “in the clouds to meet Christ, into the air” (1 Thessalonians 4: 16), they will die and immediately rise again, as Augustine teaches.

— Compendium Theologiae, Ch. 243

Views

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One or two events

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Most premillennialists distinguish the Rapture and the Second Coming as separate events. Some dispensational premillennialists (including many evangelicals) hold the return of Christ to be two distinct events (i.e., Christ's second coming in two stages). According to this view, 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17[31] is a description of a preliminary event to the return described in Matthew 24:29–31.[32] Although both describe a coming of Jesus, these are seen to be different events. The first event is a coming where the saved are to be 'caught up,' whence the term "rapture" is taken. The second event is described as the second coming. The majority of dispensationalists hold that the first event precedes the period of tribulation, even if not immediately (see chart for additional dispensationalist timing views).[33] Dispensationalists distinguish these events as a result of their own literal[34][35] understanding of Paul's words.[36]

Amillennialists deny the interpretation of a literal thousand-year earthly rule of Christ. There is considerable overlap in the beliefs of amillennialists (including most Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans), postmillennialists (including Presbyterians), and historic premillennialists (including some Calvinistic Baptists) with those who hold that the return of Christ will be a single, public event.

Some proponents believe the doctrine of amillennialism originated with Alexandrian scholars such as Clement and Origen[37] and later became Catholic dogma through Augustine.[38]

Destination

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Dispensationalists see the immediate destination of the raptured Christians as being Heaven. Catholic commentators, such as Walter Drum[dead link] (1912), identify the destination of the 1 Thessalonians 4:17 gathering as Heaven.[39]

While Anglicans have many views, some Anglican commentators, such as N. T. Wright, identify the destination as a specific place on Earth.[40][41] This interpretation may sometimes be connected to Christian environmentalist concerns.[42]

Views of eschatological timing

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There are numerous views regarding the timing of the Rapture. Some maintain that Matthew 24:37–40[43] refers to the Rapture, pointing out similarities between the two texts, indicating that the Rapture would occur at the parousia of the Lord. Others point out that neither church nor rapture occur in Matthew 24 and there are significant differences between Matthew 24:37–40 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.[44] As a result, these two texts receive the overwhelming focus within discussions about the Rapture's timing. The two texts are as follows:

1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 ASV Matthew 24:37–40 ASV
15According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord (παρουσίαν, parousia),[45] will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 37And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming (παρουσία, parousia)[46] of the Son of man. 38For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming (παρουσία parousia)[47] of the Son of man. 40Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left.
Comparison of Christian millennial interpretations, including premillennialist, postmillennialist, and amillennialist viewpoints
Comparison of differing viewpoints amongst premillennialists about timing of tribulation

In the amillennial and postmillennial views there are no distinctions in the timing of the Rapture. These views regard that the Rapture, as it is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17,[48] would be identical to the Second Coming of Jesus as described in Matthew 24:29–31[49] after the spiritual/symbolic millennium.

In the premillennial view, the Rapture would be before a literal, earthly millennium. Within premillennialism, the pretribulation position distinguishes between the Rapture and the Second Coming as two different events. There are also other positions within premillennialism that differ with regard to the timing of the Rapture.[50]

Premillennialist views

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In the earliest days of the church, chiliastic teaching (i.e., early premillennialism) was the dominant view.[51] Eusebius wrote, "To these [written accounts] belong his [Papias of Hierapolis] statement that there will be a period of some thousand years after the resurrection of the dead, and that the kingdom of Christ will be set up in the material form on this very earth. [...] But it was due to him that so many of the Church Fathers after him adopted a like opinion, urging in their own support the antiquity of the man; as for instance Irenaeus and anyone else that may have proclaimed similar views."[52]

The 19th-century scholar Schaff notes that, "The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or millennarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgment."[53]

Over time, however, a clash surfaced between two schools of interpretation, the Antiochene and Alexandrian schools.[54] The Alexandrian school's roots can be traced back to the influence of Philo, a Hellenized Jew who sought to reconcile God's veracity with what he thought were errors in the Tanakh.[55] Alexandrian theologians viewed the Millennium as a symbolic reign of Christ from Heaven.[56] Through the influence of Origen and Augustine—students of the Alexandrian school—allegorical interpretation rose to prominence, and its eschatology became the majority view for more than a thousand years.[57] As a reaction to the rise of allegorical interpretation the Antiochene school[58] insisted on a literal hermeneutic.[59] but did little to counter the Alexandrian's symbolic Millennium.[60]

In the twelfth century futurism became prominent again when Joachim of Fiore (1130–1202) wrote a commentary on Revelation and insisted that the end was near and taught that God would restore the earth, the Jews would be converted, and the Millennium would take place on earth.[61] His teaching influenced much of Europe.

Though the Catholic Church does not generally regard Biblical prophecy in texts such as Daniel and Revelation as strictly future-based (when viewed from the standpoint of our present time), in 1590 Francisco Ribera, a Catholic Jesuit, taught futurism.[62] He also taught that a gathering-of-the-elect event (similar to what is now called the rapture) would happen 45 days before the end of a 3.5-year tribulation.

The concept of the rapture, in connection with premillennialism, was expressed by the 17th-century American Puritans Increase Mather and Cotton Mather. They held to the idea that believers would be caught up in the air, followed by judgments on earth, and then the millennium.[63][64] Other 17th-century expressions of the rapture are found in the works of Robert Maton, Nathaniel Holmes, John Browne, Thomas Vincent, Henry Danvers, and William Sherwin.[65]

The term rapture was used by Philip Doddridge[66] and John Gill[67] in their New Testament commentaries, with the idea that believers would be caught up prior to judgment on earth and Jesus' second coming.

An 1828 edition of Matthew Henry's An Exposition of the Old and New Testament uses the word "rapture" in explicating 1 Thessalonians 4:17.[68]

Although not using the term "rapture", the idea was more fully developed by Edward Irving (1792–1834).[69] In 1825,[70] Irving directed his attention to the study of prophecy and eventually accepted the one-man Antichrist idea of James Henthorn Todd, Samuel Roffey Maitland, Robert Bellarmine, and Francisco Ribera, yet he went a step further. Irving began to teach the idea of a two-phase return of Christ, the first phase being a secret rapture prior to the rise of the Antichrist. Edward Miller described Irving's teaching like this: "There are three gatherings: – First, of the first-fruits of the harvest, the wise virgins who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth; next, the abundant harvest gathered afterwards by God; and lastly, the assembling of the wicked for punishment."[71]

Pretribulational premillennialism

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Main article: Pretribulation rapture

The pretribulation position advocates that the rapture will occur before the beginning of a seven-year tribulation period, while the second coming will occur at the end of it. Pretribulationists often describe the rapture as Jesus coming for the church and the second coming as Jesus coming with the church. Pretribulation educators and preachers include Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Jeffress, J. Dwight Pentecost, Tim LaHaye, J. Vernon McGee, Perry Stone, Chuck Smith, Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe, Skip Heitzig, Chuck Missler, Grant Jeffrey, Thomas Ice, David Jeremiah, John F. MacArthur, and John Hagee.[72]

John Nelson Darby first solidified and popularized the pretribulation rapture in 1827. Despite vague notions of this view existing in a few Puritan theologians prior to Darby, he was the first person to place it into a larger theological framework .[73][74][75][76] This view was accepted among many other Plymouth Brethren movements in England.[77][page needed] Darby and other prominent Brethren were part of the Brethren movement which impacted American Christianity, especially with movements and teachings associated with Christian eschatology and fundamentalism, primarily through their writings. Influences included the Bible Conference Movement, starting in 1878 with the Niagara Bible Conference. These conferences, which were initially inclusive of historicist and futurist premillennialism, led to an increasing acceptance of futurist premillennial views and the pretribulation rapture especially among Presbyterian, Baptist, and Congregational members.[77]: 11  Popular books also contributed to acceptance of the pretribulation rapture, including William E. Blackstone's book Jesus is Coming, published in 1878,[78] which sold more than 1.3 million copies, and the Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909 and 1919 and revised in 1967.[79][80]

Some pretribulation proponents, such as Grant Jeffrey, maintain that the earliest known extra-Biblical reference to the pretribulation rapture is from a 7th-century tract known as the Apocalypse of Pseudo-Ephraem the Syrian.[81] Different authors have proposed several different versions of the text as authentic and there are differing opinions as to whether it supports belief in a pretribulation rapture.[82][83] One version of the text reads, "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, 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."[84][85] In addition, The Apocalypse of Elijah and The History of Brother Dolcino both state that believers will be removed prior to the Tribulation.[citation needed]

There exists at least one 18th-century and two 19th-century pretribulation references: in an essay published in 1788 in Philadelphia by the Baptist Morgan Edwards which articulated the concept of a pretribulation rapture,[86] in the writings of Catholic priest Manuel Lacunza in 1812,[87] and by John Nelson Darby in 1827. Manuel Lacunza (1731–1801), a Jesuit priest (under the pseudonym Juan Josafat Ben Ezra), wrote an apocalyptic work entitled La venida del Mesías en gloria y majestad (The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty). The book appeared first in 1811, 10 years after his death. In 1827, it was translated into English by the Scottish minister Edward Irving.[88]

During the 1970s, belief in the rapture became popular in wider circles, in part because of the books of Hal Lindsey, including The Late Great Planet Earth, which has reportedly sold between 15 million and 35 million copies, and the movie A Thief in the Night, which based its title on the scriptural reference 1 Thessalonians 5:2. Lindsey proclaimed that the rapture was imminent, based on world conditions at the time.

