A time of trouble, and the catching away - After the Tribulation

Right off the bat, let me first say that whilst this is a contentious subject, this study is not intended to be a 'debate' or to engage in any "pre-trib," "mid-trib," "post-trib" 'rapture' arguments.
There will be a "catching up" (or "away") when the Lord Jesus comes in the clouds with power and great glory - Mark 13:24-27
Pre, mid, post - it matters not.
The Lord could come at any time in these, the last hours.
And it is to Him that this study will point us!

Let us embark upon our simple bible study in the spirit of the Bereans.
As always, we will let the bible - God's own word - interpret itself. (KJV used throughout)
We will examine the etymology of the concepts and words, then search the scriptures to see what they say.

The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
Isaiah 14:24

The Time of Trouble - Tribulation:

And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Daniel 12:1

In the Hebrew tongue we find the words/concepts:

Original: צר צר
Transliteration: tsar tsâr
Phonetic: tsar
BDB Definition:
narrow, tight, straits, distress, adversary, foe, enemy, oppressor, hard pebble, flint
Strong's Definition: From H6887; narrow; (as a noun) a tight place (usually figuratively, that is, trouble); also a pebble (as in H6864); (transitively) an opponent
(as crowding): - adversary, afflicted (-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble.

Original: צרה
Transliteration: tsârâh
Phonetic: tsaw-raw'
BDB Definition:
straits, distress, trouble, vexer, rival wife
Strong's Definition: Feminine of H6862; tightness (that is, figuratively trouble); transitively a female rival: -adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.

And in the Greek:

Original: θλίψις
Transliteration: thlipsis
Phonetic: thlip'-sis
Thayer Definition:
a pressing, pressing together, pressure, metaphorically oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits
Strong's Definition: From G2346; pressure (literally or figuratively): - afflicted, (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.

Original: θλίβω
Transliteration: thlibō
Phonetic: thlee'-bo
Thayer Definition:
to press (as grapes), press hard upon, a compressed way, narrow, straitened, contracted, metaphorically to trouble, afflict, distress
Strong's Definition: Akin to the base of G5147; to crowd (literally or figuratively): - afflict, narrow, throng, suffer tribulation, trouble.

In the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, we are (fore)told of times of trouble and distress, and the great tribulation:

 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matthew 24:21 *(see also Daniel 12:1)

 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Matthew 24:29

Tribulation signifies not only the calamities that shall befall the earth in the last days and the end of the age, but also points to smaller, more personal troubles. In which we also have hope; in the obtaining of the grace and mercy of the Lord.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Romans 5:3

 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Romans 12:12

But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.  When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;  (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
Deuteronomy 4:29‭-‬31

 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Thessalonians 1:6‭-‬8

 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:35

 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22

 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord , and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.
1 Samuel 26:24

 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
2 Corinthians 1:3‭-‬7

 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:14

 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1 Corinthians 9:24

Tribulation comes from God also as a warning, a stern rebuke and as chastisement!

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Romans 2:8‭-‬9

Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Revelation 2:22

 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
Judges 10:14

Deliverance, and the catching up/away

Now. As we have seen, God has promised that He will deliver not only the called and chosen elect, but also the truly repentant sinner through grace.
Where else have we seen the concept of being "delivered" in the bible?

In the patriarch, Moses.

And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
Exodus 2:10

What does his name mean?

Original: משׁה
Transliteration: mâshâh
Phonetic: maw-shaw'
BDB Definition: to draw
Strong's Definition: to pull out (literally or figuratively): - draw (out).

Original: משׁה
Transliteration: môsheh
Phonetic: mo-sheh'
BDB Definition: Moses = " drawn"
the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus
Strong's Definition: From H4871; drawing out (of the water), that is, rescued ; Mosheh, the Israelitish lawgiver: - Moses.

So Moses, as in his name, is a type of the catching up/away/out that we read about elsewhere in the bible.

And this is the type: the rapture.

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
2 Corinthians 12:4

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Revelation 12:5 KJV

In the Greek:

G726
Original: ἁρπάζω
Transliteration: harpazō
Phonetic: har-pad'-zo
Thayer Definition:
to seize, carry off by force, to seize on, claim for one's self eagerly, to snatch out or away
Strong's Definition: From a derivative of G138; to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).

G138
Original: αἱρέομαι
Transliteration: aihreomai
Phonetic: hahee-reh'-om-ahee
Thayer Definition:
to take for oneself, to prefer, choose, to choose by vote, elect to office
Strong's Definition: Probably akin to G142; to take for oneself, that is, to prefer, choose.

And in Hebrew:

H5375
Original: נסה נשׂא
Transliteration: nâśâ' nâsâh
Phonetic: naw-saw'
BDB Definition:
to lift, bear up, carry, take, to lift, lift up, to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure, to take, take away, carry off, forgive, to be lifted up, be exalted, to lift oneself up, rise up, to be borne, be carried, to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away, to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist, to desire, long (figuratively) to carry, bear continuously, to take, take away, to lift oneself up, exalt oneself, to cause one to bear (iniquity) to cause to bring, have brought
Strong's Definition: to lift, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, absolutely and relatively: - accept, advance, arise, (able to, [armour], suffer to) bear (-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honourable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), wear, yield.

Now, the point here, is to highlight the biblical FACT that the "rapture", the catching away, the harpazō will happen AFTER the tribulation...

  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31 [KJV]

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; (Matthew 13:41 [KJV])

  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. (Mark 13:24-27 [KJV]

 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:16-18 [KJV])

 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (I Corinthians 15:51-53 [KJV]

God bless.