What is the rapture?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
16 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.
17 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.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
The rapture is Jesus Christ’s future gathering of His people: believers who have died will rise first, living believers will be changed, and together they will be caught up to meet the Lord and remain with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The English word rapture is a name for this event, not a word used in 1 Thessalonians 4. It comes through the Latin rendering of “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The Greek word behind that phrase, harpazō, means to seize or snatch up.
What Scripture says will happen
- The Lord Himself will descend. His coming will be announced with a shout, the archangel’s voice, and God’s trumpet; then “the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This is a real resurrection, not merely the survival of the soul after death.
- Every believer will be transformed. Paul explains that not every Christian will die, but all will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” The dead will be raised incorruptible, and living believers will also receive changed bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
- All Christ’s people will meet Him together. Those resurrected and those still alive will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The promised outcome is: “So we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
What remains debated
Christians hold different views about the rapture’s timing in relation to the future tribulation. The main readings are pre-tribulation (before it), mid-tribulation (partway through it), and post-tribulation (at Christ’s return afterward). First Thessalonians 4 gives no detailed timetable; it plainly teaches the resurrection, transformation, gathering, and everlasting presence of believers with Christ.
Paul gave this teaching to believers grieving fellow Christians who had died. Its intended response is hope: “Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026
The rapture is the promised gathering of God's people at the return of Jesus Christ, when the dead in Christ rise and living believers are caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Grounded squarely in Paul's apostolic teaching to the Thessalonians and Corinthians, this hope guarantees that every believer will share bodily in Christ's final victory and remain with Him forever.
The Great Gathering
Christ Descends and Catches Up His Church
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.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)
This is the primary biblical text defining the event: the Lord descends, the dead in Christ rise first, and the living are caught up.
The definitive foundation for the rapture rests in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, where the Apostle Paul discloses the sequence of the Lord’s descent. The term itself originates from the Latin translation rapiemur, rendering the Greek verb harpazō, which means to snatch away or seize with irresistible force. Paul wrote this passage to address specific anxieties in the Thessalonian church regarding believers who had died before the Lord's return. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, he urges Christians not to grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope, establishing that because Jesus died and rose again, God will certainly bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. To settle their uncertainty, Paul appeals directly to divine revelation in 1 Thessalonians 4:15, affirming by the word of the Lord that those who are alive at His coming will by no means precede those who have already passed into Christ's presence.
The mechanics of this gathering unfold with sudden majesty. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with an authoritative command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. The dead in Christ rise first, ensuring that departed saints suffer no disadvantage on that glorious day. Immediately following, as declared in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, living believers will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, entering into an unbreakable union where they will remain with Him forever. Paul punctuates this revelation in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 by commanding the church to comfort one another with these truths. This glorious gathering stands in sharp contrast to the judgment awaiting the ungodly, which Paul details later in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, where the lawless one will be utterly consumed by the breath of the Lord's mouth and destroyed by the sheer splendor of His appearing.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 | Paul comforts believers concerning those who have fallen asleep, assuring them that God will bring them with Jesus. |
| 1 Thessalonians 4:15 | Paul declares by the word of the Lord that the living will by no means precede those who have died. |
| 1 Thessalonians 4:16 | The Lord Himself descends with a shout, the archangel's voice, and God's trumpet, raising the dead in Christ first. |
| 1 Thessalonians 4:17 | Living saints are caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. |
| 1 Thessalonians 4:18 | Paul instructs the believers to encourage and comfort one another with these truths. |
| 2 Thessalonians 2:8 | Declares that the lawless one will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus with the brightness of His coming. |
The Bodily Transformation
Mortal Bodies Clothed in Immortality
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV)
Paul reveals the mystery that living believers will not sleep in death but undergo an instantaneous transformation at the last trumpet.
The rapture is not merely a geographic relocation; it is a profound physical renewal centered upon 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. Paul unveils a sacred mystery: believers will not all sleep in the grave, but all will be transformed in a single moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sounding of the last trumpet. The dead will be raised in an imperishable state, and living saints will undergo the very same instantaneous change. This transformation is anchored in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ Himself. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, Paul explains that Christ is the firstfruits of the harvest, the guarantee that those who belong to Him will be made alive at His royal arrival.
