I’m not so much in agreement with your stated end times beliefs...though I agree that living like a true Christian will likely remain a crime punishable by death in the eyes of some people - just as it has been throughout history.
Of course, in the end “...every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord...”
However, just as we take that Scripture literally, we need to take the prophetic Scripture literally as well.
The Bible tells us that there will be a seven-year period of time called the "Tribulation" during which there will be an Antichrist who will rule over the entire world and who will behead those who refuse to swear allegiance to him and who choose to follow Jesus Christ.
The fact of the increased attacks on Christianity in this country, the increased criminalization of Christianity, and the fact that the rights of Christians in this country are systematically being taken away, is evidence that this world is preparing itself for the Beast who will come and whose rule will include the killing of those who are called by Christ's name.