The idea of a rapture is said to have originated with a Spanish Catholic Jesuit named Ribera, in 1580 A.D. (See "The Rapture of the Wicked", by Stephen E. Jones and "The Rapture of the Saints", by Duncan McDougall.) During a time of much bloodshed in Europe as Catholics persecuted and killed their opponents, this doctrine said that Christ was going to come and secretly snatch away the Church before a great seven-year tribulation, when the "anti-Christ" would rule the world. This futurist interpretation of the book of Revelation, along with the future coming of the Antichrist, was designed to take the pressure off the Pope, who was universally regarded as being the antichrist by His opponents. The Bible teaches nothing about a "rapture". The word is not found in any standard Bible translation. The belief in a rapture seems to be based mostly on the following scripture:"According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. " ( 1Thessalonians 4:15-17, NIV) The Apostle Paul says that "the dead in Christ will rise first" and then those who are "still alive and are left will be will be caught up together with them". Most people who teach the rapture doctrine say that it only happens to people who are alive and that the resurrection of the dead takes place when Jesus actually comes back to the earth.This does not agree with the scenario of Revelation chapters 19 and 20 concerning the return of Jesus to this earthThe Bible does not teach that He will come and take some away to heaven first and then come back later to rule. Written by: Clay Willis(Originally titled Is the 'Rapture of the Saints' Biblical truth . . . or false doctrine?)