The Roman Empire is indirectly ruling the world now as the EU and their allies particularly U.S.A. controls the politics and economics of the world.
No one is to know the actual time of the coming of Christ and like you rightly quoted the scripture, that day is at the same time not to overtake believers as a thief. We are to know the signs and seasons that precede the coming of Christ and the Bible admonishes us to watch and pray when these signs begin to unfold.
God does not forgive us our sins when we only confess with our lips. Our confessions of sin must begin from the heart and with the determination to overcome that sin and not to go back to it. It is only when we are able to do this that the Just God forgives us.
Therefore, when we know that what is right and decide to do the wrong, our mouth confessions do not erase our sins.