The term 'rapture' refers to the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. While the event is clearly biblical, Christians hold diverse views on the timing and nature of this event in relation to the second coming and the period of tribulation.
The concept of being 'caught up' finds its clearest expression in the apostle Paul's comfort to the church in Thessalonica. Paul writes, "then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This event, connected to the resurrection of those who have died in Christ, is the blessed hope of the church. It is not an escape from reality, but the glorious culmination of Christ's victory, where the King returns to gather His people and reign. As stated in the Belgic Confession Art. 37, we look forward to this day with ardent desire, knowing that our full deliverance is found only in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
While all Reformed Christians agree on the reality of the Lord's return and the final judgment, there is meaningful debate regarding the timing of this 'rapture' relative to the tribulation. Many historical Reformed and Presbyterian traditions generally view the 'catching up' as a constituent part of the single, visible Second Advent of Christ—the day when the resurrection and the general judgment occur simultaneously (Westminster Larger Catechism Q.88, Q.90). Others, particularly within various Baptist circles, have explored different eschatological frameworks regarding the sequence of these events. Regardless of one's specific millennial view, we must hold fast to the exhortation of our Lord to 'keep watch' (Mark 13:37), living not in speculation about the 'day or hour' (Matthew 24:36), but in daily repentance and faith in the gospel, which alone secures our standing before the Judge.