WHAT IS THE RAPTURE?

What is the Rapture?
How many times have you heard the ignorant and uninformed respond that the word Rapture is not even in the Bible? 
I’ve heard that so many times, I wonder if anybody really studies anymore, or if they just parrot what they’ve heard someone else say in some religious academic setting. The English word rapture is not in the Bible, that’s true. But neither is the word Bible, or Trinity or Infant Sprinkling. The rapture passages are John 14, I Corinthians 15 and I Thessalonians 4.
The Latin translators of the Bible used the word ‘rapturo’ – the root of the English word ‘rapture’. In our Bible, the same Greek word, harpazo, is translated ‘caught up’ which means ‘to seize upon with force’ or ‘to snatch up’. At the rapture, those who are in Christ (dead or living) will be changed into new glorified, immortal bodies and then we are “caught up” into the air to meet the Lord. 
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 
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.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

 
The Rapture is for those who are In Christ
The rapture is exclusively for those who are in Christ – those who have repented and accepted His death on the cross to redeem them – whether they are dead or alive, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.  
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
The rapture is not for the nation of Israel as a whole, or the inhabitants of the earth who have rejected Jesus as their Savior (Messiah) – they are not in Christ. Some people will turn to Christ during the Tribulation and become “tribulation saints”, and they will be beheaded for their faith. The rest of the unsaved do not recognize Jesus until He comes back to the earth “to smite the nations” at His Second Coming (Rev. 19:15).

 
We meet the Lord In The Air
Jesus’ feet do not touch the earth when He comes to take us to heaven. We (those who are “in Christ”) will meet the Lord in the air. The Rapture is characterized as a ‘translation coming – the dead in Christ will rise with resurrected bodies, and we who are alive will be changed in a moment.

 
Has anyone been caught up before?
Yes, God has removed individuals from the earth for His own particular reasons. He will continue to catch up those whom He chooses at the appointed time.
Enoch
Genesis 5:23-24 23And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: b24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Hebrews 11:5 5By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Elijah
2 Kings 2:11 11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven..
The two witnesses
Revelation 11:12 12And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them..
Jesus
Acts 1:9 9And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight..
Jesus was taken up to heaven to allow for the Holy Spirit to come indwell the believers at Pentecost (John 16:7).
Before leaving, Jesus promised that He would return to Earth to take His people to be with Him. He said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3,)