What is The Rapture?
The Rapture of the Church is one of the next end times events on the timeline of biblical prophecy. The Rapture is the secret and sudden event whereby all Christians, both dead or alive, are resurrected and transformed to be "caught up" to meet Jesus Christ in the air before the coming seven-year Tribulation period. One of the most popular Rapture Bible verses is: "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." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Following the seven-year Tribulation period on earth, Jesus Christ will return with his saints in the Second Coming to rule and reign on earth in the Millennial Kingdom. The doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and its timing have sparked a lot of controversy within the Church, but we seek to bring clarity to the understanding of this end times event.
The Doctrine of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church
Rapture Forums helps you understand the signs of the End Times events which indicate that time is short and the imminent return of Jesus Christ is near. The Rapture of the Church, a crucial event taught by Paul to the early believers in the Thessalonian church, is an important doctrine to learn and understand as it relates to the end times. Unlike the Second Coming of Christ, the Rapture involves Christ coming for His church and then transporting them to Heaven in the twinkling of an eye. “…We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet”- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. This secret and mysterious end times event occurs before the seven-year Tribulation period, ensuring the church is spared from the wrath of God during the Tribulation period. In contrast, the Second Coming takes place after the Tribulation period, as Jesus Christ returns to the earth with the Church to destroy evil and establish his Millennial Reign and Kingdom on earth.