It's as good an explanation as any and is consistent with chapter 14 of the book of Zechariah. From what commentary I've read, the chapter doesn't fit the theology of the Roman Church or of the Reformers. I like that chapter because it's orderly. I appreciate order and purpose, and I tend to see it in just about everything, though not always in the moment. Hindsight is kind of a gift.
This is one of those things, that I say by the process of elimination I've come to the pre-trib rapture timing. It's in the nature of these gatherings, and in this judgment.
If first the Israelites are gathered to their promised land, this would not include Christians in the current age, because there is neither Greek nor Jew in Christ. When a Jew becomes a Christian, God no longer associates them with the earth nation Israel.
Ephesians 2 tells us from the two (Jew, gentile) God has made one new man, harmonizing with the "neither Greek nor Jew". The Church is not the Israel that is gathered when Jesus returns. The Gentiles are judged according to how they treated Jesus' brothers. This would be the Jews.
IF all the righteous are gathered in the the "chosen", that is where the Christians would appear, except,
In the gathering of the Gentiles for judgment, this is after Jesus takes His throne, not while He is "in the air". And instead of being gathered on the basis of being "in Christ", "For the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive and remain will be caught up with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air", instead, the Gentiles are all gathered, then divided righteous from wicked based on a criteria of works. This is very different from Paul's words, We are saved by grace through faith, and not of works.
We are specifically saved not according to our works, these are specifically accepted or rejected based on their works. We are specifically gathered according to our unity with Christ, these are indiscriminately gathered both wicked and righteous.
If you include the Church in the gathering of the chosen, who are the righteous separated out from the wicked among the gathered nations?
And if you were to consider the Jew's concept at the time of the "chosen" and the "nations", this would be the Chosen Nation, Israel, and, all the others, the Gentiles.
I find no place for the Church to appear in these either of these. It just doesn't fit. So the church must have been removed before the second coming.
Much love!