If there was a rapture, would this building be empty?

Those who teach the "Rapture" are telling us that the rapture will be an invisible, silent, and secret coming of Jesus for Christians only, leaving, behind visible results of chaos and confusion among the remaining unbelievers. The term "rapture" isn't found in the Bible.   Our English word "rapture" is derived from the Latin raptus, the root meaning of which is to snatch or seize, and hence people have applied the term to the events of 1 Thessalonians 4: 17, because in that verse we find the expression, "shall be caught up". The primary passage used to support the idea of a "rapture" is the above section of Scripture. Yet in looking at the passages, we find anything but a secret and silent coming of Jesus.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord" ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16-1 7).

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

Note, most people who believe in the denominational concept of the rapture, believe that all Christians will be secretly removed from the earth, seven years before judgment comes upon the wicked, but Paul taught that the righteous were caught up in the exact same day that destruction suddenly comes upon the wicked (5:3). Note carefully, this event isn't the forewarning of destruction for the wicked or the prelude of such destruction, but when this event happens, actual and real destruction comes upon those outside of Christ.

Then there is the problem of the expression, "the second coming". According to adherents of the rapture theory, Jesus actually comes a third time. His first coming was when He came to this earth, lived, and then died for our sins. Then they have Him coming a second time at the rapture and then a third time seven years later. In contrast, the Bible says simply, "so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28).   The Scripture speaks only of one second coming, not a second and then a third.

"The Last day"

According to the rapture theory, all deceased Christians are resurrected, but the resurrection of the wicked does not happen until later. In contrast, the Bible is very clear that the wicked and the righteous are resurrected at the same time, "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth, those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29). In addition, the day on which the righteous are raised is clearly viewed by Jesus as being the last day, "And this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:39-40,44).   Jesus taught one resurrection, which includes everyone at the end of time which will be the same day on which everyone will be judged (John 12:48).

"The Last enemy—Death"

There is another huge problem in trying to make the popular idea of the rapture fit the teaching of Scripture. The advocates of the rapture have, all Christians being raised first, then seven years later, all the people who were converted and died during a period of great tribulation will be raised, (including all the faithful in the Old Testament) and then 1000 years later, all the wicked will be raised. The problem with this is that the Bible views death as being completely conquered when Christians are raised, (I Corinthians 15:23-26; 51-54 "But when this perishable will have put on imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immorality, then will come about the saying that was written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory.’  Yet if we believe popular teaching on this subject, death isn't vanquished at the rapture, not by a long shot. Following the rapture, it is claimed that the earth will experience the greatest period of suffering ever known to man which will end in all out world war.  But even then death hasn't been conquered, for all the wicked are still alive. In fact, according to some, the children born to those in the millennium (Matthew 22:30) will rise up against Jesus and their parents (Revelation 20:7-9), and God will respond by destroying them (more death, even in the millennium!)  According to the Bible, when Christians are resurrected, on that very day it can truly be said that death has been completely conquered and defeated. Such an expression would demand that not one single body is still in the grave and that no one will ever die in a physical sense again after this event.

"Just like a thief in the night”

The problem with making the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff refer to a secret and silent coming for Christians only, is that once this happens, anyone who has been listening to denominational preaching on the end times will know exactly when Jesus will come back, that is, in seven years. According to this theory, when the rapture happens, the world can easily find out when Jesus will come again. So, how can the second coming, according to this theory, be like a thief in the night?

If it doesn't fit the scriptures, why do people insist upon teaching it?

Worse, why do people believe it?