What is the rapture?
The rapture is the catching up of believers — living and resurrected — to meet Christ at his return, taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Christians differ on its timing, but agree on the comfort: we will always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 describes it: "The Lord himself will come down from heaven… and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive… will be caught up together with them."
The Greek harpazo ("caught up") gave the Latin Vulgate "rapturo," from which we get rapture. The event itself is biblical even if the precise timing is debated.
Some place it before the tribulation, some at its middle, some at the end. The point Paul cared about: "Encourage one another with these words." We will be with the Lord, and we will be together.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.