Matthew 24:6-8
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Jesus isn't just predicting future chaos; he's giving a specific instruction: don't be alarmed. The word "alarmed" carries the sense of being startled or thrown into a panic, and he assures his followers that these necessary events are not the definitive end.
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is responding to his disciples' questions about when the temple will be destroyed and the signs of his coming and the end of the age. He warns them that many will be deceived by false messiahs and that they will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but these are only the beginning of troubles and not the final end. The historical context shows that the years leading up to Jerusalem's destruction were indeed filled with intense conflict and unrest.
When news of conflict and chaos floods your world, it's easy to feel like the sky is falling. Jesus knew this would happen.
Jesus' instruction, 'See that you are not alarmed,' is a direct command. It’s not about suppressing fear, but about finding a steady anchor amidst the storm.
A Divine Signal, Not the Final Act
The 'wars and rumors of wars' Jesus mentions aren't random chaos. They are signals, part of a larger divine timeline. They must happen, not because God delights in conflict, but as part of the unfolding of history leading to His ultimate purposes.
Historical Echoes
Throughout history, particularly in the years leading up to Jerusalem's destruction in 70 AD, there were indeed widespread wars and terrifying rumors that unsettled the Roman Empire and Judea. These events, though devastating, were not the final curtain call. They served as precursors, a sign that things were moving, but the ultimate end had not yet arrived.
It's tempting to see every crisis as the final one, the absolute end of everything. But Jesus offers a crucial distinction.
The phrase 'the end is not yet' is critical. Jesus is speaking on multiple levels, but in the immediate context, He's referring to the end of the Jewish age and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Not the Apocalypse, But a Prelude
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These wars and disturbances were signs, but they were only the beginning of sorrows, as verse 8 clarifies. They were a prelude to greater judgment and upheaval, signaling a major shift in God's dealings with His people and the world. The destruction of Jerusalem was a monumental event, a judgment, but it was not the final consummation of all things.
Perspective on Time
Jesus is teaching His followers to have a long view of history and God's plan. The events of their time, though alarming, were part of a process. The true 'end'—Christ's final return and the establishment of His eternal kingdom—was still in the future. This perspective helps us avoid despair when difficult times arise, reminding us that God is still sovereignly at work.
Understand the original words
polemos · Greek Noun
Large-scale armed conflicts between organized groups or states, often representing divine judgment or the clash of human empires in biblical prophecy.
telos · Greek Noun
The final consummation of the age, the return of Christ, and the establishment of His kingdom. It refers to the completion of God's redemptive historical plan.
ethnos · Greek Noun
The grouping of people based on shared heritage, language, or territory; in biblical terms, often refers to the Gentile world or political entities that stand outside the covenant people.
dei · Greek Verb
A divine or providential necessity; something that must occur because it is part of God's sovereign, revealed, or decreed plan for human history.
ōdin · Greek Noun
Metaphorical language for the introductory distress and precursors leading to the arrival of the Messianic age or the final judgment, signifying intense pain that precedes a new beginning.
Jesus' words in Matthew 24 weren't just about distant future events, but about the turbulent period leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The 'wars and rumors of wars' were a stark reality for the Jewish people, with significant political upheaval in Rome and violent internal strife contributing to the chaos.
c. 41 AD
Caligula Orders Statue in Jerusalem
Emperor Caligula ordered his statue to be placed in the Jerusalem Temple, causing immense fear and consternation among Jews, who mobilized to resist, though the crisis was averted by his assassination.
c. 44-48 AD
Famine in Judea
A severe famine struck Judea during the reign of Claudius, fulfilling prophecy and causing significant suffering.
c. 50-60 AD
Roman Succession Crisis
The period leading up to and during the Jewish War saw significant political instability in the Roman Empire, including the reigns of Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, marked by civil strife and war.
c. 66 AD— this verse
Jewish Revolt Begins
The First Jewish-Roman War erupted, characterized by widespread conflict, insurrections, and violent clashes between Jewish factions and with Roman forces, fulfilling Jesus' prophecy of 'wars and rumors of wars.'
70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Roman army, under Titus, besieged and utterly destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, a cataclysmic event that marked the end of the Jewish state.
This passage echoes Matthew 24:6 by directly telling the disciples not to be terrified when they hear of wars and disturbances, reinforcing the idea that these events are signs but not the immediate end.
Mark 13:7Similar to Matthew 24:6, this verse explicitly states that wars and rumors of wars are signs that must occur but do not signify the immediate end, providing a consistent message across the Gospels.
Jeremiah 4:19-20This Old Testament passage speaks of the distress and turmoil of war ('Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I travail in pain!') from God's perspective, highlighting the profound suffering that even 'rumors of wars' can bring, and setting a precedent for understanding such events as significant warnings.
2 Timothy 3:1-5This passage describes the difficult and perilous times that will characterize the 'last days,' mentioning traits of people that often lead to conflict and societal breakdown, providing a broader context for the kinds of social unrest Jesus predicted.
Revelation 6:4This apocalyptic vision describes a red horse going out to take peace from the earth and make people slay one another, directly paralleling the 'wars and rumors of wars' Jesus foretold and the 'nation rising against nation' that follows.
barnesMatthew 24:6: "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
And ye shall hear of wars ... - It is recorded in the history of Rome that violent agitations prevailed in the Roman empire previous to the destruction of Jerusalem. Four emperors, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, suffered violent deaths in the short space of eighteen months. In consequence of these changes in the government, there were com…
bensonMatthew 24:6: "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
Matthew 24:6-8 . And ye shall hear of wars, &c. — This is the second sign. That there were wars and rumours of wars, appears by all the historians of those times, and above all by Josephus. To relate the particulars would be to transcribe a great part of his history of the Jewish wars. There were more especially rumours of wars when Caligula…
Jesus isn't just predicting future chaos; he's giving a specific instruction: don't be alarmed. The word "alarmed" carries the sense of being startled or thrown into a panic, and he assures his followers that these necessary events are not the definitive end.
Jesus is responding to his disciples' questions about when the temple will be destroyed and the signs of his coming and the end of the age. He warns them that many will be deceived by false messiahs and that they will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but these are only the beginning of troubles and not the final end. The historical context shows that the years leading up to Jerusalem's destruction were indeed filled with intense conflict and unrest.
Jesus is responding to his disciples' questions about when the temple will be destroyed and the signs of his coming and the end of the age. He warns them that many will be deceived by false messiahs and that they will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but these are only the beginning of troubles and not the final end. The historical context shows that the years leading up to Jerusalem's destruction were indeed filled with intense conflict and unrest.
"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in va…" — Jesus isn't just predicting future chaos; he's giving a specific instruction: don't be alarmed. The word "alarmed" carries the sense of being startled or thrown into a panic, and he assures his fol…
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Last reviewed October 2026
