1. A seizing by violence.[Little used.]
2. Transport; ecstasy; violence of a pleasing passion; extreme joy or pleasure.
3. Rapidity with violence; a hurrying along with velocity;

When taken in context, the rapture would mean to be transported or caught up suddenly with force or power from one place to another.

This terminology is used by christians and theologians alike to basically describe their belief. Just like the word "Trinity" cannot be located in the Bible; however, the Scriptures can validate the teaching of the "Trinity" doctrine. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the secret rapture after one has carefully studied God's Word with a honest heart.

Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Heb. 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Heb. 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.

Mat. 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

It's quite obvious to see that Christ ascended to be with His Father in Heaven.

Joh. 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Here, Jesus gives assurance to His disciples that He will return and take them to Heaven.

Act 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Two angelic messengers described that the nature of Jesus return will be the same as he left. Jesus' ascension was seen by the disciples. Jesus ascended in the clouds and shall return in the clouds. Jesus ascended with a real body. Thus, Jesus return will be literal, bodily, and visible.

1Th. 4:17 Then 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.

No! We shall meet our Lord in the AIR.

1Th. 4:15-17 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For 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: Then 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.

The dead in Christ and those alive, who remain in Christ at the time of His return, will be taken up to Heaven.

Mat. 24:23,24 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Believe it not!

This is what the Bible says about those particular individuals:

Isa. 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.

Heb. 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The Bible speaks about two advents. The first being with the first being when Christ came as the Lamb of God to die for our sins. The next advent will be Jesus' second coming.

Incidentally, Seventh-Day Adventists adopted their name from the root word, Adventism, which basically means the belief in the arrival or coming of Jesus Christ. So, in actuality, every denomination that teaches the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is an Adventist; however, many churches do not agree with the "Seventh-Day" part, which requires its own study.

You see, when He comes the second time, there will be no more chances for salvation. Jesus, Himself, said:

Rev. 22:11,12 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be

He will return for those who have overcome and have endured until the end.

Mat. 24:27,31 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. And 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.

1Th. 4:16 For 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:

1Co. 15:52 In 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.

There's a SHOUT, a VOICE from the archangel, a TRUMP of God, and LIGTHNING. I don't see anything "secret" or "quiet" about Jesus second coming.

This is the climax of the gospel. We will be leaving this planet in grand fashion. There's no need to keep it a secret.

2Th. 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

2Th. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

They will be destroyed by the presence and brightness of the Lord's coming.

2Pe. 3:10-12 But 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. [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Everything on Earth will burned up.

Phi. 3:31 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

1Pe. 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

A new body fashioned like Jesus' and a crown of glory that will never fade or wear out.

1Th. 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Comfort one another with these words. Therefore, let's rejoice and praise with one another and look forward to His soon coming.

Sure.

Simply, secret rapture supporters believe Jesus' Second Coming occurs in two phases. The first phase is when Jesus comes for His church just before the end-time tribulation begins. At this event, the church suspiciously disappears out of thin air, leaving those left behind wondering where have all their love ones gone.

The second phase occurs when the anti-Christ appears, which begins the 7 years of tribulation, and depending on which faith you talk to, Jesus and the raptured believers in the first phase come either in the middle or after the 7 years have expired. Where they get these 7 years is a mystery to me. Somehow, they take the last week of the 70 weeks prophecy in Daniel 9 and place it in the future and apply it to the anti-Christ.

What's even more disturbing is that they believe those who were left behind in the first phase, people who didn't believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, still have an opportunity to repent and be saved in the second phase just before Jesus comes again for the "third" time.

Well, the "secret" rapture doctrine would have you believe that the rapture of the saints precedes the revealing of the anti-Christ. On the contrary, the Bible says:

2Th. 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him...as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let 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; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God

The writer of 2 Thes. emphatically states that we should not let anyone deceive us on these sequence of events, and that the anti-Christ will appear before the rapture of the saints, which is Jesus' Second Coming.

2Pe. 3:10a But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night...

This particular phrase is so often quoted by secret rapture supporters that they would have you to believe that's all to the verse. However, as always, when a scripture is taken out of context, it's going to carry a different meaning. So, let's read the complete text and see if it supports a quiet rapture.

2Pe. 3:10b ...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.

Doesn't sound so secret or quiet, does it? What Christ meant when He said He is coming as a "thief" is easily explained in the following verses:

Luk. 12:39,40 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

1Th. 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief

His coming as a thief in the night is not to be taken as it will be a secret or silent. On the contrary, it will be sudden and unexpected to those who do not believe on Jesus Christ and continue on with their sinful lifestyle. His true followers will be constantly watching and preparing for that great day.

Luk. 17:34-36 I tell you, in that night there shall be two [men] in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two [women] shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two [men] shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left

This passage above is also used regularly to support a secret rapture. However, Jesus was simply using symbols to convey a point to His disciples.

Remember that in the last days there will only be two groups of people on Earth, the righteous and wicked, whether they are living or dead.

Two men in bed - suggests sleeping, which Jesus used many times as a symbol for death. In the end, you will have the righteous and the wicked dead. And the righteous dead will be taken during the resurrection at Jesus' Second Coming.

Two women grinding together - women in the Bible are symbols for churches. Thus, in the end, there will only be a true and a false church working with God's Word. However, when Christ comes in grand fashion, only His true church will be taken.

Two men shall be in the field - connotes disciples or missionaries working in the world. Hence, there will be true and false disciples in the world. However, to the false ones, Jesus will say:

Mat. 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Thus, the true disciples will be taken at the second advent of Jesus Christ.

In that same chapter (Luk. 17), Jesus compared His second coming to the days of Noah and Lot. God's judgment came as a surprise to the wicked generation of those times. They were busy indulging in themselves and were completely unaware of the immediate destruction that took place. Thus, Jesus is warning this generation that history will repeat itself.

The second coming of Jesus Christ is a grand event the christian church has been looking forward to since His resurrection. And to say that the rapture of the saints will be a secret or a quiet event is a disservice to the Word and power of God.

Friend, we should all, steadfastly, be looking forward to that day of Jesus' coming in the clouds, which will be the consummation of our hope and faith in Him.