The term "rapture" does not appear in the Bible, but the concept is derived from biblical passages, primarily 1 Thessalonians 4–18 and 1 Corinthians 15–54, which describe believers being "caught up" to meet the Lord in the air.

The Greek word used in 1 Thessalonians 4, harpazō (ἁρπάζω), means "to snatch away" or "to seize," and is the root of the English word "rapture".

This term was later translated into Latin as rapiemur in the Vulgate, meaning "we will be caught up," which gave rise to the English word.

The event is described as a future occurrence where both living believers and those who have died in Christ will be resurrected and transformed, meeting the Lord in the air to be with Him forever.

This is often interpreted as a two-stage return of Christ: first, the rapture, where believers are taken from the earth, and later, the Second Coming, when Christ returns visibly to earth to defeat His enemies and establish His millennial kingdom.

This distinction is central to pretribulationist views, which hold that the rapture precedes a seven-year tribulation period.

However, not all Christian traditions accept this two-stage view. Many denominations, including the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Reformed churches, do not subscribe to the doctrine of a pretribulation rapture and instead interpret the gathering of believers as occurring at the Second Coming, not as a separate event.

Some theologians argue that the idea of a secret rapture is not supported by Scripture, pointing out that Jesus' return will be as visible as lightning across the sky, not a hidden event.

The rapture is a doctrine primarily associated with dispensational premillennialism, a theological framework that gained prominence in the 19th century, particularly through the work of John Nelson Darby.

While the concept is widely discussed in evangelical circles, it is not universally accepted across Christian traditions, and its interpretation remains a subject of debate.

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