Barnes' Notes regarding the rapture: When a believer in Christ and what he did for us at the cross dies, their spirit goes to heaven. There they await the day for Christ’s return to earth to be made king over God's kingdom on earth. which will bring down the devil and reclaim earth and all of creation to restoration, with no death, disease or decay.
"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" (1Thess. 4:16-17). If you are saved and still alive during the same generation that Jesus will return, you will escape the judgment that is to come, by being raptured. All children too. It will be in a twinkle of an eye.....and they will be in heaven in the glorified bodies as Christ. And the already dead believers, the spirits in heaven, their bodies will be resurrected and given a glorified version of themselves as well.
If you are not a believer and still alive when Jesus returns: God's judgment will come unto the earth...showing all those who didn’t believe that he is God. Many will convert, including the Jews...this will be their last chance in accepting Christ. Many will be persecuted in those days by the anti-christ, who will have power since the holy spirit and believers were raptured and out of the way. All those who convert and are killed because of their faith will be allowed into heaven and serve God. All survivors in the end will be believers and allowed to live on the new earth.