Rapture Day refers to a Christian eschatological belief in a future event called the Rapture, when all Christian believers—both living and dead—will be suddenly taken up ("caught up" or "snatched away") to meet Jesus Christ in the sky. This supernatural event is described in the Bible, particularly in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, where it talks about believers being caught up together with resurrected dead Christians to be with the Lord forever. The term "rapture" itself is not found directly in the Bible but comes from the Latin translation of the Greek word "harpazo," meaning "to seize" or "snatch away." The Rapture is often believed to be a moment when Jesus will call His followers to join Him in heaven, leaving the earth behind, which will then be followed by the Second Coming of Christ. This belief is strongly held among some evangelical Christians, particularly in American dispensational premillennialism, and is often associated with end-time prophecy and the events leading to the final judgment and the establishment of Christ's eternal kingdom. Recently in 2025, there was notable social media attention around predictions and discussions of "Rapture Day," linked to interpretations or prophecies that Jesus would return around specific dates in late September 2025, which sparked viral conversations but, so far, no actual event confirming the Rapture has occurred. This belief in the Rapture includes:
- Resurrection of deceased believers with glorified bodies.
- Transformation of living believers' bodies to glorified state.
- Sudden and supernatural gathering to meet Christ in the sky.
The event is described as happening instantaneously, in the "twinkling of an eye," and is viewed as a source of hope and encouragement for believers anticipating reunion with loved ones and the beginning of eternal life with Christ.
