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Answer
The secret rapture—usually referred to as the rapture of the church—is the belief that Christ will come to take believers out of the world before His return with them at the second coming. The secret rapture is described as “secret” because only believers will witness Jesus coming; this differs from the second coming of Christ after the tribulation, when “every eye will see him” «Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. », (Revelation 1:7). There is significant disagreement among Christians concerning the timing of the secret rapture. Some believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, which takes place before the start of the seven-year tribulation. Others support a mid-tribulation rapture, while some advocate for a post-tribulation timing.
The term secret rapture is often used pejoratively by those who reject the notion that the rapture of the church is distinct from the second coming of Christ. Individuals who consider the rapture and the second coming as a single event frequently use the term secret rapture mockingly and label believers in the rapture as “rapturists.”
“One-coming believers” who reject the rapture position themselves in opposition to the Bible, biblical scholarship, and the majority of the evangelical community. One of the arguments they present is that the term rapture is not found in the Bible. While it is accurate that the English word rapture is not explicitly mentioned, the concept of the rapture of the church is indeed present.
First Thessalonians 4:16–17 (the key passage on the rapture of the church) states that the Lord will descend from heaven, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we who are alive and remain will be “caught up.” The termRapture is derived from rapio (“to catch up or snatch away”), a form of which is found in the Latin Vulgate Bible. To say the rapture won’t happen because the word isn’t found in Scripture is a specious argument. The phrase second coming isn’t found in the Bible, either, but the reality of it certainly is.
Whatever we believe about the existence and/or timing of the rapture, there are two realities all Christians must keep in mind. First, no difference of opinion among Christians justifies unkindness or hostility toward those who hold different views. Jesus commands us to love one another, just as He loved us. He also said that by our love for one another all people would know that we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). Wrangling and name-calling over issues such as the timing of the rapture does not exhibit Christ’s love.
Second, the most important aspect of eschatology is not a secret rapture but the absolute certainty of the return of Jesus Christ to the world in the last days (Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16). The timing of that event doesn’t alter the fact that those who belong to Him will enjoy eternal life and those who do not will experience everlasting condemnation «He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. », (John 3:18). Faith in Christ as the only Savior from sin will distinguish the saved from the unsaved, regardless of our views on the rapture.
