Over the years, I have noticed that when most Christians look at prophecy and the unfolding of end-time events, they tend to focus on one sign at a time. However, it is important to look at prophecy as a whole. Many things have been happening recently that are setting the stage for prophecy. When you look at these things collectively, it is not difficult to imagine that the rapture, the tribulation, and the second coming of Christ may be only a few years away, not decades or centuries.

I believe the rapture comes, and shortly thereafter the tribulation begins. Some believe the rapture occurs during the tribulation. I won’t get into the timing of the rapture today, but if we look at how events during the tribulation are already taking shape, we can see the stage being set, and the tribulation is not that far away.

The Ezekiel 38-39 War.

These two chapters describe an invasion of Israel by several nations, with Russia, Iran, and Turkey being the main players.

These nations have recently become more involved with each other or have difficult relations with Israel. Iran and Israel are currently at war with each other, but this current war is not the Ezekiel invasion.

Russia, even though it is bogged down in a war with Ukraine, has been supplying Iran with some interesting military hardware and intelligence. During 2026, Russia has supplied Iran with drone components, ammunition, TNT (Iran uses TNT in some missile warheads and drones), satellite navigation/targeting technology, and US intelligence has reported Russian assistance involving targeting information and advanced drone tactics. But that is not all; the two nations have also struck larger arms deals. Six Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters reached Iran in January 2026. The two nations also agreed that Russia would send 48 Su-35A fighter jets to Iran. Deliveries are planned for 2026-2028. Another major deal involves the delivery of Verba man-portable air-defense missiles, but delivery is scheduled for 2027-2029.

As far as Turkey is concerned, their relationship with Israel has deteriorated drastically within the past several months. Turkey has become a major military and political supporter of Syria’s post-Assad government. Israel is concerned that Turkish forces and potentially Turkish air-defense systems could establish themselves in Syria and restrict Israel’s freedom of action over Syrian airspace. Israel’s concerns led to Israel striking a Syrian air base on August 18, 2026. A month later, on September 13, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of attempting to destabilize Syria. The back-and-forth rhetoric between the two nations grows more hostile as the days pass.

Current events make Ezekiel’s prophecy look like it’s in the development stage, not the distant future.

The Economy of the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:16-17 says the Antichrist will make it impossible for anyone to buy or sell anything without his “mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.”

Today, I won’t be talking about the “mark of the beast,” but about the fact that, for him to implement this, all money around the world must be centralized. Today, sanctions can be placed, but they can be ignored or circumvented. Look at the sanctions on Iran and all the military hardware that Russia has been selling them, as mentioned above. For the Antichrist to control who buys and sells, the world’s economy must be centrally controlled.  

mBridge is a cross-border payment system designed to allow participating countries’ central banks and commercial banks to transfer and settle money using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) directly across borders. This matters for the future of the international monetary system because it could let participating countries settle international trade using their own digital currencies without routing every transaction through the traditional correspondent banking system.

I’m not saying mBridge is what the Antichrist will use to accomplish his economic control. Still, systems like mBridge show that the world is moving toward a system where all world currencies can be intertwined and all transactions controlled at a centralized point. We are not there yet, but the technology exists, and only the worldwide corporation remains before the Antichrist’s system is in place. This is major stage-setting.

Global Cooperation and a One World Religion.

World leaders are gathering at the UN amid wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, along with major discussions about artificial intelligence, international security, and global governance. The Antichrist will rule the world even though there will still be presidents, kings, and prime ministers. Individual nations will still exist, but sovereignty will disappear as the world worships and follows the Antichrist (Revelation 13:4-9). The Antichrist’s end-time system involves an extraordinary degree of international interaction. Today’s world is far more technologically and politically interconnected than previous generations.

The UN is also working to unite the world’s religions. The UN’s conference on interreligious and intercultural dialogue took place on September 17, 2026. The conference brought together governments, religious leaders, and civil-society organizations to coordinate efforts for humanity’s benefit. Here again, we see the stage being set for the Antichrist’s one-world religious system as described in Revelation 17.

The Temple Mount and the Red Heifer.

Jewish activity is increasing at the Temple Mount. The annual number of visitors reached a record level for the Jewish year that just ended; prayer books (which are outlawed) have been used, Jews are openly praying and performing religious rituals, Israeli political figures are praying at the Mount, Jordan and Palestinian authorities have repeatedly objected to changes they believe threaten the existing arrangement, and in September, Jordan protested Jewish access during Rosh Hashanah.

While there are no prophecies directly declaring that the Temple will be rebuilt, there are prophecies that happen around and inside the Temple during the Tribulation; therefore, the Temple will be rebuilt. The increase in Jewish activity, such as prayer, shofar blowing, religious texts, and growing organized efforts to establish Jewish worship practices at the site, is increasing at a rapid rate.

Which brings me to the Red Heifer. In Daniel 9:27, the Antichrist will cease all sacrifices at the Temple. According to Numbers 19, a purification process must be completed before sacrifices can be offered at any new Temple. The ceremony uses the ashes of a pure red heifer. Only a few heifers have met the qualifications over the last two thousand years. The Temple Institute reports that it has four heifers qualified for the sacrifice. There have never been that many alive at one time. The Temple Institute has priests, priestly clothing, and all the utensils needed to begin sacrificing at the Temple once it is built. The Temple Institute recently conducted an “ash-making exercise” as practice for a future red heifer sacrifice. The exercise was only a simulation, and the resulting ashes are not valid for ritual purification.

We can see that current events and their increased activity are stage-setting for a future Temple.

Have you noticed that nearly everything mentioned in this column has happened in 2026, and most of that since August? A lot has been happening that is stage-setting for the end-time prophecies of the Bible. Are you ready?

Preacher Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County Indiana. Website: www.preachers-point.com; Email: preacherspoint@gmail.com; Mail: 25 W 1200 N; Kingman IN 47952.  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Timothy-Preacher-Johnson-101171088326638. All Scripture KJV.