Definition of "Rapture" in English:ecstatic delight:overwhelming joy.great pleasure or enthusiasm or the expression of it. In Latin:exstasis, exstasia, extasia, ecstastia, exstasiae:rapture, ecstasty, trance. The definition of rapture in English or Latin does not mean "caught up". They say that the word "Rapture" comes from the Latin translation of the Greek (harpazo) in this verse (1Thessalonians 4:17) and is accurately translated into English by "caught up". The word "Rapture" did not mean to be caught up or taken away in Greek until the term raptured came into existence in the 1800's. Before then,nobody taught about Christians flying away in pretribulation. In the Strong's concordance, if you take the word caught and look it up in the Greek dictionary in the back of the concordance it is going to give you the proper definition which is the Greek word: harpazo: to seize, catch(away, up)pluck, pull,take(by force). So where is the word "rapture"? It doesn't belong here. Now if you were talking about experiencing the Holy Spirit in your soul then I would use the word "Rapture". They also say that, "The Latin translators of the bible used the word "rapere", the root of the English term "rapture" ". Let's see what the Latin Vulgate says. 1Thessalonians 4:17 deinde nos qui vivmus qui relinquimur simul "rapiemur" cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus. The word "Rapiemur", translated into English means,( also rapio, rapere, rapui, raptus.) drag off; snatch; destroy; seize; carry off; pillage and hurry. There's a word missing from this definition, "rapture", why? Because it doesn't belong here. The Latin words for "Rapture" are: exstasis, exstasia, extasia, ecstastia, exstasiae, which mean rapture, ecstasy, trance. It seems that someone has decided to change the meaning of the word "rapture" to conform to some strange doctrine they developed. Now,there are millions of people who think they're going to fly away and escape the tribulation. Let's take a look at what the bible says. Revelation 6:11 Each of them were given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little longer,until the roll was complete and their fellow servants and brothers had been killed just as they had been. This scripture is after the fifth seal is broken, so, God's people are still on the earth. Next, in Revelation 7:2 There's an angel in the east carrying the seal of the living God. In Deuteronomy 6:6,8 You shall love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. Verse 8, You shall fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a circlet. What seal or mark are you wearing? Spiritual or worldly? Isaiah 44:5 One shall say,"I am the Lord's and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand, to the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel". Ezekiel 9:3,4 And the Glory of the Lord of Israel, went up from the cherub, upon which He was, to the threshold of the house: and He called to the man that was clothed with linen, and had a writers inkhorn at his loins. And the Lord said to him,' Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem and mark thau (Hebrew for mark or sign) upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and mourn for all the abominations that are commited in the midst thereof. Revelation 7:3 'Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God'. Revelation 9:3,4 And out of the smoke dropped locusts which were given the powers that scorpions have on earth: they were forbidden to harm any fields or crops or trees and told only to attack any men who were without God's seal on their foreheads. If the Christians are supposed to be "raptured" out of here, then why is God going to protect His servants with the seal? Apparently,we are going to go through the tribulation. Let's look at Ezekiel 14:12-20, The word of God was addressed to me as follows, 'Son of man, if a country were to sin against Me by faithlessness, and if I were to stretch out my hand against it and destroy its stock of bread and send famine to it to kill its men and beasts, and if in that country there were these three men, and if in that country there were these three men, Noah, Danel and Job, these men would have their lives spared because of their integrity - it is the Lord God who speaks. Were I to unleash wild animals on that country to rob it of its children and reduce it to such a desert that no one would dare to cross it because of the animals, and if these three men were in that country, then, as I live - it is the Lord God who speaks - they would not be able to save either son or daughter; they alone would be saved, and the country would become a desert. If I were to bring the sword into that country and say: Let the sword pass through the country; I will strike down men and beasts with it, and if these three men were in that country, then, as I live - it is the Lord God who speaks - they would not be able to save either son or daughter; they alone would be saved. If I were to send the plague into that country and satisfy my anger with them by bloodshed, cutting off men and beasts, if Noah, Danel, and Job were in the country, as I live - it is the Lord God who speaks - they would not be able to save either son or daughter, though they would save their own lives because of their integrity'. God truly explains here that anyone who is His servant will be taken care of in any kind of crisis that may occur. Is your faith going to be strong enough to endure the tribulation? Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:6-8 'You will hear of wars and rumours of wars; do not be alarmed for this is something that must happen, but the end will not be yet. For nation will fight agaist nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes here and there. All this is only the beginning of the birthpangs. In Matthew 24:9 'Then they will hand you over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name'. Mark 13:9-11 But take heed to yourselves' for they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten,and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. (Read Acts 26:1-29 it will be similar to this) But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought before hand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate, but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye. For it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. How can we be handed over to be tortured if we are gone? Matthew 24:13 'But the man who stands firm to the end will be saved'. Mark 13:13 'You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved'. In these two scriptures, Jesus is telling us to keep the faith and trust in God, if we don't we will never make it through any tests or trials. Let's look at Mark 13:24-27 'But in those days, after that "time of distress", the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; then too He will send the angels to gather His chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven. There are too many scriptures that say we are going to be here during the tribulation. You can believe what you want to, I'm not trying to change anybodys belief. I just want to put the information out there for you to investagate for yourself what's truth and what's not truth. I know that whatever happens, I am going to be prepared for it. If I have to go through the tribulation period for the Glory of God ,then I know that I will be ready,will You? 2Peter 3:15-17 Think of our Lord's patience as your oppurtunity to be saved: our brother Paul, who is so dear to us, told you this when he wrote to you with the wisdom that is his special gift. He always writes like this when he deals with this sort of subject, and this makes some points in his letter hard to understand; these are the points that uneducated and unbalanced people distort, in the same way as they distort the rest of scripture - a fatal thing for them to do. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. In other words, don't trust what anybody tells you. Keep an open mind and listen, but always seek and prove the teachings of anybody. The truth lies within you, it's up to you to find it. Look around,do you think we are in the tribulation period now? there's famine in Asia and Africa.How about our food resources in the U.S.? We let the athiest stop prayer in the schools. This country was founded by our faith and trust in God. Now that we're pushing God out, our country is falling apart. 8 & 9 year olds commiting rape, teens totally out of control, people not obeying the law, no matter how small it may seem. The economy is in shambles. We've sold out to other countries. The greed in this country is enormous. So many people are self-absorbed. How about global warming? Animals are dying by the thousands. We have wild fires,earthquakes,storms,massive hurricanes, typhoons, and crazy weather patterns. So find the love of God in your soul and look for the love of your fellowman, it's in them, you need to help bring it out. May God Bless You All