The pre-tribulational rapture position is entirely indefenseable. 2 Thess 2 proves it to be. Paul's very mention of the apostacy occuring, and the man of sin being revealed who will sit in the temple of God would make no sense if we were not going to even see either occurance come to fruition. Matt 24:22 states the days of the great tribulation will be shortened for the "elects" sake. The elect are both Jew and Gentile who comprise the Church during this age. It is not Jews only. Jesus compares the day that Noah entered the ark to the day of his coming. The day he raptures the church, that same day will come divine judgement on the entire world. The pre-wrath position makes the most sense of any position I've studied thus far. Some will say but it's a new position! Perhaps, but the end times beliefs of the early Church were not highly developed in the first place. It could just be that this position is what Paul taught the Thessalonian believers, or at least very very close.