Archive · 25 Sep 2025
Understanding the Rapture: A Core Belief in Evangelical Christianity
Imagine Jesus will come down from the sky and take all the good people who believe in him up to heaven.
This is called the Rapture!
People who believe this think the rest of us will be left behind.
After the Rapture, there will be seven years of trouble on Earth, called the Tribulation.
During this time, a bad guy called the Antichrist will try to trick everyone.
After the Tribulation, Jesus will come back to Earth and win against the bad guy.
Then, the good people will rule the world with Jesus for a thousand years.
The Rapture is the belief that Jesus Christ will take believers to heaven.
Those who have died will rise first and then be taken to heaven.
The Rapture is often associated with 'Left Behind theology.'
The Rapture is followed by the Tribulation, a seven-year period of hardship.
The idea of the Rapture originated in the 1830s and was popularized in the 20th century.
- Who
- Believers in the Rapture, particularly within Evangelical Christianity.
- What
- The belief that Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to take believers into heaven.
- When
- At any moment, according to believers.
- Where
- Heaven, with believers being 'raptured' in the clouds.
- Why
- To save believers from a period of Tribulation on Earth and to bring them to a better place.
- Core Belief
- Rapture
- Key Text
- First Book of Thessalonians (4.16–17)
- Followed by
- Seven years of Tribulation
- Originator
- John Nelson Darby (1830s)
- Popularized by
- Scofield Reference Bible, Left Behind series