There are two important truths we need to understand regarding the end times. Our understanding—or lack of understanding—of these truths will greatly affect our response and the way we live and prepare ourselves in these last days. It may even determine whether we will survive the days ahead. The first of these truths is the rapture, described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. In that passage, Paul wrote to comfort believers whose loved ones had died, assuring them that they would rise to life again. He then explained how this resurrection would take place in 1 Thessalonians 4:14–17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
The expression translated “caught up” in this passage comes from the Greek word harpazō, which means “to seize,” “to snatch away,” or “to carry off by force.” This word was rendered in Latin as rapturo, from which the English term rapture is derived. For this reason, the claim that the rapture is not in the Bible is misleading. It is a matter of translation. The terms “rapture,” “caught up,” and “snatched away” all refer to the same Greek word—harpazō. If Scripture states that when Jesus returns the dead in Christ will be resurrected and faithful believers will be caught up to meet Him in the air, then that is what will take place. God cannot lie, and the Scriptures cannot be broken, as affirmed in Titus 1:2 and John 10:31. Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4 is not isolated. It reflects how Jesus Himself described His return in the Gospels.
An important point about the rapture is that it cannot occur apart from the resurrection of the dead in Christ. Scripture teaches that the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, both the resurrected saints and the believers who are still alive will be caught up to meet Jesus. The meeting place, according to the text, is the air. After the saints meet Jesus in the air, an important question remains: where do they go next? Do they return to the earth, remain in the air, or continue on to heaven with Him? This question will be examined in greater detail later in this study of the last days.
The second truth to understand is the Great Tribulation. Revelation 7:14 refers to those who come out of “the great tribulation,” a phrase that can also be rendered more literally as “the tribulation, the great one.” Jesus described this period as a time of distress and suffering on the earth unlike anything that has occurred since the beginning of the world, nor ever will again. He also said that unless those days were shortened, no life would be saved, as recorded in Matthew 24:21–22 and Mark 13:19–20. If Jesus warned that such a period will occur, it is wise to pay close attention. The world has already experienced world wars, plagues, and many severe periods of distress. If the Great Tribulation will surpass all of these, then wisdom and proper understanding are necessary so that we may prepare ourselves to overcome the greatest time of suffering the world will ever know. This warning is not meant to frighten, but to instruct us to respond with wisdom and preparedness.
If all faithful believers were to be raptured before the Great Tribulation begins, then a detailed understanding of the book of Revelation, the sequence of end-time events, and instructions for surviving the Great Tribulation would not be necessary, since believers would not be present to experience those events. However, if the church is meant to pass through the Great Tribulation and God has provided guidance in His Word for how to overcome, then believing otherwise would amount to self-deception—expecting escape from what believers have been warned to prepare for.
The question, therefore, remains: which comes first—the rapture or the Great Tribulation? This issue will be addressed in subsequent studies.
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
February 11, 2026.
If this study has encouraged or challenged you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. What have you been taught about the rapture and the Great Tribulation, and how has it shaped your understanding of the end times?
Let us keep the discussion respectful, Scripture-centered, and focused on seeking the truth of God’s Word together.