Rapture

From Textus Receptus

The Rapture is an event in the futurist interpretation of Christian eschatology, in which it is posited that Christians will be gathered together in the air to meet Christ at, or up to seven years prior to, his return. The primary passage used to support this idea is 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, in which Paul cites "the word of the Lord" about the return of Jesus to gather his saints.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: 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.

Contents 1 Etymology 1.1 Latin 1.2 Greek 1.3 English

Etymology

Latin

"Rapture", in the context of eschatology, is an English noun derived from the Latin verb rapiō, "caught up" or "taken away." ^[1] as found in the Vulgate rendering of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.^[2]

Greek

"Raptured" (Latin rapiemur) is Saint Jerome's translation of the Koine Greek verb harpazo, which means "caught up" or "taken away." The Greek verb harpazō (ἁρπάζω) is used only in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and Acts 8:38.^[3]:Acts 8:39 "And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away (Greek harpazo) Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea."

English

Bible versions - English Bible versions have rendered Jerome's "raptured" in various ways:

• The Wycliffe Bible (1395), translated from the Latin Vulgate (405), uses "rushed".^[4]
• The Tyndale New Testament (1525), and then the Bishop's Bible (1568), Geneva Bible (1587) and King James Version (1611) have "caught up"^[5]
• The New English Bible, translated from the Greek^[6] in 1 Thess. 4:16 has this footnote: suddenly caught up. Or "snatched up." The Greek verb arpazo (ἁρπάζω) implies that the action is quick or forceful, so the translation added the adverb "suddenly" to make this implicit notion clear.

Literature - The Oxford English Dictionary provides two pages describing the history of usage of the word in English. From the 17th century onwards, the word is attested as rapture with similar senses to the older form rapt. The OED provides the etymology as from Latin rapere: to seize, especially abduct; it likens the words capture and rapture. Of particular note are the various distinctions involving either literal or figurative transport of body or emotions to heaven or from one place to another on earth.^[7]* circa 1400: Þe visions of seynt poul wan he was rapt into paradys. – Vernon manuscript^[8]

• 1412-20: In this wyse were the brethren twayne To heauen rapt, as thes poetes fayne. – John Lydgate, Chronicle of Troy^[9]
• 1432-50: Helyas was rapte in this tyme. – Ranulf Higden, Polychronicon^[10]
• 1526: Whan he was rapt & taken vp in to the thyrde heuen. – William Bond, Pilgrim of Perfection^[11]
• 1610: To this place … were Enoch, Elias and Paul rapt up fore their deaths. – John Guillim, Display of Heraldry ^[12]
• 1667: Rapt in a Chariot drawn by fiery Steeds. – John Milton, Paradise Lost^[13]
• 1866: He was rapt up on high and saw S. Peter. – Charles Kingsley, Hereward the Wake^[14]