Is the word rapture literally mentioned in the Bible?

No, the Bible doesn't literally mention the word rapture. The closest passage we have in the Bible to the rapture is I Thess 4:17. The word rapture, comes from the latin word rapturo meaning "caught up" in this verse. A quick snatching away.

Personally, I think this passage makes it very clear that there will be a rapture.

The word does not apear in the bible, The concept is described in Daniel 12:1 ... and at that time shall Michael stand up for the children of thy people.(Hebrews) ... and there shall be a time of trouble such as..... and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be written in the book, and many of them that sleep in the dust... This is speaking of something like a rapture and a mini rescurection but not the first recurection described in Rev20 This prophesy was given to Daniel around 535 BC "Thy people that shall be delivered" are the 12,000 of each of the 12 tribes of Israel mentioned in Rev. 7:3, 9:4 and 14: 1 thru 5. It is debated whether this is to be a futuristic or past event.

Resurrection and rapture are both in the New Testament. Resurrection is coming out of death. The dead are under the earth in Hades. At the coming of Jesus, the dead in Christ shall rise (from Hades to the earth). The Greek word for resurrection is anastasis, which literally means standing up. Resurrection affords both the dead in Christ a spiritual body, for in Hades they have no body, as well as a new body for those Christians alive on the earth (1 Cor 15; 2 Cor. 5:1-4). Then both parties will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air (not heaven). The Greek word for caught up is harpazo, and is used in 1 Thess. 4:17. It means being carried away by force. It can be translated rapture. While resurrection brings one from death to the earth, rapture takes one from the earth to the sky. This is to save them from the Great Tribulation that will scourge the earth. Then Jesus and His believers will return to the earth to reign for 1000 years. This is not some invented teaching of John Darby (dispensationalism), nor some fictitious spooky tale. Jesus describes it in Matthew 24-25. It is what the Bible describes. Listen to Paul himself in 1 Thess 4. Note how he starts with his desire for people not to be uninformed:

13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

No it does not appear in the scriptures because there will not be a "rapture". The escape rapture teaching came about through Edward Irving in the early 1800;s after a woman by the name of Margaret McDonald had a vision while in a trance in spring of 1830 in Port-Glasgow,Scotland. It was then promoted by Schofield , Darby, and their cronies.There is absolutely no record of this heretic doctrine EVER being taught or even mentioned prior to that time. Up until that time the scriptural truth of the saints going throught the tribulation was taught. See Noah and also Goshen for precedent. See and properly understand Matthew 24 and Luke 17.

No, not at all. There is a history and starting point to this teaching. What persons do is point to certain scriptures and then tell you that this means a "rapture." The rapture is a dispensational teaching. It gained a lot of attention because people like gloom and doom and spooky "end time" ideas.

No, I think some English guy came up with that after a bad batch of "bangers and mash' . He started seeing people disappear and thought it was a religious experience, turned out they were on their way to the Loo. They had eaten the same thing.

NO

Its an extra biblical meaning. devised with wrong understanding of the meaning of scriptures.

There is a Resurrection not a Rapture. Some think that the Church will escape the tribulation and 666 , the Bible says the Tribulation is a time and a testing of the Saints (beleivers)

The rapture, as described in the End Time series and as is taught by some christian sects, is nowhere to be found in the Revelation of St. John. What can be found is some rather terrifying symbology if one does not understand the righting style of of the author of Revelations and the language in which he wrote it.

Darby, is in fact the author of the rapture doctrine.This idea appeals to people who not only feel entitled to be spared the results of mankind's "sins" on earth, but take some perverse delight in knowing that others will suffer outrageous global catastrophe and the ensuing agony.

I seem to recall that Jesus once said that those expecting to enter the kingdom of God should come as little children, in other words, childlike; not childish, which is the case, I'm afraid, with the Rapture Christians.

The word "rapture" does not at all appear in the Word of God. There is no teaching regarding the word rapture. The second coming of Christ however, is written and spoken of throughout the Bible. In Mark 13... keep reading →