End times (part 1): What is the rapture?

 What is the rapture?

The concept of the rapture simply refers to the great event where Jesus will take His believers away from Earth to Heaven. The rapture will follow a series of bad global events that will shake the Earth.


In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, Paul explains how the rapture will happen:

‘According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.’



The passage of Matthew 24:29-31 depicts the rapture as prophesied by Jesus:


“Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.



The passage of 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 gives the details on how the believers will be taken:


Firstly, the dead in Christ will rise first,

Secondly, the true believers who remain alive will be caught with the risen dead.


Through the rapture, we will be with the Lord forever.