Disclaimer: It has often been said that it is not relevant to our salvation when the rapture occurs . I strongly disagree from what I read in the Bible. I will continue peaceful attempts to persuade people through the Scriptures. The need to be ready is the paramount concern and purpose of this ministry. My position on the timing of the rapture should not be seen as an act of hostility against people who believe differently. Again, the purpose of this ministry is to bring all believers to the state of readiness commanded by the LORD Jesus. If you believe in a tribulation-ending rapture or, like I refer to myself, are a "last day resurrectionist," then you understand the need to prepare yourself against the deception that will cause many of the faith to fall away in the last days. If you hold another view, then out of the love of Christ I counsel you to study the scriptures about what is coming upon the earth in the last days. If you do not you could be deceived. Only those servants who are found watching will be praising God when he comes.

Neither! The resurrection will be on the last day of this age. The event of the resurrection and subsequent wrath of God ends the time of tribulation and begins the thousand year reign of Christ Jesus.
My answer to this question may surprise many of you considering the popularity of the Left Behind series and movies. My initial reply might be that given a choice, I would much rather prefer, as I suppose most of you would, to be raptured before the times of trial, known as the great tribulation by modern Christians or as the desolation in the Bible. Who prefers severe trial over protection from trials? With that said I begin with this scripture:For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:3-5
My itching ears want to hear that I will be raptured before the tribulation and my flesh desires to believe this myth, but in reading scripture thoroughly and in context, it is impossible to believe in this myth with a clear conscience.
There are several errors in understanding end-time terms that need to be cleared up before I conclude what God says on the subject.

1) RAPTURE:
At the risk of sounding redundant, this word doesn't exist in the Bible. Christians understand the term to describe the experience of being taken up into the air with all believers to meet Jesus Christ and be with him forever more. I won't argue with that description because it is scriptural.
According to the LORD's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the LORD, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the LORD himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And so we will be with the LORD forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Unfortunately the rapture has become a story that has been stretched to mythical proportions. I would like to take the opportunity to reintroduce the word RESURRECTION into Christian teaching. After all, it is the most essential doctrine of our faith.
And if Christ has not been raised your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through one man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through one man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come . . . 1 Corinthians 15:17-24

In short, the coming salvation of Jesus Christ is our resurrection.

2) HOW MANY COMINGS?
Answer: 2
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:27-28
Note: He APPEARS a SECOND TIME to bring SALVATION to those who are WAITING for him.

3a) TRIBULATION PERIOD (a.k.a. Great Tribulation): This term causes much confusion. In the NIV translation the word tribulation occurs only once, in Revelation 7:14. Both Jesus and Daniel refer to this time as "the desolation."
"When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee . . . because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now - and never to be equaled again. If the LORD had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them." Mark 13:14-20

Jesus speaks of the desolation as unequaled in it's distress. He also mentions the believers, the elect, in this context as being spared complete annihilation in those days. By understanding that the tribulation is the desolation spoken of by Daniel then we will more readily comprehend it's purpose and meaning.

3b)PURPOSE OF THE DESOLATION:
To punish Israel, for the last time, for her waywardness. God will expend his wrath against Israel through her enemies, to punish her for her sins, before redeeming her out of the hands of her enemies when Jesus Christ comes.
By warfare and exile you contend with her - with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows. By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing. The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the desert; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare. When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor. Isaiah 27:8-11"His [anti-Christ] armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place." Daniel 11:31-36"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." Luke 21:20-24

In a nutshell: The desolation (tribulation) is the wrath of God primarily focused against Israel and will be perpetrated by the anti-Christ and the nations of the world.

3c) LENGTH OF THE DESOLATION (TRIBULATION)?
Three and one half years. The myth that the tribulation will be for seven years has been completely constructed upon a foundation of just a half of one verse.
"He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven." Daniel 9:27a
Nowhere else do the scriptures specifically mention a seven year period, and nowhere is it associated as the time span of the tribulation. What we see in the second part of the verse is the anti-Christ ending the daily sacrifice and setting up the abomination that causes DESOLATION! This is a three and one half year period and is confirmed very literally in the scripture below.
"In the middle of the seven he [anti-Christ] will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." Daniel 9:27b"From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days." Daniel 12:11-12

Now, where do we as believers fit in? The resurrection of the saints will be on the last day when Jesus makes his second appearance.
. . . he [Jesus Christ] will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28"As for you [Daniel], go your own way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance." Daniel 12:13

So when does Jesus come into the scheme of things? The signs of the end of the desolation and his coming are clear from scripture. He says that there will be signs in the sky and his sign will appear in the clouds. It is then that we are to expect him. We are resurrected at the time the LORD comes and pours out his wrath upon the earth! This coming of the LORD marks the last day of earth the way we know it and marks the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ on earth.
". . . and he [anti-Christ] will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 11:44 - 12:3There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:25-28"Men will tell you, ‘There he is!' or ‘Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like lightening, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other . . . Just as it was in the days of Noah . . . It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking ,buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lots wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."
"Where LORD?" they asked.
He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." Luke 17:23-37

The last verse above is in reference to:"I am [God] against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel . . . On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. Ezekiel 39:1-4

These verses and a large volume of others (too numerous to reference here) show that most of those who are not resurrected will be killed and become food for the vultures. The coming of Jesus Christ will be the violent overthrow of Satan's kingdom and the establishment of his own kingdom.

This is by no means an exhaustive work, for that you will have to go to the Bible.
As you read the scriptures you will encounter numerous confirmations of what I have told you here. I have tried to deal specifically with just one question, but I understand the myriad of new questions that will flood your minds. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to minister God's word to you as we search the scriptures together.