In 1995, the doctrine of the pretribulation rapture was further popularized by Tim LaHaye's Left Behind series of books, which sold close to 80 million copies and was made into several movies and four real-time strategy video games.[89]

According to Thomas Ice a belief in the imminence of Christ's return, key to modern pretribulation theology, can be found in various Church Fathers and early Christian writings.[90]

Midtribulational premillennialism

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The mid-tribulation position espouses that the rapture will occur at some point in the middle of what is popularly called the tribulation period, or during Daniel's 70th Week. The tribulation is typically divided into two periods of 3.5 years each. Midtribulationists hold that the saints will go through the first period (Beginning of Travail) but will be raptured into Heaven before the severe outpouring of God's wrath in the second half of what is popularly called the Great Tribulation. Midtribulationists appeal to Daniel 7:25 which says the saints will be given over to tribulation for "time, times, and half a time," – interpreted to mean 3.5 years. At the halfway point of the tribulation, the Antichrist will commit the "abomination of desolation" by desecrating the Jerusalem temple. Midtribulationist teachers include Harold Ockenga, James O. Buswell (a reformed, Calvinistic Presbyterian), and Norman Harrison.[91] This position is a minority view among premillennialists.[92]

Prewrath premillennialism

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The prewrath rapture view also places the rapture at some point during the tribulation period before the second coming. This view holds that the tribulation of the church begins toward the latter part of a seven-year period, being Daniel's 70th week, when the Antichrist is revealed in the temple. This latter half of a seven-year period [i.e. 3+1⁄2 years] is defined as the great tribulation, although the exact duration is not known. References from Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 are used as evidence that this tribulation will be cut short by the coming of Christ to deliver the righteous by means of the rapture, which will occur after specific events in Revelation, in particular after the sixth seal is opened and the sun is darkened and the moon is turned to blood.[93] However, by this point many Christians will have been slaughtered as martyrs by the Antichrist. After the rapture will come God's seventh-seal wrath of trumpets and bowls (a.k.a. "the Day of the Lord"). The Day of the Lord's wrath against the ungodly will follow during the remainder of the seventh year.[94][95]

Partial rapture premillennialism

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The partial, conditional or selective rapture theory holds that all obedient Christians will be raptured before the great tribulation depending on one's personal fellowship (or closeness) between her or him and God, which is not to be confused with the relationship between the same and God (which is believer, regardless of fellowship).[96][97] Therefore, it is believed by some that the rapture of a believer is determined by the timing of his conversion before the great tribulation. Other proponents of this theory hold that only those who are faithful in their relationship with God (having true fellowship with him) will be raptured, and the rest resurrected during the great tribulation, between the 5th and 6th seals of Revelation, having lost their lives during.[98] Still others hold the rest will either be raptured during the tribulation or at its end. As stated by Ira David (a proponent of this view): "The saints will be raptured in groups during the tribulation as they are prepared to go."[99] Some notable proponents of this theory are G. H. Lang, Robert Chapman, G. H. Pember, Robert Govett, D. M. Panton, Watchman Nee, Ira E. David, J. A. Seiss, Hudson Taylor, Anthony Norris Groves, John Wilkinson, G. Campbell Morgan, Otto Stockmayer and Rev. J. W. (Chip) White Jr.

Posttribulational premillennialism

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Main article: Posttribulation rapture

In the posttribulation premillennial position, the rapture would be identical to the second coming of Jesus or as a meeting in the air with Jesus that immediately precedes his return to the Earth before a literal millennium. The posttribulation position places the rapture at the end of the tribulation period. Posttribulation writers define the tribulation period in a generic sense as the entire present age, or in a specific sense of a period of time preceding the second coming of Christ.[100] The emphasis in this view is that the church will undergo the tribulation.[101] Matthew 24:29–31 – "Immediately after the Tribulation of those days...they shall gather together his elect..." – is cited as a foundational scripture for this view. Posttribulationists perceive the rapture as occurring simultaneously with the second coming of Christ. Upon Jesus's return, believers will meet him in the air and will then accompany him in his return to the Earth.

In the Epistles of Paul, most notably in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 ("the dead in Christ shall rise first") and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, a trumpet is described as blowing at the end of the tribulation to herald the return of Christ; Revelation 11:15 further supports this view. Moreover, after chapters 6–19, and after 20:1–3 when Satan is bound, Revelation 20:4–6 says, "and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection."

Authors and teachers who support the posttribulational view include Pat Robertson, Walter R. Martin, John Piper, George E. Ladd,[102] Robert H. Gundry,[103] and Douglas Moo.

Postmillennialism

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Main article: Postmillennialism

In the postmillennialist view the millennium is seen as an indefinitely long time thus precluding literal interpretation of a thousand-year period. According to Loraine Boettner "the world will be Christianized, and the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace, commonly called the millennium."[104] Postmillennialists commonly view the rapture of the Church as one and the same event as the second coming of Christ. According to them the great tribulation was already fulfilled in the Jewish-Roman War of AD 66–73 that involved the destruction of Jerusalem.[citation needed] Authors who have expressed support for this view include the Puritan John Bunyan of Pilgrim's Progress, Congregationalist theologian Jonathan Edwards, and Second Great Awakening figure Charles Finney.

Amillennialism

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Main article: Amillennialism

Amillennialists view the millennial rule of Christ as the current, but indefinite period that began with the foundation of the church and that will end with the Second Coming—a period where Christ already reigns with his saints through the Eucharist and his church. They view the life of the church as Christ's kingdom already established (inaugurated on the day of the Pentecost described in the first chapter of Acts), but not to be made complete until his second coming. This framework precludes a literal interpretation of the thousand-year period mentioned in chapter twenty of Revelation, viewing the number "thousand" as numerologically symbolic and pertaining to the current age of the church.

Amillennialists generally do not use "rapture" as a theological term, but they do view a similar event coinciding with the second coming—primarily as a mystical gathering with Christ. To amillennialists the final days already began on the day of the Pentecost, but that the great tribulation will occur during the final phase or conclusion of the millennium, with Christ then returning as the alpha and omega at the end of time. Unlike premillennialists who predict the millennium as a literal thousand-year reign by Christ after his return, amillennialists emphasize the continuity and permanency of his reign throughout all periods of the New Covenant, past, present and future. They do not regard mentions of Jerusalem in the chapter twenty-one of Revelation as pertaining to the present geographical city, but to a future new Jerusalem or "new heaven and new earth", for which the church through the twelve apostles (representing of the twelve tribes of Israel) currently lays the foundation in the messianic kingdom already present. Unlike certain premillennial dispensationalists, they do not view the rebuilding of the temple of Jerusalem as either necessary or legitimate, because the practice of animal sacrifices has now been fulfilled in the life of the church through Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Authors who have expressed support for the amillennialist view include St. Augustine.[105] The amillennialist viewpoint is the position held by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches, as well as mainline Protestant bodies, such as Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and many Reformed congregations.[106]

Preterist Rapture

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Further information: Preterism

This view, associated with Victorian Congregationalist J. Stuart Russell is that the rapture already occurred in the lifetime of the St John,[107] leaving an empty husk institution: the Christian church was not restored until the Reformation.

Date

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Further information: List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events

Since the origin of the concept, some believers have made predictions regarding the date of the event. All have failed in their attempt to set a date.[108]

Failed predictions

[edit]
Main article: Predictions and claims for the Second Coming

Notable predictions of the date of the Second Coming of Jesus, which may or may not refer to the rapture, include the following:

Predictions of the date of the rapture include the following:

  • 1988: Edgar C. Whisenant published a book called 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.[114]
  • 1994-09-06: Radio evangelist Harold Camping predicted 6 September 1994.[115]
  • 2011-05-21: Harold Camping's revised prediction put 21 May 2011 as the date of the rapture.[116][117] After this date passed without apparent incident, Camping made a radio broadcast stating that a non-visible "spiritual judgement" had indeed taken place, and that the physical rapture would occur on 21 October 2011. On that date, according to Camping, the "whole world will be destroyed."[118]
  • 2017-09-23: Christian numerologist David Meade based this prediction on astrological theories.[119][120]
  • 2025-09-23/24: Predicted by Joshua Mhlakela.[121]

See also

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Notes

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Rapture

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from Grokipedia
The Rapture is an eschatological belief in certain branches of positing that at the return of Christ, all believers—both those who have died and are , and those who are alive—will be suddenly caught up or transported to meet him in the air, receiving glorified bodies in the process. This event is seen as a moment of divine , separating the church from impending judgment on the . The term "Rapture" derives from the Latin rapio (from the translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17), meaning "to seize" or "carry off," corresponding to the Greek harpazō in the original text. The primary biblical foundation for the Rapture is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17, where the Apostle Paul describes the descending from with a shout, the dead in Christ rising first, and living believers being "caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the in the air." This meeting (Greek: apantesis) is analogized in some premillennial interpretations to the parable of the ten virgins going out to meet the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1–13), where the same Greek term "apantesis" (meeting) is used, emphasizing spiritual readiness for Christ's sudden return. Interpretations vary on whether this meeting leads directly to heaven or serves as an escort back to earth. Supporting passages include 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, which speaks of a sound and instantaneous transformation of perishable bodies into imperishable ones, and John 14:1–3, where promises to prepare a place for believers and return to receive them to himself. These texts emphasize the event's suddenness, comfort for the grieving, and role in God's redemptive plan to protect the church from wrath. Interpretations of the Rapture's timing relative to the prophesied seven-year Tribulation period vary among premillennialists, who anticipate a literal thousand-year reign of Christ following end-times events. The pretribulational view, the most prevalent in modern , asserts the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation begins, sparing believers from God's judgments described in Revelation 6–19. In contrast, the posttribulational perspective places it at the Tribulation's end, coinciding with Christ's visible , while the midtribulational or prewrath positions locate it midway or just before the latter half's intensified wrath. These differences stem from debates over passages like Matthew 24:29–31 and Revelation 3:10. The doctrine's modern formulation emerged in the within dispensational , a theological system distinguishing between God's plans for the church and . , an Anglo-Irish theologian and leader, systematized the pretribulational Rapture around the 1830s, emphasizing the church's imminent removal as distinct from Israel's restoration during the Tribulation and Millennium. Earlier hints appear in patristic writings, such as the 2nd-century and Pseudo-Ephraem's medieval sermon, but no fully developed pretribulational teaching predates Darby's influence. The concept gained widespread popularity in the through conferences, notes, and media like the series, shaping evangelical views on end times.

