* the election of Hassan Rouhani (see my previous post)
* numerous clear indications that Pope Francis intends to reform the Church (this effort will trigger the great apostasy)
* widespread rejection by Catholics of the teaching authority of the Church and the Pope (this rejection is the foundation of the great apostasy)
* Iran is close to obtaining nuclear weapons (they may already have one or more devices)
* the acceptance of many grave sins by secular society is increasing (in effect calling for a correction from the justice of God)
* the economic fragility of the U.S. and many EU nations (economic collapse is part of the tribulation)
* the long-standing drought (a preparation for the famine of the tribulation)
* the emergence of MERS — Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a new disease, similar to SARS, but with a death rate over 50% (a disease pandemic is one of the afflictions of the tribulation)

[Matthew 16]
{16:2} But he responded by saying to them: “When evening arrives, you say, ‘It will be calm, for the sky is red,’
{16:3} and in the morning, ‘Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and gloomy.’ So then, you know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you are unable to know the signs of the times?