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Is the rapture a concept from the Bible?

I was just told that this is not a concept from the Bible. I have studied the Bible, with a special emphasis on the End Times and the books of Revelation and Daniel specifically. What is your opinion? Is the rapture something that will come to pass according to the Bible? You don't have to agree that it is going to happen; the question is whether or not the Bible points to a concept similar to what we refer to as the rapture of Christians to be with Christ

Update:

conundrum: the rapture is not a secret. Pretty much everyone knew what I was talking about. Verse 17 says that we will meet with the Lord in the air. That's exactly what I am talking about.

Update 2:

preachertim: I am ready. I am saved. I would love to be one of those alive to see it happen, but I will not be disappointed to be one of the dead to rise first. And, by the way, I'm a 'mid-tribber.'

18 Answers

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  • Bob L
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Please people.

    The word "rapture" has it's roots in Latin.

    You'll find the concept laid out perfectly in the Latin vulgate texts.

    The Greek word that the Apostle Paul used is "harpasos."

    It's the same concept, it's the same as in our English translation of 1 Thessaolnians 4:17

    Our English version was translated from the Greek, not the Latin. That's why the word "rapture" does not appear per se in our Bibles.

    Source(s): 1 Thes. 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Pronunciation Guide harpazo {har-pad'-zo} TDNT Reference Root Word TDNT - 1:472,80 from a derivative of 138 Part of Speech v Outline of Biblical Usage 1) to seize, carry off by force 2) to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly 3) to snatch out or away Authorized Version (KJV) Translation Count — Total: 13 AV - catch up 4, take by force 3, catch away 2, pluck 2, catch 1, pull 1; 13 www.blueletterbible.com
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Rapture... the end of the world...

    According to this doctrine, when Christ returns, all of the elect who have died will be raised and transformed into a glorious state, along with the living elect, and then be caught up to be with Christ. The key text referring to the rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17, which states, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord."

    Virtually all Christians hold that the Second Coming will be preceded by a time of great trouble and persecution of God’s people (2 Thess. 2:1–4). This period is often called the tribulation. Until the nineteenth century, all Christians agreed that the rapture—though it was not called that at the time—would occur immediately before the Second Coming, at the close of the period of persecution. This position is today called the "post-tribulational" view because it says the rapture will come after the tribulation.

    -----------------------

    MY opinion:

    People have been proclaiming that they are living through the "end times" for waaaaay too long. There's always some unhygenic street-corner evangelist crackpot sputtering about how the world is going to end and that all the heathens better get the Lord harrassed into their unsaved souls.

    It STILL hasn't happened. The sky isn't falling. The oceans aren't boiling. Pigs are most definitely NOT sprouting wings and making like the birdies. They've been barking about it for years and years and years and they'll STILL be barking for years to come.

    It's a scare tactic, a convenient freak- the- everliving- crap- out- of- folks magic wand that can be waved about in dramatic fashion any time the religious collective feels the soul harvest is running dry.

    Trust me... go about your life. Ok, I'm sure you will anyhow considering there's really no alternative option (besides suicide, and I've heard God frowns upon that), but just make sure to keep in mind: STAY CALM. DON'T PANIC. REMEMBER YOUR TOWEL.

    *bows*

  • Sass B
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    The rapture that the Left Behind books talk about is not biblical. No Christians believed in such a thing until the 1830s when the concept was popularized by a preacher named John Nelson Darby. The Last Judgment is biblical - but everyone is judged during that. There is no biblical support for the idea that some Christians will be raptured into heaven before, but other people will be left behind on earth to suffer tribulation.

  • 1 decade ago

    The word "rapture" does not appear in the scripture... it is a fairly modern word. The meaning of which is "to be taken out quickly" you can rapture your eyeball.

    However Exodus in their answer brings the scriptures to light that speak of the idea of a "rapture" .... in most churches the rapture itself is not the contraversy.... the contraversy in most churches is "when" the rapture will occur. There are many pre-tribulation belivers that the rapture will occur prior to the tribulation.... there are some mid-trib rapture believers that the rapture will occur after 3 1/5 years into the tribulation prior to what the Bible refers to the last 3 1/5 years of the tribulation as the Great Tribulation.... then there are the post-trib belivers that believe the rapture will occur after the tribulation period is over and Christ returns to the earth to set up the millinium reign (yet another term that is a new phrase for a biblical ideal of Christ setting up a physical kingdom and reigning on earth for 1000 years)

    What truly matters in relation to the rapture is whether or not we are prepared when it does occur.... to me its not a matter of a timetable to worry about whether its pre-mid or post trib rapture... but more the fact that when it occurs I know I am ready to be with my Lord.... and if you or anyone reading this post is not sure if they are ready or not.... I urge you to get ready today.... that way no matter when the Lord calls........ your prepared and ready to stand with him!!

