The Acceleration of Birth Pangs

I have focused a lot on end time topics on this website, so I will do something different by discussing the period we live in now and how it relates to the concept of birth pangs. The purpose of this article is to give my thoughts about where the world is currently at and where I think the world is heading in the near future.

The Nature of Birth Pangs

I believe that the world is undergoing the “sorrows” (also known as birth pangs) that Christ referenced in the verses shown in the following table. Christ said that we would hear about events such as wars, earthquakes, famine, and pestilence prior to His Coming.

Birth Pang Conditions
False Christs Wars & Rumors of Wars Nation vs. Nation Earthquakes & Famine
Mathew 24:4-7: (4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (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. (7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mark 13:4-8: (4) Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? (5) And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: (6) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (7) And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. (8) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
Luke 21:7-11: (7) And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? (8) And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. (9) But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. (10) Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: (11) And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

I do not believe the occurrence of birth pangs means that the end times have begun. In fact, Christ mentioned that we should not be startled when events associated with birth pangs transpire. However, we need to be cognizant about these events since they need to occur to prepare the world for the start of the end times.

The comparison of the period preceding Christ’s coming to birth pangs is important due to the nature of birth pangs. Birth pangs increase in frequency and intensity as time progresses. Therefore, we should see an increase in the frequency and the severity of the conditions that Christ described as time progresses.

I told my dad a while back that it is like we are living in 1914 just prior to the start of World War 1. I am not saying that a world war is about to break out, but the type of drastic change the world experienced from 1914 to 1919 is possible in this century given how fast events occur now. World events are accelerating as the world has become increasingly interconnected and as information flows instantaneously.

I remember a time when most people had to wait until the morning newspaper to find out what happened on the other side of the world the previous day. Now people can monitor events on the other side of the world by checking out Twitter or a news app on their mobile devices. I could not fathom living in a world like this when I was a child. The speed that world events are accelerating means that it is possible that you may not recognize the world that we live in today five years from now.

I still believe we need to see a lot more chaos in the world before the start of the end times. I still expect the start of the tribulation to be preceded by a chaotic period of global economic, political, geopolitical, and societal turmoil that will be far worse than what we have seen in recent years. Given the speed that the world is changing, we might see the acceleration of sorrows sooner rather than later.

If you want to learn how to tell if the tribulation has begun, click this link for my article on the topic: How to Tell If We’re Living in the Tribulation.

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Wayne Croley
Wayne Croley

Hi! I’ve studied and written about Bible prophecy since I was a teenager. My goal is to make Bible prophecy easy for you to understand while avoiding the sensationalism seen elsewhere. I am the author of several end time books, including Prophecy Proof Insights on the End Times, a comprehensive book about the end times. I hold an M.B.A. and degrees in Managerial Economics and Political Science.