and strange preternatural events that are beyond our ken - yes, that and "angelic" forces acting in the form of humans.

Man, this sounds like very cool sci-fi stuff!

Alex

As I have tried to listen at all directions of various sources concerning the end, I perceive that:

Satan is buffetting the world with all manner of evil in the effort to bring it to its knees and then he will come onto the scene with his last and greatest deception; to appear as though he were Christ, and has come to save the world from all the trouble, however, the natural disasters which God sends, he cannot abate like he could by "fixing the economy" and he will place the blame for these continued disasters on those who keep God's commandments. The true Sabbath will be a pivotal issue.

All who would choose to follow God, will experience their fiery furnace or lion's den, and experience the Divine deliverance that Daniel and his friends experienced.

It has already begun and all will be finished with a few years.
(Don't start any 401K savings now)