What Happens if I Miss the Rapture?

This is one of those questions that terrifies a great many people around the world, since they have been told that at some point in the future Jesus will secretly arrive in the clouds, yank all of the believers into the air, and then zip back to heaven, “leaving behind” all the wicked unbelievers. Portrayed in the books and films of the “Left Behind” series, this “Rapture Event,” the sudden removal of hundreds of millions of people from the earth, has the sorts of shocking effects one would expect: planes dive into the earth, cars pile up on highways, and a general chaos ensues as people confront the disappearances. So, what happens if you miss the rapture?