You can go through the tribulation if you want to, But the Christians that are ready and looking for Jesus, will go up in the first rapture.
Nobody wants tribulation, but if they persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ, then they will persecute you. It is evident with our beloved apostles/disciples of Jesus, who lost their lives.When is the first Rapture?Do you ever read the scriptures and read about the epistles talking about a rapture?No, you dont, you read about the lord coming again and recieving us to himself.The first rapture is easily defined by the scriptures.First ,you have the original promise given by our Jesus-----Jn 14--I will come and recieve you to myself.The disciples were told , JN 13, That they could not go now, but would follow later ,when Jesus came to recieve them--he goes to prepare, and when ready, he will come again that we may be where he is.You can understand why we cannot go there now----as flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom.....until the ressurection-1cor 15.Paul says the same thing in 1 thess 4-The living will not precede to the lord in rapture until the ressurection.The lord will come and descend,the dead in Christ are raised,Then we who are alive at his coming will be changed and we all rise to be recieved by him;In luke 21, after the tribulation of those days, we are told to lift our heads, as this day of redemption and rapture approaches.And i shall raise you the last day.Jesus said heaven and earth would pass away, but his word/promise wouldnt. Why?Its the last day because the sun and moon and heavens are no more at the coming of our Lord.
JOB 14So man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no longer, He will not awake nor be aroused out of his sleep.
2 PET 3But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.