Paul was an apostle to the nations.
The disciples were apostles to the circumcision. That doesn't mean we can't learn from their writings, including Luke and Mark, but the body of Christ is to pay especially close attention to Paul's writings. Paul explains the body of Christ's union with Jesus. He is also the one to whom Jesus revealed the rapture.
Paul gives three timing clues in I and II Thessalonians, and in II Timothy (I will touch on these as I go along.) Keep in mind, Paul knew the Old Testament thoroughly. He totally gets the importance of types/shadows in scripture, and how they relate to us. Because he is our apostle, Paul's rapture timing clues are huge! He brings a great deal of clarity as to "when".
In Galatians 1:15-16 Paul not only unholds this specific apostleship to us in the body of Christ, he also mentions that very early on, after he had met Jesus for the first time, he traveled all the way to Arabia. Why? He explains in 4:25 that this is where Mount Sinai is really located.
Mount Sinai is where Moses met God at the burning bush (see Exodus 3:12). This is also where Elijah took off to when he ran for 40 days from Jezebel (I Kings 19:8). Paul went there, I believe, to get time alone with God in order to understand his recent revelation of Jesus and his place in Jesus' plan.
Mount Sinai is also where God came down to the children of Israel in an extreme manefestation of Who He Is, and taking this people unto Himself. Jewish folks see Mount Sinai as their wedding day (it will also be ours). I believe this is where Jesus revealed to Paul about a second "Mount Sinai" event, a second wedding event, but this time it will be for the nations, and in particular, the body of Christ, and it will be fulfilled on the 17th day of the nations' 3rd month.
I Thessalonians 4:15 Paul writes, as he is discussing the very rapture itself, "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord . . ." Basically, he is saying "Jesus specifically showed me this". When? I believe while Paul was at Mount Sinai, because he goes on to describe the rapture event, in verses 16 and 17, in terms that show that the Mount Sinai experience of the children of Israel in Exodus 19, and in particular Moses' experience, is a type/shadow for the rapture.
Per Paul, the Lord descends but not all the way to the ground while a trumpet is sounding. We go up to meet God above ground, and do so by going into a cloud. Think of the Bridegroom coming for His bride here.
Again, when will this happen for us? On the 17th day of the 3rd month (see Exodus 19:1 for a timing reference point) on the nations' calendar, offset from the jewish popular calendar, in some year. This year, that day is November 25th.
Exodus 24:15 and 16 show that the cloud was above Mount Sinai for seven days and that Moses went up into the cloud for the final time, leaving behind the children of Israel (in his case, for 40 days) on the cloud's 7th day.
Per Paul, in I Thessalonians 4:17, the cloud is the gathering-place. I believe the detail of the cloud being present for 7 days at Mount Sinai is a type/shadow of our "gathering place" cloud also being present for 7 days in heavenly places when we meet Jesus in the air. It indicates that the rapture "event" takes place over a total of 7 days.
In I Corinthians 15:51 and 52 Paul teaches that at the rapture "we will all be changed, in a moment". There is no special "hierarchical group" in the body of Christ who gets to go first. We will all go together on a 17th day of the 3rd month. It is so very important that we are to glory ONLY in the cross of our Lord Jesus. The body of Christ is in union with Jesus now. We each are already seated with Jesus in heavenly places, in the very Holy of Holies of all creation. Jesus alone is our righteousness. Grace, grace, grace. (This is not to say that there won't be specific "roles" that groups of specific members will get to fulfill.)
So why would the gathering cloud be present for 7 days if we are all going on day one? To provide a required 7 day window of time to bring in the harvest of the gleanings on that 7th cloud-day, or those folks who witnessed the rapture but were not believers in that moment. "Some" of those individuals who witness the rapture of particular people will be given saving faith in that moment.
Think of what Elijah told Elisha, when Elisha wanted to receive the Spirit annointing that Elijah had received. Elisha was told that he had to witness Elijah's rapture. This will also happen for some unbelievers when we are transformed and taken up by Jesus.
So, why wouldn't they be taken right then, when they were granted saving faith? Because at the very moment of the rapture they, in their spirit, were touching a dead (mortal) body, and per Numbers 19:11 and 12, that person will be unclean for 7 days. So, they have to wait for 7 days down here on earth, but the gathering cloud in heavenly places is still present during that wait-time.
I understand that we now are in mortal bodies but our core self, our spirit, is in complete union with Jesus Himself. Because of Jesus, our core self has been circumcised already from "direct contact" with our mortal bodies. Paul says this in Colossians 2:11, "and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ."
This is why the type/shadow of when Jesus was circumcised on the 8th day of Tabernacles does not apply to the body of Christ, but points to a future 8th day of Tabernacles "last day" resurrection and saving faith revelation to those of the Chosen Remnant of Israel-Judah after Jesus' second coming. This will also include the "sheep" of the nations who had to experience the tribulation (with some having been martyred.)
For us who are of the body of Christ now, Jesus, because we are in union with Him, IS, as our I AM, our Passover sacrifice, our spirit purity as Unleavened Bread (I Corinthians 5:7b), our fulfillment of Pentecost, our Atonement Sacrifice, our "every 7 year debt cancelation" (Colossians 2:14), our Jubilee (Galatians 5:1, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free"), and, as mentioned above, our "8th day" circumcision. Also, because of our union with Jesus, He is also our Feast of Dedication (both the week of altar/temple dedication during Solomon's time and also Hanukkah) because we are already, in our spirits, in union with Jesus, holy, blameless and above reproach before the Father as much as Jesus is. He is our righteousness and our sanctification (I Corinthians 1:30). Jesus is all of this to us NOW.
So, the timing on the calendar for any of the above is NOT a type/shadow for the body of Christ, again, in terms of the timing of when we go home.
What types/shadows point to us going up? Mount Sinai, on the 17th day of the 3rd month, on the nations' calendar, in a particular year. And this will be dovetailed with the 17th day of the 2nd month on a second, also equally valid calendar, per the nations' calendar, as we are all harpatzoed away on our wedding day, right as the worldwide judgement begins.