[afsnco]

There’s another passage that seems to deny a pre-trib or a mid-trib rapture. In John 17:9-20 Christ first prays for those the Father had given Him at that time, and then in verse 20 He prays for those who would ever believe through the testimony of the apostles (Scripture). In between, in verse 15, He prays that His followers absolutely not be taken out of the world, but to be guarded from evil/devil. So Christ’s High Priestly prayer seems to preclude a pre-trib or a mid-trib rapture. The “guarding” being spoken of is probably the tribulation judgments that will only fall on unbelievers and won’t affect believers.

There’s also simple logic, as you mentioned. There will be a lot of Christians martyred during the Great Tribulation. So it makes no sense that the “raptured” should avoid this period while perhaps millions of Christians will not.

If anything, we should welcome the opportunity to be martyred and to serve our Lord in this way. According to Scripture, we should be literally leaping for joy at the prospect of being persecuted or even martyred, because great is our reward in heaven if we’re faithful to the end (Luke 6:22-23). Paul says in Php 1:29 that we should consider it a gift to not only believe on Him, but to also suffer for His sake.

Finally, the straightforward reading of a key “rapture” passage makes it clear that nobody but the martyrs, those beheaded for Christ during the tribulation, will rule with Christ during the millennium (Rev. 20:4-5).

[Yosemitest]

"Finally, the straightforward reading of a key “rapture” passage makes it clear
that nobody but the martyrs,
those beheaded for Christ during the tribulation,
will rule with Christ during the millennium (Rev. 20:4-5)."

I wouldn't go quit that far, in LIMITING THOSE WHO "WILL RULE with Christ during the millennium."
Read it again, and remember that punctuation can be very important.

" And I saw
thrones,
and they sat upon them,
and judgment was given unto them :
and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus,
and for the word of God,
and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image,
neither had received his mark
upon their foreheads,
or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection. "

Now I THINK that could be construed as two different and separate things,
and one not being a requirement of the other, as in two different "seeings".

And don't be so quick to think "we should welcome the opportunity to be martyred and to serve our Lord in this way".
Remember:

" Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall.
There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye MAY BE ABLE to bear it. "

Sometime the inspiration from God will tell us WHICH WAY to go, and we are given the opportunity to follow IMMEDIATELY sometimes, or be destroyed .