"Soon." "Time is short." "About to come." We have been hearing such expressions for a quarter of a century. "Prepare," say the alleged prophecies.

As times intensify, so do predictions. The problem has always been timelines:

Many have jumped the gun. Events come in a gradual manner -- take years -- and then suddenly graduate.

The word has always been "gradual." We learn this from major historic apparitions.

Does drama occur? It certainly does. Huge events can arrive in a blink of the eye, but usually not without a build-up. That's God's mercy.

What about seers who say that most people are about to be annihilated? What about those who talk about "Planet X"? What about messages from places like Western Europe?

We tend to be reserved and caution against any prophecy that is too detailed, frightening, or specific -- especially when it comes to time. Could they occur? Anything may occur. Your discernment is as good as ours.

There are those who hear word of a "white horse." This can be biblical: The first of The Seven Seals (in Revelation) is a rider on a white horse.

There is an overlap between Christian and non-Christian prophecies -- not necessarily negating the Christian ones so much as raising simple caution. We must all discern constantly (in  all aspects of life)!

But events are "precipitating," and when it comes to timelines, perhaps it is informative to look back at Fatima.

That famous set of apparitions occurred in 1917. Its prophecy of Russia turning atheistic occurred almost instantly. But its prediction of a "great sign" took 21 years to materialize. In January of 1938 an incredible display of what they tried to call the aurora borealis (or "northern lights") presaged what Fatima seer Lucia dos Santos foresaw as a chastisement. The chastisement was World War Two, which began shortly thereafter.

Thus, nearly a quarter of a century passed before a main prediction in the three famous secrets materialized.

Another Fatima prediction -- that the Pope would eventually consecrate Russia to Mary's Immaculate Heart -- did not occur until John Paul dedicated the world (and implicitly Russia) to her heart in 1984, a passage of 67 years.

Thus we see that secrets unfold in parts over time and that there can be decades between them.

There were three at Fatima. There are more from more recent sites. This is to be compared to the alleged secrets at Medjugorje, which were first given in 1981 -- 27 years ago this week -- and for three of the visionaries the secrets now total ten. When will they occur?

It was a seer there who recently used the expression "about to come" without elaborating. She also quoted the Blessed Mother as saying that there are "signs of the times" around us (and that we are to speak of them). Another visionary said that current charisms, miracles, and luminary signs presage the great sign prophesied at Medjugorje as well.

Will they come "soon"? Will they be spaced out or come one after another? Will they too be separated by decades? Or days? Are they "near"?

All we can say for now is that we are currently surrounded -- through the mercy of God -- by "pre-indications."

Does lightning hit California and cause 800 wildfires the same week as homosexuals begin to marry there out of simple coincidence?

Why is China getting hit so frequently?

Why the Midwest?

Something is on its way.

But let us also note that we should be praying that events are lessened, not waiting for them.

To want such is natural in the current state of the world -- we all want cleansing, and purification is in many ways good -- but we should not hope for events that would have huge numbers dying. None of us -- if we really stop and meditate -- could really want that.

Are you ready to die? Do you want your children to pass in mayhem? Do you want to struggle in a world that is reduced to a primitive state? Do you want to wander far and wide to avoid plague or to look for food or to avoid civil unrest (or nuclear events)? Do you want to roam on earth as on another planet (finding remains as in the movie Planet of the Apes)?

When we actually ponder what could happen, we become less anxious for the "secrets" to occur and more prayerful that the greatest chastisements do not. If events reach the ultimate that could be in store, there will be no safe havens. There may be no "refuges."

No one will be able to flee so many afflictions together.

The sole refuge will be in prayer, in faith, and in the Eucharist.

And thus we pray that the purification purify but that the extremes not happen. There is an urgent nerve struck here, recently. Pray away the truly great events that could be so radical. Pray now, friends.

This is not a movie. The period of mercy may have exhausted itself. There is always mercy, but the era of special mercy may be over.

What event signaled such?

The answer is: no one single happening -- because such occurs like trying to indicate the exact grain of sand in the last sifting stream of an hour glass.

[resources: Queen of the Cosmos; this is a book whose time has come]

[see also: Do current luminary 'signs' lead up to a major one?]

[We thank all who came on our pilgrimage or who prayed, making it such a special, powerful trip]

[See also: "At this moment, Our Lady is recommending that we pray more, that we pray for her intentions and that we pray for her plans," says a noted seer. "That every day we take the Holy Bible and that we read a few lines and that we try to live those words during the day. Our Lady also recommends that we should pray for the Holy Father, for all the Bishops and all the Priests and that we pray for the entire church for they are in need of our prayers. But in a special way Our Lady recommends that we should pray for one of her plans which should be realized."]