Although skeptics can say that the word ‘Rapture’ does not appear in any passage of Scripture, the statement is not correct in its intent. ‘Rapture’ is a not Hebrew or Greek, the languages of the Bible. We see reference to the word ‘Rapture’ in the Catholic Latin Vulgate. The word Rapture is seen in it by the Latin “rapturo.” Its Greek equivalent is ‘harpazo,’ translated “caught up” as found in the 1 Thes. 4:17 (KJV).

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be Caught Up [Grk. harpazo, or Latin rapturo] Together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 (KJV)

When translated into English, both “rapturo” and ‘harpazo’ mean to be “caught up,” or ‘snatched away.’ Harpazo (Strong’s 726), is the word Paul used, coming from word roots that mean “to raise from the ground” and “to seize” or ‘take for oneself,’ hinting at that the Lord’s eagerness in claiming us for Himself. So, while the Latin word ‘rapturo’ doesn’t appear in our Bibles, the event it describes certainly does.

Please consider the text of Paul’s two great and primary Rapture passages, seen below with emphasis:

“¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep [are dead in their graves], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep [have died] 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 [precede] them which are asleep [dead]. 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 [Grk. harpazo; Latin, RAPTURED] together with them [with the raptured dead] 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.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)

“⁵¹Behold, I shew you a mystery [Grk. musterion, a God-planned secret]; We shall not all sleep [be dead in the grave], but we [the living] 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 [THE LIVING] 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. ⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1Corinthians 15:51-55 (KJV)

The verses above don’t tell us when the Rapture is to occur, only that it does. Although, in 2Thes. 2, we have a clear timeline to be discussed later.

The Rapture is NOT related to be confused with the Lord Jesus Christ’s 2^nd Coming On Earth to save Israel’s believers… which is to occur several years AFTER the Rapture. When the Lord comes for us, He does NOT come all the way to earth, but rather to meet us “IN THE AIR” (v17), that is in the 1^st heaven we call the atmosphere. The Rapture clearly is NOT another name for Jesus’ Second Coming. These are two very different Biblical events focusing upon the two different people groups of God, having two different eternal destinies.

Consider these general points of distinction for understanding the Rapture of ALL the grace-age believers to HEAVEN as compared with the 2^nd Coming of Christ to EARTH.

1. The Rapture of the Gentile “church,” called “the body of Christ” (1Thes. 4:15-17 and 1Cor. 15:51-55) occurs BEFORE the Tribulation period, where in 1Thes. 4:18 it speaks of being “caught up” or raptured.
2. ¹⁸ Wherefore COMFORT ONE ANOTHER With These Words;
   • ¹⁶ The Lord Himself [Not His Angels] 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:” (1 Thes 4:16).

By contrast in Christ 2^nd coming, He comes in wrath to “purge out the rebels” when 2/3’s of the earth’s population will die before He established His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

The Rapture is an unscheduled, secret, imminent event. Jesus will come Part Way To The Earth to meet us “in the air,” taking the members of the church that is called “the body of Christ” to be with Him where He now is… in heaven, BEFORE the terrible 7-years of the Tribulation Period begins.

The Rapture can be said to be an unscheduled and secret event because its specific day will remain unknown until it actually occurs. Yet, we know its timing is relative to other end time events, such as the Tribulation period and the Millennial reign of Christ on Earth. The Rapture is imminent and could happen at any time!

2. Christ’s SECOND COMING to Earth, by contrast, is to save the believing remnant of Israel and set up Christ’s prophesied Millennial Kingdom. This occurs at THE END of the Tribulation period when;

“³¹ … he [Christ] Shall Send His Angels [Not Himself, as seen of the Rapture] with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect [of Israel] from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:3)

NOTE: In Matt: 15:24 Jesus tells us He is speaking to Israel only.)

Note the difference in Points 1 and 2 concerning who exactly is coming To Gather His people. This is but one of many such contrasts to be noted from the Scriptures involved with each.

1)  In Paul’s 1Thes. 4:16 we see Christ Himself coming to “the air [atmosphere]” to “catch up [Rapture]” both the dead and the living who are “in Christ.”

2) In Matthew 24:31 we see The Lord ‘sending His angels to Gather His Elect’ at His 2^nd Coming ON earth.

The 2^nd Coming of Christ is ONTO the earth at the end of the Tribulation This a Scripturally well documented, long prophesied, scheduled public event whereby Jesus will Come All the Way onto Earth with His angelic army (cf. Matt. 25:31). Jesus Christ will literally set foot on “the Mount of Olives” [cf. Acts 1:11), to then establish His Millennial Kingdom on planet earth.

We say Christ’s 2^nd coming is ‘scheduled public event’ because the general time of His soon coming should be recognized by Messianic elect believers of Israel at least 3-1/2 years in advance. As they see the Tribulation events unfold (cf. Matt. 24:32-37). They should recognize the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 that says ‘Antichrist’ will “confirm the [7-year] covenant” with Israel to start the 7-year Tribulation period. Then, 3-1/2 years later, Antichrist will be seen to ‘declare himself as god in the Temple’ (2Thes. 2:4) to start the 2^nd half of the Tribulation period called “Great Tribulation” period.

Everyone on earth will witness Jesus’ 2^nd coming ON EARTH. “The coming of the Son of man’ (24:27) will be … “immediately AFTER” the Tribulation” [Matt. 24:29-30] a

All the nations on earth will see Him.

• ⁷ Behold, he [Jesus, the Son of Man] cometh with clouds; and EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM, and they [Israel] also which Pierced Him: and All Kindreds of The Earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev. 1:7 (KJV)