Jesus said we would be persecuted in ALL NATIONS for His sake. The rapture is never mentioned as an escape clause from persecution. Persecution is severe in Arab counties, and someday it will be severe here.
My friend, the rapture IS mentioned as an escape clause from God's wrath. Although I am appointed to partake of Christ's suffering in the flesh (1 Peter 2:20-21, 4:1, 4:13) I'm not appointed to wrath (I Thessalonians 5:9). The persecution that God's people have endured for 2000 years pales compared to what's coming. Scripture says
and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time (Daniel 12:1) and
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matt 24:21).
The first three and a half years of this wrath of God wrath, half the people in the world (some 3-4 billion people) die. The second three and a half years, the rest die except for a handful of Jews who have escaped to the mountains (probably Petra).
See you in the mezzanine.