Bible Verses About End Times / Rapture

Bible passages about the end times, the rapture, Christ's return, and the various millennial views held by Christians.

King James Version
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:29-31
4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4-6
10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Peter 3:10
27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel 9:27
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:36
51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Revelation 3:10
1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 Thessalonians 2:1
3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Thessalonians 2:3
40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Matthew 24:40-41

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HeavenEternal LifeDeathHope

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rapture and is it biblical?

The rapture refers to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, where believers are 'caught up' to meet the Lord in the air. Christians debate its timing and nature. Pre-tribulationists believe Christians will be taken before a period of tribulation. Post-tribulationists see it as occurring at Christ's visible return. Some traditions do not use the term 'rapture' at all, viewing it as one event with Christ's second coming.

What are the main views on the millennium?

Premillennialism teaches Christ will return before a literal 1000-year reign on earth (Revelation 20:4-6). Amillennialism interprets the millennium symbolically as the present church age. Postmillennialism believes the world will be Christianized before Christ returns. Each view has substantial historical precedent and theological arguments from Scripture.

Can we know when Jesus will return?

Matthew 24:36 says no one knows the day or hour, not even the angels or the Son, but only the Father. Despite this, Jesus gave signs to watch for (Matthew 24:4-31). Christians are called to be ready at all times (Matthew 25:13) rather than setting dates. Throughout history, all date-setting predictions have proven false, reinforcing Jesus's own teaching on the unknowability of the timing.