As you said, we who suffer with him shall reign with him. Jesus said we would have tribulation in the world. But the Bible clearly tells us that the suffering appointed to us is for our own good to purify our patience and faith - it is redemptive suffering (James 1:3; 1 Peter 1:7).
The events that are described in general in Matt 24 and Luke 21 and in detail in Revelation 4-19 are a different story and of a different magnitude - it is the time of the wrath of the Lamb (Rev 6:16-17) and the wrath of God poured out without mixture (Rev 11:18, 14:10,19, 15:7, 16:1,19, 19:15). This is the time of God's fierce wrath upon the world that has rejected the blood of Jesus Christ for their redemption. (Right now, God's grace is still extended to all mankind.)
Daniel also describes the reason for this time of great tribulation: "to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness" (Dan 9:24). He describes this time as "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that time" (Dan 12:1). A careful reading of Revelation shows that half of the world is dead by the end of the first 3 1/2 years. All who have become Christians during this time will be killed. By the end of the last 3 1/2 years almost the whole world is dead. It is basically God's "mop-up operation" to "clear the decks" so to speak for the coming reign of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on the earth (Rev 19:16, 20:6).
This is not redemptive suffering, this is God's wrath and punishment on the earth. It is not kind of suffering God intends for his children who he loves. God has already put our deserved punishment on Jesus 2000 years ago and God would be unrighteous and unjust to pour out upon us wrath and punishment that he has already exacted on his Son on the cross. The Bible expressly says that God has not appointed us, his people, to wrath which speaks specifically about this coming time (1 Thess 1:10 and 5:9).
Instead Jesus said, "watch therefore and pray that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall take place and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36) and we who have received Jesus have been made righteous and worthy by faith through grace.
I'm saying these things to comfort you and others who might be reading, just as the Holy Spirit through Paul was comforting God's people with the same words (1 Thess 4:18).
Thank-you for being sensitive in regards to the word “rapture” because while there are those believers in the Lord who accept the concept, there are others who do not or who call it into question. :) God Bless. :)