What is the rapture?

The rapture is the blessed hope of Christians. It is the "caught up" in the "clouds" to be with the Lord forever. This will be a physical disappearance, "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye." Those who are raptured will be changed from a "corruptible body" to an "incorruptible" body. A new glorious body, never sick, without blemish, without sin, to live forever and ever with Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58.

There are 5 theories on when this will occur.

Pre-trib- The rapture will occur before the 7-year tribulation period.

Mid-trib - The rapture will occur at mid point of the tribulation.

Post-trib-The Rapture will occur at the end of the Tribulation right before the second coming of Christ back to earth; believers will be raptured up to meet Christ in the air and then will return immediately with Him back to the earth.

The partial rapture - Only the faithful, devoted believers will be raptured before the tribulation, the rest of the believers will be left behind to go through the tribulation.

Pre-Wrath - The rapture will take place 3/4 of the way into the tribulation, when the wrath of God begins to be poured out on the world.

I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture for many reasons.
1.The rapture is our "blessed hope." It is to be a comfort and blessing to believers, Titus 2:3.
2. We are told in the New Testament that the rapture is imminent, it could happen at anytime, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 16:22; Titus 2:3; Matthew 24:44
3. The Lord promised that believers are "delivered from the wrath to come" 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 3:10
4. The anti-christ can not be revealed until the Holy Spirit be taken out of the world. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7.
5. The church is not mentioned in the book of Revelation after chapter 3. In Revelation 4:1 "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. This is believed to be representing the church.

The rapture is a wonderful promise, a blessed hope given to us.