As for experiencing the wrath of God. The Rapture happens shortly before the bowls are unleashed the mistake being made is to consider the whole tribulation period as being the actual wrath.
The gathering of the church cannot take place shortly before the bowls are unleased, because that would put the church through the seals and trumpets, which are also God's wrath.
The seals, trumpets and bowls make up the entire wrath of God. They're a set! The Lamb/Jesus is the One who is opening the seals, which lead into the trumpets, and are followed by the bowl judgments, with Jesus being the One responsible for the resulting fatalities.
Peace and safety is what happens leading up to the event of gathering of the church, and then the time of God's wrath will ensue.
It wouldn't make any sense for Jesus to tell believers to watch and be ready for his appearing, if believers go through the same time of wrath that the wicked do. Paul said, "when they say 'peace and safety then sudden destruction will come upon them and they shall not escape. But, you brothers are not in darkness that this day should take you by surprise." What would be the difference of we are left on the earth the same as unbelievers? The reference to "that day should not take you by surprise" is that if we are watching and ready for his appearing, then we will be gathered in the manner that Paul described prior to that time of sudden destruction, which is the period of God's wrath with said destruction taking place via the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments.
The Lord made all believers a promise to go and prepare places for us in the Father's house, and that he would be returning to gather us and take us back to the Father's house. He is going to gather the church before His wrath begins, not after. For the wrath of God is going to be against the rejecting, the proud, the haughty, the sexually immoral, idolaters, liars, and anyone who is willfully living according to the sinful nature. Regarding this, those who have received Christ have been credited with His righteousness and have been reconciled to God. His wrath no longer rests upon the believer, because it rested on Christ. Those who believe that the church is going to go through God's wrath, are not truly believing that Christ experienced God's wrath on our behalf.
As I've said so many times before, it would be no blessed hope if the church was to remain on the earth during the time of God's wrath, nor would it be a blessed hope.
The whole purpose of the Pre Trib rapture position is to to bolster the dispensationalist view that God has a separate plan for Israel and the Church as opposed to people being saved through Christs sacrifice regardless as to whether they are Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.
The whole purpose of the gathering of the church prior to God's wrath, is because it is a promise from the Lord and is written in His word.
Christ is not going to build his church and then send her through His wrath! Remember "I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it"? Your view has Hades prevailing against the church. And if you think that God is going to protect the church in the midst of His plagues of wrath, you have not studied severity of seals, trumpets and bowls, which will affect every human being on the planet.
