The Great Tribulation

In the Bible there are multiple places where the Antichrist is described. Matthew 24 draws on the book of Daniel to show that he will set up the abomination of desolation in the temple at Jerusalem and afterward will unleash a time of tribulation never seen since the beginning of the world. With all that is going on in the world today—from wars to cataclysmic events—how are we to understand this text, and what should the church prepare for?