When Jesus comes for His church .. the Holy Spirit will leave the earth. Just light a small candle in a dark room, and then blow the candle out. What you have is "gross darkness". The church will not experience that. The church will be gone. Those who are left on the earth will have tons of bad stuff to deal with.
When Jesus returns to begin His 1000 year reign, He will be bringing the church with him. After the 1000 years, the devil will be loosed one more time .. (short - according to the Bible) .. and then the final judgement (the white throne judgment). After that is eternity - enjoying being one of God's kids - no sickness, no death, no hunger, no wars.
I don't think that the Holy Spirit leaves. You remember in Revelations that there are 12000 from each tribe who are sealed on their foreheads, and then they are sent out to be missionaries after the rest of the saints are gone. They are protected... Also, recall the two prophets in Jerusalem who preach for 3 1/2 years.
I'm with you on that one. I do believe the church will be spared the "wrath of God." However, I believe the "wrath of God" is the last half of the 7 year tribulation and begins basically at the beginning of Revelation 7, which also describes those raptured.
I am a "mid-tribulationist."
'Course, I could be wrong? 8^>