What is the rapture?

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English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating...
English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew 24:41 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The “rapture” of the believers, as described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, refers to the meeting of the believers who are alive on earth with Jesus who comes from heaven to earth, an event that unites them with the believers who had died and who will be raised from the dead. There is no evidence in the New Testament for a separation between believers and unbelievers in which the believers are taken to heaven before the day of the Lord while the unbelievers are left behind on earth to face unprecedented tribulations. The event of “the rapture” (if one wants to retain the term, based on 1 Thess. 4:17) takes place on the day when Jesus returns to earth.

Schnabel, E. J. (2011). 40 Questions about the End Times. (B. L. Merkle, Ed.) (p. 102). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional.

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