EDITED to say:
See, as a pre-tribber myself
, I disagree that the pre-trib stance is saying "[____], OR ELSE!" (as in a threatening sense). [note: some "pre-tribbers" who get some things mixed up, might be saying such!]
It is the "salvation truths" that would be vital to grasp correctly.
Notice in the following passage I'm always pointing out... see how
verses 6 and 10 have the SAME GREEK WORDS [same 2 Grk words]
1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 -
6 So then
we should not sleep [G2518 - katheudōmen] as the others, but
we should watch [G1127 - grēgorōmen] and we should be sober.
7 For those sleeping, sleep by night; and those becoming drunk, get drunk by night.
8 But we being of the day should be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet, the hope of salvation,
9 because God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 the One having died for us,
so that whether we might watch [G1127 - grēgorōmen] OR we might sleep [G2518 - katheudōmen], we may live together
with [G4862 - syn - 'UNIONED-with'/'IDENTIFIED-with'] Him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as also you are doing.
...note that THIS [Grk word for] "SLEEP" is
an altogether distinct Grk word from the "sleep [G2837 - koimōmenōn / koimēthentas] of the PREVIOUS CHPT, in 1 Thessalonians 4:13,14,15 (speaking of "the DEAD in Christ" of v.16).
1Th5:6,10 is
not speaking of being "asleep" in death, like the previous chpt is.
So this passage is saying that "whether we may watch, OR whether we may sleep"... which is distinct from what certain passages are stating in the Olivet Discourse, for example, and other related passages (like Lk12:36-37,38,40,42-44,45-48 [also not a "Rapture" passage], etc).
The problem enters, when (in that, people often [also] do not distinguish certain other passages and so forth) they come to wrong conclusions regarding "salvation truths"... (this is often
reflected in their conveying of, and what they hold as, their "end times views," whereas if we should be simply asking a person "are you a Christian?," they might respond with a [simple] "yes"... but you have no clue they think "works salvation" is obtaining that favor with God, or that they believe they must "endure unto the end" [taken out of context] in order to ultimately be saved, etc... See what I'm saying? It is "salvation truths" that must be grasped and understood properly (and "end times views" are of significantly lesser importance in the whole scheme of things; however, like I said, sometimes in the covering/discussing of "end times topics," one can even discern what another's understanding of "salvation truths" even IS! [NOTE: I am not speak of YOU personally!
])