Etymology

Ancient Roots

The term "rapture" derives from the Latin verb rapio, meaning "to seize," "to snatch away," or "to carry off," a word attested in literature from the third century BCE onward. This verb, part of the third conjugation (rapio, rapere, rapui, raptus), conveyed ideas of forceful or sudden removal, often implying violence, haste, or plunder. In ancient Roman usage, rapio frequently described acts of abduction or , as seen in Plautus's Rudens (c. 200 BCE), where a character exclaims "quo rapitis me?" ("Where are you dragging me off to?"), illustrating its sense of being seized against one's will. Similarly, employed it in his Philippics (44–43 BCE) to denote plundering or , such as in discussions of wartime seizures. In epic and poetic contexts, rapio evoked swift or divine intervention, aligning with themes of transportation or elevation. Virgil's Aeneid (c. 19 BCE) uses it to depict Turnus "rapit" (snatching or hurrying away) an entire battle line, emphasizing rapid, forceful action. Horace, in his Odes (c. 23 BCE), extended the term metaphorically to death's untimely grasp, as in "improvisa leti / vis rapuit rapietque gentes" ("the sudden force of death has snatched away and will snatch peoples"), blending literal seizure with inevitable fate. These classical applications highlight rapio's core connotation of abrupt removal, whether physical, emotional, or fatal, without the ecstatic overtones later associated with the English derivative. The related noun form raptura ("seizure" or "carrying off"), appearing in , derives from the past participle raptus of rapio. In Jerome's (late ), the future verb rapiemur translates harpazō ("to snatch up") in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, evoking sudden ascent. The English word "rapture" entered the language around 1600, initially denoting an act of carrying off or a state of ecstatic transport, before being applied to the eschatological catching up of believers in the .

Modern Usage

In contemporary , particularly within evangelical and dispensationalist traditions, the term "Rapture" denotes the eschatological event in which living believers and the resurrected dead in Christ are suddenly "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. This usage emphasizes an imminent, removal of the church from earth prior to a period of tribulation, distinguishing it from Christ's visible . The word itself, derived from the Latin rapiemur in the translation of the same verse, has become a standard descriptor in English-language sermons, writings, and doctrinal statements since the late . The modern popularization of "Rapture" as a theological concept accelerated in the 1830s through the teachings of , founder of the , who integrated it into dispensational —a framework viewing history as divided into distinct eras of God's dealings with humanity. This view spread widely via the (1909), which annotated scriptures to support a pre-tribulation Rapture, influencing Bible conferences like the Niagara Bible Conference (1875–1897) and theologians such as and . By the mid-20th century, the term entered mainstream evangelical discourse through works like Hal Lindsey's (1970), which sold over 28 million copies and framed the Rapture as an urgent expectation amid global events.

Biblical Basis

Primary Texts

The doctrine of the Rapture draws its foundational support from several key passages in the , particularly those written by the Apostle Paul, which describe the sudden gathering of believers to meet Christ. These texts emphasize themes of , transformation, and reunion with the Lord, often in the context of eschatological hope and comfort for early Christian communities. While interpretations vary, the primary scriptural basis is derived from direct statements about the "catching up" or transformation of the faithful at Christ's return. The most explicit description appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, where Paul addresses concerns about deceased believers and assures the Thessalonian church of their inclusion in the 's return. In this passage, Paul writes:
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that died and rose again, even so, through , will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the , that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the , will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the himself will descend from with a cry of command, with the voice of an and with the sound of the trumpet of . And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the in the air, and so we will always be with the . 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
This text introduces the term often translated as "rapture" from the Latin rapio (to seize or catch up), referring to the believers being "caught up" (Greek: harpazo) to meet the descending Lord, with the resurrection of the dead preceding the living. Complementing this is 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, part of Paul's broader discourse on the resurrection body, which reveals a "mystery" of instantaneous transformation for both the living and the dead at the trumpet sound:
51 Behold! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Here, the emphasis is on the imperishable nature of the resurrected and transformed bodies, linking the event to the final trumpet call and underscoring its suddenness. This passage is frequently connected to the Thessalonian account as describing the same transformative moment. Jesus' words in John 14:1-3 provide an earlier promise of return and reception, spoken during the Last Supper to comfort his disciples:
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
This assurance of Christ coming to "take" believers to himself is interpreted by proponents as alluding to the Rapture's intimate gathering, distinct from broader judgments. Additional supporting texts include :40-41, part of ' Olivet Discourse on the end times, depicting selective removal amid daily life:
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
This imagery of sudden separation is seen as illustrative of the Rapture's discernment between the faithful and others. Further passages, such as 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ("For has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ") and 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"), are cited to emphasize from impending tribulation.

Interpretive Frameworks

The interpretive frameworks for the Biblical basis of the rapture doctrine primarily revolve around hermeneutical approaches to key passages, such as 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which describes believers being "caught up" to meet the in the air—with the Greek term "apantesis" (ἀπάντησις) denoting this "meeting," also appearing in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13 where the virgins go out to meet the bridegroom—and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, which speaks of a sudden transformation of living and dead believers at the last trumpet. Some premillennial interpreters analogize the rapture to this parable, emphasizing spiritual readiness and preparedness for Christ's sudden return. However, interpretations vary on the destination after the meeting: whether believers are immediately taken to heaven or if the encounter involves escorting Christ back to earth, drawing on ancient customs where delegations met dignitaries outside the city and accompanied them in. These texts are interpreted through lenses that emphasize literal, historical-grammatical versus more allegorical or continuity-focused readings, influencing whether the rapture is seen as a distinct event separate from the second coming or integrated into a single eschatological return of Christ. Dispensational hermeneutics, a prominent framework, applies a consistently literal interpretation to prophetic Scriptures, maintaining a sharp distinction between and the church, which supports the idea of a pre-tribulational rapture where the church is removed before a future period of tribulation described in Daniel 9:24–27 and . This approach, formalized in the by , views 1 Thessalonians 4 as outlining an imminent, secret catching away to spare the church from God's wrath, distinct from the visible return in 19. In contrast, covenantal theology employs a hermeneutic that stresses continuity between the Old and New Testaments, interpreting rapture-related passages within the broader narrative of God's unified redemptive plan for one covenant people, often leading to post-tribulational or amillennial views where no separate rapture occurs. Under this framework, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 and Matthew 24:29–31 describe the same event: the general and gathering of the at Christ's single, visible at the end of , without a prior removal of the church. Scholars like argue that this reading aligns with the contextual emphasis on over escape, rejecting the dispensational insertion of a seven-year tribulation gap based on a futuristic literalism of Daniel's . John 14:1–3, promising Christ's return to receive believers, is similarly seen not as a distinct rapture but as part of the parousia, the comprehensive advent foretold across Scripture. Mid-tribulational and pre-wrath views blend literal and contextual , positioning the rapture after the initial tribulation phases but before God's full wrath (e.g., –16), drawing on the "last trumpet" in 1 Corinthians 15 as aligning with the seventh trumpet in 11. These approaches prioritize syntactic and thematic consistency across and the , as noted by Robert H. Gundry, who critiques pretribulational separations as introducing unnecessary discontinuities. Overall, the hinges on whether prophetic texts demand a plain-sense reading that distinguishes events or a synthesis that unifies them under Christ's ultimate return.

Historical Development

Early Church Period

The concept of the Rapture, understood as the sudden catching up of believers to meet Christ in the air as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, was not distinctly articulated as a separate event from the Second Coming in the writings of the early (approximately 100-400 AD). Instead, their eschatological views emphasized an imminent return of Christ following a period of tribulation, with the resurrection and gathering of saints occurring at the visible parousia (coming) after the church had endured and the rise of the . This perspective was shaped by the ongoing Roman persecutions and a literal interpretation of apocalyptic texts like Daniel and . Key Ante-Nicene Fathers, such as (c. 96 AD), urged vigilance for Christ's sudden arrival without specifying a pre-tribulational removal, quoting 2:3 to stress imminence amid judgment. The (c. 100-160 AD) similarly called for watchfulness against the world-deceiver () before the Lord's sign appears in heaven, linking the gathering of the elect to the post-tribulational trumpet call. (d. c. 117 AD) and the (c. 117-138 AD) reinforced this by portraying the church's endurance through trials as integral to eschatological fulfillment, with no indication of an escape prior to tribulation. The (c. 140-155 AD) depicted a sudden divine intervention at the end but tied it to final judgment rather than a distinct rapture. Later figures like (c. 100-165 AD) affirmed , expecting the church to face the Antichrist's deception before Christ's return resurrects and assembles the saints for a literal 1,000-year kingdom in . Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-202 AD), in Against Heresies (Book 5), elaborated on the church's tribulation under the beast, followed by the of the just at Christ's descent, interpreting 1 Thessalonians 4 as part of this unified event without a secret prior catching away. Tertullian (c. 155-240 AD) echoed this in On the Resurrection of the Flesh, viewing the rapture-like gathering as concurrent with the visible after the church's earthly trials, influenced by Montanist expectations of imminent catastrophe. These patristic writings collectively reflect a post-tribulational framework, where imminence coexisted with anticipated suffering, laying foundational premillennial without the later dispensational distinction of a pre-tribulational rapture.

