I can see that 1 These. 4: 14- 18 is talking about a resurrection, not a rapture.
You say that but....
That is the context of those Scriptures. They are simply saying that those who are still living will not be resurrected first, but those who have already died and are sleeping in death, which they have been sleeping for a long time, will be resurrected first. Then those who are still alive and who belong to Jesus during his second presence, when they die are instantly changed in the twinkling of eye and caught up to Jesus where they will be forever.
Paul did not mention death to those who are alive and remain before meeting up with the Lord in the air when He is descending from Heaven with a shout.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
To misapply the words above is to infer that for those that are alive and remain, the Lord will descend with a shout every time a believer dies after that resurrection of the dead. That is not what Paul said. It is a one time event and the living abiding in Him as His disciples will be joining with those saints found worthy to be resurrected from the dead to partake of the first harvest as the firstfruits of the resurrection in joining Christ above forever.
That doesn't mean that some who belong to Jesus won't be left on earth and pass through the tribulation safely and forever live on earth.
No saint can lose their name in the Book of Life, BUT they can lose their portion which is their first inheritance to live in the city of God. This is why Esau and the prodigal son are mentioned in the N.T. and why Jesus was warning believers that if they are not prepared but found in iniquity or loving their lives more than Him to not want to leave, they will become castaways as warned in each scriptural reference in the first 5 posts of this thread.
According to Revelations 7: 14 it tells us that there will be ones that come out of the great tribulation. They exercise faith in Jesus ransom sacrifice. If you remember Jesus spoke of great tribulation at Matthew 24: 21, 22. A preliminary fulfillment happen in 66 C.E., when Roman armies came against Jerusalem But then for some reason left giving those who were Jesus disciples to leave, obeying the warning st Luke 21: 20,21.
While Jerusalem destruction in 70 C.E. was a great tribulation on that religious city, the major fulfillment of Jesus words are futur. A greater religious city, Babylon the great, the world empire of false religion, is to experience a death dealing great tribulation followed immediately by an unparalleled tribulation on the rest of Satan's system of things. Some 26 years after that the destruction of Jerusalem, the Apostle John at Revelations 7: 9- 14, wrote about this world embracing great tribulation. He showed that a great crowd of people would survive it.
The point is that no one gets raptured away. Just as Noah past through the destruction without being carried away off earth, there will be those who will be righteous during the great tribulation who will pass through it unharmed.
Not when Satan is waging war on the saints as those under the altar in Revelation are told to wait till the number of their brethren are slain during that small season of the great tribulation.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
These are the ones left behind as in not resurrected at the pre great trib raptured but are still His and waiting under the altar to wait for those living that were left behind to join them in death.
When you discern by Him how a regular scroll is opened by the breaking of that solitary seal, then you may understand how the contents of the scroll do not happen unless all of the seven seals are broken which means it is happening all at once to set up the hour of temptation that shall try all upon the earth after the calamity that will set up the coming great tribulation.
Thank you for discussing this with me. I am not sure how long the Lord would have me continue if at all, but I trust Him to direct my foot steps in following Him.