You (and the post trib crowd also) are just looking at it all wrong.
Everything in scripture is not some event on a timeline. You are thinking as a man limited to worldly logic. God on the other hand--in all of scripture--is not, just part. And you are not fully considering what the rapture is--only half of the event is in this world. If you can understand that, then also understand that regardless of what you believe of the timing, it also effects all people. Now, with those two factors, connect the dots.
- Pretrib doesn't account for half of what is true of the event.
- Neither does Posttrib.
- Neither does Midtrib.
Each of those don't fully account for everything from God's perspective. Remember, He is the one describing the event, so it's going to make the most sense from His perspective.
Okay, now for the rapture effecting all people. God told of would occur with the dead--but he was speaking with people who barely understood this world, let alone His eternal portion of this two part event. Sooo...like stories of bread and lambs and sheep and water and armor and swords and bodies and figs--common on now--He spoke their language when describing--not a worldly event only...but an all-time, eternal event. He was speaking baby-talk to children! Which is not the level a mature person ought to imagine a biblical doctrine--heaven forbid! No, but what is needed is to understood beyond that "bread" and "lambs" level--and consider the higher thoughts of God.
In other words, the starting point of understanding is not men's imaginations and logic--but God. From His perspective, the rapture brings every child of God from every time in all of history--to Him (to eternity), dead or alive...
which just happens to occur simultaneously when everyone dies. Imagine that! Eternity commences when everyone dies--but--as Paul through in "
but, each one in his own order."
Woll, woll...what about all the verses that-- You mean those elementary, first words, spoken to children? Well--which one--which verse or passage doesn't fit into the rapture being
half eternal in the presence of God, and only possibly occurring when "
each one" dies?
Common everybody, time for everyone to get out of the kiddie pool! Which verse--which one?
Anyone?