Agreed! Matthew 24:30-31 is not speaking about the gathering of the church, but of the angels going throughout the earth and first gathering the wicked (one's taken), following that the wheat will be gathered. At that time, the angels will be gathering the righteous who will have made it alive through the entire tribulation period. These, along with the remnant of Israel, will be those who will repopulate the millennial kingdom.
And like you say in your next post, AT THAT TIME (His Second Coming to the earth time-slot [Rev19]), it is [said to the angels] "gather ye FIRST the TARES"... but (may the reader note) this is in the EXACT OPPOSITE SEQUENCE from that of "our Rapture" event!