This has been popularly proposed in evangelical circles my whole life. When I came to realize what I had been taught about a pretrib rapture was unbiblical, I also saw a lot of these conjectures for what they are—conjectures.
Others include “The Left Behind” series idea of the rapture including babies, cars crashing, and planes falling from the sky. It makes for interesting fiction, but it isn’t Bible-based (even if some ideas are possibly true).
But I think it is important to distinguish between man-made ideas and what the Bible explicitly states. Another example is that the vaccine being pushed is the mark of the beast or its precursor.
The Bible explicitly states that there will be a falling away/apostasy. Many will depart from the (Christian) faith. Many will be “offended” (i.e. caused to stumble). And mockers will arise asking where the promised rapture is.
Personally, I believe the pretrib teaching will contribute to these things happening. The majority of evangelicals think Christ is coming in a secret rapture and will rescue them from the Great Tribulation and antichrist, either before he makes his appearance on the world stage or shortly thereafter (but before he can do us any harm).
If and when the church faces the antichrist, the mark of the beast, and the worldwide persecution of the church more severely than ever before, I think we will find that many nominal “Christians” will not endure. Only those who endure until the end will be saved, and they will be saved by the rapture. The rapture will be no secret snatching away, but a “glorious appearing”.
Review 2 Thessalonians 1 and confirm what I’m saying is true. Notice when the persecuted believers Paul is addressing can expect to receive rest: when Christ appears, taking vengeance on His enemies with flaming fire. Does that sound at all like the onset of Daniel’s 70th week or a secret rapture? Or does it perhaps align better with Revelation 8+ with the 7 trumpets where fire begins to be poured out on the inhabitants of earth?
When Christ comes in His glory, those who remain will wail because they will be well-aware that the wrath of God has arrived. The wrath of God will be directed at those who commit murder (such as abortion), steal (such as socialists), commit fornication and especially those who mislead children (such as the LGBT promoters), and those who persecute and kill His people (which persecution often arises from His people declaring these aforementioned things are evil and will incur the wrath of God). Oh, I left out idolatry from the list. The whole world will worship antichrist. Those who refuse will be hunted down and executed.
This “Great Tribulation” begins at the revealing of antichrist when he sets up the abomination of desolation. But this time of tribulation will not last for the entire 70th week of Daniel. It will be brought to a close by catastrophic signs in the Heavens, including a solar and lunar eclipse, and then Christ’s return itself. The subsequent time period which completes Daniel’s 70th week is the “Day of the Lord”, also Day of Wrath, Day of God, Day of Christ (and for persecuted saints Day of Salvation). It is called by Daniel and by the Lord in His Olivet discourse, “The End”.
Tribulation is promised. Christ prayed for His own, not that we would be taken out of the world, but that we would be “kept” from evil. This is the promise of preservation and perseverance of the saints. We are kept by the power of God, not from tribulation, but through it. But it is only promised to those who endure and keep the word of His patience. It will not be received by those who merely go through acts of outward conformity, such as repeating the sinners’ prayer, being baptized, joining a church, walking an aisle, or even doing the “many wonderful works” that might be associated with being Christian. It is not by our own works or efforts, but by the power of God’s grace to everyone who truly believes in Christ as Savior and Lord.
There will be no”secret” rapture. It’s just a ridiculous term because when Christ takes away His body, it’s not going to be secret.
And the reason a non-pre-trib rapture makes no sense is because of what you mentioned, that true believers will be hunted down and executed, which is not evidence of God preserving His own THROUGH the Tribulation.
If God preserves His people through the Tribulation and then snatches them up when He returns, then how are they going to be hunted down and executed? The two are mutually exclusive.
He either preserves them and raptures them at the end, thus not being hunted down and executed, or they are hunted down and executed. You can’t have both.
It’s not only the lgbt promoters. Many christians look at porn and help fuel the sex trafficking industry. There will be great weeping when the end comes and when those people are exposed and thrown to hell.