Do you really think many will be "saved" in the end times, because of, or due to their ability to know and interpret and accurately "discern" end time events, and when they would or will be, due to signs they see or know...?
Really...? I don't think so...
It may be a difference of perspective. Some of your comments give me the impression that people who prepare are doing so as some kind of plan to save themselves through the Great Tribulation, or that preparation equates to less of a need to rely on God.
We humans definitely have a problem with thinking we can do it on our own, or thinking we should be able to do it our own way, that's for sure.
But maybe it will be helpful to recognize that Survival in the Great Tribulation will be about more than just staying alive physically. The purpose of tribulation is to 1) get closer to God ourselves, and 2) to be a witness to the world.
Those people who are preparing now will be a much more effective witness in those times.
There are also different kinds of preparation. There's a section on this forum called "Christian preppers", but it mostly deals with people stockpiling various kinds of food and equipment. I think there is some validity there, but then there is also the temptation to trust in the material provisions rather than God.
It's not the food itself that's the problem, but rather our attitude toward it. What if someone spends years building up a healthy stockpile of food, and then when the trouble starts, God tells them to go somewhere else. It will be very difficult for that person to leave all the food they've saved up in preparation.
But, then perhaps God will lead some of his other people to that provision later and it will still have been a good thing for the original prepper to set aside all that food.
I think the more important preparation is just a willingness to change according to the situation, which requires an inward, spiritual development. Jesus said that even he didn't know the time, but he didn't say it would always be like that. As events unfold around us and new information comes to light, we need to be flexible in how we interpret what to do next as a result of the new information.
One example of this is the Mark of the Beast. The prophecy is pretty clear about what it will be used for, so as we move closer to a cashless society where people buy via microchips in various cards and phones, and then eventually in the hand, we should also be preparing for a time when we won't be able to use money.
And, some forms of preparation will be more specific to some than others. Couples with families will face some
very difficult decisions, especially if one spouse disagrees with the other about how to proceed, or the kids become stubborn or require significant change.
Those of us struggling with attachment to material possessions and inclusion in the worldly monetary system will need to mentally and emotionally prepare for a severing from all that comfort.
The purpose of prophecy is to let us know that God
does have a plan for this world, and he wants us to be a part of it. That's what the opening line of the Revelation says, "A revelation of Jesus Christ to his servants, to show them what will come to pass..."
God wants us to be ready.
