It is much easier to think that godly people will be jettisoned out when things get bad.
That being said, my first 18 years as a Christian were at an AG church that preached a pre-trib rapture (like the left behind books). I believed it for a couple of years until I started studying it. I then became what was then called “mid-tribulationist”. It’s now called “post trib, pre wrath”.
That is, satan and his minion wreak havoc against the church (the mark of the beast stuff, etc.) for 3.5 years. After this comes the wrath of God. In the middle is Revelation 7 which includes the sealing of the 144,000 and the number too great to count that is at the throne and who washed their robes in the blood of the lamb during the great tribulation.
Is it the rapture? Or are they those that are killed? I dunno. The symbolism of all the prophesy is thick enough to ensure nobody will predict it. It is sort of one of those “you’ll know it when you see it” sort of things, IMO.
But the left behind stuff is based on very bad teaching. I refuse to read the books or see the movies.
Just as in the traditional Jewish wedding (read Old Testament) where the bride and groom are sequestered for seven days before coming out into the world so will Christ and His bride be sequestered in heaven for seven days(years) before coming coming into the world.
I think along the same lines.