Scriptural

Studies

What is the Rapture? 

There is no Rapture in the Scriptures! 

And Why Not?

Nab B.  

July 27, 2022

(updated Sep 3, 2025)

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"We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. 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: 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...comfort one another with these words." 

(1 Thess 4:15-18)

"Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." 

(1 Cor 15:51-53)

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Scores of Christians are obsessed with the rapture! They believe that before the so-called great tribulation strikes, Christ will rapture his Church and escape the physical suffering with the rest! 

First, let me say at the outset that the two passages above have nothing to do with a so-called rapture! So, what are they about? They are simply about the bodily resurrection of the dead!

There's nothing really special about the word "rapture"! It was never a catchphrase in scripture or among early Christians.  Rapture means "to gather or to catch up". 

Being "caught up with Christ" simply describes how all believers ( living and dead ) will be gathered to Christ Jesus when the resurrection of the dead occurs. (1 Thess 4:15-18)

Why is the Rapture Doctrine Popular?

The rapture was made popular by John Nelson Darby, a dispensationalist British priest in the 1830s. Somehow, obsessed with the doctrine, other evangelical pastors joined in, preached it, taught it, and wrote many books about it. To cement the idea further in the minds of many Christians, movies have been produced since the 1980s until now.

All True Believers Can't Avoid the 

Great Tribulation!

The pre-trib rapture teaching seems to appeal mostly to Christians who want nothing to disturb their comfortable and perhaps carnal living. Contrast this with the saints ( true believers ) who “loved not their lives even unto death”! (Rev 12:11)

The scriptures are silent about Christians being raptured before the tribulation! The opposite is true! They show that all believers must go through a "great tribulation" for one very crucial reason, as shown in this passage:

"These are they (great multitude) 

which came out of great tribulation, 

and have washed their robes, 

and made them white 

in the blood of the Lamb." 

(Rev 7:14) 

Not only does this say that the great multitude (all true believers in all generations) "came out of the great tribulation", but they must do so to "wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Narrowing the window of time to one last generation of Christians who will see and escape the great tribulation via a rapture is problematic and deceiving! It leaves out Christians in past generations who failed to be "washed and cleansed in the blood of the Lamb." 

That is a Serious problem!

The truth is, every true believer since the day of Pentecost up till now has gone, is going, and will be going through the great tribulation, whether we like it or not! And who in their right mind does not want to be washed and cleansed by the blood of Christ? Think about it!

Recall the necessity of the tribulation in these words:

“In the world, ye shall have tribulation.” (John 16:33) 

"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)

I hope this paper has piqued your interest in learning about the real meaning of the great tribulation, which isn't taught in the church system. For a deeper explanation, refer to my article: The Meaning of the Great Tribulation. It deals with whether the Great Tribulation is a worldwide future event (at the very end of time) or a spiritual condition; whether it has happened, is happening, or will happen. 

Suffice it to say, our walk with God and Christ is this great tribulation. It’s a life a true believer expects when the kingdom of light collides with the kingdom of darkness.

If one is not engaged in his own great tribulation for Christ's sake and his gospel, the question ought to be, why not, rather than trying to escape it via a rapture?

What Does "Caught Up" Mean?

Being "Caught up," which is popularly called "rapture," refers clearly to the "Resurrection" of all believers, past, present, and future, to be with the Lord.

Note the similarities between Jesus Christ's words and Paul's:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live...Marvel not at this...all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life." (John 5:25-29)

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel...and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess 4:16-18)

What Paul is saying is that when the resurrection occurs, the dead will rise, but believers who are alive will not need to die; instead, they will be instantly changed into incorruptible bodies prepared for them by God. (See Phil 3:21)

It doesn't matter what we think. It matters what God thinks! It may not be easy, but one needs to be ready to abandon false teachings, no matter how deep-rooted or well-established, if not taught by God, Christ, or His apostles. 

I hope this brought you some clarity! God's truth, though profound, should also be clear and simple!

Related Articles:

❮ The Meaning of the Great Tribulation

❮ More scriptural Studies