The constant state of crisis we see in the world today is exactly what Jesus said the world would look like just prior to His return. He said many things will happen, but “all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come” (Matthew 24:8). What does this mean? It means we should expect painful events on a global scale to increase in both frequency and intensity in the time leading up to His return.
What’s Coming Next?
If that’s the case, then what’s the next major event? If the global events we’ve endured over the past few years are going to be more frequent and more severe, what are the most likely events we’ll see next? The possibilities are endless. We could see large magnitude earthquakes, major terrorist attacks, or even another global pandemic. We can’t be certain what the next event will be, but here are the six most probable events on the horizon:
1) The Destruction of Damascus
In the event of all-out war between Iran and Israel, Iran will almost certainly unleash its proxies in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and other parts of the world. Hezbollah is believed to have approximately 150,000 rockets and missiles pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon and Syria. If Hezbollah engaged in a massive attack on Israel and overwhelmed Israel’s air defenses, it’s not out of the question we could see Israel respond with a nuclear weapon.
Damascus is known to be a hotbed of terrorists with a mix of Syrian militants, Iranian military personnel, and Hezbollah leaders. If it feels its existence is threatened, Israel will use every weapon at its disposal, and Damascus is one of the top targets. Israel has the ability to destroy the city with a nuclear strike, and many people believe Isaiah 17 (which describes the destruction of Damascus) is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. Don’t be surprised if the current conflict escalates to a point where we witness exactly that – the destruction of what many believe is the longest continuously inhabited city on earth.
2) Iranian Closure of the Strait of Hormuz
Even if we don’t see an escalation to all-out war between Israel and Iran, we’re very likely to see Iran take another action – the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The failure of Operation Prosperity Guardian to open the Red Sea is evidence the deterrent effect of conventional naval power has ended. Drones now dominate conventional weapons systems on the battlefield. We see this in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and we see it in the Red Sea.
The Red Sea shipping corridor has been closed to Western shipping since Iran, working through its Houthi rebel proxies in Yemen, launched a campaign to attack and harass Western container ships. If Iran can shut down Red Sea shipping lanes, closing one of the most vital corridors to world trade for the past four months, then why can’t they do the same in the Persian Gulf? Given its location, Iran effectively controls the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping lane that’s the only way in or out of the Persian Gulf. Last month, Iran hijacked the MSC Aries, marking the sixth vessel recently hijacked by Iran or its proxies. Over 20% of global oil consumption travels through the Strait of Hormuz, making it the most important maritime chokepoint in the world.
Rather than engage in an all-out kinetic war with Israel, Iran may instead choose to harass Western shipping in the Persian Gulf or altogether block any ships associated with countries supporting Israel. Even without completely closing off access, a few attacks on oil tankers would dramatically increase insurance costs for oil tankers – costs that would be borne by the whole world in the form of higher oil prices. If Iran did shut down Persian Gulf oil tanker traffic, global oil prices could immediately skyrocket to over $180 per barrel or more – an event that would trigger a global financial crash the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
3) Cyber Attacks on Infrastructure
Despite the warnings, many people remain oblivious to the prospect of cyber attacks on vital infrastructure. We’ve seen numerous instances where this has taken place on a limited basis, but the prospects of escalating war in the Middle East and other places around the globe make this more likely with each passing day. The threat is greater now because state-sponsored cyber attacks during a time of war will likely cause damage and chaos on a much greater scale than attacks we’ve seen in the recent past.
In the past few years, nation states have shown a greater willingness to attack vital infrastructure. Examples include destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines and Houthi threats to sever underwater Internet cables in the Red Sea. Recently, Iran threatened to attack U.S. water systems, and speculation continues over whether or not the Baltimore bridge collapse was due to a cyber attack or not. The WEF has warned of (which probably means they’re preparing to launch) a global cyber attack on the Internet. A broad-based attack could shut down financial institutions, water supplies, the electrical grid, and/or other resources vital to daily life. Such an attack could take place at any moment, and most people are woefully unprepared for such an event.
4) A Global Banking Crisis
In March 2023, a global banking crisis emerged, resulting in the second, third, and fourth largest bank failures in U.S. history. In addition, Credit Suisse (a global systemically important bank) came close to failure before a shotgun wedding with UBS. A failure of Credit Suisse would have triggered a global financial crisis, prompting credit fears to spread through the global financial system overnight. Central bank actions (such as the Federal Reserve’s Bank Term Funding Program) kicked the can down the road, delaying the crisis for another day. But the end of that program, along with other factors, sets the stage for a new banking crisis to re-emerge at any moment.
