The Zohar below reveals that the date the Messianic period will start is 5,600 (1840) in which time the fountains of knowledge will open as alluded to in the Parsha of Noach and if we take a look at history, the year 1840 corresponds to the beginning of the 2nd industrial revolution, a time of enormous technological advancements.
And Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood came about, water upon the earth.
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on this day, all the springs of the great deep were split, and the windows of the heavens opened up.
Redemption depends of our knowledge of the secret wisdom of Kabbalah - revealed to everyone. Only then will the Shechina which is the Congregation of Yisrael rise from the dust and unite with her husband, Zeir Anpin. This is why everything we do is to lift up the Shechina (Nukva) from the Klipot - so that she will reunite with Zeir Anpin and usher in the final redemption.
Rabbi Shimeon reveals that the ultimate sign - when the Days of Messiah are near even infants in the world will discover the secrets of Wisdom and, through them, know how to calculate the time of Redemption and the End of Days. At that time, it will be revealed to everyone.
אִשְׁתְּלִים וא''ו גּוֹ עֶשֶׂר שִׁית זִמְנִין, כְּדֵין הֲווּ שִׁתִּין לְאָקְמָא מֵעַפְרָא, וּבְכָל שִׁתִּין וְשִׁתִּין מֵהַהוּא אֶלֶף שְׁתִיתָאָה אִתְתַּקַּף ה''א וְסַלְקָא בְּדַרְגּוֹי לְאִתְתַּקְּפָא. וּבְשִׁית מְאָה שְׁנִין לִשְׁתִיתָאָה יִתְפַּתְּחוּן תַּרְעֵי דְחָכְמְתָא לְעֵילָא וּמַבּוּעֵי דְחָכְמְתָא לְתַתָּא, וְיִתְתַּקַּן עַלְמָא לְאָעֳלָא בִּשְׁבִיעָאָה. כְּבַר נָשׁ דְּמִתְתַּקַּן בְּיוֹמָא שְׁתִיתָאָה מֵכִי עָרַב שִׁמְשָׁא לְאֲעָלָא בְּשַׁבַּתָּא. אוּף הָכִי נָמֵי. וְסִימָנִיךְ (בראשית ז) בִּשְׁנַת שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה לְחַיֵּי נֹחַ וְגו' נִבְקְעוּ כָּל מַעְיְינוֹת תְּהוֹם רַבָּה.