The word “rapture” does not appear in the Bible and comes from a Latin word meaning “to carry or snatch away.” That is the definition of the word that appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and is defined as “caught up.” This means that the rapture is the snatching away or catching up of all believers from the earth, and it is a common teaching in most evangelical churches.

Because of its level of detail and the emphasis that Paul places on it, scholars consider 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to be the definitive rapture passage in the Bible. Even more, it is presented as a revelation of Jesus directly to the apostle, which adds special significance. This week, we’re going to study this passage — and others — to better understand what the rapture is and how we should respond to that knowledge.