Is the word rapture in the Bible?

Chuck Smith, The Tribulation and the Church, chapter 4: Some people would ridicule the idea or concept of the Rapture of the Church. They declare that the word "rapture" isn't even found in the Bible. It all depends on which version of the Bible you're reading. The phrase "caught up" in I Thessalonians 4:17 is the Greek word harpazo, which actually means "to be snatched away with violent force." The Latin equivalent of harpazo is the verb rapio, "to take away by force." In the Latin Vulgate, one of the oldest Bibles in existence, the appropriate tense of rapio appears in verse 17. Raptus is the past participle of rapio, and our English words "rapt" and "rapture" stem from this past participle. Although "rapture" isn't in the King James Bible, the basic word does appear in the Latin Vulgate. Scripture, King James Version: 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.". From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.

Verified. Every scripture quotation on this page has been checked word-for-word against the King James text. Last reviewed 2026-10-15.

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Is the word rapture in the Bible? → wsb.bible/answers/is-the-word-rapture-in-the-bible

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