Post-Reformation Evolution

Following the Protestant , eschatological thought among Protestants initially emphasized the imminent return of Christ, drawing from Reformation leaders like and , who interpreted passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 in terms of a sudden gathering of believers without specifying a pretribulational separation from end-times tribulation. This period saw a cautious revival of , particularly among Anabaptists and radical reformers, who rejected amillennial dominance in Catholic and mainstream Protestant circles, viewing the thousand-year reign in as a future literal kingdom preceded by Christ's return. In the , English Puritan theologians advanced premillennial interpretations amid post-Westphalia (1648) religious freedoms, with Joseph Mede (1586–1638) exerting significant influence through his Clavis Apocalyptica (1627), which promoted a reading of and emphasized the imminence of Christ's coming for the saints. Puritan leader (1639–1723) further developed these ideas, arguing in The Mystery of Israel's (1669) and later works that believers would be "caught up into the air" to escape a final "deluge of fire" before the world's judgment, blending posttribulational elements with a protective rapture prior to ultimate . By the , Baptist commentator John Gill (1697–1771) described the rapture as an imminent event in his Exposition of the (1746–1748), where saints are gathered to Christ before descending with Him for judgment, while Morgan Edwards (1722–1795) proposed in his 1788 thesis a rapture occurring three and a half years before the . These views reflected a growing literal hermeneutic but remained largely posttribulational or midtribulational, without a fully developed pretribulational framework. The 19th century marked a pivotal evolution with the systematization of pretribulational , primarily through (1800–1882) of the , who articulated around 1830 that the church would be raptured secretly before a seven-year tribulation, distinguishing it from Israel's role in end-times under a dispensational schema. Darby's ideas, disseminated through conferences and writings, gained traction in America via the Niagara Bible Conferences (1878–1909) and were popularized by Cyrus I. Scofield's Reference Bible (1909), which annotated key texts like 1 Thessalonians 4 to support a pretribulational rapture. This dispensational pretribulationism contrasted with earlier post-Reformation amillennial and historic premillennial views, emphasizing church removal to preserve its purity. In the , the doctrine proliferated through evangelical institutions, with figures like founding (1924) to teach , and popular media such as Hal Lindsey's (1970) and the series (1995–2007) embedding pretribulational rapture in mainstream culture, though posttribulational critiques persisted among scholars like . By the late 20th century, other traditions, such as Reformed and Adventist, maintained posttribulational or amillennial stances.

Theological Perspectives

Patristic and Medieval Views

In the Patristic era, early generally understood the "catching up" described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 as an integral part of Christ's visible , involving the simultaneous of the dead in Christ and the transformation of living believers to meet the Lord in the air. This event was viewed as a communal, triumphant gathering rather than a secret or separate removal from earthly tribulations. , in his Adversus Marcionem (c. 207 AD), explicitly referenced the passage to affirm that the dead would rise first, followed by the living being "caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air," emphasizing bodily and the defeat of death through Christ. , in his Homilies on the (c. 390 AD), elaborated on the passage as a source of comfort for the bereaved, portraying the catching up as an honorable and instantaneous meeting where believers, both dead and alive, would ascend amid the trumpet's blast to greet the descending Lord, underscoring the equality of all saints in this final victory. , in (c. 426 AD), aligned the event with the general at the end of time, where the elect would be gathered to Christ for judgment, rejecting any notion of an interim rapture separate from the parousia. These interpretations reflect a premillennial or postmillennial prevalent among many Fathers, focused on perseverance through trials until Christ's return. During the Medieval period, theological views on the rapture evolved under the dominant influence of Augustinian amillennialism, which integrated the catching up into a singular, post-tribulational event of universal resurrection and judgment, without distinguishing it as a prior evacuation of the church. Thomas Aquinas, in his Lectures on the First Epistle to the Thessalonians (c. 1270 AD), explained 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 as the dead rising first, with the living undergoing an instantaneous death and resurrection to join them in the clouds, meeting Christ who descends publicly for the consummation of all things. This aligns with his broader eschatology in the Summa Theologica, where the transformation occurs at the last trumpet, ensuring all humanity faces judgment together. An outlier appears in the sermon attributed to Pseudo-Ephraem (c. 6th-7th century), which describes the saints being "gathered together before the tribulation... and taken to the Lord" to avoid worldly confusion, a passage some interpret as implying removal from tribulation, though scholars debate its meaning and it does not represent a developed pre-tribulational rapture . However, this text, preserved in Latin manuscripts and debated for its authorship, did not represent mainstream Medieval , which largely followed patristic patterns of a unified end-times event. Scholastic theologians like Aquinas prioritized scriptural harmony with church tradition, viewing the rapture as the glorious culmination of history rather than an escape mechanism.

Nature of the Event

The Rapture, in , refers to the instantaneous event in which deceased believers are resurrected and living believers are transformed and caught up together to meet the Jesus Christ in the air. This event is depicted as occurring at the descent of Christ from , accompanied by a cry of command, the voice of an , and the sound of God's . According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, "For the himself will descend from with a cry of command, with the voice of an , and with the sound of the 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 in the air, and so we will always be with the " (ESV). This passage emphasizes the reunion of all believers—dead and alive—with Christ, ensuring their eternal presence with him. Central to the nature of the Rapture is the bodily transformation of participants, where mortal bodies are changed into imperishable, glorified forms. As described in 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" (ESV). This transformation occurs simultaneously with the , highlighting the event's suddenness and miraculous character, without requiring physical death for the living. The term "Rapture" derives from the Latin rapio (to seize or snatch away), translating the Greek harpazō in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, underscoring the forceful, supernatural removal from earth. Scholarly analyses within affirm this as a distinct phase of Christ's return, focused on the church as the , distinct from other eschatological judgments. The event is characterized by its imminence and selectivity, applying specifically to believers in Christ while leaving unbelievers behind, as illustrated in Matthew 24:40-41: "Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left" (ESV). This selective aspect underscores the Rapture's role in divine deliverance, often interpreted as protection from impending tribulation, though interpretations vary on its visibility—some view it as audible and visible due to the and shout, while others emphasize its suddenness for believers. Overall, the Rapture embodies hope and Christ's personal intervention, integrating themes of comfort and eternal fellowship as exhorted in 1 Thessalonians 4:18.

Eschatological Timing

Pretribulational Premillennialism

Pretribulational is a theological position within that holds the rapture of the church—described as believers being suddenly "caught up" to meet Christ in the air—occurs prior to a seven-year period of tribulation, known as Daniel's seventieth week. This view maintains that the church, comprising all believers from to the rapture, is exempt from this tribulation, which is instead a time of primarily directed toward unbelieving and the nations. Following the tribulation, Christ returns visibly to in what is termed the second coming or , defeating evil forces and establishing a literal 1,000-year millennial kingdom where he reigns from . The biblical foundation for this position draws primarily from passages depicting the rapture as an imminent, comforting event distinct from the tribulation and . Key texts include 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which describes the Lord descending with a shout and trumpet call, with the dead in Christ rising first and living believers being caught up together to meet him in the clouds; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, emphasizing the instantaneous transformation of believers at the last trumpet; and John 14:1-3, where promises to return and receive his followers to himself. Proponents argue these events lack preceding signs, underscoring imminence, and contrast with tribulation-focused prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27 and Revelation 6-19. Additionally, promises of deliverance from , such as Revelation 3:10 ("I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world") and 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (" has not destined us for "), are interpreted as guaranteeing the church's removal before the tribulation begins. Central arguments supporting pretribulational include the distinction between and the church as separate entities in , with the tribulation fulfilling prophecies for national (e.g., the 70th week of Daniel targeting "your people and your "). This separation necessitates the church's absence during that period to allow to resume dealings with . The view also posits a two-stage return of Christ: the rapture as a private, upward movement for believers, versus the public, downward with saints to judge and reign. Imminence is emphasized, as no prophesied events must precede the rapture, fostering a watchful among believers. Critics within , such as historic premillennialists, argue this timing lacks explicit scriptural support, but proponents counter with the consistent application of a literal hermeneutic across prophetic texts. Historically, pretribulational gained systematic form in the through , a key figure in the movement, who developed dispensational theology emphasizing distinct divine economies for and the church. Earlier precedents appear in writings like a 4th-7th century attributed to Pseudo-Ephraem, where some interpret a passage in the Latin version as describing the saints being gathered to the Lord before the tribulation to avoid seeing it, though this is disputed and the Syriac version differs; and in the 18th-century American pastor Morgan Edwards, who articulated ideas of a rapture before tribulation. The view spread widely through the Niagara Bible Conference (1878-1900), C.I. Scofield's Reference Bible (1909 and 1917 editions), and later works by scholars like John F. Walvoord and J. Dwight Pentecost, influencing evangelical institutions such as . By the late 20th century, it became prominent in popular media, including Tim LaHaye's series, though debates persist over its novelty relative to patristic premillennialism.