Some of the largest banks in the world (such as J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs) recently issued disappointing earnings reports due to a number of factors. One of those is the imploding commercial real estate market, which has hammered a number of regional banks already and could trigger a crisis worse than the 2008 sub-prime housing crisis. On top of that, the recent rise in interest rates has hit bank balance sheets hard with U.S. banks alone currently sitting on more than $600 billion in unrealized losses.
As if the banking environment weren’t already difficult, the Bank Term Funding Program that helped prevent the 2023 banking crisis from consuming the entire banking system came to an end on March 11th. In addition, a major source of post-pandemic liquidity for banks – the Federal Reserve’s reverse repo facility, is drawing down to its end. The result is a set-up that could quickly lead to a re-emergent banking crisis at any moment.
5) A Currency Crisis
As if all these other prospective events weren’t bad enough, we’re also on the verge of a major currency crisis. The Japanese yen currently sits at its lowest level relative to the U.S. dollar since 1990. To prevent the situation from getting worse will likely require the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates or the U.S. Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. Given the recent persistence of inflation, it’s unlikely we’ll see the U.S. lower rates in the short term. This means the Bank of Japan may be forced to raise rates and take other measures to defend its currency. This is especially true if conflict in the Middle East leads to a spike in oil prices.
If oil prices spike while the yen continues to depreciate relative to the dollar, Japan (the fourth largest economy in the world) will stand on the precipice of economic ruin. Despite efforts to move away from the petro-dollar, the majority of global oil transactions are still denominated in U.S. dollars. Japan produces virtually zero fossil fuels domestically, making it heavily dependent on foreign imports to power its economy. If the yen continues to depreciate relative to the dollar while oil prices spike, Japanese energy costs will skyrocket as the Japanese are forced to trade yen for dollars in order to buy oil.
Faced with an economic meltdown regardless of what actions it takes, the Bank of Japan would almost certainly move to defend the value of the yen. This would cause a reversal of the yen carry trade (succinctly explained here), which could quickly lead to a disorderly unraveling of financial positions all over the world. Along the way, we could see margin calls and exploding derivatives positions that crash global financial markets. Yet despite the potential carnage, most people remain unaware of this possibility.
6) The Rapture of the Church
The overwhelming majority of the world remains ignorant of the reality that Jesus will one day return for His church. Jesus promised to keep the church from the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10), and signs all around us indicate the 7-year Tribulation period is drawing near. Furthermore, Paul says Jesus will come in “the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). This means, in a faction of a second, Jesus could snatch every born-again believer from the face of the earth.
Imagine the implications. The disappearance of potentially hundreds of millions of people in an instant would cause global chaos in and of itself. That’s before accounting for all of the second-order impacts of so many missing people all over the globe. Each and every one of those people plays a major role in someone’s life, and the sudden disappearance of so many will directly impact society and all its institutions in profound ways. In fact, the rapture of the church could trigger many, if not all, of the events in this article in an instant and without warning.
What You Should Do
With all these things on the verge of taking place, what should you do? Simple. Make the most of the time you have left. If you’re not a Christian, turn to Jesus now. The Bible says we’re all sinners (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Yet, while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). He paid for our sins through His blood as shed on the cross, and there is no other name by which we are saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus alone is the way to heaven (John 14:6), so put your faith in Him while you still can.
If you’re already Christian, don’t fear the things of this world, especially the coming events of the Tribulation. Jesus promised to protect His followers from “the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10). So, Christians will not endure the Tribulation. However, don’t think that means you won’t face sorrows in this life. Jesus says you will. He says you’ll face many trials and tribulations in this world, but don’t be discouraged because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Understand this – the rapture of the church could be the next traumatic event to hit the world. Think of those left behind. Think of the fear they will have. Think of the world they’ll be living in. Let that motivate you to spread the Gospel. Right now, more people than ever are seeking God. And according to His purpose, He uses every event for good (Romans 8:28). World-shaking, global events are no exception.
Traumatic global events are an assault on the world’s sense of security. It’s in these moments when people seek God the most because He can not be shaken. He’s the rock upon which you should build your life (Psalm 18:2). If you do, such events won’t have the same impact on your life. So if you know this already, make sure to share what you know. Take advantage of this moment and tell others about the hope you have in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:15). You may not have much longer because He is coming soon!
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Britt Gillette is the author of several books on Bible prophecy and the end times. You can find more of his work at brittgillette.substack.com