Such as? I mean, these things - persecution, war etc. - have been going on in the past as well. My question is, what is unique about the times we live in?
One of the major signs was the reestablishing of Israel as a nation again in 1947. It was about God's prophecy in Jer.24 that He would eventually bring Judah back to the holy land and not remove them out anymore. Until 1947 when Israel became a nation again in the land, that had not happened since Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 69 A.D.
Another thing is the mention of a temple per Rev.11, with its outer court to be tread upon by the Gentiles for 42 months. It's pointing to a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, for the two witnesses prophecy then follows that in Rev.11, and all of it is to occur on the 6th Trumpet and 2nd Woe period. Christ returns on the 7th Trumpet - 3rd Woe period, which establishes how close to the end those Rev.11 events are to occur (i.e, our times).
And since we're now in a generation with the kind of technology we have, the Rev.11:9 verse about the nations seeing... the dead bodies of God's two witnesses lay in the street of Jerusalem for three and half days can point to satellite technology, like TV and cell phone imagery, etc.
Per the Rev.13:1-2 prophecy, that's pointing to a world beast kingdom, and in Rev.17:15 Christ defined that about multitudes, peoples, tongues, and nations. It's per the final beast prophecy in Daniel, the one with ten toes made up of mixed iron with clay. Daniel 2 reveals that final beast kingdom is to be manifest for Christ to come and strike it upon its feet, and the whole beast image comes tumbling down together, and His Kingdom is then setup on earth for His saints. The signs of the New World Order globalist system are everywhere today. Globalist leaders have been publically talking about plans for a "one world government" since the early 1900's. One would have to have their head buried in the sand to not recognize that globalist working today.
Oh yeah, another sign we're to watch for: In 1 Thess.5 Apostle Paul said that when some start saying, "Peace and safety", then "sudden destruction" will come upon them. Where was he pulling that from the OT? From the Book of Daniel, which speaks of a false one to come that will destroy many using... peace. It goes with the sign in Matt.24 and Mark 13 our Lord Jesus gave about 'wars and rumours of wars'. Many don't finish what He said in that verse...
Matt 24:6
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars:
see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
(KJV)
Lot of Churches love to quote that first phrase of "wars and rumours of wars", and then throw out men's doctrines, never getting to the last phrases there. We are to consider what our Lord meant about those wars in relation to that "but the end is not yet".
The idea is simple. As long as we have wars and rumours of wars going on, then the end is not yet. But when the 'wars and rumours of wars' stop... what then? Hey, the end of this world is just around the corner.
And further, what kind of period on earth does that point to when all wars and rumours of wars have stopped? It points to a time of 'peace', the world peace the Miss America contestants are led to say, the world peace idea the United Nations stated as one of their main aims in establishing a one world government over all nations.
It's the "Peace and safety" idea Apostle Paul also warned us of in 1 Thess.5.
It's during a short period of world peace at the end of this world that a false one is to appear on earth, to setup the world beast kingdom of Rev.13, and institute false worship. That cannot happen with nations and peoples still warring against each other.