(Here is another excerpt from my latest book, “The Rapture: Reasons to Believe.”)
One of the great objections to the doctrine of the rapture is that the word “rapture” does not appear in our English translations of the Bible. Those who oppose the doctrine of the Trinity do so on a similar basis. My response is the same to both objections. Though the actual word may not be explicitly used, the concept of the doctrine of the rapture (or the Trinity) is clearly there.
The word “rapture” is derived from the Latin Vulgate translation of I Thessalonians 4:17. Here is how Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation renders the verse:
I Thess 4:17 Deinde nos, qui vivimus, qui relinquimur, simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Christo in aëra, et sic semper cum Domino erimus. (emphasis mine)
Admittedly, I don’t speak Latin. But a simple Google search will reveal that the above word, “rapiemur” in Latin is equivalent to the English word “rapture.” The New Testament was originally written in koine Greek. The Greek word in question is harpazo. Here is how the KJV translates the verse:
1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The KJV opted for the phrase “shall be caught up” as the translation of harpazo. The fact that four English words were used to translate one Greek word should highlight the nuances and challenges of Bible translation. Nevertheless, the Greek word harpazo is synonymous with a “catching away.” The Strong’s Concordance defines the word in this way:
“to seize (in various applications), catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).”
The word is used thirteen times in the KJV. The references are as follows: Matt 11:12, 13:19; John 6:15, 10:12, 28, 29; Acts 8:39, 23:10; 2 Cor 12:2, 4; I Thess 4:17; Jude 1:23; and Rev 12:5.
The verses in 2 Corinthians are of particular interest, because they describe the Apostle Paul being “caught up” to the third heaven/paradise. With that being said, we already have one example where a believer was “raptured” to Heaven.
If someone takes great issue with the usage of the word “rapture,” then one could simply call it the “catching away” of the saints. Virtually all modern translations of the Bible are consistent with this verbiage. There is an event in Scripture where a large number of people are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
If the rapture is a biblical doctrine, we would expect to find it in several places. We would never base an entire doctrine on one single passage. The best interpreter of scripture is scripture itself! The principle of two or more witnesses is a theme throughout the scriptures (Deut. 19:15, Matt 18:16, 2 Cor 13:1, I Tim 5:19).
In the next three chapters, we will explore three places where the doctrine of the rapture is described. They are all found in the New Testament.
Let's Study the Scriptures Together 