First of all, the gathering of the church is not a theory. We can read of the event in John 14:1-3, I Thess.4:13-18 and I Cor.15:50-53 & Rev.3:10. Therefore, it is not a theory and it should not be referred to as such. What is in question is the timing of this event, i.e. taking place prior to God's wrath being poured out via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments, in the middle of God's wrath or after the completion of God's wrath. Regarding this, the wall of scripture that separates believers from being on the earth during the time of God's wrath is that Jesus already satisfied God's wrath on behalf of every believer. Therefore, since it has been satisfied, God's wrath no longer rests upon the believer, but on those who do not have Christ:
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
As the scripture states, believers have eternal life. And those who reject Christ, God's wrath remains on them. Therefore, when the Lord appears to gather His church, those who have continued to reject Him will be caught in that time period of God's wrath. The Lord is not going to have His bride beat up first and then come and get her afterwards.
There will be a group of who will become believers after the church has been gathered which no man can count from every nation, tribe, people and language, who will also be caught in this time period of wrath, with many of them being killed because of their testimony of Christ and the world of God, who will not worship the beast, his image nor receive his mark. These are those who will come out of the great tribulation period. These are the saints with whom the beast will wage war against and conquer during that last 3 1/2 years. During God's time of wrath, the church will have been judged in heaven at the Bema Seat of Christ and will have attended the wedding of the Lamb. After the 7th bowl been poured out, which competes God's wrath. Then the Lord will return to the earth with His bride who will be following the Lord out of heaven riding on white horses and wearing their white linen, white and clean which they will have received at the wedding of the Lamb.
"The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses (down to the earth). And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty."
We are also told to 'contend for the faith' and that:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17so that the servant of God
a may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Regarding the Lord's appearing and our being gathered to Him, We are told to comfort one another with those words. We are also told to watch for the blessed hope, the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Consequently, if we were to go through the same wrath as the wicked, then there would be no comfort, nor would it be a blessed hope.
Many come to the conclusion of mid-or post-trib because they don't understand the severity and magnitude of God's coming wrath upon this earth. If they did, they would not interpret the church as being here during that time. Also, if they understood the legal precedent that Jesus already took upon himself God's wrath that all believers deserve, then they would not have us going through God's wrath, because they would conclude that it has already been satisfied.
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