Matthew 24:7-8

Wars, famines, and earthquakes will anticipate the end of the present age.

"The horrors described are not local disturbances, but are spread over the known world; nations and kingdoms are in hostility with one another." [Note: M’Neile, p. 346.]

The Jews believed that a seven-year period of time will immediately precede Messiah’s coming to rule the world.

"Our Rabbis taught: In the seven-year cycle at the end of which the son of David will come . . . at the conclusion of the septennate the son of David will come." [Note: The Babylonian Talmud, p. 654.]

"The idea became entrenched that the coming of the Messiah will be preceded by greatly increased suffering . . . This will last seven years. And then, unexpectedly, the Messiah will come." [Note: Raphael Patai, The Messianic Texts, pp. 95-96.]

"A prominent feature of Jewish eschatology, as represented especially by the rabbinic literature, was the time of trouble preceding Messiah’s coming. It was called ’the birth pangs of the Messiah,’ sometimes more briefly translated as ’the Messianic woes.’" [Note: Millar Burrows, Burrows on the Dead Sea Scrolls, pp. 343-44.]

The phrase "birth pains" had its origin in Old Testament passages that describe the period of distress preceding the messianic age, namely, the Tribulation (Isaiah 13:8; Isaiah 26:17; Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 6:24; Micah 4:9-10; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:3).

"’Birth pangs’ are a favorite metaphor for the tribulations God’s judgment brings upon man." [Note: Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, s.v. "Chebel," by H. J. Fabry, 4:191.]

The "birth pangs" Jesus spoke about here will be a period seven years long immediately before Messiah returns to establish His kingdom. [Note: See Showers, pp. 23-24.] This corresponds to "Daniel’s seventieth week" (Daniel 9:26-27). The beginning of "birth pangs" is the beginning of this Tribulation. Some interpreters believed Matthew 24:4-8 describe the first half of the Tribulation and Matthew 24:9-14 the last half. [Note: E.g., Pentecost, Thy Kingdom . . ., pp. 250-52; and Bailey, in The New . . ., pp. 49-50.] I think this is correct. Others believed Matthew 24:4-14 describe the beginning of the Tribulation, Matthew 24:15-22, the middle of it, and Matthew 24:23-44 the end of it. [Note: E.g., Wiersbe, 1:87-89.]

"Just as the first labor pangs of a pregnant woman indicate the nearness of the birth of a child, so these great signs anticipate the end of the age and the beginning of a new one." [Note: Toussaint, Behold the . . ., p. 271.]

"The effect of these verses [6-8], then, is not to curb enthusiasm for the Lord’s return but to warn against false claimants and an expectation of a premature return based on misconstrued signs." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 498.]

"A comparison of Christ’s description of the beginning of birth pangs in Matthew 24:5-7 with the first four seals of Revelation 6:1-8 indicates that the beginning of birth pangs and the first four seals are the same thing.

"In addition, immediately after His description of the beginning of birth pangs, Christ referred to the killing of those associated with Him (Matthew 24:9). Parallel to this, the fifth seal refers to people killed because of their testimony (Revelation 6:9-11)." [Note: Showers, p. 25.]

The sixth seal seems also to fall within this period.