Midtribulational Premillennialism

Midtribulational is a variant within that posits the rapture of the church occurring at the midpoint of a seven-year tribulation period, specifically after the first 3.5 years but before the onset of the "" or the full outpouring of God's . This view maintains that the tribulation corresponds to the final "seventieth week" of Daniel's prophecy, divided into two halves, with the church present during the initial phase of human-led persecution under the but removed prior to divine judgments in the latter half. Adherents argue this timing aligns with promises that believers will be spared from God's while still acknowledging the expectation of suffering in the world. The midtribulational perspective emerged in the as a mediating position between pretribulational and posttribulational views, gaining limited traction among evangelical scholars. Its principal proponent was Norman B. Harrison, who articulated the view in his writings, emphasizing a structured interpretation of end-times events. Other key figures include J. Oliver Buswell, a theologian and former president of Wheaton College, who incorporated midtrib elements into his , and Harold J. Ockenga, an influential evangelical leader associated with . Earlier influences trace to figures like Jesse Forest Silver, whose 1922 book The Lord's Return explored rapture timing amid premillennial discussions, though the view remained marginal compared to dominant pretribulational . By mid-century, it appeared in theological debates but did not achieve widespread denominational adoption. Biblically, midtribulationalists link the rapture to the sounding of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15, interpreting it as the moment when the church is gathered before escalating judgments. They draw on Daniel 9:27 to identify the midpoint as the trigger for the , arguing that passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:9 ("God has not destined us for wrath") refer specifically to the second half's divine wrath, not the entire period. Additional support comes from :15–21, where describes the abomination marking the start of unprecedented distress, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, which sequences the man of lawlessness' before . Proponents emphasize that the first half involves satanic opposition rather than God's direct anger, allowing the church to witness fulfillment up to that point while fulfilling exhortations to endure tribulation (John 16:33). This position differs from pretribulational premillennialism, which places the rapture before any tribulation to emphasize imminence and complete separation from , by requiring believers to experience initial persecutions. In contrast to posttribulational views, it separates the rapture from Christ's at the tribulation's end, viewing the former as a distinct event preceding the battle of . Midtribulationalism thus seeks a balance, but critics note challenges in consistently distinguishing "" across Revelation's seals, trumpets, and , some of which appear early in the sequence (e.g., Revelation 6:16–17). Despite these debates, it underscores premillennial commitment to a literal following Christ's return.

Prewrath Premillennialism

Prewrath is a theological position within dispensational that posits the rapture of the church occurs after the onset of the but prior to the commencement of God's , known as . This view distinguishes between three phases of end-times events during Daniel's seventieth week: the beginning of birth pains (first half, seals 1-4), the under Satan's and the Antichrist's (seal 5), and God's (seals 6-7 onward). Adherents argue that the church must endure from human and satanic forces but is exempt from , aligning with promises of from in Scripture. The timing of the rapture in this framework is placed late in the seven-year tribulation period, specifically after the cosmic signs of the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-17, which signal the approaching , but before and the trumpet judgments that initiate God's wrath. Proponents interpret the as a shortened period of approximately 21 months, rather than the full 3.5 years, to preserve the , as described in :22. The rapture is seen as coinciding with the gathering of the in :29-31 and the appearance of the great multitude in Revelation 7:9-14, who have come out of the . This position maintains a premillennial return of Christ to establish a literal thousand-year kingdom following the rapture and defeat of the . Biblical support for prewrath premillennialism emphasizes passages that separate tribulation from wrath, such as 1 Thessalonians 5:9, which states believers are not appointed to wrath, and Revelation 3:10, promising protection from the hour of trial. Key texts include the (Matthew 24), where the Son of Man gathers His elect immediately after the tribulation of those days, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, describing the rapture event preceding in chapter 5. The view rejects pretribulational imminence, arguing that signs like the must precede the rapture, while affirming the church's presence during seals 1-6. This perspective was developed and popularized in the late 20th century by Robert D. Van Kampen, whose works The Sign (1992) and The Rapture Question Answered (1997) outlined its scriptural framework, and Marvin J. Rosenthal, author of The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church (1990), who emphasized the distinction between satanic and divine wrath. Other contributors include Charles C. Cooper, who explored its dispensational foundations in publications like Parousia journal. Prewrath remains a minority view among evangelicals but influences discussions on eschatological timing by bridging midtribulational and posttribulational elements.

Partial Rapture Premillennialism

Partial Rapture Premillennialism is a minority view within premillennial eschatology that teaches the rapture of the church will not include all believers at once but will occur selectively in stages, based on their spiritual maturity and faithfulness. According to this theory, only those Christians who are "watching" and living in obedience will be raptured prior to or during the early phases of the tribulation, while less faithful believers will remain on earth to endure trials as a form of discipline until they are ready for a subsequent rapture. This perspective emphasizes the rapture as a reward for spiritual readiness rather than an unconditional event for the entire body of Christ. The theory traces its origins to the mid-19th century, with British pastor Robert Govett articulating it in his 1853 book The Saints' Rapture to the Presence of the Lord Jesus, where he argued for multiple gatherings of believers corresponding to their levels of devotion. It gained further traction in the early through the writings of George Hawtin Lang, who popularized it among some independent Bible teachers, and was promoted in publications like The Dawn magazine edited by David Morling Panton. Other notable proponents include Ira E. David, Sarah Foulkes Moore, William Leask, and C.G.A. Gibson-Smith, though the view has remained on the fringes of dispensational thought without widespread adoption. Proponents of partial rapture premillennialism draw primarily from passages that stress vigilance and faithfulness, such as Matthew 24:40–51, which describes one taken and one during the coming of , interpreted as selective removal of the prepared. Luke 21:36 is also cited, urging believers to "pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass," suggesting worthiness as a condition for escaping the tribulation. Revelation 3:10 promises protection to the faithful church in , reinforcing the idea that rapture timing hinges on overcoming and worldly compromise. Advocates argue this aligns with the broader biblical theme of rewards for faithful service, as in 1 Corinthians 3:12–15, where works are tested by fire, implying varying outcomes for believers at Christ's return. Critics, including prominent pretribulational scholars, contend that the partial rapture theory undermines the of by grace through alone (Ephesians 2:8–9), by introducing works-based criteria for the rapture and effectively dividing the unified (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). It is seen as lacking historical precedent in early church writings and misapplying exhortations to watchfulness, which pretribulationists interpret as promoting imminency for all believers rather than selectivity. The view also raises theological issues, such as implying that some saved individuals could face the tribulation's wrath despite Christ's promise of deliverance (1 Thessalonians 5:9), potentially confusing justification with sanctification. As a result, partial rapture is largely rejected in mainstream evangelical circles as inconsistent with the unconditional nature of the church's translation.

Posttribulational Premillennialism

Posttribulational premillennialism, also known as , posits that the rapture of the church occurs at the end of a future seven-year period of , coinciding with Christ's visible to establish a literal thousand-year millennial kingdom on . In this view, believers endure the tribulation alongside unbelievers, experiencing divine protection rather than removal from earthly trials, after which the dead in Christ are resurrected and living believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This timing integrates the rapture as a single event with the second coming, rejecting any pre- or mid-tribulational separation. Key beliefs emphasize a chronological sequence in eschatological events: the church age transitions into the tribulation marked by unprecedented global distress (Matthew 24:21), during which the church serves as a witness and faces persecution but is preserved from God's direct wrath. Christ's return follows immediately, defeating Antichrist forces (Revelation 19:11-21), binding Satan (Revelation 20:1-3), and initiating the millennium where resurrected saints reign with him in a renewed earth characterized by peace and justice (Isaiah 11:1-9; Zechariah 14:9-11). Unlike dispensational premillennialism, this perspective does not distinguish sharply between Israel and the church, viewing the church as the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel and thus inheriting millennial blessings. Biblically, proponents draw from passages portraying the second coming as post-tribulational, such as Matthew 24:29-31, where angels gather the elect immediately after the tribulation's cosmic disturbances, and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, which links the gathering to the man of lawlessness' revelation and defeat. The "elect" in tribulation contexts (e.g., :20) is interpreted as the church, not a separate Jewish remnant, supporting the idea that believers remain on until Christ's return. Revelation 20:4-6 describes the first of tribulation martyrs joining the church in millennial rule, reinforcing a unified resurrection-rapture event at the end of trials. Historically, posttribulational traces to early like and [Justin Martyr](/page/Justin Martyr), who anticipated Christ's return after widespread and but before the , though without a fully developed rapture doctrine. It waned during the medieval period under amillennial dominance but revived in the 19th and 20th centuries through scholars such as , whose work The Blessed Hope (1956) articulated a biblically grounded posttribulational framework, emphasizing the church's perseverance through tribulation as normative for Christian experience (John 16:33). Other influential proponents include J. Barton Payne and Robert H. Gundry, who defended the view against pretribulational critiques by highlighting its alignment with patristic premillennialism (chiliasm) and rejection of imminency as a core rapture tenet. This position remains prominent among non-dispensational evangelicals, Reformed theologians, and some Anglican and Lutheran traditions, prioritizing scriptural unity over novel dispensational distinctions.

Postmillennialism

In postmillennial , the is understood as a future period of triumph and Christian influence leading to widespread conversion and societal transformation before Christ's , rather than a literal 1,000-year following a tribulation. This optimistic view posits that the church, empowered by the , will progressively subdue evil and establish Christ's kingdom on earth through and cultural engagement, culminating in a golden age of peace and righteousness. Unlike premillennial frameworks, postmillennialism does not anticipate a catastrophic tribulation preceding the ; instead, any trials are seen as ongoing but ultimately overcome by the advancing kingdom. The of Christ occurs after this millennial era, serving as the final judgment and consummation of history, with no distinct rapture event separating believers from the world in advance. Postmillennialists typically reject the concept of a pretribulational or secret rapture, interpreting passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 not as a preliminary removal of the church but as a description of the visible, glorious return of Christ at the end of history. In this view, the "catching up" (Greek: harpazō) of believers to meet the in the air coincides with the of the dead and the second advent, marked by audible elements such as the Lord's shout, the archangel's call, and the trumpet of God, which preclude any notion of secrecy or invisibility. Theologian Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., a prominent postmillennial , argues that the passage comforts grieving Thessalonian by assuring the reunion of living and deceased believers at Christ's parousia (coming), without implying a temporary rapture to escape tribulation or prepare for an earthly millennial kingdom. This interpretation aligns with the text's emphasis on eternal fellowship with the ("we will be with the forever"), viewing it as the climactic event after the church's victorious mission, rather than an escape mechanism. Historically, postmillennial thought, revived in the 19th century by figures like Charles Hodge and B.B. Warfield, has influenced Reformed and Puritan traditions, emphasizing the church's role in cultural dominion without reliance on a rapture doctrine. While some postmillennialists allow for a metaphorical or non-literal "rapture" language in reference to the final gathering at Christ's return, the doctrine remains marginal, as the focus is on present kingdom advancement rather than future evacuation. Critics within premillennial circles contend this downplays biblical prophecies of end-times peril, but postmillennial proponents counter that such texts refer to past events like the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 or ongoing spiritual battles. Overall, the rapture as a distinct eschatological event is absent from postmillennialism, reframed instead as integral to the triumphant second coming.

