Hello iamsoandso! Well, if you notice the seal of the 144,000 takes place after the 6th seal is opened. Therefore, since the wrath of God begins with the 1st seal being opened, the sealing of the 144,000 takes place after the 6th seal and prior to the 7th seal, where the angels are given their trumpets. Consequently, scripture specifies that the 144,000 are only protected from the affects of the 5th trumpet (Rev.9:4). In addition, there is nothing in scripture that states that the great tribulation saints are protected from God's plagues of wrath.
The events of the beast, the false prophet and all that they do is apart of God's wrath. God's wrath will be in operation in form or another during that entire seven years. God even uses the beast and the ten kings to destroy the woman who rides the beast (Rev.17:16-17).
We also know that the beast and his kingdom is apart of God's wrath, because the seven years that the antichrist will establish with Israel, is the fulfillment of that last seven years of the seventy sevens that were decreed upon Israel and Jerusalem (Dan.9:24)
The seals, trumpets and bowl judgments will be the fulfillment of the day of the Lord. It will be poured out on all the inhabitants of the earth. God even uses the 5th bowl judgment specifically for the beast and his kingdom (Rev.16:10)
As an example that God's wrath will affect everyone, how could anyone be protected from a third of the earth and trees being burned up? Or at the sounding of the 5th trumpet, how can anyone escape the torment of those demonic beings who come out of the Abyss to sting the inhabitants with stings like a scorpion? At the pouring out of the 4th bowl, an angel pours out his bowl on the sun so that it scorches the people of the earth with intense heat. How can anyone not be affected by that? As I said earlier, the only ones who are exempt from the 5th trumpet will be those 144,000, but no other protection is mentioned for them or anyone else.