Where does the word rapture come from in the Bible?
The term 'rapture' is derived from the biblical phrase 'caught up to meet the Lord in the air' in verse 17. It is a coined word based on the description of believers being caught up to meet the Lord. The phrase 'caught up' is the source of the term.
Les explains that the word 'rapture' is not found in the Bible but is a term coined from the phrase 'caught up to meet the Lord in the air' in verse 17. He points out that verse 16 says the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and then verse 17 says that we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Those are the words from which the word rapture is derived. This describes the event of believers being caught up to meet the Lord.