Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord (James 5:7).
We are told to be patient until "the coming of the Lord" because there is no distinction made between a rapture and the Second Advent.
They are both the same.
Patience will certainly be needed during this coming hour (great tribulation).
Jesus said in Luke 21:19 "In your patience possess ye your souls" (KJV). "By your endurance you will gain your lives" (NASB).
Persecution will come from Antichrist and will lead to martyrdom and universal hatred of all true believers whose faith is unwavering in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But whatever happens to us as "Christ followers," in that hour of testing, be assured we are under the hand of God, and those who endure faithfully will gain eternal life.
At one time in my life, I was totally convinced of a pre-tribulation rapture.
Today, by the grace of God and by the revelation of His Spirit, I am convinced that the Church will be present on earth during the great tribulation.