The word 'rapture' is a Latin derived word from the Latin Vulgate Bible, which uses the word to translate the Greek word 'harpazo' which is translated in the English, 'caught up' in 1Thess 4:17.
To say the word 'rapture' is not in the Bible is to say it's not in the English Bibles, but the concept is there and communicated by different words, 'caught up'.
Many quibble about the word 'rapture', all the while ignoring or denying what the Scripture says about believers being 'caught up' to meet the Lord in the air.
The Lord Himself will descend from heaven to gather His own unto Himself.
Too bad, professing Christians don't believe what is plainly said about this.
I've said many times before, "I can understand why believers argue about the timing of the rapture, but I can't, for the life of me, understand why they deny the fact of the rapture".
I didn't ignore it. I hit it head on here.....
Further; the single verse used to support flying away, needs to be dissected also. Like clouds, for instance. Clouds are the smallest particle of something, DUST and water vapor, Adam was taken from the dust of the earth. Men are called clouds without water (no Spirit guiding them) in Jude. We are told that a prophet like unto Moses would be raised up; well, Moses was told to meet Him in the cloud, the cloud being the cloud of incense which we are told represent the prayers of the saints.
Clouds of incense ASCEND. Prayers ASCEND. Flesh DOES NOT ASCEND, except in one way. Make of yourselves a LIVING SACRIFICE, tied down with cords of love that cannot be broken. Those saints under the altar in Revelation? They got there only one way, and that is through the grate on top of it, consumed by fire, until the offering makes a sweet smelling savor unto the Lord.
You want your rapture? There it is, and it's not for the fearful and unbelieving willing to let their brethren face all the destruction they imagine while they sail away.
Now let's reason this out. If they called men clouds without water, and those men were ON THE GROUND, then common sense dictates that other men are clouds WITH WATER, and they too are on the ground. The word for dust and clouds runs into the same root words in Hebrew. Why? Because clouds are dust. Men were taken from the dust and to the dust they will return.
The only question is their choice in how they become dust, which I also addressed with the grate. No greater love has any man than this.....
Now let's address Him coming in the clouds. How did He come the first time? IN THE FLESH THAT IS DUST. How will He come the second time? IN THE FLESH THAT IS DUST, A MANY MEMBERED CLOUD, that instead of being on the ground where HaSatan was ordered to EAT DUST, RAISED UP/CAUGHT UP, IN HIM, in the firmament, which is heaven. Heaven is not a location, but a state of being. Which is why Yeshua basically said to Nicodemus, I'm standing right here in front of you, but I'm in heaven.
Now the thing about this firmament called heaven is, heaven means literally, something heaved up, LIKE A MOUNTAIN. Let's see now; remember something about men coming up to a mountain to all be taught of the Lord? This is the same mountain that started small and increased. And CHRIST IS, the firmament and the mountain, which is why Christ IN YOU is the hope of glory. It's not THE glory, but the hope of it. And deferred hope maketh the heart sick, and that is what this rapture literal nonsense is doing to the body, giving them a false hope, making their heart sick.
Then what does the scripture say? There are many sick and dying among you because you HAVE NOT DISCERNED THE LORD'S BODY? The Lord is SPIRIT now, hereafter we'll not know Him after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We are caught up IN THE SPIRIT, where the Lord is. Your flesh body profits NOTHING. Peace