I don't believe the rapture will be a secret. It will be an obvious Supernatural intervention of God in the affairs of men.
I am undecided regarding both the timing of the catching away of the saints and the timing and duration of the tribulation. But I lean toward a catching away of the saints immediately prior to the Second Coming to establish His Kingdom of God on Earth and bring about the consummation of the ages. But I won't argue about the timing with one who prefers a pre-trib or mid-trib timing. I believe some biblical support can be found for all three positions.
Same with me. I lean toward the man of sin coming to power before it occurs, as the great trib likely won't start til he's been in the saddle long enough to broker a deal between Israel & her enemies, causing them to disarm.
I put more stock in JESUS' words than anything else. He said the trib would be cut short lest all flesh(man & animal) perish, & that there'll be a great cosmological disturbance immediately afterward, during which He will return.
As God said He's longsuffering toward sinners, I believe the delay between the antichrist's coming to power & the rapture will be to give sinners the chance to realize who the antichrist is, & come to repentance before "the end".
That is my position after being a preterist and studying the bible intensely and realizing there is absolutely no scriptural nor historic support for preterism.
Well I would agree with that, but I came from a dispy background and when I started to look into it
and found there was no biblical evidence for the teaching.