Answer:
The "Rapture" is a future event marking the coming of God's Last Judgment in which Jesus Christ will remove true Christians from this world, taking them into the Kingdom (Heaven) to be with Him. Christians who believe in the Rapture think that Christians who are alive on earth at that time will be "caught up into the air," literally flying or floating into the sky to meet Christ. At the same time, Christians who have died will be raised from the dead, also floating into the sky to meet Christ. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Tribulation period is thought to be a period of 7 years - after the true Christians have been "raptured," when unbelievers will suffer under the rule of the AntiChrist. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will finally destroy the AntiChrist and all his followers, and cast the Devil into the Lake of Fire.
Answer:
The "rapture" is a fairly recent doctrine of modern professing Christianity that came into existence sometime in the 1800's. (19th century).
It's an "escapist" doctrine that a diligent study of the Bible doesn't support, that has found great appeal among people. Human nature gravitates to certain comfort zones from which the flesh naturally fears to emerge, to alter one's behavior, or as the Bible commands, to "repent" of the carnal minded sinful ways of the flesh.
It soothes the human conscience of those unfamiliar with the Bible, promising the individual "no pain or suffering" and "comfort and safety"... and comes off as a type of heavenly "Christian retirement" program.
It is measured against descriptions of the prophesied "Great Tribulation" with terrifying adjectives of pain and suffering on the earth, where people who are Christ's allegedly will be conveniently removed.
It is such a confusing doctrine, that different denominations who believe in it express varying versions of it regarding its "timing." Some thinking Jesus will rapture them "before" the Tribulation... some "during" the Tribulation... some "after" the Tribulation, with Jesus, in the end, seemingly running some kind of "shuttle service" between heaven and earth hauling people to "safety."
It is a false doctrine of "physical" comfort and ease that appeals to the carnal minded who don't understand that God's saints have always been hated and killed from the beginning... and that none of them were ever "raptured" into heaven.
"...NO MAN HATH ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven." (John 3:13)
And that includes the misunderstood scriptures by many modern professing Christians who think that Enoch and Elijah are in heaven. Jesus says otherwise.
The "ease and comfort" of God's Word is in the Truth, knowledge and understanding of it that strengthens the inner man with "hope" of the future in the Kingdom of God that is coming to the earth, which even the "Lord's Prayer" pleads for (Thy Kingdom come).
Jesus, Himself, was "brutally murdered." All but a rare few of His disciples were killed. The same is true about His prophets of the past:
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ...ye are the children of them which killed the prophets." (Matt.23:29-31)
"...I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues (churches), and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee..." (Matt.23:34-37).
The flesh naturally flinches and shys away from pain and suffering... and the safe and secure promises of the "rapture doctrine" is extremely appealing to men who have no understanding of the Truth of the Bible... yet who are desperately seeking the Truth about life and whether or not it has any meaning. The false "rapture" notion allows them the religious mental exercise of escaping life's trials and avoid life's pain and responsibilities.
The Truth is that God has not permitted His "church" to die off. In spite of all its persecutions over the centuries... it still exists. But at the same time... He HAS allowed His most faithful and "spiritually strong" to SUFFER pain and death at the hands of men.
And nothing has changed in these last days.
Jesus describes for us what the Great Tribulation will be like in Matthew 24:9-29.
Here is how the Great Tribulation, the last days before Jesus returns, begins:
"...Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and SHALL KILL YOU: and ye shall be hated of all nations FOR MY NAME'S SAKE. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." (Matt.24:9-10)
Matthew 24 is Jesus' description of the signs in the last days whereby men might see and understand that His return is near. It is related "chronologically," in the order of overlapping events that precede Jesus' return. And it isn't until verse 30 that He hints of His return:
"And THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and THEN shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and THEY SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN with power and great glory. And HE SHALL SEND HIS ANGELS WITH A GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET, and THEY SHALL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS, FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER." (Matt.24:30-31)
Some versions of the false "rapture doctrine" portray Jesus returning in "secrecy," which this passage clearly refutes.
And, clearly... the timing of His return is AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION:
"Immediately AFTER the Tribulation of those days..." He says, chronologically. THEN, the sign of His return will be seen by all the nations of the earth (verse 29).
Persecution and death will follow His elect right on through the Great Tribulation... just as it has always been since Abel.
Matthew 24, verse 29 reveals the "darkening of the sun and the moon" (the heavenly signs" that precede Jesus' return) coming at the END of the Great Tribulation. This darkening is revealed by the "6th seal" of Revelation chapter 6, which is also related chronologically.
Therefore... the "5th seal" of Revelation 6 represents the GREAT TRIBULATION, which Jesus describes for us in Matthew 24.
"...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: 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? 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." (Rev.6:9-11)
The confusing false multi-version doctrine of the safe and comfortable heavenly "rapture" also confuses the "Day of the Lord" (the time of Jesus' return on the earth) with the Great Tribulation (the time of Satan's global persecution of God's church on the earth, prior to Jesus' return)... believing that they are one and the same event.
Jesus says that no man, other than Himself, is or has ever been in the third heaven of His Father's throne (other than in their dreams or visions)... and none shall ever be.
Jesus says that He won't appear in the clouds to gather His elect to Him, before He makes His final descent onto the earth with His army of angels until AFTER the Great Tribulation. He's coming back to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth... not to take His saints back to heaven. His saints were called and chosen to REIGN ON THE EARTH WITH HIM... to save and teach the nations God's way of living.
Jesus: "...hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH." (Rev.5:10)
"...the saints of the Most High SHALL TAKE THE KINGDOM, and POSSESS THE KINGDOM FOR EVER, EVEN FOR EVER AND EVER." (Dan.7:18)
God doesn't need His saints in heaven. His will is done there. It's on the earth where they are needed... interacting, teaching and training the nations to love and care for one another. It's on the earth where peace and love needs to be established.
"Of the increase of His Government and PEACE THERE SHALL BE NO END, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to ESTABLISH IT WITH JUDGMENT AND WITH JUSTICE FROM HENCEFORTH EVEN FOR EVER. The zeal of the Lord will perform this." (Isa.9:7)
Godless men believe they possess the power to establish peace on the earth... but their carnal hearts (along with their god) are deceiving them. Man, apart from his Creator, will only succeed in destroying the earth completely, unless God's Word is True and Christ returns with His Kingdom. God's elect need to be on the earth where they might do some good for others whom the Father is calling.
The world needs the Truth to be told... and it needs the hope:
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us
"The creation waits in eager expectation for the Sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the Children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
"Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groaning inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as Sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Rom.8:18-25 NIV)
God doesn't promise His Children ease and comfort... that's Satan's lie.
It's in the trials and tribulations where "character is built." Satan doesn't want man to build Godly character... therein lies this "escapist" doctrine's subtle message... the avoidance of responsibility. It's on the earth where God put man to learn the depths of evil, that he might grow to reject it in the end... in the regeneration... in the Kingdom.
"...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ... and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit..." (Rom.5:1-5 NIV).
Avoiding life's trials and tribulations creates undisciplined and irresponsible children... and that was never God's intention for His Children. The "rapture" is a false religious, un-biblical doctrine that appeals to the natural, selfish, carnal minds of men who have no understanding of scripture... want eternal life... and will not be shaken from their comfort zones.