Matthew 24:7-8
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)
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The verse doesn't just list woes; it frames them as "nation against nation" and "kingdom against kingdom." This isn't just about random disasters but a breakdown of human order, showing how societal collapse and natural catastrophes intertwine in the signs Jesus describes.
Jesus has just predicted the utter destruction of the magnificent temple to his disciples, a statement that deeply shocks them. They then ask him when these events will occur and for the sign of his coming and the end of the age, prompting Jesus to warn them against deception and describe escalating global conflicts, natural disasters, and widespread suffering.
Jesus doesn't hold back when describing the future. He paints a picture of increasing conflict and natural disasters.
Jesus foretells a world filled with escalating strife. The phrase 'nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom' points to widespread conflict, not just isolated skirmishes. This isn't just about armies clashing; it speaks to societal breakdown and division on a massive scale.
Following this, Jesus mentions 'famines and earthquakes in various places.' These aren't minor inconveniences but significant disruptions. Historically, this period saw intense civil unrest, wars between different groups within and outside Judea, and devastating natural disasters. The commentators note widespread famines during Claudius's reign and numerous earthquakes shaking cities across the Roman world.
It's crucial to see these not as random events, but as part of a larger prophetic picture of a world in distress.
Why would Jesus describe such intense suffering? He calls these events the 'beginning of sorrows.'
Jesus isn't just listing calamities; he's framing them within a specific prophetic context. The phrase 'beginning of sorrows' (or 'birth pangs') is key. Like labor pains, these events signal something significant is coming, but they are not the end itself.
For Jesus's disciples, this directly pointed to the impending destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the end of the Jewish age. It was a sign that God's judgment was being poured out on a nation that had rejected Him, and a transition point toward the expansion of His kingdom.
For us today, these signs serve as a sober reminder of the world's brokenness and the ultimate need for God's intervention. They urge us to live with eternal perspective, recognizing that present troubles are precursors to a greater reality.
Understand the original words
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.
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 is describing not just the coming destruction of Jerusalem, but a series of escalating calamities that would characterize the period leading up to it, acting as 'birth pangs' of a new era.
c. 38 AD
Alexandrian Riots
Tensions between Jewish and Greek populations in Alexandria, Egypt, erupted into violent conflict, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Jews.
c. 41-54 AD
Famine during Claudius' Reign
A severe famine struck various regions, including Judea and Rome, causing widespread hardship and death, as recorded by Josephus and Roman historians.
c. 58 AD
Widespread Earthquakes
A series of devastating earthquakes shook numerous cities across Asia Minor and the surrounding regions, causing destruction and fear.
c. 64 AD
Great Fire of Rome & Persecution
A massive fire devastated Rome, and Emperor Nero's subsequent persecution of Christians intensified, leading to unrest and conflict.
66-73 AD
This passage describes internal conflict and upheaval within Egypt, with 'nation rising against nation, and city against city,' echoing the intense conflicts Jesus predicted for Matthew 24:7.
Jeremiah 4:23-28This prophetic passage paints a vivid picture of environmental and societal collapse, describing a desolate earth with no light, where the land trembles and nations are in turmoil, paralleling the signs of distress Jesus foretold.
Luke 21:10-11Luke's parallel account of Jesus' Olivet Discourse includes these same signs of unrest and natural disaster, adding 'fearful sights and great signs from heaven,' reinforcing the scope of the troubles Jesus described.
Acts 11:28This verse specifically mentions a prophet named Agabus foretelling a great famine that would occur in the whole world, showing a direct instance of one of the predicted calamities manifesting in the early church period.
Revelation 6:4-8These verses describe the opening of the third and fourth seals, unleashing war, famine, and plague upon the earth, which spiritual readers see as a further unfolding or broader application of the troubles Jesus warned about.
barnesMatthew 24:7: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."
Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom - At Caesarea the Jews and Syrians contended about the right to the city, and twenty thousand of the Jews were slain. At this blow the whole nation of the Jews was exasperated, and carried war and desolation through the Syrian cities and villages. Sedition and civil war spr…
calvinMatthew 24:1-8: "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple."
- And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him, to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2. And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all these things? Verily I say to you, There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. 3. And while he was sitting on the mountain of Olives, the disci…
The verse doesn't just list woes; it frames them as "nation against nation" and "kingdom against kingdom." This isn't just about random disasters but a breakdown of human order, showing how societal collapse and natural catastrophes intertwine in the signs Jesus describes.
Jesus has just predicted the utter destruction of the magnificent temple to his disciples, a statement that deeply shocks them. They then ask him when these events will occur and for the sign of his coming and the end of the age, prompting Jesus to warn them against deception and describe escalating global conflicts, natural disasters, and widespread suffering.
Jesus has just predicted the utter destruction of the magnificent temple to his disciples, a statement that deeply shocks them. They then ask him when these events will occur and for the sign of his coming and the end of the age, prompting Jesus to warn them against deception and describe escalating global conflicts, natural disasters, and widespread suffering.
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First Jewish-Roman War
The Jewish people revolted against Roman rule, leading to widespread warfare, civil strife within Judea, and immense destruction.
70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman army, led by Titus, besieged and utterly destroyed Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, marking a catastrophic end to the First Jewish-Roman War.
"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." — The verse doesn't just list woes; it frames them as "nation against nation" and "kingdom against kingdom." This isn't just about random disasters but a breakdown of human order, showing how societal…