This bodily change resolves the frailty of our present fallen existence. In 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, Paul explains that the perishable must put on the imperishable, and the mortal must put on immortality, fulfilling the ancient prophetic promise that death is swallowed up in absolute victory. Our true home shapes this expectation: as Paul reminds the church in Philippians 3:20-21, our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await the Savior who will transform our lowly bodies into the likeness of His glorious body by His supreme power. The Apostle John echoes this joyful certainty in 1 John 3:2, affirming that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is. Until that hour, believers live within the tension of a groaning creation. In Romans 8:23, Paul writes that we who possess the firstfruits of the Spirit groan inwardly while waiting for the redemption of our bodies. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4, he compares our earthly bodies to fragile tents, pointing to our deep desire to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 | Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection, followed by those who belong to Him at His coming. |
| 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 | In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead are raised imperishable and the living are changed. |
| 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 | Perishable flesh puts on imperishability and mortal puts on immortality, swallowing up death in victory. |
| Philippians 3:20-21 | Our citizenship is in heaven, from where our Savior will transform our lowly bodies into the likeness of His glorious body. |
| 1 John 3:2 | When Christ appears, believers shall be like Him, because they will see Him just as He is. |
| Romans 8:23 | Describes believers groaning inwardly as they wait eagerly for adoption, the redemption of their bodies. |
| 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 | Contrasts our earthly tent with an eternal house in heaven, longing to be clothed with heavenly dwelling. |
The Gospels and Apocalypse
Gathered on the Clouds in Glory
“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.
Matthew 24:30-31 (NIV)
Jesus prophesies His visible coming on the clouds of heaven with power and angels gathering His elect from the four winds.
The prophetic foundation for Christ’s triumphant return is proclaimed throughout the Gospels and the Apocalypse, epitomized by Matthew 24:30-31. There Jesus foretells that the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and He will arrive upon the clouds with great power and glory, dispatching His angels with a great trumpet call to gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Earlier in His ministry, as recorded in Matthew 16:27, Christ declared that the Son of Man would come in the glory of His Father alongside His holy angels to repay each person according to what they have done. This glorious public arrival is depicted again in Matthew 25:31, when the King sits upon His throne of judgment surrounded by the heavenly host.
Before His passion, Jesus provided tender personal assurance regarding this gathering. In John 14:2-3, He comforted His disciples in the upper room with the promise that He was going to prepare a place for them, and would return to take them to Himself, so that where He is, they may be also. Following His resurrection, His ascension into heaven established the pattern of His return. In Acts 1:9-11, as the disciples watched Jesus ascend into a cloud, two angels testified that this same Jesus would come back in the exact manner they had witnessed Him go into heaven. The Apostle John confirms this universal manifestation in Revelation 1:7, announcing that He comes with clouds and every eye will behold Him. Both Matthew 24:40-41 and Luke 17:34-36 portray the sudden, selective separation that marks this event: two will be working in a field or sleeping in a bed; one will be taken and the other left behind. Mark reinforces this majestic summons in Mark 13:26-27, recording Christ's mandate to His angels to assemble His redeemed people across the earth.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 16:27 | The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels to reward each person. |
| Matthew 24:30-31 | The Son of Man appears on the clouds of heaven with power, sending angels with a trumpet to gather His elect. |
| Matthew 25:31 | The Son of Man comes in His glory with all the holy angels and sits upon His glorious throne. |
| John 14:2-3 | Jesus promises to prepare a place and return to receive His disciples to Himself so they may be where He is. |
| Acts 1:9-11 | Angels declare that Jesus, taken up into a cloud, will return in the exact same manner as He ascended. |
| Revelation 1:7 | Jesus comes with clouds, seen by every eye, including those who pierced Him, as all tribes mourn. |
| Matthew 24:40-41 | Illustrates the sudden separation when two are in the field and one is taken while the other is left. |
| Luke 17:34-36 | Affirms two in one bed or grinding together, with one taken and the other left behind. |
| Mark 13:26-27 | Records the Son of Man sending angels to gather His elect from the four winds. |
The Day of the Lord
Exhortations to Watchfulness and Comfort
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NIV)
Paul assures believers that they are not destined for wrath but for salvation through Jesus Christ, whether awake or asleep.
Because the timing of the Lord’s return remains unannounced, Scripture commands relentless vigilance, finding anchor in 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11. Paul encourages the church with the foundational truth that God has not appointed believers to suffer wrath, but to obtain full salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. This comfort directly follows his warning in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, where he cautions that the Day of the Lord will break upon an unsuspecting world like a thief in the night, bringing sudden destruction upon those dwelling in darkness, while the children of light remain alert and sober.
