A 12-year-old book on biblical prophecy is drawing renewed attention from its author, Mark Davidson, who believes recent developments involving Iran could signal the beginning of the second of four events preceding the Tribulation.
In Daniel Revisited: Discovering the Four Mideast Signs Leading to the Antichrist, Davidson, a retired aerospace engineer and end-times prophecy researcher, presents an interpretation of biblical passages that he believes identifies four Middle Eastern events that will unfold before the Tribulation. His analysis draws on the biblical books of Daniel and Revelation and challenges traditional assumptions about the Antichrist’s origins and the timing of end-times events.
Davidson began studying biblical prophecy in 2001 after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks prompted him to seek a deeper understanding of how world events might relate to Scripture. Applying his analytical approach as an engineer, he says he identified connections among Daniel 7, Daniel 8 and Revelation 6 that led him to develop what he calls four prophetic “signposts.”
“These four signposts are events that, one after the other, indeed tell us Jesus Christ is not only returning, but this world is now in the season for it to actually happen,” Davidson said.
According to Davidson, the first signpost involved the transformation of Iraq’s government between 2003 and 2005, following the U.S.-led invasion that removed Saddam Hussein from power. He says he developed his framework shortly before President George W. Bush announced plans to enter Iraq in 2003.
Now, Davidson believes developments involving Iran could indicate the beginning of the second signpost. He points to the conflict involving Iran and the reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March 2026 as potential developments consistent with his interpretation.
“Recent events in Iran appear to be setting up the start of the second with the Iran War and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz beginning at the start of March this year,” Davidson said.
His interpretation remains a personal reading of biblical prophecy, rather than an established or universally accepted theological conclusion.
In Daniel Revisited, Davidson examines the four beasts described in Daniel 7, the ram and goat in Daniel 8, and the four horsemen in Revelation 6:1-8. He argues that these passages point to a sequence of Middle Eastern events that must occur before the Tribulation or Rapture, challenging interpretations that regard those events as imminent.
Davidson also disputes the widely held view among some prophecy scholars that the Antichrist will emerge from Rome or Europe. Based on his reading of Scripture and historical events, he argues that the figure will originate in the Middle East.
The book encourages readers to reconsider familiar interpretations of biblical prophecy while examining questions about Christ’s return and the future of the Middle East.
Published by Thomas Nelson, Daniel Revisited: Discovering the Four Mideast Signs Leading to the Antichrist is available through Amazon.