why do christians think the rapture is happening

Christians who believe in the Rapture think it is happening based on interpretations of certain New Testament passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, which describe believers being "caught up" or "raptured" to meet Jesus in the air. They believe that at some future moment, faithful Christians, both alive and dead, will suddenly be taken to heaven, leaving others behind to endure a period of tribulation on Earth. This belief is especially held by evangelical Christians influenced by premillennial and dispensational theology. The idea of the Rapture is tied to the anticipation of Jesus Christ's Second Coming to redeem believers. Although the specific word "rapture" is not found in the Bible, the concept comes from interpretations of verses in Thessalonians and Corinthians that talk about believers being transformed and raised to meet the Lord at the sound of a trumpet. Some believers expect this event to occur before a period of global tribulation, while others think it will happen afterward. The doctrine gained popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries and has strong cultural roots in evangelical circles, including influences from books like Left Behind. It is also often connected to Biblical prophecies and festival dates, such as the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, which some pastors have linked to predicted dates for the Rapture. Not all Christians believe in the Rapture; groups such as Catholics, Orthodox, and mainline Protestants generally emphasize the final return of Christ and caution against predicting exact dates, citing Jesus’ words that no one knows the day or hour.