How is the "rapture" different from just dying?

[Negachrist]

If the rapture is all about how the True Christians™ will get an express ticket to heaven, how is that different from them just dropping dead in the street and going to heaven the "normal" way?

What's the difference between rapture and ordinary death, if there is one?

[McCulloch]

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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 will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

So it looks as if those who are dead in Christ will be raised. Then those who are in Christ will join them and meet Christ in the air.

Notes:

1. the dead don't seem to be in heaven, but in the ground from the time they die until the time of the Rapture.
2. Heaven is in the clouds, where Christ ascended.
3. Times predicted for the rapture [Wikipedia] :
   • 1792 - Shakers calculated this date
   • 1844 - William Miller, founder of the Millerites, predicted the return of Christ to occur on October 22, 1844 revised after an initial prediction for the 1843/1844 Hebrew Year. The failure of Jesus to appear on this date after his followers had sold all their possessions was referred to as The Great Disappointment.
   • 1981 - Chuck Smith undogmatically predicted that Jesus would likely return by 1981.
   • 1988 - Publication of 88 Reasons why the Rapture is in 1988, by Edgar C. Whisenant.
   • 1989 - Publication of The final shout: Rapture report 1989, by Edgar Whisenant. More predictions by this author appeared for 1992, 1995, and other years.
   • 1992 - Korean group "Mission for the Coming Days" predicted October 28, 1992 as the date for the rapture.
   • 1993 - Seven years before the year 2000. The rapture would have to start to allow for seven years of the Tribulation before the Return in 2000. Multiple predictions.
   • 1994 - Pastor John Hinkle of Christ Church in Los Angeles predicted June 9, 1994. Radio evangelist Harold Camping predicted September 27, 1994.
   • 1997 - Stan Johnson of the Prophecy Club predicted September 12, 1997.
   • 1998 - Marilyn Agee, in The End of the Age, predicted May 31, 1998.
   • 2060 - Sir Isaac Newton undogmatically proposed, based upon his calculations using figures from the book of Daniel, that the rapture could happen no earlier than 2060.

[piglet17]

If the rapture is all about how the True Christian will get an express ticket to heaven, how is that different from them just dropping dead in the street and going to heaven the "normal" way?

Death doesn't take Christians to heaven. But to Hades' pleasant part. Luke 16; Revelation 6; 2 Corinthians 5 and 12; Philippians 1 and 3; 1 Thessalonians 4; John 11; etc

What's the difference between rapture and ordinary death, if there is one?

That death is separation of body from soul and spirit.
Rapture is the catching up of body with soul and spirit

[Nec Spe Nec Metu]

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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 will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

So it looks as if those who are dead in Christ will be raised. Then those who are in Christ will join them and meet Christ in the air.

Notes:

1. the dead don't seem to be in heaven, but in the ground from the time they die until the time of the Rapture.
2. Heaven is in the clouds, where Christ ascended.
3. Times predicted for the rapture [Wikipedia] :
   • 1792 - Shakers calculated this date
   • 1844 - William Miller, founder of the Millerites, predicted the return of Christ to occur on October 22, 1844 revised after an initial prediction for the 1843/1844 Hebrew Year. The failure of Jesus to appear on this date after his followers had sold all their possessions was referred to as The Great Disappointment.
   • 1981 - Chuck Smith undogmatically predicted that Jesus would likely return by 1981.
   • 1988 - Publication of 88 Reasons why the Rapture is in 1988, by Edgar C. Whisenant.
   • 1989 - Publication of The final shout: Rapture report 1989, by Edgar Whisenant. More predictions by this author appeared for 1992, 1995, and other years.
   • 1992 - Korean group "Mission for the Coming Days" predicted October 28, 1992 as the date for the rapture.
   • 1993 - Seven years before the year 2000. The rapture would have to start to allow for seven years of the Tribulation before the Return in 2000. Multiple predictions.
   • 1994 - Pastor John Hinkle of Christ Church in Los Angeles predicted June 9, 1994. Radio evangelist Harold Camping predicted September 27, 1994.
   • 1997 - Stan Johnson of the Prophecy Club predicted September 12, 1997.
   • 1998 - Marilyn Agee, in The End of the Age, predicted May 31, 1998.
   • 2060 - Sir Isaac Newton undogmatically proposed, based upon his calculations using figures from the book of Daniel, that the rapture could happen no earlier than 2060.

I predict that he's not coming back. I bet my soul I'm right!