Over a year ago, I published a series of posts about the “Beginnings of Birth Pangs”. This was Jesus’ metaphor describing what the world will be experiencing prior to the “Great Tribulation”. This time I’m going to combine these six posts into one article and permanently link to it so you can have this information quickly at your fingertips.
Listed below are the signs of these beginning birth pangs spoken by Jesus:
- Deceptions
- Wars and Rumors of Wars
- Nation against Nation
- Famines
- Pestilences
- Earthquakes
- Troubles
- Commotions
1-6 come from Matthew 24:5-7, 7 from Mark 13:8, and 8 from Luke 21:7
I believe we are currently experiencing these beginnings of birth pangs. This article will elaborate on why I believe as I do. If we are genuinely in these early contractions as Jesus described them, what comes soon after this will be truly earth shaking.
Deceptions:
Jesus: “Take heed that no one deceive you” (Mt. 24: 4). In the next verse He warns of false Messiahs. He goes on to include deceptive false prophets in verses 11 and 24. As most end-time prophecy is Israel-Jerusalem centric, we must view it as though we were living in Israel watching events unfold from that perspective. The Jews have had their share of false messiahs, just as Jesus predicted. Following is a partial list of last names of false Jewish Messiahs since New Testament times: Bar Kochba, Moses, Abu Isa, Serene, Yudgham, Abidafia, Abraham, Reubeni, Lammlien, Alroi, Zevi, Russo, Mokia, Querido, Cardosa, Prossnitz, Frank, Guibbory, Schneerson. Other than a small percentage of Messianics, the Jews have rejected the real Messiah, Jesus. They may even, for a short time, fall for the ultimate false messiah, the antichrist. The false prophets Jesus also warned of seem to be everywhere these days. The Apostle Paul wrote Timothy about them. “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2Tim. 3:13)
Jews in Israel are facing wide-spread deception in all areas of life, just as we are here in the US. Not very long ago we could read a news story about whatever and trust it was mostly objective reporting. Virtually all news sources today are incredibly biased and are served up with an agenda, a deceptive method to sway your thinking to their particular politics or moral philosophy. We must be ever vigilant of their methods which have been highly successful in molding public opinion. Examples, of course, include the recent “cancel culture”, advancement of the LGBTQIA etc. movement, critical race theory, increasing acceptance of abortion, evolutionary teaching, and gay and trans lifestyles in “Christian” churches, et al. In Israel, acceptance of these lifestyles is already mainstream. Their deception is already quite advanced. Paul gives us this warning: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1Cor. 6:9&10) Fortunately, we know what and who is behind all this deception and we know how to resist him. “….that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…”(Rev. 12:9)
Deception is coming at us from everywhere these days and we must be prepared to root it out and replace it with truth. Yes, its even coming from the pulpits in our churches, so you need to arm yourselves with the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, and judge everything by what is written in the bible. It’s the Standard by which we can expose and avoid all deception. Remember, Jesus said “Take heed that no one deceives you”.
The current level of deceptive teaching and media influence is surely fulfilling the first of the beginnings of birth pangs prophesied by Jesus.
Wars and Rumors of Wars:
Second in the list given by Jesus of “the beginnings of birth pangs” is wars and rumors of wars. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (Mt. 24:6). Wars (destructive conflict) in Scripture are most always determined to be judgments from God. All of the Old Testament wars Israel was involved in were used by God for judgment on the nations they were fighting or judgment on them by other nations for their Godless behavior. I am certain this is also the case with modern wars and prophesied wars to come. God’s M.O. is well established. Again, to best understand this prophecy, we must imagine ourselves in modern Israel, as most biblical prophecy is Middle East centric. In Israel today, wars and rumors of wars are a daily constant. Israel is surrounded by hostiles such as Hamas and Hezbollah and endures daily threats and rocket attacks. Enemies such as Iran are an existential threat with their constant vitriol and development of nuclear weapons. The IDF is constantly reminding Israeli citizens to prepare for potential war. Currently, the world is focused on the conflict in Ukraine initiated by Russia.
The bible seems to indicate that there will be several future wars that must happen prior to the “Great Tribulation” or the final 3.5 years culminating with the return of Jesus. The prophet Daniel speaks of a ram-goat war in chapter 8 out of which the antichrist eventually emerges. This is likely a war between modern day Turkey and Iran (Yavan and Persia). Also, as the 10 nation confederacy of the antichrist is forming, three nations are subdued by the antichrist (Da. 7:8). These and others are likely “beginnings of birth pang” wars. But, as Jesus said, the end is not yet. The wars of the great tribulation (full contractions) ending at Armageddon will be of unimaginable intensity. Once Jesus releases the four horsemen (Rev. 6) judgment of the whole earth will begin. A third of humanity will be killed during the time of the sixth trumpet/bowl alone. (Rev. 9:15,18). In world war 2, the worst war known to mankind, deaths totaled over 50 million. Assuming a world population of 7.5 billion means one third or 2.5 billion will perish in this future war – 50 times ww2 ! This prophecy is certain. Zechariah describes the type of warfare deployed which seems to be nuclear – specifically neutron radiation. “And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.” (Zechariah 14:12). I’ve had personal work experience handling neutron radiation, and that is exactly the physical effect expected if accidently exposed.