Amillennialism

Amillennialism interprets the "thousand years" of :1–6 symbolically, representing the current church age between Christ's first and second comings, during which deceased believers reign spiritually with Christ in heaven while is bound from fully deceiving the nations. In this view, there is no future literal millennial kingdom on earth; instead, the period signifies the gospel's advance amid ongoing and tribulation. Amillennialists affirm the rapture described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 but understand it as a public event coinciding with Christ's visible , where living and deceased believers are caught up to meet the in the air, followed immediately by the general , final judgment, and the new heavens and earth. Biblically, sees the first in as the spiritual regeneration of believers upon conversion, contrasting with the second, physical of all humanity at Christ's return. The binding of , initiated at Christ's ministry and , limits his power to prevent the gospel's global spread, though he remains active until released briefly before the end. Regarding the , passages like 2 Thessalonians 1–2 and 1 Thessalonians 4 emphasize a unified parousia () where the gathering of saints, deliverance from wrath, and punishment of the wicked occur simultaneously, rejecting any secret or pre-tribulational removal of the church. Historically, emerged prominently in the patristic era through , who shifted from chiliasm (early ) to a symbolic interpretation in , influencing for centuries. During the Reformation, and other leaders adopted an optimistic form of , emphasizing Christ's current spiritual reign and the church's role in advancing the gospel without expecting a golden age of peace before the end. Modern proponents, such as Anthony Hoekema and Kim Riddlebarger, have defended this view by highlighting its consistency with the "already/not yet" tension in , where kingdom promises are fulfilled in Christ and the church rather than postponed to a future earthly reign. Unlike pretribulational premillennialism, holds that the church endures the , with the Antichrist's rise occurring near the end of the age, culminating in Christ's return to defeat evil decisively. This perspective avoids a two-stage return of Christ and aligns the rapture with post-tribulational timing, viewing the entire period from to parousia as the symbolic marked by both victory and suffering.

Preterism

Preterism is an eschatological interpretation that views many biblical prophecies concerning the end times, including those related to the Rapture, as having been fulfilled in the first century AD, particularly with the Roman destruction of in AD 70. This approach emphasizes the historical context of writings, arguing that passages like the in and much of the addressed imminent events for the apostolic generation rather than distant future occurrences. Within , a key distinction exists between partial and full variants, each offering differing perspectives on the Rapture as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, where believers are "caught up" to meet the . Partial , the more widely accepted form among orthodox , posits that while prophecies of tribulation and (such as the "" in :21) were fulfilled in , the Rapture remains a future event tied to Christ's physical , bodily of the dead, and final . Proponents like Kenneth Gentry reject the dispensational notion of a "secret rapture" preceding a future tribulation, interpreting 1 Thessalonians 4 instead as describing a , visible gathering of believers at the parousia (Christ's coming), marked by a , archangel's voice, and —elements incompatible with . In this view, the Rapture occurs post-tribulationally, coinciding with the end of history rather than as a separate escape mechanism. Full , often labeled hyper-preterism and considered heretical by many theologians for denying a physical return of Christ, asserts that all eschatological prophecies—including the Rapture, , and —were completely fulfilled by AD 70. Here, the "catching up" in 1 Thessalonians 4 is understood spiritually or metaphorically as the vindication of first-century saints during the judgment on , where deceased believers' spirits reunited with living ones in Christ's presence without a literal physical ascension or event. Some full preterists interpret this as a corporate spiritual and rapture of the church from old covenant into the era, rendering any Rapture unnecessary. Critics, including partial preterists like , argue this undermines core doctrines such as the bodily and visible return of . Overall, challenges interpretations of the Rapture by prioritizing the original audience's timeframe, with "this generation" in :34 pointing to events within decades of ' ministry. Partial integrates this historical fulfillment with ongoing expectation of ultimate consummation, while full sees the entire eschatological framework as realized, transforming the Rapture from a hoped-for evacuation to a past transition.

Predictions and Dates

Historical Failed Predictions

Throughout Christian history, particularly within premillennialist and dispensationalist circles, numerous predictions for the timing of the Rapture have been made and subsequently failed to materialize, often leading to disappointment, reinterpretation, or schisms among believers. These date-setting attempts typically stem from interpretations of biblical prophecies in books like Daniel, , and , combined with contemporary events such as wars, natural disasters, or geopolitical shifts. While warned against precise date-setting in :36, proponents have frequently calculated timelines based on perceived signs, resulting in a pattern of unfulfilled expectations that has persisted into modern times. One of the earliest widely publicized predictions in dispensationalist circles came from , whose 1970 bestseller argued that the Rapture would occur within the lifetime of the generation witnessing Israel's rebirth in 1948, implying no later than 1988. Lindsey's book, which sold over 28 million copies and popularized end-times speculation among evangelicals, tied this timeline to a literal reading of :34 and global tensions like the . When 1988 passed without incident, Lindsey did not retract the framework but shifted focus to ongoing signs, influencing subsequent prophecy literature. Building on such ideas, former engineer self-published 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988 in 1988, claiming the event would occur on (September 11–13) based on a 40-year generation from 1948, numerological calculations from Genesis, and alignments with Jewish feasts. The booklet distributed over 4.5 million copies through churches and sold widely, prompting some followers to quit jobs in anticipation. After the date failed, Whisenant issued revisions predicting 1989, 1993, and 1994, each of which also passed uneventfully; he later attributed delays to interpretive errors but maintained the imminence of the event until his death in 2001. In the early 1990s, , founder of , predicted the Rapture for September 6, 1994, using and biblical to link the church age's end to 6,000 years from creation. When it did not occur, Camping recalculated, leading to his most infamous forecast: the Rapture on May 21, 2011, followed by global destruction on October 21, 2011. Backed by extensive radio campaigns costing over $100 million, the prediction drew thousands of followers who sold possessions and protested publicly. The May date's failure prompted Camping to call it a "spiritual" judgment, but October also passed without event; he publicly repented in 2012, admitting the prediction as sinful before his death in 2013. A sociological study of Camping's movement highlighted how led adherents to rationalize the failure through reinterpretation. Other notable failed predictions include the 2014–2015 "Blood Moon Tetrad," promoted by pastor in his book Four Blood Moons (2013), which interpreted four lunar eclipses as harbingers of the Rapture during the Jewish feasts of and . Hagee, whose work sold over 750,000 copies, linked the eclipses to Joel 2:31 and end-times restoration of , but no such event transpired, leading critics to note the eclipses' predictable astronomical nature unrelated to prophecy. Similarly, a 2017 prediction tied to the "Revelation 12 Sign"—a rare alignment of Virgo, Leo, and planets on September 23—gained traction online among evangelicals as fulfilling :1–5, with some expecting the Rapture; the date came and went amid widespread debunking by astronomers and theologians. In September 2025, South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela claimed a divine vision revealed the Rapture would occur on September 23–24, coinciding with ; the prediction went viral on , particularly under the hashtag #RaptureTok, sparking widespread speculation, discussions, and some followers preparing for the event, but it failed to materialize, leading to online disappointment and mockery. These examples illustrate a recurring cycle in evangelical prophecy culture, where failed dates often reinforce rather than diminish belief in the Rapture's nearness.

Contemporary Speculations

In the , speculations about the Rapture have persisted within certain evangelical circles, often tying current global events to biblical "signs of the times" described in passages like Matthew 24:6–8, such as wars, famines, and pestilences. Influenced by dispensational , these interpretations view events like the , the , and the as precursors to the tribulation period preceding the Rapture. For instance, the pandemic prompted some to equate lockdowns and vaccines with the "mark of the beast" from , heightening expectations of an imminent catching away of believers. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that 63 percent of white evangelical Protestants believe humanity is currently living in the end times, reflecting widespread acceptance of such speculative frameworks. This outlook draws heavily from the legacy of , whose 1970 book connected mid-20th-century developments—like the founding of in 1948 and tensions—to prophetic fulfillment, predicting Christ's return within a generation (by around 1988). Lindsey's approach, updated in subsequent works and his television program The Hal Lindsey Report, has shaped ongoing evangelical by encouraging readers to map contemporary onto Ezekiel 38–39 and other texts. More recent conflicts, including the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the 2023–present Israel-Hamas war, have similarly spurred Rapture speculations, with some linking them to prophecies of or end-times battles. Natural phenomena, such as the April 2024 over , were also interpreted by fringe voices as harbingers of the sixth seal in Revelation 6. Theologians like Russell Moore have cautioned against these tendencies, arguing that Jesus' words in :32–33 prohibit date predictions and urge faithful living amid uncertainty rather than speculative anxiety.

