Editing Rapture (section)

{{Short description|Eschatological concept in Christianity}}
{{Other uses}}

{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| width     = 267
| footer= [[Jan Luyken]]'s illustration of [[Matthew 24]] verse 40, from the 1795 [[Bowyer Bible]], which proponents take as a reference to the rapture
| image1    = Teachings of Jesus 40 of 40. the rapture. one in the bed. Jan Luyken etching. Bowyer Bible.gif
| caption1  = ''One in the bed''
| image2    = Teachings of Jesus 39 of 40. the rapture. one at the mill. Jan Luyken etching. Bowyer Bible.gif
| caption2  ='' One at the mill''
| image3    = Teachings of Jesus 38 of 40. the rapture. one in the field. Jan Luyken etching. Bowyer Bible.gif
| caption3  = ''One in the field''
}}
{{Christian Eschatology}}

The '''Rapture''' is an [[Christian eschatology|eschatological]] position held by some [[Christians]], particularly those of [[American evangelicalism]], consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Christians who are still alive, together will rise "in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Understanding End Times Prophecy: A Comprehensive Approach|last=Benware|first=Paul N.|publisher=Moody|year=2006|isbn=978-0-8024-9079-7|location=Chicago|pages=208}}</ref>  This view of [[eschatology]] is typically part of [[dispensational premillennialism]], a form of [[Futurism (Christianity)|futurism]] that considers various prophecies in the Bible as remaining unfulfilled and occurring in the future. 

The idea of a rapture as it is defined in dispensational premillennialism is not found in historic Christianity and is a relatively recent doctrine originating from the 1830s. The term is used frequently among fundamentalist theologians in the [[United States]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2014-04-04 |title=Raptured or Not? A Catholic Understanding - Catholic Update October 2005 |url=http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1005.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404105238/http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1005.asp |archive-date=2014-04-04 |access-date=2023-10-19}}</ref> The origin of the term extends from the [[First Epistle to the Thessalonians]] in the [[Bible]], which uses the Greek word {{transliteration|grc|harpazo}} ({{langx|grc|ἁρπάζω}}), meaning "to snatch away" or "to seize".

Differing viewpoints exist about the exact time of the rapture and whether Christ's return would occur in one event or two. [[Great Tribulation#Events|Pretribulationism]] distinguishes the rapture from the [[Second Coming|second coming]] of Jesus Christ mentioned in the [[Gospel of Matthew]], [[Second Epistle to the Thessalonians|2 Thessalonians]], and [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]]. This view holds that the rapture would precede the seven-year [[Great Tribulation|Tribulation]], which would culminate in Christ's second coming and be followed by a thousand-year [[Millennialism|Messianic Kingdom]].<ref name="HaysDuvall2009">{{cite book|last1=Hays|first1=J. Daniel|last2=Duvall|first2=J. Scott|last3=Pate|first3=C. Marvin|title=Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy and End Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xvFZDcJSgdMC&pg=PT692|access-date=26 December 2014|year= 2009|publisher=Zondervan|isbn=978-0310571049|pages=692–}}</ref><ref name="MillsBullard1990">{{cite book|last1=Mills|first1=Watson E.|last2=Bullard|first2=Roger Aubrey|title=Mercer Dictionary of the Bible|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=goq0VWw9rGIC&pg=PA736|access-date=26 December 2014|year=1990|publisher=Mercer University Press|isbn=978-0865543737|pages=736–}}</ref> This theory grew out of the translations of the Bible that [[John Nelson Darby]] analyzed in 1833. Pretribulationism is the most widely held view among Christians believing in the rapture today, although this view is disputed within evangelicalism.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pre-trib.org/articles/dr-thomas-ice/message/myths-of-the-origin-of-pretribulationism-part-1/read|title=Myths of the Origin of Pretribulationism (Part 1)|last=Ice|first=Thomas|work=Pre-Trib Research Center|access-date=6 December 2019}}</ref> Other views include midtribulation, prewrath, and [[Posttribulation rapture|posttribulation]] rapture.

Most [[Christian denomination]]s do not subscribe to rapture theology and have a different interpretation of the aerial gathering described in [[1 Thessalonians 4]].<ref name="most" /> They do not use ''rapture'' as a specific theological term, nor do they generally subscribe to the dispensational theology associated with its use.<ref name="SFMC2022">{{cite web |title=Free Methodist, For Jesus' Sake |url=https://www.thewoodsfmc.com/about/fm-affiliation/ |publisher=Stanwood Free Methodist Church |access-date=9 July 2022 |language=English |quote=Like the early Methodists, the Free Methodist Church is non-dispensational. We reject the new theology born in the late 1800s that society can only get worse, and that Jesus must return to "rapture" His people from earth to heaven. Instead, Free Methodists pray and believe that by His Spirit, God's will shall indeed "be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10 NRSV).}}</ref> Instead they typically interpret ''rapture'' in the sense of the elect gathering with Christ in [[Heaven in Christianity|Heaven]] right after his second coming and reject the idea that a large segment of humanity will be left behind on earth for an extended tribulation period after the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.<ref name="most">{{multiref2 |1={{Cite web |last=Guinan |first=Michael D. |date=2014-04-04 |title=Raptured or Not? A Catholic Understanding - Catholic Update October©2005 |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c2a7.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404105238/http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1005.asp |archive-date=2014-04-04 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=vatican.va}} |2={{Cite web |last=Coniaris |first=Anthony M. |title=The Rapture: Why the Orthodox don't Preach it |url=http://www.light-n-life.com/newsletters/09-12-2005.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109035607/http://www.light-n-life.com/newsletters/09-12-2005.htm |archive-date=2012-11-09 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=light-n-life.com}} |3={{Cite web |title=Where does the Rapture fit into UM beliefs? |url=https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-where-does-the-rapture-fit-into-united-methodists-beliefs |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=The United Methodist Church |language=en}} |4={{Cite web |last=Schwertley |first=Brian M. |date=2013-03-11 |title=Is the Pretribulation Rapture Theory Biblical? |url=http://reformedonline.com/view/reformedonline/rapture.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311041013/http://reformedonline.com/view/reformedonline/rapture.htm |archive-date=2013-03-11 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=reformedonline.com}} }}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|1 Thessalonians|4:17}}</ref>