Is the rapture biblical?

The King James Version does not use the word rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:17Then 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 4:17 · King James Version (1) says living believers “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” Some churches read that as a catching away before Christ returns visibly to reign for a thousand years. Others read one return of Christ, after a final trial, and then the judgment. This page quotes both. It does not decide.

Key points

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16For 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:1 Thessalonians 4:16 · King James Version (2) says the Lord himself shall descend, “and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” The next verse says those alive “shall be caught up.”
• Matthew 24:29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:Matthew 24:29 · King James Version (3) says the sun is darkened “immediately after the tribulation of those days,” and Matthew 24:30And 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.Matthew 24:30 · King James Version says “they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds.” Revelation 1:7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.Revelation 1:7 · King James Version (4): “every eye shall see him.”
• The Assemblies of God (10) call the translation of the living and the dead “the imminent and blessed hope,” and article 14 says the second coming “includes the rapture of the saints,” followed by the visible return “to reign on the earth for one thousand years.”
• The Church of God (11) says the premillennial coming is first “to catch away the living saints to Him in the air,” and second “to reign on the earth a thousand years.”
• Westminster 32.2 (12) says at the last day those alive “shall not die, but be changed,” and Westminster 33.1 (12) says God has appointed a day to judge the world. The confession does not use the word rapture.
• Catechism 675 (13) says before Christ’s second coming the Church “must pass through a final trial.” Catechism 676 (13) says the Church “has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism.”
• The Baptist Faith and Message, Article X (14) says Christ “will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness.” It does not use the word rapture.

Caught up

1 Thessalonians 4:16For 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:1 Thessalonians 4:16 · King James Version (2): “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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17Then 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 4:17 · King James Version (1): “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 Corinthians 15:52In 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.1 Corinthians 15:52 · King James Version (7): “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.” John 14:3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.John 14:3 · King James Version (15), words of Jesus: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Titus 2:13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;Titus 2:13 · King James Version (6): “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Acts 1:11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.Acts 1:11 · King James Version (5): “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Revelation 1:7Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.Revelation 1:7 · King James Version (4): “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.” Revelation 22:20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.Revelation 22:20 · King James Version (16): “Surely I come quickly.”

After the tribulation, and a thousand years

Matthew 24:29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:Matthew 24:29 · King James Version (3): “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” Matthew 24:30And 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.Matthew 24:30 · King James Version: “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.” Matthew 24:31And 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 24:31 · King James Version: “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds.” Matthew 24:36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.Matthew 24:36 · King James Version, words of Jesus: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,2 Thessalonians 2:1 · King James Version speaks of “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;2 Thessalonians 2:3 · King James Version (8): “for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.”

Revelation 20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.Revelation 20:4 · King James Version (9) says those who had not worshipped the beast “lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.Revelation 20:6 · King James Version: “they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” 1 Corinthians 15:23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.1 Corinthians 15:23 · King James Version: “afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” 1 Corinthians 15:24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.1 Corinthians 15:24 · King James Version: “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.”

Churches that teach a rapture, then a reign

Assemblies of God, article 13 (10): “The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church,” citing 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, Romans 8:23, Titus 2:13, and 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52.

Article 14: “The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years.” The statement uses “imminent” and “rapture.” It does not use the word pretribulation. What do Pentecostals believe? quotes the rest of that statement, including the Trinity and tongues.

The Church of God Declaration of Faith (11): “In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.”

Churches that speak of one day of judgment

Westminster 32.2 (12): “At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed: and all the dead shall be raised up, with the selfsame bodies, and none other.” Westminster 33.1 (12): “God hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world, in righteousness, by Jesus Christ.” Westminster 33.3 (12) says Christ would have that day unknown, “because they know not at what hour the Lord will come.” The confession does not use the word rapture, and it does not describe a separate catching away before a thousand-year reign.

Catechism 673 (13): “Since the Ascension Christ’s coming in glory has been imminent,” and “this eschatological coming could be accomplished at any moment, even if both it and the final trial that will precede it are delayed.” Catechism 675 (13): “Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.” Catechism 676 (13): “The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism.” Catechism 677 (13) says God’s triumph “will take the form of the Last Judgement after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.”

The Baptist Faith and Message, Article X (14): “According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.” That article does not use the word rapture.

Comparison

Frequently asked questions

Is the rapture in the Bible?

The verses quoted above are in the Bible. The English word rapture is not in the King James sentences. Churches use it for the catching up in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and they do not agree whether that catching up is a separate event before a visible return.

Does the Bible say the rapture is before the tribulation?

Matthew 24:29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:Matthew 24:29 · King James Version (3) places the darkening of the sun “immediately after the tribulation of those days,” and then the Son of man comes. 2 Thessalonians 2:3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;2 Thessalonians 2:3 · King James Version (8) says that day shall not come except a falling away comes first. The Assemblies of God articles fetched here say the blessed hope is imminent and that the second coming includes the rapture followed by the visible return. They do not use the word pretribulation. The Church of God declaration says the coming is premillennial and names the catch away first. Westminster and the Catechism do not describe that sequence.

Who teaches it?

The Assemblies of God statement and the Church of God declaration, both quoted above, teach a catching away and then a thousand-year reign. A sentence naming a particular evangelist was not in those documents. This page does not add one. What do Pentecostals believe? is the longer Pentecostal statement.

The churches on this site

• Pentecostal
• Reformed
• Catholic
• Baptist
• Christianity
• What do Pentecostals believe?
• Common arguments