The expectation of modern believers is the snatching away. In many circles, this event is referred to as the rapture of the church. Both terms require explanation. I personally prefer “the snatching away”, as it best approximates what Scripture itself says about this event. The advantage of referring to an event with a specific term is that it simplifies our discussion of it. The disadvantage is that we may miss other Scripture passages that address the same event because they use different terminology.
To the extent that Christianity believes in a snatching away, this is usually based on only a few texts: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, but isn’t that a bit meager? Wouldn’t you expect much more from Paul’s letters, which reveal the secret that Christ and His body are one? After all, the snatching away concerns the future of the ecclesia and our hope.
There are many more than a few texts that speak of this event and its related events. We will discuss these in this series.
Read the series: the snatching away (still under construction)