Denominational Views

Evangelical and Dispensationalist Adoption

The doctrine of the pretribulational Rapture, central to dispensational premillennialism, was systematized and popularized by John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish theologian and founder of the Plymouth Brethren movement, in the 1830s. Darby developed dispensationalism as a framework dividing biblical history into distinct eras of God's dealings with humanity, emphasizing a literal interpretation of prophecy and a sharp distinction between Israel and the Church. Within this system, he taught that Christ would return secretly before a seven-year tribulation to rapture believers to heaven, sparing the Church from end-times judgments, a view he promoted through extensive writings, lectures, and travels across Europe and North America. Darby's ideas gained significant traction in the United States through the efforts of American evangelicals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly via conferences and institutions like the Niagara Conference, where premillennialism and dispensational teachings were disseminated among Protestant leaders. The pivotal moment came with the publication of the in 1909 by . Scofield, a Congregationalist minister influenced by Darby. This annotated embedded dispensational notes and cross-references that explicitly supported the pretribulational Rapture, portraying it as an imminent event tied to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. With over 10 million copies sold lifetime and widespread use in seminaries, the Scofield transformed from a fringe view into a cornerstone of American evangelical theology, influencing institutions such as and . By the mid-20th century, the Rapture doctrine had become a hallmark of evangelical , particularly among fundamentalist and independent churches. Surveys indicate strong adherence; for instance, a 2011 Pew Research Center poll found that 61% of global evangelical leaders affirmed belief in the Rapture as part of end-times events. A 2016 Lifeway Research study reported that 43% of American evangelical pastors endorsed the pretribulational Rapture, reflecting its dominance in Baptist and Pentecostal circles. This adoption shaped broader evangelical culture, including support for as a prophetic fulfillment and an emphasis on personal in anticipation of Christ's return.

Mainline Protestant and Catholic Positions

The Roman does not teach a pre-tribulational rapture, viewing it as incompatible with Scripture and , where Christ's is a single, visible event accompanied by the of the dead and the final . According to the , the Church will endure a final trial before Christ's return, during which evil will be unleashed, but believers remain united with Christ through rather than being removed from the world. This emphasizes the Parousia () as the culmination of history, with no distinct rapture separating the church from tribulation. Mainline Protestant denominations, such as the United Methodist Church, explicitly exclude the rapture from their doctrinal standards, rejecting notions of a secret removal of believers before a great tribulation as absent from core teachings on the Second Coming. Similarly, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) affirms no separate rapture event apart from Christ's return, focusing instead on the sovereignty of God in eschatological timing without speculative timelines. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, while not issuing a formal statement, aligns with historic Lutheran eschatology that critiques rapture theology as a modern invention, emphasizing a single resurrection and judgment at Christ's visible return. The shares this perspective, defining as the study of the last things—including the Kingdom of God's arrival—without endorsing a rapture as part of historic creeds or tradition, which it regards as a 19th-century development outside apostolic . Across these traditions, the focus remains on ethical living in anticipation of Christ's return, rather than escape from end-time events, reflecting amillennial or postmillennial interpretations that integrate tribulation with the church's mission.

Criticisms and Opposition

Theological Critiques

Theological critiques of the Rapture doctrine, particularly its pretribulational form, often center on its perceived lack of scriptural warrant and its divergence from historic . Critics from amillennial, postmillennial, and preterist perspectives argue that the idea of a secret removal of the church prior to a future tribulation introduces an unbiblical two-stage return of Christ, contradicting passages that describe a single, visible parousia. For instance, 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 is interpreted not as an escape to but as believers meeting the descending Christ to accompany him to earth, akin to ancient welcoming processions. Amillennial theologians contend that the Rapture promotes an escapist that undermines the church's call to endure and witness amid trials, as evidenced by Revelation's assurances of spiritual protection rather than physical removal during . Sam Storms, an amillennialist, outlines seven reasons against a pretribulational Rapture, including the fact that the "hour of trial" in Revelation 3:10 targets unbelievers ("earth-dwellers") while believers are promised preservation through faithfulness, not exemption (cf. John 17:15; Revelation 7:3, 14). This view aligns with the broader amillennial emphasis on the present spiritual reign of Christ, where tribulation is ongoing rather than a discrete future event confined to seven years. Postmillennial critiques highlight the Rapture's pessimism about earthly transformation, portraying it as a doctrine that discourages cultural engagement by anticipating imminent destruction rather than gradual triumph leading to Christ's return. While shares with a rejection of a literal premillennial kingdom, it specifically faults dispensational Rapture for bifurcating history into unrelated dispensations, ignoring the unified covenantal promises of renewal in texts like Isaiah 65:17–25 and 2 Peter 3:13, where the earth is refined, not abandoned. Preterist scholars argue that the Rapture misapplies prophetic imagery by projecting a future tribulation that was largely fulfilled in the first-century events surrounding Jerusalem's fall in , as described in and –11. This historicist reading eliminates the need for a pretribulational escape, viewing the "gathering" of the elect (:31) as the church's preservation through judgment rather than evacuation. Barbara Rossing, in her analysis from a partial preterist standpoint, further critiques the doctrine's 19th-century origins in , asserting it distorts Revelation's message of hope and resistance to empire through the Lamb's victory, not violent end-times scenarios. Overall, these critiques portray the Rapture as theologically divisive, fostering fear and disengagement while contradicting the Bible's emphasis on cosmic renewal and the church's perseverance until Christ's singular advent.

Biblical Interpretation Disputes

The concept of the Rapture, often understood as the sudden removal of believers from Earth to meet Christ in the air, has sparked significant disputes among biblical scholars over its scriptural foundation and timing relative to end-times events. Central to these debates is the interpretation of key New Testament passages, particularly 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which describes the Lord descending with a shout and the dead in Christ rising first, followed by living believers being "caught up" (Greek: harpazō) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Proponents of a distinct Rapture event argue this depicts an imminent, separate gathering of the church before a seven-year tribulation period, distinct from the visible Second Coming described elsewhere. Critics, however, contend that this passage aligns with the general resurrection at Christ's single, post-tribulational return, emphasizing comfort for the Thessalonian church amid persecution rather than a secret escape. Another focal point of contention is 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, which speaks of a "mystery" where believers are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet," with the dead raised imperishable. Pre-tribulation interpreters, such as John F. Walvoord, link this "last trumpet" to an event preceding the tribulation's judgments, arguing it signals the church's exemption from God's wrath as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:9. In contrast, post-tribulation scholars like identify this trumpet with the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15, which announces Christ's kingdom after tribulation seals, viewing the transformation as part of the final rather than a preliminary Rapture. This dispute highlights broader hermeneutical tensions: literal versus symbolic readings of prophetic texts, and whether the "last trumpet" implies sequence or finality in eschatological events. Interpretations of further intensify the debates, with no explicit mention of a Rapture in the book despite its apocalyptic imagery. Pre-tribulation advocates cite :10, where Christ promises to keep the church in "from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world," as evidence of removal before global tribulation, and point to the absence of the word "church" after as implying its prior rapture. Opponents, including Barbara Rossing and David Aune, argue that "keep from" (tēreō ek) denotes protection through trials rather than physical extraction, drawing parallels to God's preservation of during plagues in Exodus, and note that the book's structure reflects John's visionary ascent ( 4:1) rather than a corporate church event. Additionally, passages like 20:4–6, describing a "first " of martyrs, are contested: pre-tribulation views see it as post-Rapture, while amillennial and post-tribulation interpreters integrate it into a singular resurrection-judgment sequence, rejecting multiple stages. These interpretations often rely on dispensational distinctions between and the church, which critics like deem anachronistic not supported by the text's first-century context. Disputes also extend to Old Testament prophecies, such as Daniel 9:27's "seventy weeks," where pre-tribulation readings insert a parenthetical gap for the church age, culminating in a future tribulation from which believers are raptured. Post-tribulation and preterist scholars, however, argue for a continuous fulfillment tied to Christ's first coming or historical events like the Roman destruction of in 70 CE, dismissing the Rapture as a synthesis lacking patristic precedent. Overall, these interpretive conflicts underscore methodological divides—premillennial literalism versus amillennial symbolism—and the absence of a unified biblical term or doctrine for the Rapture, leading scholars like Craig Keener to emphasize its derivation from fragmented proof-texting rather than holistic .