Yes wars are rumored, present, and coming. We can be assured that this sign of the beginnings of birth pangs is current and ongoing. But, remember that Jesus said these things must come to pass, but don’t be troubled. We simply need to be on the right side, the Lord’s army.
Nation Against Nation, Kingdom Against Kingdom:
As a natural follow-up to wars and rumors of wars, Jesus added to His prophecy of BBP’s (beginning of birth pangs) by saying this: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. “ (Mark 13:8) The word “nation”, as translated from Greek, is somewhat misleading, as the actual word is “ethnos” or race, primarily gentile race. Mostly, in the NT it is generally translated as gentile or sometimes heathen or nation. The best translation here would be gentile race. Jesus was simply saying that gentiles (non-Jews) of different races would be coming against one and another in the last days. Can you think of where that’s happening now, at this time? It seems that here in the US, with the election of a recent past president and our current one, racial issues have come to the forefront. If one disagreed with their politics, the race card is immediately played, and one is promptly accused of being racist. The Trump presidency was accused of racism no matter what he did. Actions taken to control our borders, control of travel to the US by Islamic radicals, support for Christian morality, labeling China as the source of the pandemic, etc. were all called by the leftist politicians, and main-stream media as racist. This has carried over to our current leftist in the white house, where just being Caucasian is racist. The extreme rise of things like “critical race theory” is alarming and is being taught in our public schools. All this in a country where systemic racism has been largely eradicated, and only exists in the minds of the radical left. Unfortunately, what’s happening here, has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the world, and perceived racism is causing all sorts of division. Unlike the US which is a melting pot of ethnicities, most of the other nations of the world are populated by a dominant nationality and culture. A little research shows that many, if not most, of these nations consider their indigenous population to be a superior race, though not often publicly stated. This is also true in much of the middle east. Without going into many specifics, I think you can see the problem here. Racially motivated strife is bubbling to the surface all over the world. Truly, as Jesus said would happen, gentile race against gentile race is prominent, world-wide, in our day. This, of course is anti biblical and anti Christian. God created only one race, the human race. We differ only according to the amount of melanin in our skin.
The other part of Jesus prophecy pits “kingdom against kingdom”. Kingdom here means a “realm ruled by royalty”. In other words, a nation or country ruled by a single authoritarian, such as a king, despot, or head of a theocracy. It would leave out countries led by democracies or parliamentary systems such as the US and most European countries. Again, the middle east is rife with this sort of despotic rule. To name just a few kingdoms against kingdoms in the ME: Iran vs Iraq, Saudi Arabia vs Yemen, Iran vs Saudi Arabia, Turkey vs Syria, Armenia vs Azerbaijan, etc. etc. I don’t think there is any question that this aspect of BBP’s is currently being fulfilled.
Earthquakes and Famines:
Included in the beginnings of birth pangs spoken of by Jesus were earthquakes and famines. He said this: “….And there will be earthquakes in various places and there will be famines….” (Mark 13:8). First, lets talk about earthquakes. After doing much research on earthquakes both historical and current, the frequencies at various levels seem to be rather static over the period where valid measurements have been recorded. Most bible commentators are looking for increasing intensities and frequencies due to the fact that Jesus included them as birth pangs, which, of course, increase in intensity up to birth. But, is this really what Jesus meant ? While certain data can be manipulated to show current increases in earthquakes, it is probably not necessary – the text in all three synoptics does not demand it. Jesus simply said earthquakes will be occurring in “various” places. Its this word “various” that is interesting. The KJV translates it “diverse places“. I think what Jesus meant was that earthquakes would be happening in parts of the world other than in Israel and you will hear about them. Diverse is the Greek word kata which can be translated as apart from or throughout. Check out this map of powerful earthquakes over 8.0 magnitude from 1900 till recent. Latest Earthquakes (usgs.gov). Notice that the middle east around Israel is lacking activity. I think this demonstrates what Jesus was saying. The occurrences shown on this map are certainly in diverse places. Make no mistake. Major earthquakes are coming to the ME and Israel specifically, but these are prophesied to occur during the great tribulation, the final birth contractions.
