I have moved from the post-trib rapture and now utterly reject it after studying this for a long time. The pre trib rapture emerges as true after much digging into the scriptures. I know that Matt 24:31 is not the rapture but could it be that it refers to the gathering of the Israelites to Jerusalem as Isa 11:11,12 and Isa 27:12,13 indicate? Perhaps Matt. 24:31 could also refer to previously raptured saints being gathered from one end of heaven to the other, ready to descend on horses behind the Lord as Rev 19 indicates. It may as you say also refer to the gathering of Tribulation saints. What do you say about all of this?
Matt. 24:31 talks about gathering the Lord’s elect from one end of the heavens to the other at the 2nd coming. This is most likely the raptured church being rounded up from all over Heaven to come back with Him as mentioned in Rev. 17:14. A parallel passage in Mark 13:27 speaks of gathering the elect from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. Since both Old Testament believers (Daniel 12:1-2) and Tribulation martyrs (Rev. 20:4) will be resurrected at the time of the 2nd Coming, He could have been referring to them as well. And He could also be including Tribulation believers who have survived and will go live into the Kingdom. All in all it could be quite a crowd.