Greg Laurie: Why is the Rapture not mentioned in the Bible?

What is the Rapture? Is it fact or fiction? A recent survey shows that 55% of Americans believe in the Rapture—but is it really found in the Bible? In this message, Pastor Greg Laurie explains what the Rapture is, where it appears in Scripture, and why it’s an essential part of Bible prophecy and the return of Jesus Christ. Discover the truth about the Rapture, the hope it brings for believers, and why it matters today.

You might be surprised to know that more than half of Americans believe there will be a Rapture of the Church. Newsweek did a poll that revealed 55% of Americans believe the faithful will be taken up to Heaven in the Rapture.

So what exactly is this event? Mark Hitchcock, in his book Could the Rapture Happen Today?, gave an excellent definition of the event. Let me read it to you:

“The Rapture of the Church is that future event when Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven to resurrect the bodies of departed believers and to transform and translate the bodies of living believers immediately into His glorious presence in a moment of time, and then escort them to live in Heaven with Him forever.”

That’s a very good definition. Let me summarize and simplify it: the Rapture is when Christ descends from Heaven, calls all of those who have already died in the Lord to Heaven with Him in new resurrected bodies, and then we—believers who are alive—join them in the air for this great time of reunion.

Now, critics of the Rapture say, “You will not find the teaching of the Rapture in the Bible. You won’t even find the word Rapture in the Bible.”

Well, let me refute that right now, because that is completely wrong. As to the use of the word Rapture in the Bible—well, I could also add that you don’t find the word Trinity in the Bible, nor do you find the word Bible in the Bible. That doesn’t make them any less true. These are simply words we use to describe something that is true: the triune nature of God, and the Scriptures we call the Bible.

The fact of the matter is, the word that is used for Rapture is the Greek word harpazo. In the Latin translation, harpazo becomes rapturo, which is where we get the English word Rapture. So it is the popular word used for the biblical event known as the harpazo.

What does harpazo mean? A literal definition is: to take forcibly, to snatch, or to be carried away suddenly.

This is the word Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up (Greek word: harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

That’s what the Rapture is—it’s being caught up, snatched away, taken by force into the presence of Jesus Christ.