This call to watchful expectation governs every aspect of the Christian walk. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Paul warns believers not to become easily shaken or alarmed regarding the coming of the Lord and our gathering to Him, guarding them against deceptive rumors that the day had already passed. In Titus 2:13, this forward-looking posture is described as our foundational calling: believers renounce ungodliness while waiting for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. This imminent reality fosters gracious conduct in the present; Paul writes in Philippians 4:5 that our gentleness should be known to all because the Lord is at hand. In James 5:7-8, the believer is instructed to be patient like a farmer waiting for precious fruit, establishing the heart because the coming of the Lord is near. Peter likewise urges in 1 Peter 1:13 that saints set their hope fully on the grace to be revealed at Christ’s revelation. Furthermore, Revelation 3:10 preserves the promise to the faithful of being kept from the hour of trial coming upon the whole earth, while Revelation 22:20 concludes the canon of Scripture with the Lord's supreme promise—'Surely I am coming quickly'—and the church’s earnest response: 'Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 | The Day of the Lord arrives unexpectedly like a thief in the night, but believers are not in darkness. |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 | God has destined His people for salvation rather than wrath, so they are to encourage and build up one another. |
| 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 | Paul addresses the coming of the Lord and our being gathered together to Him, urging believers not to be alarmed. |
| Titus 2:13 | Believers live soberly while awaiting the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. |
| Philippians 4:5 | Admonishes believers that their gentleness be evident to all because the Lord is at hand. |
| James 5:7-8 | Calls believers to patience until the coming of the Lord, establishing their hearts because He is near. |
| 1 Peter 1:13 | Instructs believers to rest their hope fully on the grace brought to them at the revelation of Jesus. |
| Revelation 3:10 | Promises to keep the faithful church from the hour of trial coming upon the whole world. |
| Revelation 22:20 | Concludes with the Lord's promise of coming quickly and the church's plea for Him to come. |
Old Testament Types
Bodily assumptions foreshadowing the sudden translation of believers
Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Genesis 5:24 (NIV)
Provides the foundational Old Testament pattern of a believer being removed directly from earth to God.
Long before the New Testament epistles detailed the mystery of living believers being transformed in an instant, Scripture recorded historical prototypes of bodily translation without dying. In Genesis 5:24, Moses records that Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him, shattering the repeating genealogical refrain of physical death that had echoed across generations since the fall. This abrupt departure from ordinary human mortality established the foundational scriptural pattern of an obedient believer being removed directly from earth into God's presence.
Centuries later, the author of Hebrews 11:5 looks back on this same event to explain its theological heart, confirming that by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death. His translation was not a metaphor or a spiritual vision, but an actual historical departure that pleased God and bypassed the physical grave. This serves as an unmistakable type of the generation of believers who will not sleep, but rather experience instant bodily redemption when Christ gathers His church.
The same sovereign power is displayed in the account of the prophet Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11. As Elijah walked and spoke with Elisha across the Jordan, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire... and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. In a dramatic whirlwind, Elijah was physically transported out of this earthly realm into heaven without passing through the gates of death. Together, Enoch and Elijah bear witness in the Old Testament record that God has the absolute power to translate the living bodily into His presence, prefiguring the miraculous caught-up moment promised to all who are alive at the return of Christ.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 5:24 | Records Enoch walking with God and suddenly taken so that he did not see death. |
| Hebrews 11:5 | Testifies that Enoch was translated by faith so that he should not experience death. |
| 2 Kings 2:11 | Describes Elijah taken bodily up into heaven by a whirlwind in a chariot of fire. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 · Genesis 5:24 |
| 2 Kings | 1 · 2 Kings 2:11 |
| Matthew | 4 · Matthew 16:27, Matthew 24:30-31, Matthew 25:31, Matthew 24:40-41 |
| Mark | 1 · Mark 13:26-27 |
| Luke | 1 · Luke 17:34-36 |
| John | 1 · John 14:2-3 |
| Acts | 1 · Acts 1:9-11 |
| Romans | 1 · Romans 8:23 |
| 1 Corinthians | 3 · 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 |
| 2 Corinthians | 1 · 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 |
| Philippians | 2 · Philippians 3:20-21, Philippians 4:5 |
| 1 Thessalonians | 7 · 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 |
| 2 Thessalonians | 2 · 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 |
| Titus | 1 · Titus 2:13 |
| Hebrews | 1 · Hebrews 11:5 |
| James | 1 · James 5:7-8 |
| 1 Peter | 1 · 1 Peter 1:13 |
| 1 John | 1 · 1 John 3:2 |
| Revelation | 3 · Revelation 1:7, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 22:20 |
The story in order
- Enoch taken by God (c. 3000 BC) · Genesis 5:24 · Foreshadows believers being taken without death.
