And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for those things must needs to come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places. But all these things are the beginning of travail. Matthew 24:6–8

It is becoming very difficult to delimit the material of Scripture which deals with the signs of the times. There are those who include far more than is warranted. Everything that occurs is not necessarily a sign of the times. People all too frequently explain the very ordinary happenings as signs of the times. We must be careful lest a wrong view of life be taught.

Wars and rumors of wars are mentioned in our passage as a sign of the times (vss. 3, 6). True. ever since sin has entered the world there have been wars and there have also been rumors of coming wars. It is quite natural that people who suffer as a result of war will conclude that the end is approaching. When we think of the horrors suffered by so many in Europe and Asia during the days of the Second World War it need not surprise us that many believers among them began to wonder if these were the very last days. Don’t be troubled, says Jesus, when these things happen. These things are only the beginning of travail.

Nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom throughout the history of the world. The history of the world is a history of wars. But there will be other calamities. There will also be famines and earthquakes in divers places. Famines have raged in various parts of the earth time and again and earthquakes have occurred numerous times. Famines are often the result of wars. As the population of the world increases they become more frequent. Earthquakes have taken thousands of lives and have done untold damage in many parts of the earth since history has been recorded. Therefore, one must not assume that a particular famine or earthquake is a sign that the end of the world is near.

         

           

No, all these things are but the beginning of travail. Surely, people have suffered agony as a result of war, famine, and earthquake. Man’s sin has ruined the harmony which existed immediately after the creation of all things. There is now a state of enmity. Man can expect these calamities to come. We may not conclude that these are signs that the end is very near anymore than we may conclude that those on whom these things come are grievous sinners. Yet they are signs of the times, though they are only the beginning of travail (vs. 8). They will increase in intensity and thus remind us that the end of the world is approaching.

Nevertheless, we should remember that there will be special signs of the times, of a different nature. The endtime will introduce phenomena which have not been seen since the world began! These will be far more severe than wars or famine or earthquakes. The suffering which this world has seen will be as nothing compared to the suffering it will have to endure. This is but the beginning of it. This is but a foretaste. Jesus is very careful when he teaches his disciples concerning these matters. They must not jump to conclusions as soon as a calamity strikes. Even the destruction of Jerusalem was but a foretaste, a type of the destruction of aU things at the end of time.

Questions

1. Is the fact that a catholic occupies the White House a sign of the times?

2. Do you think that the Jews regarded the days of the Second World War as belonging to the last days?

3. Will the end-time be a more severe form of the kind of times we have had before or will it be of an entirely different nature?