Famines are another story. Famines are described as a lack of life sustaining necessities due to many possible factors, such as drought, crop diseases, harvesting problems, wars, natural disasters, political instability, etc. A search of historical data reveals that severe famines have been less wide-spread in the last few decades, due to a variety of factors, with the exception of central Africa. However, a new threat has emerged in this last year, and I’m sure you can guess what it is – the covid 19 pandemic. Because of the effect of restricted world-wide transportation of food stuffs and nutrition assistance programs, parts of the world that depend benevolent sources of food assistance are suffering greatly. Currently, world news sources are filled with ominous warnings of food shortages due to international reaction to the Ukraine conflict. Certain countries are already rationing food items. Again, Jesus did not say that famines would be increasing in intensity, only that they would be happening, “but the end is not yet”. Yet He included them along with earthquakes in His list of beginnings of birth pangs. We can surely add them as ongoing along with the other items He talked about for us to keep abreast of as we draw near to the real birth pangs.
Troubles and Commotions:
These two BBP’s are often overlooked and not discussed. Luke’s gospel says this: “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” (Luke 21:9) Mark puts it this way: “….there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.” (Mark 13:8) (Note: some modern translations using the Nestle- Aland underlying Greek text do not have “troubles” in Mark 13:8.)
The words troubles and commotions are different Greek words but translate as very similar. They mean, instability, disorder, confusion, chaos, tumult, sedition, a roiling as from a mob. They indicate the opposite of order and peace. The book of Acts contains examples of this. Probably the best one is found in chapter 19 about the riot in Ephesus. You can read the whole account in verses 23-41. Paul’s preaching had converted many to the gospel, much to the chagrin of the idol worshippers who made much money from the idols they manufactured. Therefore, they instigated a riot. Here’s a few quotes to illustrate what happened. verse 23: “And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way“. Verse 29: “So the whole city was filled with confusion“. Verse 40: “For we are in danger of being called into question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.”
I’m sure you’re already thinking about certain troubles and commotions in our day. Quite evident here in the US is the demonstrations and riots that have swept our cities in the wake the George Floyd incident in Minneapolis. Or you might be thinking about the march on our Capitol in January. The rest of the world is not exempt from similar troubles. As I write this, rebellious demonstrations are occurring in such diverse cities as London, Paris, Hong Kong, Moscow, Caracas, and Myanmar. The more we see the success of some of these tumults, the more they will occur. In fact, by the time the great tribulation starts; “….and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth….” (Luke 21:25-26)
I don’t know about you, but I’m convinced that the increase the troubles and commotions the world is currently experiencing is surely of the type Jesus said would precede the time of “Jacobs Trouble”. These are definitely part of beginning birth pangs as He described them.
Pestilences:
“And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences……” (Luke 21:11) Pestilences here is the Greek word loimos which means plague – usually disease. In the Greek version of the Old Testament (LXX) the prophet Jeremiah uses this word several times to describe the plagues that God would use to afflict the Jews who would not listen and stay in Israel rather than go to safety in Babylon. This was not unlike the plagues Moses called down on Egypt, that included physical disease, and pests such as frogs, gnats, and locusts. That these things are happening in the world today is what I would call a “no-brainer”. While in various parts of the world plagues of pests are occurring (locusts in the ME, mice in Australia ?), the most obvious is the covid-19 pandemic. Past pandemics, some quite broad in scope, typically left some part of the world unscathed. This ongoing pandemic, however, has reached every corner of the globe. Even past pandemics such as polio are recurring in significant numbers in Israel. It’s certainly reasonable to conclude that these fit well with Jesus’ heads-up on BBP’s .
The reason I’ve focused this article on the beginnings of birth pangs is so that you consider just where we are on God’s eschatological timeline. Jesus indicated that following these signs, would be increasing turmoil and “great tribulation” leading up to His second coming. After all, He wanted us to use simple logic. Shortly after the beginnings of birth pangs come the real pains of birth contractions. That’s why He used the birthing metaphor. Gods’ kingdom will be delivered in the earth with the coming of our Lord. I hope you realize by now that I think there is more than sufficient evidence to state with a high degree of certainty that we are currently experiencing these beginnings of birth pangs. The “eschaton” (last days) is upon us! If you want to pursue a more detailed possible chronology of coming events, read the permanently linked article ‘Discerning the Time of Jesus’ Second Coming’.
So, what does all this mean for us? Simply, the eschaton is upon us! Assuredly, we need to prepare and become ready for what’s coming next. Watch here for upcoming posts on what we should be doing to prepare. And keep watching as our Lord commanded.
Maranatha, Jim