Cultural Impact

Literature and Theology

The doctrine of the Rapture has been extensively analyzed in Christian theological literature, particularly within Protestant traditions. Early references appear in patristic writings, such as Irenaeus's Against Heresies (ca. 180 AD), which discusses an imminent gathering of the saints amid end-times events, though without a clear pre-tribulational distinction. Medieval texts like Pseudo-Ephraem's On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World (likely 6th-7th century AD, attributed to [d. 373 AD]) hint at believers being removed before tribulation, but these views remained marginal until the modern era. Twentieth-century evangelical literature further refined and defended pretribulationalism. John F. Walvoord's The Rapture Question (first published 1957, revised 1979) provides a comprehensive examination of four rapture positions—pretribulational, midtribulational, partial, and posttribulational—arguing biblically for the pre-trib view as aligning with God's promises of deliverance for the church. Similarly, J. Dwight Pentecost's Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology (1958) synthesizes prophetic texts into a systematic dispensational framework, dedicating chapters to the Rapture's timing and nature, underscoring its role in distinguishing Israel and the church in God's plan. These works, alongside the Dallas Theological Seminary's influence, established pretribulationalism as a cornerstone of dispensational theology, with nearly 250,000 copies of Pentecost's book sold. Opposing theological literature, often from posttribulational or amillennial perspectives, critiques the Rapture's secrecy and timing. George Eldon Ladd's The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture (1956) argues for a posttribulational Rapture, interpreting 1 Thessalonians 4-5 and Matthew 24 as depicting a single, visible return of Christ after tribulation, rejecting dispensational separations as unbiblical. Ladd's historic premillennialism influenced mainline Protestant thought, emphasizing the church's endurance through trials. In Catholic theology, the Rapture doctrine is largely rejected as a 19th-century Protestant innovation lacking patristic or magisterial support; Paul Thigpen's The Rapture Trap: A Catholic Response to End Times Fever (2001) dismantles pretribulational claims by reinterpreting 1 Thessalonians through Second Temple Jewish context and Vatican teachings on the general resurrection at Christ's parousia. Official Catholic documents, such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992, paragraphs 668-682), affirm a singular second coming without a prior rapture, aligning with amillennial eschatology. Contemporary theological debates continue in multi-view formats, such as Three Views on the Rapture: Pretribulation, Prewrath, or Posttribulation (2010, edited by Stanley N. Gundry), where proponents like Craig Blaising (pretrib) and (posttrib) engage scriptural , highlighting interpretive disputes over imminence and wrath. These works prioritize conceptual clarity on the Rapture's relation to tribulation, , and Israel's role, shaping ongoing evangelical discourse without exhaustive numerical prophecies. The concept of the Rapture has permeated popular culture, especially through evangelical media that dramatizes end-times eschatology drawn from interpretations of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and the Book of Revelation. These depictions often blend horror, thriller, and adventure elements to evoke fear, urgency, and calls to faith, reflecting broader cultural anxieties about apocalypse and redemption. Beginning in the mid-20th century, such narratives evolved from niche religious productions to mainstream phenomena, shaping evangelical identity and public discourse on biblical prophecy. In literature, the Rapture gained widespread traction with Hal Lindsey's (1970), a that interpreted current events through dispensationalist lenses and sold over 28 million copies by 1990. This paved the way for the fictional series by and , launched in 1995, which chronicles the sudden disappearance of believers and ensuing tribulations; the 16-volume saga topped lists for years, amassing over 80 million copies sold and spawning graphic novels, audiobooks, and a . Scholarly analyses highlight how these works reinforced evangelical while embedding conservative political themes, such as support for , into readers' worldviews. Film adaptations amplified the Rapture's visual impact, starting with early evangelical productions like The Rapture (1941), a low-budget short by Charles Octavia Baptista depicting chaotic vanishings via crashed trains and empty homes to warn of impending judgment. The genre's breakthrough came with A Thief in the Night (1972), directed by Donald W. Thompson, which portrayed a young woman's post-Rapture nightmare and reportedly reached an estimated 300 million viewers worldwide, inspiring numerous conversions and sequels through its stark horror style. Later entries include the Left Behind film series (2000-2014), with the 2014 reboot starring Nicolas Cage grossing $14 million despite mixed reviews, shifting tones toward action-thrillers while maintaining core dispensationalist plots. Secular takes, such as This Is the End (2013) by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, satirized the event as a celebrity apocalypse, grossing over $100 million and underscoring the Rapture's crossover appeal in comedy. Television has further mainstreamed Rapture themes, often with nuanced or critical lenses. HBO's The Leftovers (2014-2017), adapted from Tom Perrotta's novel, explores societal fallout from a global "Sudden Departure" event affecting 2% of the population, drawing parallels to Rapture theology without explicit Christian framing and earning critical acclaim for its psychological depth. Shows like Good Omens (2019-2023) on Amazon Prime, based on Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's novel, humorously subverts end-times tropes including a comedic Rapture-like ascension, blending fantasy with satirical commentary on prophecy. In music, while direct references are rarer, evangelical artists like Larry Norman incorporated apocalyptic motifs in songs such as "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" (1969), which lamented the Rapture's separation of families and influenced contemporary Christian rock. In 2025, the Rapture concept resurfaced in with the viral "#RaptureTok" trend on , sparked by South African Joshua Mhlakela's prediction of the event occurring on September 23-24, 2025. The trend generated over 1 million searches in days, with users sharing preparations, anxieties, and discussions on end-times , highlighting the doctrine's enduring role in digital culture despite the prediction's failure to materialize. These portrayals have profoundly influenced culture, fostering a "rapture horror" subgenre that drives evangelical media consumption and political mobilization, as seen in ties to events like the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot through prophetic fearmongering. By the , the Rapture motif extended to video games like : Eternal Forces (2006), allowing players to simulate tribulations, and informed broader apocalyptic fiction, embedding dispensationalist ideas into American entertainment.

References

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  24. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%203%3A10&version=ESV
  25. https://tyndale.tms.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/tmsj13e.pdf
  26. https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1993/02/meeting-the-lord-in-the-air
  27. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1709&context=masters
  28. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/dispensational-theology/
  29. https://bible.org/article/theology-adrift-early-church-fathers-and-their-views-eschatology
  30. https://theopedia.com/premillennialism
  31. https://www.pre-trib.org/pretribfiles/slides/Watson-ConceptsOfPretribRaptureAndGreatTribulationIn17And18CenturyEngland.pdf
  32. https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/SS1Thes.htm
  33. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1100&context=sor_fac_pubs
  34. https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2018/10/27/did-pseudo-ephraim-believe-in-the-rapture-some-notes-on-the-manuscripts-the-passage-and-its-greek-origins/
  35. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%204%3A16-17&version=ESV
  36. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/context/symp_grad/article/1037/viewcontent/Ballard___A_Case_for_the_PreTribulational_Rapture_of_the_Church.pdf
  37. https://defendtheword.com/uploads/3/4/6/1/34617673/origins_and_development_of_the_pre-tribulation_rapture_view_3-12-25.pdf
  38. https://walvoord.com/article/66
  39. https://www.gotquestions.org/midtribulationism.html
  40. https://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/prewrajv/prewraKS.pdf
  41. https://clearteaching.net/2023/10/30/prewrath-rapture-premillennialism/
  42. https://dbts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/A-Critique-of-the-Prewrath-Interpretation-of-the-Day-of-the-Lord-in-Joel-2-3-Cole.pdf
  43. https://walvoord.com/article/63
  44. https://www.myrtlefieldhouse.com/david-gooding-answers/partial-rapture-doctrine
  45. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/views-of-the-millennium/
  46. https://voice.dts.edu/review/craig-l-blomberg-a-case-for-historic-premillennialism/
  47. https://walvoord.com/article/64
  48. https://www.gotquestions.org/postmillennialism.html
  49. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/end-times/what-is-postmillennialism.html
  50. https://postmillennialworldview.com/2017/10/10/rapture-in-1-thess-4/
  51. https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/simply-put/amillennialism
  52. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/7-reasons-tom-schreiner-tentatively-holds-amillennialism/
  53. https://learn.ligonier.org/qas/what-view-did-john-calvin-and-the-other-reformers-take-on-eschatology
  54. https://www.gotquestions.org/preterist.html
  55. https://www.gotquestions.org/partial-preterism.html
  56. https://postmillennialworldview.com/2024/04/23/the-secret-rapture/
  57. https://www.thebereancall.org/content/do-preterists-believe-rapture
  58. https://reformed.org/eschatology/a-brief-theological-analysis-of-hyper-preterism-by-kenneth-l-gentry-jr/
  59. https://ia601206.us.archive.org/14/items/ReasonsWhyTheRaptureWillBeIn1988PDF/14080011-88-Reasons-Why-The-Rapture-Will-Be-in-1988.pdf
  60. https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=soc_etds
  61. https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/harold-camping-repents-for-sinful-prediction/
  62. https://baptistnews.com/article/another-year-another-apocalyptic-prediction/
  63. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/09/24/the-internet-is-disappointed-the-rapture-didnt-happen/
  64. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/04/solar-eclipse-christianity-end-of-world-prophesy-revelation/
  65. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/12/08/about-four-in-ten-u-s-adults-believe-humanity-is-living-in-the-end-times/
  66. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/11/died-late-great-planet-earth-end-times-hal-lindsey/
  67. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/06/bible-prophecy-war-iran-apocalypse-russell-moore/
  68. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/darby-dispensationalism/
  69. https://textandcanon.org/the-bestselling-reference-bible-that-remade-american-evangelicalism/
  70. https://www.christianpost.com/news/global-evangelical-leaders-believe-in-rapture-imminent-second-coming-of-jesus.html
  71. https://news.lifeway.com/2016/04/26/pastors-the-end-of-the-world-is-complicated/
  72. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/answers/endtimes-millenium-rapture-24748
  73. https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-where-does-the-rapture-fit-into-united-methodists-beliefs
  74. https://pres-outlook.org/2001/06/what-presbyterians-believe-about-the-future-part-3-our-distinctive-theological-voice/
  75. https://www.elca.org/news-and-events/7075
  76. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/eschatology/
  77. https://www.catholic.com/tract/the-rapture
  78. https://www.thebanner.org/columns/2022/09/whats-wrong-with-the-rapture
  79. https://www.samstorms.org/enjoying-god-blog/post/revelation-310-and-seven-reasons-why-i-don-t-believe-in-a-pre-tribulation-rapture-of-the-church
  80. https://www.neh.gov/article/rise-rapture-horror-culture
  81. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2222582X.2016.1184886
  82. https://walvoord.com/article/68
  83. https://www.logos.com/product/217897/things-to-come-a-study-in-biblical-eschatology
  84. https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802811110/the-blessed-hope/
  85. https://ascensionpress.com/products/the-rapture-trap-by-paul-thigpen
  86. https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2022/01/christian-horror-and-the-end-of-the-world
  87. https://ojs.st-andrews.ac.uk/index.php/BCW/article/download/2124/1583/7501
  88. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol28/iss2/7
  89. https://www.ew.com/rapture-movies-and-tv-shows-11815533
  90. https://www.today.com/popculture/rapture-tiktok-september-23-24-rcna233251
  91. https://www.thecut.com/article/tiktok-rapture-trending.html
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