I think two things are important to note here: When discussing the rapture we are not really trying to figure out when the Lord returns. No one knows this not even the Son. The second is that I think its important to note that no where in the scripture does the word rapture ever appear, not in the Greek, the 1380s Wycliff, 1390's Oxford, Tyndale's of 1516 to his last printing in 1534, and the others to include the 1611 KJV and todays KJV of the bible; It does not even appear in the so called lost 25 books of the new testament.
"Rapture" is an English word used in place of the original Greek word harpazo found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
It means to be "caught up" or "taken away". Also "taken for oneself". The 19th century Theologian John Nelson Darby introduced the idea of the idea of the rapture. It has been a modern Christain concept every since.
The scriptures do how ever refer to the resurrection of the dead in Rev 20:4-6. By reading the entire chapter one can get an idea of a time line of what "John", its writer refers to as the first resurrection.
I would like to also ad that I do believe in the rapture and its seems to be an age old question as to if it will come in the begining, middle, or end of the Tribulation Period. I submit to you: Does it really matter ? WE KNOW HE IS COMING
Rev Robert Fuller
