Mark 13:7-8

Mark 13:7-8

[7] And  when  ye shall hear  of wars  and  rumours  of wars,  not  troubled:  such things must  needs be;  but  the end  shall not be yet.  [8] For  nation  shall rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom:  and  earthquakes  in divers  places,  and  famines  and  are the beginnings  of sorrows. 

What does Mark 13:7-8 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines will precede Jesus" return, but they are not signs of the end of the age. There will be many of these things before the end comes. The messianic kingdom will appear in history similar to an infant who emerges from a very painful birth experience (cf. Isaiah 66:8; Jeremiah 22:23; Hosea 13:13; Micah 4:9-10). Jesus compared wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, and famines to the beginning of these pains. These phenomena show that the kingdom is coming, but they do not enable observers to date its arrival precisely. They are part of God"s program for the present age that includes judgment as well as salvation. They do not necessarily indicate that the Tribulation has begun. However these things will also mark the first part of the Tribulation (cf. Revelation 6). Mark 13:5-8 probably describe conditions before and during the first half of the Tribulation, and Mark 13:9-23 describe conditions during the second half. [1]