In general, we should be paying particular attention to the three 'woe' periods our Lord Jesus showed John in Revelation. Our Lord connected the last three trumpets with those three woe periods.
Joel 3:11-14
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
(KJV)
Hatred against God's people (Christians) is growing more and more in areas of the West to where some of our own American leaders in high places are turning against us and our Christian heritage, and instead taking sides with the heathen (pagan ideologies of this world). That has never before been so strong in the West than in the past few decades. It is a sign of the times we're in.
The days leading up to Christ's return, His second coming to this earth, is to be a time of the Gentiles, heathen Gentiles who want to destroy God's people and steal our heritage from God. Those in Christ Jesus are not to be dismayed at this, but be prepared to make a stand for Christ, whatever the cost.
Dan 12:6-10
6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
(KJV)
That's how close to the end of this world we really are today. We're in a time when God is allowing the heathen to gain power over us, power spiritually over the weak minded through deception, and physically over us by changing the laws and commandments Christ gave the western Christian nations so we could live in peace and happiness. No sense in trying to sugar-coat today's times by turning our faces away from the evil in our society and in high places, for even the innocent, the pure-hearted, the good-natured followers of Christ have felt shame at the abominations that are rampant in the West and in the whole world today. The fact that the pagan sins of the heathen are taking greater hold among the western Christian nations among our leaders is another sign of today's times...
Isa 3:2-7
2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, "Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:"
7 In that day shall he swear, saying, "I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people."
(KJV)
It is a time when the people look to one who speaks eloquently, one wearing expensive clothes, and saying, "You've got on good clothes, you be our ruler, pull us out of this ruin", but the one cherished has a mind of a child, not fit to rule over God's people. It is a time when we need a ruler with workman's clothes on, with the blessing of God's Spirit, not a make-believe dresser up with a baby's mind that listens to the ways of the heathen.
This is all part of the last days, a time when God is allowing His enemies to rule over us. It will be that way until we think and begin to do and say this...
Joel 2:17-21
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare Thy people, O LORD, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, 'Where is their God?' "
18 Then will the LORD be jealous for His land, and pity His people.
19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto His people, "Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
(KJV)
This is what the gathering of the heathen nations around Jerusalem in the end of days is about. It is why their power on earth is gaining over God's people in all lands, including in the historical western Christian nations. God is getting the heathen ready to pour out His cup of wrath upon them. If God gave us the power to do that, the heathen would not see God's Hand and Power in that. They would not ascribe their defeat to Him. It's going to be settled in the "valley of decision" on the day of The LORD at Christ's second coming, and by His Hand and not ours. That way, the heathen will KNOW He is The GOD, and there is no other god.
Ezek 39:17-29
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, 'Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set My glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see My judgment that I have executed, and My hand that I have laid upon them.
Even some of God's people will have to see that judgment upon the heathen nations to really understand who they themselves are, and to shame them for misplacing their trust away from God...
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
Then also, the heathen who worship false gods will know the truth about God scattering His people among the nations in captivity for their rebelliousness, and will know for certain who God's people are.
23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against Me, therefore hid I My face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid My face from them.
25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for My holy name;
26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against Me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, Which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
29 Neither will I hide My face any more from them: for I have poured out My spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
(KJV)
The three woe periods with the last three trumpets in Revelation are about the height of the heathen rule over us in the last days. Might want to get familiar with it, so as to know how to stand up like a child of God, like a real Christian soldier for Christ Jesus with the Gospel Armour on.