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  • 4 years ago

    a million THESSALONIANS 4:13-18 And there are others contained in the Bible. The rapture(snatched out, carried way) is actual in Scripture. this would ensue earlier to the 7 year Tribulation, and also in case you study the prophecys of the Bible it is the subsequent journey to be fulfulled. YAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Greek artwork for "air" is "aer" and refers back to the decrease atmoshphere, or from about 6,000 feet down; so, the Lord will come a minimum of interior of 6,000 feet of the Earth, per chance even decrease, with all the Saints assembly Him there; yet He, on the on the spot, received't come all a thanks to the Earth, that searching ahead to the 2d Coming, which will be seven or extra years later. The Bible obviously states that Saints received't ought to bear the Wrath of God, it really is what the (Tribulation) is. Its 7 years of Gods Wrath upon the Earth and the Unbelievers. So with this meaning; what's going to be the point of being a Saint of God if one has to bear the Wrath of God a similar because the unbelievers do? God can not punish his Saints for having faith in him, it really is why he snatches out the saints formerly he pours out his Wrath at something else of them. You men can stay the following in case you want, yet i go contained in the Rapture!And heres yet another element, How can the Saints come back with Jesus Christ contained in the 2d Coming in the journey that they did not leave?

  • 1 decade ago

    The Rapture is NOT Biblical.

    Where in the Bible does it say 7 yrs of tribulation?

    No where

    What does the Bible say about the Secret Rapture?

    “No single verse specifically states Christ will come before the Tribulation.”

    Tim LaHaye (author of “Left Behind”)

    Friends the belief in the SECRET RAPTURE is a dangerous doctrine because it is not Biblical. Please read with an open mind. Nowhere in the scriptures does it make any reference of a “SECRET RAPTURE”. Many people reference I Thessalonians 4 but they don’t actually read the whole chapter read verse 16.

    For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the VOICE of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

    In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trump: for the TRUMPET shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. I Corinthians 15:52

    These are some of the nosiest verses in the Bible how can it be a secret?

    Where is the scripture that says “7 years of Tribulation”?

    It cannot be found, because it is not in the Bible

    Did God save Noah from the flood or through it

    Did God save Israel from the plagues or through them

    Did God save Daniel from the lions den or through it

    But doesn’t the Bible say that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night?

    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which THE HEAVENS SHALL PASS AWAY with a GREAT NOISE, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be BURNED up. II Peter 3:10

    He comes as thief because it catches people by surprise.

    What does the Bible say will happen when Jesus comes back

    For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matt 24:27

    Everyone will see it you can’t miss it

    Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people: “Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

    Psalms 50:3

    I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger. Jeremiah 4:26

    And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:30,31

    since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. II Thessalonians 1:6-8

    1 angel rolled away the stone and 100 Roman soldiers collapsed in fear like dead men.

    1 angel killed almost 200,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night

    Jesus is coming with all his angels who will take flaming fire vengeance how can this be a secret?

    But doesn’t the Bible say 1 shall be taken and 1 shall be left?

    Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Matt 24:28

    Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?”

    So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” Luke 17:36, 37

    Notice how Jesus answers where the body and the vultures are gathered. The vultures devouring the flesh because those “Left Behind” will be dead.

    The secret Rapture was created by a Catholic monk named Ribera. It was supposed to be used in the Counter Reformation, but no one believed it.

    There is no Secret Rapture when Jesus comes he comes in glory the world does not go on for 7 years. When Jesus comes probation for sinners is over. We need to be ready now. Life does not continue on Earth after Jesus comes.

    http://prophecycode.org/Resources/Video/PCVideo/Pr...

    http://prophecycode.org/meeting-list.asp

  • 1 decade ago

    Yes, however, it is NOT the popular futurist model.

    1 Corinthians 15:51  ¶Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

    53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

    54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

    1 Thessalonians 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

    15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

    16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

    17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

    Hope this helps.

    GOD bless

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Some people attribute the essence of Rapute or Mary MacDonald.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Macdonald_%2...

    Pentacostals and others are heavy into this topic.

    Remember, however, that John in Revelations says your name has to be in the Book of Life.

    If, for some reason, (such as following False Prophets and getting the mark of the beast) it is not, then you don't go to heaven.

    All the "rapture" may do is bring you before God to find out you are NOT in the book of life!

    There is no warranty!

    Lead a good life!

    Expect no rewards!

    What who you follow or align yourself with!

  • 1 decade ago

    No. It is a image that man has conjured up in his head. There is gonna be alot of people shocked when the rapture doesn't take place. I don't understand how people think they are going to heaven. The bible tells us that only 144,000 are going to heaven and that they will be Kings and Priest. If they are to be Kings and Priest, What are they going to rule over? Maybe the great crowd with the palm branches in their hands? God said, the meek will inherit the earth. If everyone is caught up in the rapture, then what about the earth? God's plan is the same today, as it was 6,000 years ago with Adam and Eve. He has not changed his mind on wanting his children on a paradise earth.

  • 1 decade ago

    While the bible doesn't use the actual word rapture it does mention it in I Thes. 4: 16-17.

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