- Elijah taken to heaven (c. 850 BC) · 2 Kings 2:11 · Another instance of bodily translation.
- Jesus ascends into heaven (AD 30) · Acts 1:9-11 · Promise of return in the same way.
- Jesus' promise to return (c. AD 30) · John 14:2-3 · He will receive believers to Himself.
- Paul's first letter to Thessalonians (c. AD 50) · 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 · Teaching on the gathering of believers.
- Paul's second letter to Thessalonians (c. AD 50) · 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 · Clarification on the Lord's coming.
- Paul's first letter to Corinthians (c. AD 55) · 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 · Christ's resurrection and believers' resurrection.
- Paul's second letter to Corinthians (c. AD 56) · 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 · Longing for heavenly dwelling.
- Paul's letter to Romans (c. AD 57) · Romans 8:23 · Believers await bodily redemption.
- Paul's letter to Philippians (c. AD 61) · Philippians 3:20-21 · Our citizenship and future transformation.
- Jesus' teaching on His return (c. AD 30) · Matthew 24:30-31 · Son of Man appears on clouds to gather elect.
- John's vision of Christ's return (c. AD 95) · Revelation 1:7 · Jesus comes with clouds, seen by all.
- The church's plea for His coming (c. AD 95) · Revelation 22:20 · Come, Lord Jesus!
Old Testament Foreshadowing of the Rapture
| Event | Significance for Rapture | Passage |
|---|---|---|
| Enoch walked with God and was taken | Believers will be taken without death. | |
| Elijah taken bodily to heaven | Shows bodily translation is possible. | 2 Kings 2:11 |
| Jesus ascends into the clouds | He will return in the same manner. | Acts 1:9-11 |
Key words
- Rapture
- The gathering of believers at Christ's return, dead rising and living caught up. · 1 Thessalonians 4:17
- Caught up (harpazo, ἁρπάζω)
- To be taken suddenly and swiftly into the air. · 1 Thessalonians 4:17
- Firstfruits (aparchē, ἀπαρχή)
- Christ's resurrection guarantees the resurrection of believers. · 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
- Imperishable (aphtharsia, ἀφθαρσία)
- Not subject to decay or death; eternal. · 1 Corinthians 15:53-54
- Immortality (athanasia, ἀθανασία)
- Eternal life, not subject to death. · 1 Corinthians 15:53-54
- Day of the Lord
- A future time of judgment and salvation. · 1 Thessalonians 5:2
- Blessed hope
- The glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. · Titus 2:13
Scripture sets forth the catching away of believers not as an abstract puzzle, but as an unshakable comfort in the face of death and grief. Knowing that Christ will personally descend to gather His bride grounds our hope, steels our endurance, and calls every believer to watchful, holy living until that trumpet sounds.
34 passages, each cited once.
How the major Christian traditions read this
All Christian traditions confess that Jesus Christ will return bodily in glory to raise the dead, judge the world, and gather His people into His eternal kingdom (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 24:30-31).
Catholic
We look forward to the single, public second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of history. Scripture does not teach a separate, secret rapture occurring years prior to the final judgment. Rather, when our Lord descends with the sound of the trumpet, the resurrection of the dead takes place once for all (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Those who remain alive will be caught up to meet Christ as He arrives, immediately accompanying Him as He inaugurates the general judgment and the new heavens and earth (Matthew 25:31-32; Revelation 1:7).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Matthew 25:31-32, Revelation 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Orthodox
We confess in the Creed that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. The gathering mentioned by Saint Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 is identical with this one visible, glorious Parousia. We do not separate Christ's return into multiple stages or secret visits. When the archangel sounds the trumpet, all the dead will be raised incorruptible, and the living faithful will be caught up into the clouds to welcome our triumphant King as He executes judgment and establishes His eternal kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Matthew 24:30-31).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Matthew 24:30-31
Lutheran
We teach that Christ will return visibly on the Last Day to raise all the dead and consummate His eternal kingdom. The catching up of the saints described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 belongs entirely to this single, final advent. We reject notions of an invisible rapture or an earthly millennial intermission between stages of His return. At the blast of the last trumpet, both the resurrected faithful and the living saints are translated in glory, meeting the descending Lord as He comes to judge the quick and the dead (1 Corinthians 15:52; Matthew 25:31).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Matthew 25:31
Reformed & Presbyterian
We hold that the gathering of believers described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 occurs at Christ's one, visible, and final coming. When the Lord descends, the dead in Christ rise first, and those alive are transformed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). In classical language, believers go out to meet the arriving King in the air to usher Him to earth for the final judgment and the renewal of all things. We reject a two-stage return or a secret removal of the church before a separate earthly tribulation, reading Scripture's eschatological promises as unified (Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Matthew 24:29-31, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10
