JESUS is telling his disciples what they must expect down the centuries of history. Of course the disciples had no clue as to how much time would pass before Christ's return and the end of the world. In fact they had great expectation that Christ would return sooner than later. So the words of Jesus here would be a surprise because Jesus is hinting that there would be many years of history before the end. In fact we know in these latter days, that over 2000 years have passed, and still Christ has not yet returned. With this in mind the warning of Jesus in these verses have been much needed in the church, and will continue to be needed. What is certain is that Jesus will return and there will be an end to this world.

Jesus tells the truth about history and the world when he warns that there will be wars and rumours of wars, and that nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. History tells of a multitude of conflicts in every part of the world, and the 20th Century was no exception having two of the most bloody wars of all history. Jesus words are true, because it was thought that the two world wars would end all wars, and people would see the folly of war, and turn from war, but this has not happened. There has been conflicts ever since and there are conflicts today.

This fact of wars and rumours of wars is so strange. Nobody likes war, or at least most do not want war, yet they are occurring again and again, and nobody seems to be able to stop them. The theory of evolution can't explain them, and in fact would expect wars to be diminishing as society evolves ever upwards. People have taught that if you eradicate poverty, and have better education, then wars would be a thing of the past. However this has not happened.

It is only the religion of the Bible that is down to earth and faces reality. James faces the truth about human conflict in his general letter chapter 4:1ff. He shows what the problem is. It is sinful and corrupt human nature. While human nature is what it is, there will be evermore wars, both small and great.

Jesus tells his disciples not to be alarmed. (v.6). The Christian need not be alarmed, and this is because we belong to our Father in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the adoption of sons of God. God is in control of things. Jesus tells us these things must happen (v.6). I do not know why they have to happen, but I believe I will know in the hereafter when through Christ I enjoy life in the kingdom of heaven, but now I need not be alarmed, because I am, as are all true believers, in the care of our heavenly Father.

Jesus does not stop at wars and rumours of wars. He goes on to say that history will also be marked by natural disasters. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. It is true that much famine is caused for the same reason that there are wars, but there are famines that are out of the control of human beings. With regard to earthquakes, human being have no control over these in any way. If we study history there are hundreds of examples of earthquakes, and many causing great loss of property and life. Again Jesus says to his people – do not be alarmed. We are in the care of our heavenly Father.

I do not know why these things must happen. I do know from the book of Revelation that all down history God uses these natural disasters as trumpets of warning to a sinful world of the displeasure of God towards sin, and he sends these 'acts of God' in order to tell the world of his displeasure. Trumpets sound a warning. In this God is seeking to teach men and women the sin and folly of their ways, and to turn from sin and back to God. Revelation speaks of these warning – the trumpets (Revelation 6ff) – as devastating a third of the earth. Nobody has quantified the effect of these natural disasters over the whole of the planet, but we know they are extensive, and at the same time only in a limited way in the world. By this God's grace is seen. He warns but gives people time to repent. The tragedy is that sinful humanity does not listen to God, or worse curses God.

Jesus ends this description of history with the words “These are the beginning of birth pains”. This is a beginning and by this Jesus is foretelling that worse is to be expected, and this he hints at later in this prophecy. The fact is that the Bible speaks of a time at the end of the world, just before Christ's return, that things will be much worse than any previous time in history. It is known as the great tribulation. God has said this severe time will be short, but it will happen.