The idea of the rapture—that believers in Christ will be taken up (or “caught away”) to meet Jesus in the air before a period of great tribulation—did not exist in early Christianity. It emerged much later, and its rise is deeply connected to 19th-century theological movements, particularly in the West. Here’s a concise timeline and … Continue reading The Invention of the Rapture: A 19th-Century Detour in Christian Theology