What Is The Rapture? The definition of the rapture varies depending on which view one takes when answering the question, what is the rapture? There are three categories of rapture teaching. Each of the views are defined by their relationship to the tribulation, an alleged future event of prophecy. Pre-tribulation Rapture is defined as a seven year period occurring before the "great tribulation" in spoken of in Matthew 24:21, when saints will miraculously be swept into the heavens. Graphic representations have shown images and movies of people leaving their homes, jobs, automobiles, airplanes and machinery and even their churches while others are ...