Anglican & Episcopal
We maintain the historic expectation that our Lord Jesus Christ shall return once in visible majesty to judge the world. The catching up of believers in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 portrays the joyous welcome given to the returning King at the general resurrection of the dead. Rather than an evacuation to remove the church prior to an earthly millennium, this gathering marks the final redemption of our bodies and the beginning of the world to come (1 Corinthians 15:23; Romans 8:23). Christ's advent is unified, heralded by the archangel and God's trumpet.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:23, Romans 8:23
Baptist
Many in our churches hold a pretribulation rapture, teaching that Christ will snatch away His bride, the church, before the outpouring of wrath during the great tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 3:10). This blessed hope provides imminence: Jesus may appear at any moment to transform living believers and raise deceased saints (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Titus 2:13). Others among us hold a posttribulation view, understanding this catching away to occur at the end of the tribulation when Christ returns publicly in power and glory to reign upon the earth (Matthew 24:29-31).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Titus 2:13, Revelation 3:10, Matthew 24:29-31
Methodist & Wesleyan
We confess the bodily return of Jesus Christ in glory to consummate His kingdom and execute final judgment. The passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes the joyous resurrection and assembly of all the redeemed upon His public return. Most among us understand this as a single, climactic event on the Last Day, comforting believers that death does not sever us from our Lord. While some embrace dispensational timelines, our historical standard anchors hope in the general resurrection and final renewal rather than a secret, preliminary removal from tribulation (1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 2 Peter 3:10).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, 2 Peter 3:10
Pentecostal & Charismatic
We proclaim the imminent, pretribulation rapture of the church as our blessed hope. As affirmed in our Statement of Fundamental Truths, the resurrection of those who sleep in Christ and the translation of living believers constitute the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Titus 2:13). Christ will deliver His faithful from the wrath to come during the great tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). In the twinkling of an eye, the trumpet sounds, our mortal bodies put on immortality, and we meet the Lord in the air prior to His physical return with the saints (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Titus 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Non-denominational & Evangelical
We emphasize the promise that believers will be caught up together with the Lord, transformed in an instant into glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Many of our churches teach a dispensational, pretribulation view: Jesus removes His church before the seven-year tribulation, fulfilling the promise to deliver us from wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10). Others teach that the rapture happens at the end of the tribulation or mid-tribulation, viewing it as the grand assembly of saints welcoming Jesus as He returns publicly in power and great glory (Matthew 24:30-31).
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Matthew 24:30-31, Revelation 3:10
Where they differ
Timing relative to tribulation
- Catholic
- Occurs only at the final judgment after any final trial
- Orthodox
- Happens at the one visible return following the Antichrist's reign
- Lutheran
- Takes place strictly on the Last Day at Christ's return
- Reformed & Presbyterian
- Belongs to the final, post-tribulation advent of Christ in glory
- Anglican & Episcopal
- Coincides with the general resurrection and judgment on the Last Day
- Baptist
- Predominantly viewed as pretribulational, though posttribulational views are held
- Methodist & Wesleyan
- Historically viewed as occurring at the final, visible second coming
- Pentecostal & Charismatic
- Preceded by no signs, occurring before the great tribulation
- Non-denominational & Evangelical
- Frequently held as pretribulational, alongside mid-tribulational and post-tribulational views
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 3:10
Number of stages in Christ's coming
- Catholic
- One single, public advent at the end of time
- Orthodox
- One undivided Parousia visible to all creation
- Lutheran
- One undivided coming to judge the living and dead
- Reformed & Presbyterian
- One unified, public return closing the present age
- Anglican & Episcopal
- A single bodily descent for final judgment
- Baptist
- Often two stages: for the saints, then with the saints
- Methodist & Wesleyan
- Traditionally a single, unified return on the Last Day
- Pentecostal & Charismatic
- Two distinct phases: secret translation, then glorious revelation
- Non-denominational & Evangelical
- Often distinguished as rapture in air versus return to earth
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Matthew 24:30-31, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, Revelation 1:7
Your pastor can tell you where your church stands.
Scripture cited
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18